True West
Produced on Oct. 10, 12, 13 and 18, 19, 20 of 2019.
Directed by Michael McVey
The first production of our 2019-2020 season was a dark comedy from award winning Playwright Sam Shepard. This American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape. Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee’s trashy Western tale. Finalist, 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Cast:
Austin – Sam Martini (making his OxACT Debut!)
Lee – Jeff Douglass
Mom – Cathy McVey
Saul – Michael McVey
2019-2020 Season Announced
True West
Oct. 10, 12, 13 and 18, 19, 20
This American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape. Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee’s trashy Western tale. Finalist, 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
“True West has […] arguably become Shepard’s signature piece, the leanest, most pointed of his full-length works.” – David Krasner, A Companion to Twentieth Century American Drama
Bingo: The Winning Musical!
Feb. 21, 22, 23 and 28, 29, Mar. 1
Bingo is a splashy, zippy, fun new musical comedy – great for theatres looking to produce a small musical with a big heart. Bingo is about a group of die- hard bingo players who stop at nothing to miss their weekly game. In between the number calling, strange rituals and fierce competitions, love blossoms and long lost friends reunite. These lovable characters spring to life with a smart, funny script and bouncy, hummable score. Audiences will be laughing in the aisles when they aren’t playing games of bingo along with the cast! “Popcorn, friendship, intrigue and a famous five-letter word. Bingo turns Grandma’s favorite form of gambling into fun-loving musical theater.” – The New York Times
Two on the Aisle, Three in the Van
Apr. 17, 18, 19 and 24, 25, 26
Welcome to another stellar season at the Neighborhood Actors Summerfun Repertory Theatre, a friendly little playhouse where, due to a lack of wing space, the company spends their downtime in the parking lot around an aging hippie/now turned techie’s van. The members of the company are the egos and obstacles that fall into the lap of Mike, a nice-guy director who ends up with far more than he bargained for. Anyone who’s ever seen a show may know these people. Anyone who’s ever done a show may be these people.
“An amusing, energetic jolt that skewers pretentious concept directors yet has a soft spot for actors and technicians.” – Backstage.
The 39 Steps
Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This comedy is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a cast of four), an onstage plane crash, missing fingers, handcuffs and some good old-fashioned romance. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 2007.
Cast
Emily Gerberick-Douglass
Jeff Douglass
Ben Mattox
Virgil Seger
Vincent Smith
Hannah Zmuda
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
This comedy revolves around the relationships of three middle-aged single siblings, two of whom live together, and takes place during a visit by the third, Masha, who supports them. They discuss their lives and loves, argue, and Masha threatens to sell the house. Some of the show’s elements were derived from works of Anton Chekhov, including several character names, the play’s setting in a cherry orchard, and the theme of the possible loss of an ancestral home. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play.
Cast
Vanya: Jeremie Korta
Sonia: Deb Richardson
Masha: Claire Squance
Spike:
Cassandra: Natasia Reinhardt
Nina: Hannah Zmuda
Oh, Coward
Weaving together songs and literary delights, Oh, Coward! celebrates one of the theatre’s greatest entertainers, Noël Coward. His effervescent music and charming quips combine for an unforgettable evening of the most memorable tunes of the twentieth century. In countless songs, musicals and plays (including the beloved Private Lives and Blithe Spirit), the multi-talented Coward made an indelible mark on the international theatrical landscape with his unique talent to amuse.
Cast
Rebecca Howard
Sarah Pate
Vincent Smith
Claire Squance
2018-2019 Flyer
The Other Place
Part medical thriller and part domestic drama: Juliana Smithton is a successful neurologist whose life seems to be coming unhinged. Her husband has filed for divorce, her daughter has eloped with a much older man and her own health is in jeopardy. But in this brilliantly crafted work, nothing is as it seems. Piece by piece, a mystery unfolds as fact blurs with fiction, past collides with present and the elusive truth about Juliana boils to the surface.
Rabbit Hole
Becca and Howie Corbett have a picture perfect family life in the suburbs of New York until a random, tragic accident takes the life of their four-year old son. Soon after, Becca’s younger, irresponsible sister, Izzy, announces that she is pregnant: there will now be a new child in the family. As Becca and Howie grow apart, Becca’s mother, Nat, badgers Becca about her grieving process, and Jason, the young driver who killed their son, continually shows up to ask forgiveness, the group is on a bumpy road to healing with no road map in sight. Rabbit Hole delves into the complexity of a family navigating deep grief, and learning what it means to live a fruitful life when things fall apart.
Cast:
Becca: Teresa Gordon
Howie: Matt Benzing
Izzy: Jen Holan
Nat: Deb Richardson
Jason: Tony Giuffre
The Gin Game
This winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which originally starred Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn and was later revived with Julie Harris and Charles Durning, uses a card game as a metaphor for life. Weller Martin is playing solitaire on the porch of a seedy nursing home. Enter Fonsia Dorsey, a prim, self righteous lady. They discover they both dislike the home and enjoy gin rummy, so they begin to play and to reveal intimate details of their lives. What follows is a witty and compelling exploration of love, loss, bitterness, and desire.
