SEAGULLS IN THE CHERRY TREE Continues Through 5/28

No Strings Theatre Company presents the zany new comedy, "Seagulls in a Cherry Tree " by William Missouri Downs, directed by NSTC's Artistic Director, Ceil Herman. Downs, author of the two previous NSTC hits, ("Cockeyed" and "Mad Gravity") described his play as "the first new Chekhov play in a hundred years!"

The play follows the adventures of Boris (Monte Wright), an older, self- important screenwriter, and Constantine (Joshua Taulbee) a young, sensitive screenwriter, who have been hired by Disney to adapt Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" into a new movie for Mel Gibson.

There are many iconic Chekhovian characters in the play pursuing love, longing, life and loss at the Dantchenko Colony for Artists and Creative Inquiry, Moscow, Idaho. The group includes Bob (Joseluis Solorzano), a bumbling artist/teacher, Madame Natasha (Jamie Bronstein) an eccentric actress, Marsha, (Elli Hernandez), the maid, Dr. Anton (David Arias), a contemplative professional drinker, Uncle Peter (Eric Brekke), a happy-go- lucky man with no reason to be happy-go-lucky and Nina (Heather Castillo), a glamorous wannabee actress/poet.

Actor Joshua Taulbee comments "This play portrays amature philosophers and pseudo-intellectuals in a hilarious show that our cast beings to life. This is the second time I am playing a writer (I played Henry in NSTC's "The Real Thing" by Tom Stoppard last summer) but in "Seagulls in a Cherry Tree," Constantine has a great deal of confidence and no skills to back it up."

Playwright William Missouri Downs has won two rolling premieres from the National New Play Network National New Play Network and twice been a finalist at the Eugene O'Neill His plays have been produced by many regional theatres in American as well as the Durban Performing Arts Center in South Africa, and over 150 other theatres worldwide.

Remaining performances of "Seagulls in a Cherry Tree" are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., Sunday Matinees on May 21 and May 28 at 2:30 p.m. and a Thursday Evening performance on May 25 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15.00 regular admission, $12.00 students and seniors over 65, and all seats on Thursday are $10.00. Reservations (575) 523-1223