Ann Arbor's Penny Seats Theatre Stages THORSTEIN THE STAFF-STRUCK Reading Tonight

Ann Arbor's Penny Seats theatre company will present Thorstein the Staff-Struck, an original work by local playwright, tonight, March 2.

What's in a name? More to the point, what's in a name like Thorstein the Staff-Struck? And why is it going to get a lot of people killed?

In the year 1050, a young man leaves a drunken brawl with a nasty cut and a nastier nickname. While the former heals, the latter spreads, and before long, his blind, cantankerous Viking father has cajoled him into avenging the insult. Thorstein's next move places him in direct conflict with local boss Bjarni, who would like to give the kid a break, but -- as he is constantly reminded by his sharp-tongued wife Rannveig -- is not in a position to back down. Murder, treachery, song, low cunning and strange cooking habits are all part of the journey to a tricky negotiation at swordpoint.

Join us for an evening of broadswords and beer, as Penny Seats presents local playwright Russ Schwartz's retelling of a millennium-old story from the Icelandic Sagas. The company will perform the play as an active staged reading, the third since its debut in Performance Network's 2009 Fireside Festival of New Works.

The evening will include dinner provided by Arbor Brewing Company as well as a talkback following the performance (though it is also possible to skip dinner and go straight for the reading and talkback).

Tickets HERE or www.pennyseats.org. One Night Only! tonight, March 2, 2013, Arbor Brewing Company. Dinner at 7:00 p.m. Staged Reading of Thorstein at 8:00 p.m. Talkback after the show. $18 - Dinner and Show; $5 - Show only.

Founded in 2010, we're performers and players, minimalists and penny-pinchers. We think theatre should be fun and stirring, not stuffy or repetitive. We believe going to a show should not break the bank. And we find Michigan summer evenings beautiful. Thus, we produce dramas and comedies, musicals and original adaptations, classics and works by up-and-coming playwrights. We also provide cabaret shows, acting classes, and wacky improv evenings. And you can see any of our shows for the same price as a movie ticket.

Photo by Dawn Marie Kaczmar - depicted Lyn Weber, Lauren London, Roy Sexton, and Matt Cameron.