When Covid hit, many things in our lives changed, and one of those was theatre. It came to a screeching halt as productions had to be stopped immediately.
A common thread with actors and directors I’ve interviewed was how much they missed being able to meet in person. Robyn Allen, Executive Director at Prescott Center for the Arts, has planned an exciting and entertaining 2021-2022 season.
I Do! I Do!
This intimate and nostalgic work by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones (The Fantasticks) tells a tale of love, marriage and the ups and downs of living with your soulmate, set to a tuneful, charming score. Directed by Robyn Allen.
Betrayal
Harold Pinter’s masterpiece is a powerful expression of the chasm between recollection and reality. Dealing with the “eternal triangle”— wife, husband, and the wife’s lover — the playwright, with his customary inventiveness and subtlety, brings new insights to this timeless theme. Intended for mature audiences. Directed by Albert Hendeaux.
Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr.
The delicious adventures of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory light up the stage in this captivating adaptation. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr. is a scrumdidilyumptious musical, guaranteed to delight everyone’s sweet tooth.
Love, Loss and What I Wore
Everyone can relate to this intimate collection of funny and poignant stories by Nora and Delia Ephron. Using clothing and accessories, and the memories they trigger, these monologues and stories cover everything from deciding on prom dresses to hating purses and why some eventually default to wearing all black, all the time. Contains strong language and discussions of sexual situations. Directed by Bruce Lanning.
God of Carnage
Two couples meet to civilly discuss a schoolyard squabble between their sons. Harmony quickly devolves into hostility when everyone’s inner child comes out swinging, and the evening descends into hilarious, unmannered chaos. This savagely funny Tony award-winning Best Play that will leave you in stitches. Directed by Kevin Nissen.
That Championship Season
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Tony Award, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award as best play of the season and an overwhelming critical and popular success, this brilliant, powerful play brings pathos, humor and deep compassion to its penetrating study of four former teammates who meet for a reunion with their high-school coach. Contains strong language. Directed by Jim Pyduck.
Mamma Mia!
Get swept away by the infectious music, uplifting story and dazzling dance numbers that have made Mamma Mia! a worldwide phenomenon. Through the eternally catchy score of ABBA chart-toppers, this hilarious and touching tale of daughter, mother and would-be dads crescendos to an exhilarating finale celebration. Directed by Robyn Allen.
The Sociable Plover
Roy Tunt, hovering on the brink of birdwatching greatness, arrives at a remote bird blind on the Suffolk Marshes at daybreak, intent on spotting the elusive Sociable Plover, the last of 567 native British birds for his bird book. If he makes it he will be added to the list of all-time great twitchers (birdwatchers who seek out rare birds). Whitnall's play is a wrought, taut and exquisitely balanced comedy that keeps the viewer glued to the seat until the final full stop. This hilarious, pointed play of manners is a superbly crafted, perfectly pitched who-done-what reminiscent of Sleuth. Directed by Jean Lippincott.
Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon
These two one-act comedies offer two sides of the same coin. Through two very different sets of characters we see the intimate details of life in a small Texas town during a tumultuous time. Their unique perspectives and heartfelt stories reveal the beauty and tragedy of everyday life, not just for them, but for every person. Intended for mature audiences. Directed by Paul Epoch.
Paint Your Wagon
Fortunes rise and fall during the California Gold Rush in Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical about love and ambition. The story centers on a miner and his daughter as it follows the lives and loves of the people in a California mining camp This treasured musical is an homage to the Old West, featuring gorgeous standards like “They Call the Wind Mariah,” “I Talk to the Trees,” and “Wand’rin’ Star.” Directed by Bruce Lanning.
