While prepping for this year’s Playroom (in the Master Bedroom!), I found myself out one afternoon to paper the neighborhood in posters for the show. As I returned to our humble little storefront pop-up at the Gateway Shopping Center, a summer rain was coming through Kingston. I put the key in the door and dropped off the remaining posters inside, and noticed a brick red Buick pull to a stop in the fire lane, and the woman inside peering through the driver-side window to our space, then down to a piece of looseleaf in her lap. Her look kept alternating between the large banner for Playroom and her paper – she was writing down the show information. I felt elated.
“This is how you win ‘em over with theatre” I said to myself. I remembered the postcard versions of the poster, and snatched one up to deliver to the woman in her car. She took the card through the sliver she opened at the top of the window. “That’s all the info you’d need to see the show”, I smiled at her. “It looks shady!” she yelled through the white noise of the rain. “Shady?” I asked. “Well, there’s a picture of a bedroom on it!” I chuckled, my smile constant, and started my quick show pitch (perfected from an afternoon of poster pushing): “Well, these are one act plays. I assure you they are on the up and up. Nothing shady here. This is our 4th year with this series. This year, they happen to take place in a bedroo-” She cut me off. “It’s getting wet!” She quickly closed up the millimeters of open window and eyed me. I smiled and waved as she sped off in the rain. On the drive home, I was confused. I struggled to remember what decade I was in. I grew up in this area, and it never occurred to me that a picture of a bedroom (let alone one that looked like a screenshot from a Nintendo game) would strike someone as scandalous. Did this woman write down the address, hours, and contact information of the Sleepy’s Mattress store in the same plaza? Did she send hate mail to Pottery Barn, Better Homes and Gardens, and the literally dozens of local department stores with bedroom displays? Would she suffer a mental breakdown in an IKEA? Would she come to see the plays? Or would she decry them in a local “letter to the editor”? What would she think about the play or two that get a little blue? I hope she does make it out to one of the performances. If you happen to be a mature theatre-goer, you come too. -Matthew Hinton, Artistic Director
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For the most part, Gaslight has been pretty quiet on the God of Carnage front, which could be for any number of reasons. Perhaps we’re taking advantage of the longer rehearsal period. Maybe it’s just the fact that it’s a smaller production. It could very well be that this is just a busy time of year. In any case, I’m here to reassure everyone that God of Carnage is alive and well!
We’ve been rehearsing a couple nights a week for over a month now. The show is completely blocked and we’re in a great position to head into the holiday “break” and the the new year. Yay! But for how much fun we’ve been having and how smooth rehearsals have gone, I have to say… one acts are still difficult. Some might think that having fewer pages is easier, and maybe in some cases that’s true, but we only have 40 pages and one scene to tell this story. I'm discovering, and I think the actors are as well, that this play needs to not just be blocked, but choreographed. It is a roller coaster from page one and each move dictates the rest of the action. The actors rarely leave the stage and if they do it’s only briefly, the script demands extreme focus of all four characters, and the subject matter, although comedic, is truly thought provoking when you break it down. We walked out of rehearsal last night trying to answer the question, “Why is this meeting the catalyst for these marriages to implode?” Yes. That is a very good question! Why do these two couples find it so important to essentially one-up each other on their parenting techniques, life choices, and personal beliefs when they should be discussing the small fight that happened between their children? What is the correct way to handle conflict when you consider yourself to be a citizen of Western society? To quote the script, “How many parents standing up for their children become infantile themselves?” There’s a great deal to still figure out and we have plenty of time ahead. It’s a demanding show both physically and emotionally and the cast has been working so hard to make this real and to make it relevant. I’m thrilled with the process so far and I truly cannot wait to see where we land at the end of January. Until then! Brandi George Director "It's time once again to picture people you cannot see, to imagine places you cannot yet visit, to open your mind and your mouth on the talk show that's sweeping the multi-verse and the great beyond..." We just can't believe it! Playroom: Attic opens TONIGHT! Where has the time gone?! Well... if you want that question answered, you should see "Talk the Night" by Matthew S. Hinton, one of the seven plays premiering in this year's Playroom!
Our company of Gaslight board members, directors, and actors alike have done some amazing work over these past few weeks. It's quite incredible to see a group of artists work so meticulously and pull together to create what really culminates into a large production; we're putting seven one acts together on one set, we have light and sound cues for seven shows, we have actors running tech and writers acting. If you're even remotely a fan of video games, you will instantly fall in love with Jennifer Hill's "World of Wonderment." If you enjoy laughing until you cry, you will certainly find yourself holding your stomach during B. Garret Rogan's uproarious "Anyway" and Lukas R. Tomasacci's "This isn't a Play." Prefer the drama? Guess what! We have some of those heart-string tuggers, too with the carefully crafted "The Man Upstairs" and "Monsters in the Attic." We've secured this brand new pop-up space on the Ave in Kingston, which has also been an exciting experience. We've had people walk by and ask questions about what we're doing. We've had heads peak through the glass to watch a second or two of rehearsal. How awesome is that?! Playroom: Attic is the word on the street! We're still in awe of the plays we have this year. There are truly some outstanding pieces that have been directed and performed with such dedication, and it really is all thanks to our great writers who contribute these dynamic pieces. You'll have SEVEN chances to catch Playroom: Attic! Check the details below, because you won't want to miss it! PLAYROOM: ATTIC July 10, 11, 12 @ 8:00 PM July 17, 18, 19 @ 8:00 PM July 20 @ 2:00 PM 251 Wyoming Avenue, Kingston PA (On-street parking available. Parking also available in the Fidelity Bank lot after hours). $12 General Admission / $10 Students & Seniors Questions???? Email gaslighttheatre@gmail.com And so begins year three. The plays are cast, the venue booked, and our read through is happening RIGHT NOW! Yes, right now as I'm typing. How exciting! New faces are introducing themselves to old faces. Scripts are being passed out. We couldn't be more excited to explore the attic this summer. We had an incredible turn out at auditions and we now have 21 actors in the company - 11 of whom are first time Gaslighters. SO COOL! We're in a brand new found space, continuing our tradition of turning non-theatres into creative lab spaces throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. We have two new playwrights and six returning, all contributing original work inspired by the same set description. The company collectively shares a laugh as we begin reading, "This Isn't A Play." This year we also have three new directors to add into the mix; all accepting the delightful challenge of bringing these small but mighty scenes to life. There's an excitement building as each page turns. The characters are coming to life as each actor gives them a voice. The themes begin to emerge and weave together as we dive deeper into the attic. The back stories gain strength. The plot twists become real. The next few weeks will certainly be busy. The madness has begun!
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July 2020
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