Endangered Species Project Announces 'The Scarecrow' Reading, 10/18

The Scarecrow by American poet and playwright Percy MacKaye (1875-1956), is ESP's October surprise - a witchy adventure suggested by a Nathanial Hawthorne tale, transformed into, as MacKaye called it, "A Tragedy of the Ludicrous." A witch, with the help of the Infernal One, brings a scarecrow to life in order to revenge herself on a man who had wronged her years before. But her creation turns out to have a mind of its own, leading to unforeseen consequences for all, including the scarecrow himself...

The 1911 work has echoes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio, but an American flavor all its own - utterly charming and a little spooky and, finally, heartrending. At one time it was a regularly revived - there was a television production in 1972 featuring Gene Wilder and Blythe Danner - but has been unjustly neglected of late. Here's your chance to witness a scarecrow coming to life before your very eyes!

Cynthia White is directing; the reading will feature Jane Ryan as the witch Goody Rickby, Larry Paulsen as Dickon (the horned one), Jason Marr as the scarecrow, aka Lord Ravensbane, Rachel Merton as Julia Beers, Clark Sandford as Sir Charles Reddington, Susan Corzatte as Mistress Cynthia Merton, Robert Hinds as Richard Talbot, Robert Barnett as Captain Bugby, and Roger Curtis as Justice Gilead Merton, the object of Goody Rickby's revenge...

As always, ESP's readings are free and open to the public, with donations gratefully accepted. The reading this month will take place Tuesday, October 18 at the Glenn Hughes Playhouse on the University of Washington campus. Doors open at 6:30; the reading will begin at 7:00 p.m.

And don't get tricked - this reading will take place Tuesday, October 18 - please make note that, unusually, this is a Tuesday, not a Monday night reading!

For more information, visit http://www.endangeredspeciesproject.org/home.html.