Community Matters Series Kicks Off at People's Light, 2/27

People's Light & Theatre will feature staged readings of four plays this year as part of its pilot program Community Matters.  The readings include Dispatches from (A)mended America on Monday, February 27^th at 7pm; Eclipsed on Monday, March 26^th at 7pm; Beautiful Boy on Monday, May 14^th at 7pm; and Schoolhouse on Monday, June 11^th at 7pm.  A moderated discussion will follow each reading.  People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA  19355.  The readings are free, but reservations are required.  For reservations call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org.  The Community Matters program is made possible by a grant from the Barra Foundation with additional support from the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation.

Community Matters is a new collaborative program designed to provoke dynamic conversation about a wide range of subjects of particular interest to various members of the People's Light community.  Using play scripts as inspiration, Community Matters is designed to spur information-sharing and action among the participants in connection with the issues raised in each play.  The themes explored in these readings include autism, disabilities, violence against women, at-risk children, and race relations.  Each event consists of a staged reading followed by a facilitated town hall meeting with a panel of artists and experts in the specific topic of focus. 

Artistic Director AbiGail Adams says, "Our goals for the project include strengthening community ties with organizations and individuals, deepening engagement with our work, and providing a forum and outlet for discussion of community issues of importance.  As the series unfolds, we hope to discover untapped sources of inspiration that will help us to create new stories that capture the passions and concerns of our community members."

 

PLAY INFORMATION

Dispatches from (A)mended America

Written by Brandt Adams and Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr.

Directed by Ron Russell

An Above The Fold project developed at Epic Theatre Ensemble

Monday, February 27, 2012 at 7pm 

Main Stage

In the month leading up to Barack Obama's inauguration, Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. (a 42-year-old black man and former People's Light company member) and Brandt Adams (a 25-year-old white man) traveled along the Southeastern routes of the Freedom Riders and their own personal histories conducting interviews about race in America.  This provocative new documentary-play asks if the election of America's first black president has changed our country or not at all.  Panelists for the discussion will include the cast from the reading.  Community partners include the Chester County Democratic Committee and the Republican Committee of Chester County.

 

Eclipsed

By Danai Gurira

Directed by Jade King Carroll

Monday, March 26, 2012 at 7pm

Steinbright Stage

Their lives set on a nightmarish detour by Liberian civil war, the captive wives of a rebel officer form a hardscrabble sisterhood. With the arrival of a new girl who can read, and the return of an old one who can kill, the group's possibilities are quickly transformed.  Drawing on reserves of wit and compassion, these defiant survivors wonder if when the fog of battle lifts, a different destiny could emerge.  Panelists for the discussion will include those who work on issues about the treatment of women, particularly in conflict areas.  Community partners include Women's Way, the Women's Resource Center, Women's Campaign International, and Chester County Fund for Women and Girls.

 

Beautiful Boy

By Pete Pryor
Directed by Samantha Bellomo 

Monday, May 14, 2012 at 7pm
Main Stage

This first play by actor/director Pete Pryor earned him an Independence Fellowship.  At around 18 months of age, Pete's son was diagnosed with ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder.  This two-person impressionistic piece follows a family on its journey from the fearful time of the diagnosis to the finding of an approach and a home program.  Scenes of a father dealing with work, travel, and the myriad of therapeutic approaches are intercut with glimpses of his family's life and a look at the community that helps his son.  It is a piece full of life, humor, and deep love.   Panelists for the discussion will include family members and those impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder on a daily basis, as well as professionals from organizations that assist families.  Community partners include Autism Living and Working, the Wanna Play Program, the Chester County Intermediate Unit, and the Autism Society of America (Philadelphia Chapter).

 

Schoolhouse

By Leanna Brodie
Directed by Wendy Bable 

Monday, June 11, 2012 at 7pm
Steinbright Stage

In a one-room schoolhouse in rural Ontario in 1938, a delightfully unruly group of children meets its match in 18-year-old Miss Linton, fresh out of Normal School.  But Linton's greatest challenge is to connect with Ewart, a menacing delinquent who is shut off from everyone, even himself, and to persuade a conservative community to open its arms to him.  Playwright Brodie says, "I wanted to look at…how children were cared for and accepted, and what happened when they were not."  Panelists for the discussion will include families of troubled youth and professionals who deal with issues of bullying and children at risk.  Community partners include Big Brothers Big Sisters of SE PA and Chester County Futures.

 

ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIGHT

People's Light, a professional, not-for-profit theatre in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community.  We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration.  Founded in 1974, we produce seven to nine plays each season, in two black box theatres with 350 and 170 seats respectively, mixing world premieres, contemporary plays, and fresh approaches to classic texts for our 6-Play and Discovery Series. 

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