ACT to Present AN EVENING OF ONE ACTS, 7/18-8/10

A full plate of theatre portioned out in three short plays, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre presents An Evening of One Acts. The line-up begins with a curtain raiser by Steve Martin, Patter for the Floating Lady, followed by Woody Allen's Riverside Drive, and the evening culminates with Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand. All three plays deliver an experience that will stretch the imagination with magic, surprise, wonder, and a dose of science fiction fantasy.

Patter for the Floating Lady (1999) by Steve Martin is the bittersweet conclusion of a romance between a lovesick magician and his lovely but underwhelmed assistant. Riverside Drive (2003) by Woody Allen involves a paranoid vagrant who confronts a screenwriter he's been stalking for weeks, convinced that his prey has stolen his life story in order to create a successful movie plot. Finally, The Unseen Hand (1970) is an absurd and outlandish play where loners, outlaws, and aliens come together in a bizarre landscape in one of Sam Shepard's earlier allegorical science fiction works.

"I've always loved one-act plays, particularly in evenings which include the works of different authors. Delightful pieces have been generated in the form since antiquity. With such a vast treasure chest of works to choose from, the variety of tones, genres, and subject matter available present a virtually limitless way to think about constructing an evening for the audience," says Artistic Director Kurt Beattie. "All three of our writers have obvious recommendations for being included in this program: they are very funny; and their work has played a part in defining the last thirty years of American culture, at least when it comes to theatre and film. But, for me, the telling thing about them is the strange contradictory feelings they can elicit from me about being American."

Directed by R. Hamilton Wright with an outstanding cast including ACT audience favorites Jessica Skerritt and Eric Ray Anderson in multiple roles, An Evening of One Acts will provide a great opportunity to enjoy their talents again. Quinn Armstrong, Chris Ensweiler, David Foubert, and Hana Lass all make their ACT Mainstage debuts.

Cast:

*Eric Ray Anderson - FRED (Riverside Drive) and BLUE (The Unseen Hand)
Quinn Armstrong- THE KID (The Unseen Hand)
*Chris Ensweiler - JIM (Riverside Drive) and SYCAMORE (The Unseen Hand)
*David Foubert - THE MAGICIAN (Patter For The Floating Lady) and CISCO (The Unseen Hand)
*Hana Lass - THE ASSISTANT (Patter For The Floating Lady) and WILLIE (The Unseen Hand)
*Jessica Skerritt - ANGIE (Patter For The Floating Lady) and BARBARA (Riverside Drive)

Creative Team

R. Hamilton Wright - Director
Martin Christoffel - Scenic Designer
Melanie Taylor Burgess - Costume Designer
Rick Paulsen - Lighting Designer
Brendan Patrick Hogan - Sound Designer
*Erin Zatloka - Stage Manager

*Members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers

An Evening of One Acts Mainstage Performances:
Friday, July 18, 8:00pm
Saturday, July 19, 8:00pm
Sunday, July 20, 7:30pm
Tuesday, July 22, 7:30pm (Behind The Scenes)
Wednesday, July 23, 7:30pm
Thursday, July 24, 7:30pm - OPENING NIGHT
Friday, July 25, 8:00pm
Saturday, July 26, 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, July 27, 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Tuesday, June 29, 7:30pm (Post-show discussion)
Wednesday, June 30, 7:30pm
Thursday, June 31, 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Friday, August 1, 8:00pm
Saturday, August 2, 8:00pm
Sunday, August 3, 2:00pm and 7:00pm (Post-matinee discussion)
Tuesday, August 5, 7:30pm
Wednesday, August 6, 7:30pm
Thursday, August 7, 7:30pm
Friday, August 8, 8:00pm
Saturday, August 9, 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, August 10, 2:00pm and 7:00pm (Post evening show discussion)
Wednesday, August 13, 7:30pm
Thursday, August 14, 7:30pm
Friday, August 15, 8:00pm
Saturday, August 16, 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, August 10, 2:00pm (Closing performance)