Hello Friend,
Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo is the exclamation point to close out our 2016-17 season. Throughout rehearsal, the team has had a little too much fun together. We need to warn our summer interns that everything is under control, the rubber chicken is purely professional and not to startle at the frequent bursts of laughter exploding from the rehearsal room and filling our hallways.
Not only is Moon Over Buffalo raucously funny and fun-filled summer-fare, it is also a celebration of company here at People’s Light. You may think of company as familiar faces you have seen on our stages previously, and they are – company here also encompasses a group of artists who have grown and continue to grow together. People’s Light is one of very few theatres to have a resident company of artists. Many have worked together for decades, some are more recent additions - all of these artists inspire, challenge and support one another in collaborative, rigorous work.
What we see on stage however, rarely has the appearance of work, but instead (especially with a piece like Moon Over Buffalo), we see highly executed play. Being in such capable hands allows us as an audience to kick back, let go, and laugh, which is just what I invite you to do when you attend in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, I hope you’re enjoying a nice slice of summer.
Stay cool,
Marcie Bramucci,
Director of Community Investment
Inside Moon Over Buffalo
According to Pete Pryor, the director of this production and Associate Artistic Director at People’s Light, “George and Charlotte Hay, [played by David Ingram and Mary Elizabeth “MB” Scallen] the beloved leading acting couple in Moon Over Buffalo, are about to enter the twilight of their season. They’re not spring chickens anymore. They’ve weathered the storms of life both on and offstage, and now they’ve arrived at a pivotal moment in their personal lives and their careers.”
David Ingram & Mary Elizabeth Scallen. Photo by Mark Garvin.
Pryor, our own internal master of farce (Noises Off, Bach at Leipzig) offers, “I think the choices that George and Charlotte make on this journey will reverberate with, and hopefully tickle, anyone who has started a company, or followed a vocation, or pursued a passion. Moon Over Buffalo is an opportunity to watch human beings behave in a ridiculously human way.”
The ensemble also includes company members Kevin Bergen, Peter DeLaurier, Christopher Patrick Mullen, Marcia Saunders, Julianna Zinkel and frequent guest artist Tabitha Allen (The Matchmaker, Sleeping Beauty: A Musical Panto).
For this production, resident artist Marla J. Jurglanis (The Matchmaker, The Mountaintop) creates costumes. Returning guest Yoshinori Tanokura (Stargirl, Pride and Prejudice) designs the set. Visiting artist John Hoey (Jack and the Beanstalk: An American Panto, Jacques Brel is Alive & Well & Living in Paris) designs lights, while frequent guest Christopher Colucci (Stella and Lou, Row After Row) designs sound. Resident artist Gina Pisasale dramaturgs the play, and our long-time company member Kate Fossner stage manages.
Approximate run time is 2 hours including a 15-minute intermission.
This production will be best enjoyed by ages 10+.
Surrounding Moon Over Buffalo
Below are programs and services offered to "surround," increase access to, and deepen engagement with Ken Ludwig's Moon Over Buffalo.
Scoop on Wednesdays
at 6pm: Gina Pisasale serves up the play's inside
scoop in the upper lobby of the Leonard C. Haas Stage* with an artist from the production at 6pm on 7/26, 8/2, & 8/9. Tickets $15 per
person. Call 610.644.3500 to reserve.
*Please note location change.
AfterWORDS: Join us for discussions with the cast following Thursday evening performances on 7/27, 8/3, & 8/10.
Open Caption performancesare on 8/2 @2pm & 7pm, and 8/6 @2pm. If you are interested in the Open Caption services, please notify the box office when reserving your tickets so we can seat you in the ideal section.
INVITATION! New Voices Ensemble Performance
Please join our New Voices Ensemble, comprised of 12 students from the City of Chester, for a performance of their original play Some Days Are Never Forgotten on Friday, July 28th at 7pm on our Steinbright Stage. This play is the culmination of a 10-month intensive program in ensemble work and mentoring, centered on the theme of race, under the direction of Resident Teaching Artist and playwright Nadira Beard (New Voices alumna).
Last week the Ensemble performed at Chester City Hall to an audience that laughed, cried, and stood in applause, and we anticipate you will be just as delighted. To reserve your free tickets email artsdiscovery@peopleslight.org or call 610-647-1900 ext. 137
New Play Frontiers Spotlight
Last week, People’s Light welcomed to Malvern our next round of playwrights for New Play Frontiers, including James Ijames (White), Laura Schellhardt (Auctioning the Ainsleys) and husband-wife writing duo, Deepa Purohit and Sanjit deSilva (performed in The Cherry Orchard). I had the pleasure to introduce these writers to our region over an intensive four-day orientation. Click here for an article with details on these impressive writers and on the program.
The NPF writers will hone in on their area of exploration and return to People’s Light over the next year to dive in more deeply. As we surface the unique people, stories, challenges and opportunities of this region with these writers – I invite you to share what may be a local subject or story of burning concern or significance to you that we should have on our radar. You can respond directly to this email to be in touch.
Around Town & Beyond
with company artists
Paul Meshejian and the team at PlayPenn have kicked off their annual New Play Conference, which runs through July. Catch performances by Melanye Finister and Aubie Merrylees throughout the conference, where Resident Dramaturg Gina Pisasale supports development of Carter Lewis ‘s play With.
The timing couldn’t be better to join Mark Lazar down the shore where he takes on the role of “Nat Miller,” the patriarch of the family, in Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness at East Lynne Theatre Company in Cape May, NJ. 7/26 – 9/2.
Greg Wood jumps between
productions at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival this summer. He just closed Hounds of Baskerville this weekend, and you can catch him in Troilus and Cressida 7/26 – 8/6.
And at PSF for the little ones (ages 4-10)! Check out Shakespeare for Kids: As You Like It by Erin Sheffield, with music by Andrew Kane at PSF 7/26 – 8/5.
Tom Teti tackles Tommy & Me once again with Theatre Exile, at Fringe Arts, 8/3-8/20.
Next On Stage
We kicked off our Community
Matters series last month with a powerful reading of Lela & Co. that opened an intense discussion about the
realities of human-trafficking in our region, and highlighted area resources
and action groups, for those wishing to become involved. Information is
available in under the “resources” tab on this page.
Roz & Ray by Karen Hartman (Project Dawn) is next, on Monday 8/14 at 7PM. Performances by Teri Lamm and James Ijames; under the direction of Zak Berkman. Click for details.
We round out the series with a unique offering, P3M5: Plurality of Privacy Project in Five-Minute Plays on 8/21 at 7PM. P3M5 is a series of newly commissioned 5-minute plays from writers around the world investigating the value, nature, and evolution of privacy. We will read and discuss eight of these pieces, and embark on a dynamic discussion about privacy today with a cyber security expert, a local librarian and a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union.
Both events will be facilitated by company member and thought provocateur, David Bradley. As always, these events are free, but require a ticketed reservation. I hope you’ll reserve your tickets today to join us. Reserve Tickets
Theatre News
Project Dawn
With Project Dawn – hailed “one of the best productions of the season” by The Philadelphia Inquirer – neither the playwright nor People’s Light shied away from the distressing, harsh, and at times absolutely heart-breaking realities of Project Dawn Court’s prostituted people and professional support staff. We welcomed over 5,000 total audience members to our intimate Steinbright Stage, including quite a few who were new to People’s Light (a number of our comment cards noted, “First time. Will return!”).
The success of our earlier this year crowd-funding campaign, to which many of you, our subscribers, contributed (raised over $15,000 and) enabled us to significantly open this production to individuals who work with vulnerable and potentially vulnerable populations with fully and partially subsidized tickets. All told, 475 people were able to attend using these subsidized tickets across 48 organizations and community groups!
Discussions, continuing education opportunities, and gatherings further extended the impact of the play in our community. As we opened Project Dawn and our theatre up more and more, including to those individuals working on the “front lines,” we heard sobering and encouraging feedback, including from one social worker, “It depicted everything that we deal with every day -- the rewarding and the challenging.” And a parole officer shared, “It re-inspired and motivated me to get back to work tomorrow!”
We have extended the experience of this play beyond its time in Malvern with a limited edition professional publication of the script in a unique partnership with Samuel French. We have sold many throughout the run, and have a few remaining. If you would like to purchase your own copy, just let me know.
This fall, Project Dawn will be produced at Horizon Theatre in Atlanta, GA as part of its rolling world premier, then at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City this spring.
Thank you for being a part of this important and impactful first.
Subscriber Party
Many thanks to all who were able to join us for this year’s subscriber party. We welcomed 200+ subscribers to celebrate the season behind us and to hear more about what's on the horizon for the year ahead.
Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole piece in development
We are delighted to announce the headliners for our upcoming world premiere of Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole by Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor, slated to open our season this October. Emmy-nominated actor Dulé Hill (The West Wing) will play Cole, and Broadway regular Daniel J. Watts will appear as Sammy Davis, Jr.
Full announcement here.
New to Subscriber Insights? Visit the archive to read past installments.
