Feature: The Asylum Theatre Presents GIFTS OF GRATITUDE In November

The Asylum Theatre (asylumtheatre.org) returns to the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum for the second annual Solo Play Day Festival with an exceptional performance of Gifts of Gratitude from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 23.

Gifts of Gratitude is a unique blend of poetry, music, and monodrama, set against the backdrop of the museum's striking collection. This intimate afternoon of artistic expression highlights the power of individual voice and the way art bridges cultures, mediums, and communities, offering our audience a privileged experience. Sarah O'Connell, artistic director of The Asylum Theatre, created the play.

"The Solo Play Day Festival is in its second year as a synchronized international WEST Association collaboration happening in multiple countries. It is our pleasure to return to the Rita Deanin Abbey Museum, where The Asylum has produced multiple theatre and poetry events. I have traveled the world admiring the work of our greatest visual artists. I have yet to see one more prolific than Rita Deanin Abbey. It is a thrill every time I visit the museum," shared Sarah.

Presented in partnership with the Ukraine-based WEST Association, the global Solo Play Day Festival unites artists and audiences across borders through staged readings, solo performances, workshops, and creative exchange.

"The Asylum Theatre is deeply committed to the protection of artists and free expression. We formed the WEST Association with the ProEnglish Theatre of Ukraine and other companies as a lifeline for collaboration among international English-speaking theatres following Russia's attack on Kyiv in 2022. Through coordinated in-person events, tours, and virtual exchanges, WEST has championed dozens of original projects and monthly Theatre Club Zoom meetings," explained Sarah.

The performance offers audiences a chance to experience the world of Rita Deanin Abbey, whose imagination and mastery of form and color are showcased throughout the museum's 10,500-square-foot space. Her prolific output spans abstract expressionist painting, sculpture, stained glass, murals, enamels, landscapes, figure studies, and more. In 2024, Abbey was posthumously inducted into the UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame in recognition of her extraordinary artistic legacy.

Following the performance, guests are invited to enjoy a reception and sparkling toast among the artwork. Tickets are $25 and must be reserved in advance.

"We are honored to have this opportunity to come together and enjoy an eclectic afternoon of solo performances, including music, poetry, and theatrical monologues inspired by the beauty, hope, and strength found in acts of love, compassion, and joy, especially in tough times. We hope it will be a wonderful way to bring friends together around the world online, and in person right here at home in Las Vegas," Sarah added.