Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3 at 7:30 and Sunday, June 4 at 2:30 at the Williamsville Hall, Main Street, Williamsville, VT.
The lineup includes works by Newfane playwright/film director Pamela Corkey (premiere), as well as works by area playwrights Jennifer Jasper and Robert Cullinane; a one-act by NY playwright, Scott Sickles; and structured improvisation.
“Beautiful Noises” by Scott Sickles, directed by Randy Lichtenwalner is about a recently-deceased man who encounters his long-lost sister in the afterlife. Instead of offering guidance, she needs his help reaching out to the mother she left behind. Animosity between their mother and the man’s lover, however, may prevent any communication between the living and the dead in this short but complex exploration of family dynamics, love and loss, remembering and cherishing.
“Punked” by Robert Cullinane is directed by Cris Parker-Jennings. The story by Cullinane, who was recently featured in Gallery Players’ New Plays Festival in Brooklyn is that, out of boredom, two young teens want to “punk” someone. They decide to make a call to a number they found on a Medicare pamphlet. However, this would not be the first time these two Medicare representatives have had a prank caller. In the end, who gets “punked?”
“The Caltrop” Pamela Corkey, directed by Amy Donahue, is a short character comedy about three felons and a prison chaplain engaged in an illicit act of carefully-crafted escapism. In the process, they are forced to reconcile the fantasy of who they wish to be with the reality of who they really are.
“Eggs” by Jennifer Jasper is directed by Pamela Corkey. Perfection is the brutal enemy of the good in the fraught gauntlet of modern day parenthood.
Also on the program are two experimental pieces, a finale of sorts conceived by the evening’s producer and RRP founder, Annie Landenberger; the other “I Have to Get This”, a structured improvisation conceived/directed by Players’ co-artistic director Bahman Mahdavi with Stewart McDermet and Susan O’Hara. “Art imitates life imitating art imitating life,” Mahdavi explains. “A house of mirrors where the boundaries of reality and fiction blur.”
Amy Donahue, who will become one of RRP’s co-artistic directors in June, says about the evening: “The one-act format provides a fantastic laboratory for playwrights, directors, and actors to experiment and take artistic risks. This year’s company brings a broad range of both theater experience and life experience to the stage, making the already-eclectic program all the more exciting to watch. I’m thrilled to help carry Annie’s legacy forward by continuing to create opportunities to discover and amplify the talent within our community!”
The Company includes: Bahman Mahdavi, Traci Berchi, Peter Broussard, Pamela Corkey, Cathie Creed, Paul Davis, Amy Donahue, Eric Fischer, Magdalena Keppel, Randy Lichtenwalner, Stewart McDermet, Shey Nessralla, John Ogorzeleck, Susan O’Hara, Cris Parker-Jennings, Mickey Parker-Jennings, Veronica Stevens, Nicole Winot.
Tickets are $12, $10 for students/seniors and available at the door.
For more information, write verbatimvt@gmail.com or info@rockriverplayers.org.
