Members of the community can enjoy both light-hearted entertainment and Shakespeare's tragic romance when the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) stages its 4th annual Whatever Theater Festival from Wednesday, July 27th through Saturday, July 30th at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA), 38 Main Street and the Franklin Town Common.
FPAC brings Shakespeare on The Common to the community when the Festival presents Romeo and Juliet on July 28th and 29th at 8:00 p.m. at the Franklin Common. The audience is invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs, and settle in for a night of entertainment under the stars.
The Festival then presents an afternoon of One-Act Plays on July 30th at 3:00 p.m. at FSPA. Featured is a collection of short plays ranging from whimsical and silly to mysterious and thought provoking.
On Saturday, FPAC presents a staged reading of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years at FSPA at 6:00 p.m. The Last Five Years is a contemporary musical that chronicles the five-year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up, or from break-up to meeting, depending on how you look at it. FSPA Faculty Hallie Wetzell and Nick Paone portray the two characters while pianist Raye Lynn Mercer accompanies their journey.
To conclude the Whatever Theater Festival, the cast will present a Soiree on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at The School. Guaranteed to be a night full of laughter, the Soiree features both prepared and improvisational pieces. Past soiree numbers have ranged from song and dance numbers to hula-hoop acts!
The Festival cast includes Meg Charbonnier, Kendra Dombroski, Giovanna Ferri, Ali Funkhouser, Ed Jones, Wendy Jones, Max Jones, Jake Jones, Jocelyn Jones, Tracy Lane, Avery McStay, Nick Paone, Kellie Stamp, Hallie Wetzell and Ali Whitney of Franklin; Devin Davies and Lindsey White of Mansfield; Ali McCurdy of Medfield; Emily Peduto, Ann Williams, John Williams and Maddy Williams of Medway; Katie Ryan of Milville; David Meredith and Samantha Millette of Norfolk; Jef Mettler of Westborough; and Corrine Falotico and Jenna McDermott of Wrentham.
The Whatever Theater Festival is supported in part by a grant from the Frankin, Norfolk, North Attleboro and Plainville Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
There will be no charge for the Shakespeare performances on the Franklin Town Common. Tickets for the other performances are $10 per performance; or $15 for a festival pass. Tickets for the Whatever Theater Festival are available at the door, or can be purchased in advance at FSPA, 38 Main Street or by calling (508) 528-8668.
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