No Strings Theatre Company Announces May Events

No Strings Theatre Company, located at the Black Box Theatre in downtown Las Cruces, presents a madcap comedy by New York playwright Nell Benjamin, The Explorers Club, as part of its 2015-6 season. The play opens on Friday, May 6 and runs through Sunday, May 22.

The play is set in a stuffy, men-only club for explorers and scientists in Victorian-era London. Their world is brought to chaos when a woman scientist is proposed for membership, and she brings an aboriginal companion with her who rouses the ire of the Queen herself. As if this were not enough, the club is also set upon by an angry mob of Tibetan monks and a former colleague on a mission of vengeance.

The Explorers Club will be performed by Marissa Bond, Eric Brekke, Mike Cook, Norman Lewis, Rafael Medina, Jose Luis Solorzano, Jack Ullrich, Shawn Whitty, and Monte Wright. Lighting and set design will be by Peter Herman, and costume design by NMSU student Emily Romero and local costumer and performer Robert Young. The Stage Manager is Erin Williams, with a crew including Heather Olvera and Rebekah Riley.

Performances of The Explorers Club are at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N Downtown Mall in Las Cruces at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, May 6-21, with Sunday matinees on May 15 and 22 at 2:30 p.m. and a Thursday performance on May 19 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $12.00 for regular admission and $10.00 for students and seniors over 65. All seats on Thursdays are $8.00. Reservations: (575) 523-1223.

THE EXPLORERS CLUB INVITATIONAL EXHIBIT

In conjunction with the NSTC production of THE EXPLORERS CLUB, the theatre gallery located in the lobby of the Black Box Theatre, hosts an invitational exhibit. The artists whose work is represented are Margaret Bernstein, Rebecca Courtney, Kathleen Deasy, Marilyn Hansen, Meredith Loring, Charlotte McCarthy, Sandy Marshall, Abby Osborne, Naida Zucker, and the exhibit includes reed weaving, oil, acrylic, fiber arts, mixed media, and embroidery. There will be a wine and cheese reception for the artists in conjunction with the Downtown Ramble on May 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. thetheatregallery is open an hour before all performances and by appointment by calling the Black Box Theatre at (575) 523-1223.

As part of the Write On! New Plays series at the Black Box Theatre, "Anna's Mother" a new play by Tom Smith will be read on Monday, May 9 at 7 p.m.

Veronica receives news her eldest daughter, Anna, has tragically died while on duty as a firefighter. The media picks up the story, and soon Veronica is thrust into the national spotlight as the mother of a hero. After a year speaking to groups and becoming a sort of celebrity, Veronica must come to terms with whether her choice to honor her daughter was based on love or something more self-serving. The reading will be directed by Tom Smith and features Monika Mojica, Britney Stout, Stephanie Drake, Melis White, and Larissa Lury with stage directions by Kevin Andrew.

The play reading is at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 9. Admission is $5.00. NSTC Season Ticket holders and Donors are admitted for free. Reservations: (575) 523-1223.

TOAD HALL THEATRE COMPANY'S "AGNES OF GOD" AT THE BLACK BOX THEATRE

Toad Hall Theater Company presents John Pielmeier's "Agnes of God" directed by Ken Forestal at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. "Agnes" is a taut psychological drama that unfolds when a dead newborn baby is found in a waste paper basket in a convent. Dr. Martha Livingston is appointed by the court to determine if the young novice, Agnes, is psychologically fit to be tried. The drama follows discussions between Dr. Livingston, Mother Superior Miriam Ruth, and the therapy sessions with Agnes. The cast includes Yvette Crofford as Dr. Livingston, Nancy Clein Tafoya as Mother Superior and Amy Lynn Whipple as Agnes.

The performances are Thursday, May 12 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $12.00 for regular admission and $10.00 for students and seniors over 65. Phone (575) 523-1223 for reservations.

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