THE EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER IN WATERFORD
Think of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford as a unique ship that is about to leave the port. All summer long, you are invited to hop on board for an adventure on the high theatrical seas. No need for life jackets or rafts or seasickness pills as the water will be calm…but what happens on the theatrical boards may be dramatically bumpy. Hold on!
You’ve literally missed the boat for the annual National Puppetry Conference that culminated in two pubic performances June 14 and 15. Workshops and rehearsals were held on such topics as mechanism building, writing, music, marionettes and much more, all under the skilled hands of Pam Arciaro, Artistic Director.
Have no fear, there is a lot waiting for you to experience. Out of 320 submitted new musicals, a trio have been selected to be showcased as staged readings from June 21 to July 12 in the National Music Theater Conference. Already staged was “Borderline” with book by Aryanna Garber and music and lyrics by Benjamin Velez, June 22, 23, 26 and 28 that involves Anna, a disturbed young woman recently expelled from college, who has to deal with probation, a soon-to-be-remarried papa and a plethora of problems.
Next up is “Jeanette” with book by Lauren M. Gunderson and music and lyrics by Ari Afsar June 29, 30. and July 3 and 5. In 1916, even before women were granted the right to vote, Jeanette Rankin was elected to the U S Congress. She became the voice for women’s suffrage. Come hear her roar in this exciting pop musical.
Completing the three is “Undesirables” with book and lyrics by Hansol Jung and lyrics and music by Brian Quijada on July 6, 7, 10 and 12. A newly orphaned Korean girl, Jin, comes to America in1923 and soon becomes involved in an underground world where the have-nots suddenly develop super powers, with a blend of pop, folk, reggae, hip-hop musical genres.
The newly renovated Blue Gene’s Pub held “The Incubator Concert” on June 21 that featured new works performed by emerging composers: “The River is Me” by Troy Anthony and Sukari Jones, “Fora” by Joe Broderick and Matthew AC Cohen, “Mill Girls” by Diana Lawrence, Samantha Beach and Jess McLeod, and “Diana Steals the Show” by Joe Kinesian and Kellen Blair.
Hold onto your life jackets as the National Playwrights Conference, under the direction of Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director, examines 1416 submitted new plays to select eight to be staged July 3 to 27. Among those selected is Craig Lucas’s “Death of the Republic” July 3, a drama that releases unexpected consequences between a moral philosopher and his finest student.
In Zaya Dohrn’s “The Humanities” on July 5 and 6, we encounter a modern university whose invitation to a provocative speaker unleashes unanticipated reactions. Charly Evon Simpson’s “it’s not a trip, it’s a journey” on July 10 and 11 concerns a quartet of friends who take to the road and travel west to discover personal truths.
George Brant’s “Tender Age” showing July 12 and 13 deals with Martin who takes a job in an Immigration Detention Center to help parents and children in the system when an epidemic strikes close to home and heart. Come experience Anna Ziegler’s “Antigones” July 17 and 18 when the classic story is challenged by the #metoo movement to decide if women have control over their own bodies.
In Terarrance Arvelle Chisholm’s dramatic “Black Dick” July 19 and 20 we meet an overtaxed black detective James Flood as he tries to rescue a teenage white girl.
On July 24 and 25 Kimber Lee will present “UNTITLED F*CK M*SS S**GON PLAY,”
a visceral snapshot of a “woman trapped in a cycle that bleeds through time and space (who) looks for a way out. ” In “Winter People” by Laura Neill, July 26 and 27, we meet five women and their families who want to know why and how a Hamptons’ mansion has burned and who is the culprit. Award-winning casts and creative teams will bring these new works to the stage at one of the O’Neill’s four theaters, two outdoor, two indoor.
The acclaimed Writer-In-Residence this summer is Isaac Gomez who has many plays premiering all over the country. For tickets ($30) to the staged readings of plays and musicals, call the box office at 860-443-1238 or online at boxoffice@theoneill.org. Inquire about the cabaret shows and ticket prices. Also ask how you can become a member to support all these wonderful activities.
Stay tuned for nine nights of Cabaret, under the stewardship of John McDaniel, Artistic Director, beginning with a free night on July 31. Brad
Simmons presents “Storytellers” on August 1, Tori Scott “Thirsty!” August 2, Barb Jungr “Barb, Brel, and More!” August 4, Carole Cook “Tonight!” August 6, Junior Fellows “We Are the Champions: The Music of Queen!” August 7, An Evening with Cabaret Fellows August 8, Daniel J. Watts “The Jam: Only Child” August 9 and The Cabaret Finale August 10. Take note of the free performance of the TheaterMakers on Monday, July 22 at 7 p.m., a product of six intensive weeks of study.
The captain is ready to set sail so don’t get left at the dock. There are too many wonderful opportunities to experience as the USS Eugene O’Neill sets its course.
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