Hello Friend,
Get ready to rock, my friends. Philadelphia’s Queen of Comedy is making her way to the suburbs! Jennifer Childs, Founder and Artistic Director of 1812 Productions and all around jill-of-all-theatre-trades, opens her one-woman adventure I Will Not Go Gently under the direction of Harriet Power this weekend.
When I saw the premiere production in the city two years ago, I, like the rest of the house, was completely enamored of her charming “edge,” disarming playfulness, and the layered humanity through which she draws and manifests her multi-personas in this self-penned work. I so look forward to sharing this comedic gem (and the laughter and compassion it incites!) with you.
Buckle up, buttercup!
Marcie Bramucci,
Director of Community Investment
Inside I Will Not Go Gently
Jennifer Childs as Sierra Mist, a washed-up rock star staging a comeback from her "experimental" phase. (Photo by Mark Garvin)
Jennifer Childs wrote the award-winning script and stars as Sierra Mist... and Daphne Thundergrass... and Abby... and, well, everyone! If that wasn't impressive enough, she also composed the original music alongside People's Light regular Christopher Colucci. As an added bonus, Jen brought her stellar team from 1812 with her: People's Light company member Rosemarie McKelvey (costumes), former People's Light Master Carpenter Lance Kniskern (set), People's Light regulars Jorge Cousineau (video) & Lily Fossner (lights),Thomas E. Shotkin (stage manager, last seen here for Row After Row), and the Philadelphia theatre legend herself, director Harriet Power.
For a taste of Jen and Chris' musical magic, check out the official I Will Not Go Gently soundtrack on Spotify!
Surrounding I Will Not Go Gently
Engagement
AfterWORDS Join us for facilitated discussions with the WHOLE, ENTIRE cast (yes...Jen will be there!) following Thursday evening performances, beginning 3/29.
Open Caption performances will be 4/11 at 2pm & 7:30pm and 4/15 at 2pm. These performances feature an LED screen above the stage that displays dialogue in real-time. 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.
Assisted Listening Devices, as well as T-Coil compatability, are available at the box office to enhance your experience of the performance.
Large Print Programs are always available at the Will Call desk for your convenience.
Leonard C. Haas and Greg Wood try to keep it together in Walnut Street Theatre's Noises Off through 4/29.
Peter DeLaurier conjures Prospero in Lantern Theatre Company’s The Tempest, beginning this weekend to
4/29.
Sanjit De Silva navigates Hammaad Chaudry’s new play
An Ordinary Muslim at New York
Theatre Workshop, which has been extended through this weekend.
Packing a powerful punch is Suli Holum’s solo-show The Wholehearted at the Abrons Art Center in NYC through 4/1.
James Ijames’
play White (Community Matters 2016)
is now available HERE through Dramatists Play Service.
Cheers to Pete Pryor on accepting a full-time position with the Pathway School, where he’s been in residence as a teacher and director, and where he will be able to further his work supporting young people with a range of cognitive differences via theatre. Thankfully he remains a People’s Light company member and you will no doubt see him again soon! In the meantime, Pete’s play Beautiful Boy (2012) – inspired by the journey through his son’s autism diagnosis – is now available for download through Amazon HERE.
LAST CALL
David Bradley’s "exquisite" production of The Diary of Anne Frank continues through 3/31. Audiences rave, “the actors are untouchable, phenomenal." "Stunning, detailed, and powerful."
Join us for our final (free!) panel discussions:
“The Freedom Seder at 49: Origins & Future” on 3/23, 6:30-7:15PM
“Anne Frank: Why Now?” on 3/25, 5-6:30PM
Email Bramucci@peopleslight.org to register.
Our final performance on 3/31 at 2pm will now feature both open captioning and audio-description. Arrive early for a Sensory Tour (1:15-1:30pm) to experience key props and costume pieces up close. Additionally, our friends from Canine Partners for Life join us at 1pm for a demonstration with a service animal in training.
If you have insights from your experience of the production, we’d love to hear them. Please email me to share.
New Play Frontiers Spotlight
Dominique Morisseau’s Mud Row will be our second New Play Frontiers production to take the stage at People’s Light, premiering in June of 2019. Dominique has drawn inspiration from the residents – past and present – of the historically black neighborhood in West Chester surrounding the Charles A. Melton Center for Arts & Culture, which has been an anchor partner throughout the development process. According to Dominique, “Spending time at the Melton Center has allowed me to witness firsthand the power of history, strong roots and community.”
Dominique on a recent cover
of American Theatre Magazine.
Earlier this month, we produced a developmental workshop of Mud Row at Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA where Dominique teamed up with director, Steve H. Broadnax III (The Mountaintop), and Producing Director, Zak Berkman to dive in deeper. Broadnax, who has been on board since the play’s first workshop in Malvern and West Chester nearly two years ago, directs the world premiere next spring. He believes, “Mud Row is a story about forgiveness: Forgiveness of self and others in order to unshackle ourselves from the injuries of the past. Mud Row demonstrates how forgiveness can liberate minds and hearts enslaved by anger, bitterness, resentment, and generational betrayal. In a current world full of senseless violence, political hocus-pocus, systemic injustice, racial inequality, broken families and communities there is an urgent need for healing and forgiveness is a powerful start.”
Dominique, Steve, and all of us at People’s Light look forward to sharing this piece in full next season. In the meantime, stay tuned to get a taste of this play during our 2018 Community Matters series this summer.
Theatre News
Announcing the 2018/2019 Season!
If you haven't received your renewal packet in the mail this week, it should be arriving very, very soon! The full lineup for next season features an eclectic mix of stories about everything from punk-folk vampires to Civil Rights icons. Check out all 8 plays here.
Even MORE Jennifer Childs + lights back up on Lights Out!
Jen will take on one more role in April: the entertainment at our annual auction! Join us on April 13th at Laughter and Light. The evening benefits Arts Discovery education programs at People's Light. You can find the full event and registration details here, and starting April 3rd, you can even bid on silent auction items online. There are a few very exciting live auction items you'll only be able to win at the event itself, however — including tickets to opening night of Lights Out in Los Angeles!
(Oh yeah, did we mention that Lights Out will have its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse in February? With Dulé Hill and Daniel J. Watts reprising their starring roles? Yeah, that's happening.)
