MEADVILLE, Pa. – Feb. 3, 2009 – Allegheny College and the Meadville Community Theatre will present Plunge! Cabaret’s debut production of “The Freak That Sticks” on Feb. 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the Meadville Community Theatre.
“The Freak That Sticks” follows one woman’s struggle to find the perfect match. Along the way, she discovers that the key to knowing who she wants lies in knowing who she is. The music and script are as varied as her many encounters – ranging from humorous mishaps to serious crushes, heart-breaking ballads to rousing jam sessions, moments of revelation to all-out geek fests.
Meadville native Jennifer Rodgers Beach, portraying a woman on a romantic mission, and Pittsburgh native Tim Coles, playing everything else — from her best friend, potential mate and even her computer — tackle the dating scene head on. Together, they run the gamut from acting on the unrealistic expectations of an untried romantic dreamer, through the awkward fumblings of negotiating the real world dating scene, and finally into a full-blown exploration of what kind of “freak” she really is.
Rodgers Beach is the daughter of Glen and Kitty Rodgers, who have long-standing ties to the campus and the community. Glen was a professor of chemistry at Allegheny College for 30 years.
“It’s thrilling to be back in a community with such a rich context for me,” said Rodgers Beach. “I have a career in the performing arts because of the people and opportunities that began in Meadville: performing and directing with Meadville Community Theatre; voice, piano, theory and conducting classes at Allegheny; the choral music program through junior and senior high.”
In addition to the public performances of “The Freak That Sticks,” Coles and Rodgers Beach will provide a three-day residency at Allegheny to explore divisions that challenge the campus and the community.
As part of the residency, the audience is invited to stay in the theater following the Sunday performance to participate in a community conversation examining issues of diversity through the lens of stereotyping and labeling. A panel, including student leaders, faculty and community members, will facilitate a discussion of divisions such as age, gender, class, race, sexuality, religion and physical and mental disabilities.
Tickets for “The Freak That Sticks,” which are available at the door, are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $6 for Allegheny students with ID.
For more information and reservations, call (814) 333-1773. For information about Plunge! Cabaret, visit www.plungecabaret.com.
About Plunge! Cabaret
Plunge! Cabaret is a nonprofit company in Pennsylvania committed to bringing art, higher education and community service together to do real work in the real world. The company’s artists are based out of the Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas.
About the Meadville Community Theatre
Meadville Community Theatre (MCT) is a nonprofit organization located in the Odd Fellows Building on the campus of Allegheny College at 400 North Main Street. For 42 years MCT has provided live theatre performances by and for the residents of Meadville.
