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Uncle Vanya

by Anton Chekhov, adapted by David Mamet, directed by Rachael Lindhart

October 17, 18, 24 & 25

In Uncle Vanya, a retired professor and his beautiful young wife return to the country estate left by his deceased first wife to find themselves overwhelmed by the stagnant inevitability of the rituals of their life and class, and mercilessly taxed by the encroachment of age at the expense of youth. All of the play’s characters are plunged into that precarious state where, in Beckett’s words, “the boredom of living is replaced by the suffering of being.”

 

Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them

by Christopher Durang, directed by Adeara Maurice

February 20, 21, 27 & 28.

(4M; 3W)

Christopher Durang turns political humor upside down with this raucous and provocative satire about America’s growing homeland “insecurity.” Why Torture is Wrong, and the People who Love Them tells the story of a young woman suddenly in crisis: Is her new husband, whom she married when drunk, a terrorist? Or just crazy? Or both? Is her father’s hobby of butterfly collecting really a cover for his involvement in a shadow government? Why does her mother enjoy going to the theatre so much? Does she seek mental escape, or is she insane? Honing in on our private terrors both at home and abroad, Durang oddly relieves our fears in this black comedy for an era of yellow, orange and red alerts.

 

Bob: A Life in Five Acts

by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, directed by Nate Sullivan

March 13, 14, 20 & 21.  7:30 pm

(3M; 2W)

Bob: A Life in Five Acts chronicles the highly unusual life of Bob and his lifelong quest to become a “Great Man.” Born and abandoned in the bathroom of a fast food restaurant, Bob energetically embarks on an epic journey across America and encounters inspiring generosity, crushing hardships, blissful happiness, stunning coincidences, wrong turns, lucky breaks, true love and heartbreaking loss. Along the way, Bob meets a myriad of fellow countrymen all struggling to find their own place in the hullaballoo of it all. Will Bob’s real life ever be able to live up to his dream? Bob is a comedic exploration of American mythology and values, the treacherous pursuit of happiness, and discovering what it means to be truly “great.”

Death of a Salesman

by Arthur Miller, directed by David Pierce

For audition information click here.

May 1 & 27:30 pm First Street Community Center, Mt. Vernon
May 8, 9, 15 & 16.  7:30 pm Iowa Children’s Museum, Coralridge Mall

(8M; 5W)

Death of a Salesman revolves around the last days of Willy Loman, a failing salesman, who cannot understand how he failed to win success and happiness. Through a series of tragic soul-searching revelations of the life he has lived with his wife, his sons, and his business associates, we discover how his quest for the “American Dream” kept him blind to the people who truly loved him. A thrilling work of deep and revealing beauty that remains one of the most profound classic dramas of the American theatre.