R-Act Theatre Productions Continues Season with IMAGINARY EXITS

R-ACT Theatre Productions continues its 2025 season with Imaginary Exits, a fast-paced farce written and directed by Ellwood City playwright and mead merchant Eric J. McAnallen. The play will be staged at the Segriff Stage, an intimate black box theater located at 134 Brighton Ave, Rochester, PA 15074. Show dates are May 2, May 3, May 9, and May 10, 2025, at 7:30 pm, with a matinee performance on Sunday, May 11 at 2:00 pm. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.

In Imaginary Exits, Ally, a young writer played by Anna McAnallen, finds herself in a chaotic battle with her imagination when her creative alter-ego, Alex, materializes in her living room and refuses to leave. As the two struggle to get Alex back to where she belongs, Ally must navigate through increasingly ridiculous situations with her demanding boss, an estranged boyfriend, a paranoid professor, and a cast of figments that keep showing up at the worst possible moments. The show promises to be full of laughter, madness, and absurdity as the characters dive headfirst into Ally's imagination. Director/playwright Eric J. McAnallen shares, "A great deal of the story relies on the absurdities that wander around people's minds that are never expressed out loud. Except in this case, all those stray thoughts take form as maniacal displays of frivolity."

Imaginary Exits is a farce, a genre known for its fast pace, exaggerated characters, and high-energy physical humor. "Farce to me is being able to take the comedy to the nth extreme," explains McAnallen. "In a comedy set in reality, people can't pull out swords and start sword fights in the middle of the living room. But in a farce? Sure, why not!" The rapid-fire dialogue and energetic chemistry between Ally (Anna McAnallen) and Alex (Abby Shaw) keep the momentum going. "I love doing quick back-and-forth lines. We immediately lock in to the chemistry of the banter," says Anna.

At the heart of the absurdity are the figments of Ally's imagination, played by Kevin McGuire, Lynne O'Meara, and Sarah Leigh Orbin. "We're a big part of the mayhem," says O'Meara. "There are three figments, and we do a lot of crazy things." Orbin adds, "Our costumes keep changing with the different characters we play." McAnallen explains, "The costumes of the Figments, although only suggestive, are colorful and absurd and serve to enhance the ludicrousness of the thoughts running through the character's imagination." O'Meara notes, "Physicality and timing are very important," especially in chase scenes where characters enter just as others are exiting, creating a whirlwind of confusion and humor. Orbin is particularly looking forward to these moments, saying, "I'm so excited about the chase scene because I've always wanted to do that!" When asked about the most challenging aspect of playing their characters, the figments agree that learning to sword fight has been the hardest part-but they all agree it's been fun.

The cast is united in their enthusiasm for the show, with Joan Schwartz reflecting, "I just think the whole concept is fun. The imagination of the author coming to life - it gets crazy." She continues, "While I enjoy being in this show, I really wish I could see it. It's a crazy ride with a lot of heart!" McGuire agrees, saying, "Expect to be amazed! Expect to laugh a lot. Maybe even cry."

The talented cast of Imaginary Exits includes Anna McAnallen (Wampum) as Ally, Abby Shaw (Midway) as Alex, Joan Schwartz (Hopewell Twp) as Maxine Redmond, Philip Collin (Pittsburgh) as Simon, George Montgomery (McKeesport) as Professor Heinrich, Kevin McGuire (North Sewickley Twp) as Figment One, Lynne O'Meara (Cranberry Twp) as Figment Two, and Sarah Leigh Orbin (Verona) as Figment Three.

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