The Playshop Theatre at Allegheny College will open its 88th season with two staged readings of plays from Chantal Bilodeau’s “The Arctic Cycle” on Sept. 8 and 9.
“Sila,” featuring characters representing competing and intertwined interests about the future of the Canadian Arctic, will be presented Friday, Sept. 8, followed by “Forward,” centered around explorer Fridtjof Nansen’s race to the North Pole, on Saturday, Sept. 9. Performances are at 7 p.m. in the Gladys Mullenix Black Theatre in the Vukovich Center for Communication Arts, followed by an audience discussion with Bilodeau and Allegheny faculty. The productions are directed by Michael Mehler and Aleäa Rae.
Members of the Meadville and Allegheny College communities participate in both productions. Performers for “Sila” are Jess Sakal, Lee Scandinaro, Autumn Vogel, Dan Winston, Nate Youngblood, Dan Crozier, Miriam Patterson, Aleäa Rae. “Forward” features Chris Fettig, Alicia Greathouse, Geoff Hall, Jason Sakal, Sarah Wolford, Alison Celigoi, Mark Shimkets, Kai Van Rosendaal, Ada Zech, and Nia Shuler.
The 2017–18 lineup also features “Romeo and Juliet,” William Shakespeare’s timeless tale of star-crossed lovers, directed by Beth Watkins, Nov. 16-19; “Love and Information,” directed by Dan Crozier, Feb. 22-25; and “Detroit,” directed by Mark Cosdon, April 12-5.
In “Love and Information,” English playwright Caryl Churchill Snapchats a world awash in data, examining the ways in which our exponentially growing environment of information impacts our interactions, feelings and relationships.
Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D’Amour, “Detroit” is a tragicomedy set in Suburbia, U.S.A. that brings together a toxic combination of neighbors, a stagnant economy, unemployment, addiction — and a barbecue.
Tickets for all productions are $10 for adults and $8 for non-Allegheny students, senior citizens and Allegheny employees. Admission is free for Allegheny students with identification, though they are asked to make reservations.
For more information or to order tickets, contact the Playshop Theatre box office at (814) 332-3414.