Chester Theatre Group » Readings

Reading: Alan Ayckbourn’s Man of the Moment

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:32:09 +0000

On Sunday, November 8th at 3pm, Chester Theatre Group in residence at Black River Playhouse in Chester, New Jersey, concludes it’s 2009 “Unheard Ayckbourn” reading series with MAN OF THE MOMENT, Alan Ayckbourn’s 1988 comedy about the price of fame in a media driven society. The reading is presented by the 4A’s (Alan Ayckbourn Aficionados of America) as part of their year-long celebration of Ayckbourn’s 50th year of playwriting. Previous readings in the series included SUGAR DADDIES, WILDEST DREAMS and GAMEPLAN as well as a “50/50: Ayckbourn & CTG” – a special retrospective of the dozen Ayckbourn plays presented by the Chester Theatre Group, which also marked its 50th anniversary this season.

MAN OF THE MOMENT premiered in Scarborough, England, in 1988 and opened two years later at London’s Globe Theatre starring Michael Gambon and Peter Bowles. The play was nominated for the Olivier Award and won the prestigious Evening Standard Comedy of the Year Award. It was twice adapted for radio. A recent revival was directed by Ayckbourn in Northampton, England, as part of Ayckbourn’s 70th birthday celebrations. There have been only a handful of US productions of the play, most of them in the mid 1990’s.

The story takes us to a villa in sunny Spain, where celebrity criminal Vic Parks is brought together for a TV exposé with timid Douglas Beechey, the man who foiled Vic’s bank robbery 18 years before. Ayckbourn’s skillful writing demonstrates just how the media can manipulate the truth, and alter public opinion. MAN OF THE MOMENT was the prolific author’s 35th play. Since then, he has penned 38 more major plays, including his 73rd and most recent work MY WONDERFUL DAY, which transfers directly to an Off-Broadway run on November 11th from it’s recently hailed Scarborough premiere.

The 4A’s staged reading features Eric Rolland as Vic Parks, Patrick Carpenter as Douglas Beechey, Valerie Stack Dodge as TV host Jill Rillington, Roxanna Wagner as Vic’s long-suffering wife Trudy, Gus Ibranyi as Vic’s agent Kenny, Elizabeth Urcinoli as Sharon the nanny, Bob Sackstein as Ruy the gardener, and Carla Kendall as Marta the housekeeper. Suebeth Baumgartner will provide narration. The production is under the direction of 4A’s founder Michael T. Mooney. Mooney staged the American premieres of four of Sir Alan’s plays at Black River Playhouse.

Black River Playhouse is located on the corner of Grove and Maple streets in historic Chester, New Jersey. Tickets are $5.00 and can be reserved by calling (908) 879-7304. For more information, please join the 4A’s on Facebook.

Final Show! 50/50: Ayckbourn & CTG

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:09:49 +0000

Trace the remarkable 50 year writing career of Sir Alan Ayckbourn while re-living scenes from the dozen Ayckbourn plays that have been produced by Chester Theatre Group (also celebrating their 50th year), including four American premieres! Members of the CTG original casts reassemble for a memorable evening, including a piece of Ayckbourn writing never heard on any American stage!

Scenes from THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR, BEDROOM FARCE, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, WOMAN IN MIND, FAMILY CIRCLES, TIME OF MY LIFE, BODY LANGUAGE, SNAKE IN THE GRASS, and IMPROBALE FICTION!

Starring:

Mary Claire Cardoni (Bedroom Farce, Absurd Person Singular)
Patrick Carpenter (The Norman Conquests)
Dawn Fantasia (Family Circles, Time of My Life)
Ellen Fraker Glasscock (Ayckbourn debut)
Hannah Hendry (Woman in Mind, The Norman Conquests)
Carol Holland (The Norman Conquests)
Valerie Stack Dodge (Body Language)
Rich Maloy (Time of My Life)
Ruth Morley (The Norman Conquests)
Chris Mortenson (The Norman Conquests)
Thomas Moynahan (Woman in Mind)
Julianne DiPietro Renshaw (Snake in the Grass, Improbable Fiction)
Eric Rolland (Improbable Fiction)
Bob Sackstein (Bedroom Farce, Absurd Person Singular, Time of My Life, Body Language, Improbable Fiction, Woman in Mind, The Norman Conquests, Table Manners)
Dixon Stearns (Bedroom Farce)
Judy Stone (Body Language)
Elizabeth Urcinoli (Improbable Fiction)
Dave Villepique (Body Language)
Eileen Waite (Absurd Person Singular, Table Manners, Time of My Life)

Directed & Written by Michael T. Mooney

Two Performances Only! $10 admission

Presented on September 25 & 26, 2009 at 8 PM. This event is sponsored by the 4A’s.

Staged Reading: Man of the Moment

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:05 +0000

One November Sunday (TBA), CTG and the 4As will present a staged reading of Alan Ayckbourn’s Man of the Moment.

Vic Parks is a celebrity criminal who has written his autobiography and is now living in a villa in Spain. Seventeen years later, TV show host Jill Rillington intends to bring him together with Douglas Beechey — the unassuming clerk who foiled the robbery.

General admission tickets are available for $5 by calling the box office.

One Night Only – “Big Girls, Little Girls”

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:39:36 +0000

“Little girls don’t choose their mothers… big girls can’t escape them.”

On May 23 at 8:00 PM, The Stark Theatre Company is presenting a premier play reading of Karen Smith Vastola’s play, “Big Girls, Little Girls” at the Black River Playhouse.

The reading is directed by Stacie Dugan Vourakis.

Suggested donation is $5.

For reservations and information, call the Stark Theatre Company at 908-242-5689.

Please do not call our box office, as we’re not handling ticketing for this reading.

Reminder: Game Plan Reading, Sunday May 24

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:33:01 +0000

Just a reminder that we’re continuing our year-long “Unheard Ayckbourn” Reading Series, with a reading of Alan Ayckbourn’s “GamePlan” on Sunday, May 24 at 3pm at the Black River Playhouse.

More details here: http://www.chestertheatregroup.org/2009/05/alan-ayckbourns-gameplan/

Alan Ayckbourn’s GamePlan

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:16:38 +0000

Continuing our year-long “Unheard Ayckbourn” Reading Series, the Chester Theatre Group presents a reading of Alan Ayckbourn’s “GamePlan” on Sunday, May 24 at 3pm at the Black River Playhouse.

Written in 2001 as part of the playwright’s DAMSELS IN DISTRESS trilogy, the play concerns a teenage girl named Sorrel, who will do anything to help out her unemployed mum Lynette and avoid having to sell their London flat – even to the point of ‘going on the game’. But when her first client, a retired dry cleaner named Leo, unexpectedly dies, Sorrel and her best friend Kelly find themselves in a lot deeper than they bargained for.

The cast features Ayckbourn veterans Cody Dalton (Snake in the Grass, Improbable Fiction), Valerie DeLeon, Elizabeth Urcinoli (Improbable Fiction, Wildest Dreams), David Neal (The Norman Conquests, Improbable Fiction, Wildest Dreams, Sugar Daddies), Maria Brodeur (Improbable Fiction), Michael Mooney and Eric Rolland (Improbable Fiction).

General admission is $5. Call 908.879.7304 for reservations.

Alan Ayckbourn’s Wildest Dreams

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:08:36 +0000

The Chester Theatre Group, in residence at the Black River Playhouse, continues it’s year-long celebration of Alan Ayckbourn’s 50th year of playwriting with a reading of his rarely staged 1991 play WILDEST DREAMS on Sunday, March 29th at 3pm. The story concerns a group of misfits who get together on a weekly basis to play a dungeons and dragons-like role playing game and eventually become so wrapped up in the game that they can no longer fit into the real world.

The cast features Carol Holland of Long Valley, Jamie More of South Plainfield, Peter Kendall of Wayne, Elizabeth Urcinoli of Hackettstown and Whitney Shields of Phillipsburg.

Rounding out the cast are Carla Kendall of Wayne, Suebeth Baumgartner of Califon, David Neal of Fanwood, and Chris Mortenson of Oldwick.

The reading is under the direction of Michael T. Mooney of Budd Lake

$5.00 Donation Requested

The reading is produced by the 4A’s – the Alan Ayckbourn Aficionados of America – a company made up of actors who have performed in many of the author’s 72 plays. Mr. Mooney, the founder of the 4A’s, has studied theatre in the round with Sir Alan in Scarborough, England.

Sir Alan Ayckbourn, who turns 70 on April 12th, has endorsed the Chester festivities, saying “How splendid and how touching that you have chosen to share your 50th with mine. My message to Chester is this: Life begins at 50! So onwards and ever upwards.”

Chester Theatre Group is offering a special “Ayckbourn All-Access Pass” for theatre-goers wishing to participate in all the year’s events. To order a Pass or for further information on the events, please call 908.879.7304. The Black River Playhouse is located at the corner of Grove and Maple Streets in Chester, New Jersey.

AAAP: Ayckbourn All-Access Pass

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:16:40 +0000

Sir Alan Ayckbourn, who turns 70 on April 12th, has endorsed the Chester festivities, saying “How splendid and how touching that you have chosen to share your 50th with mine. My message to Chester is this: Life begins at 50! So onwards and ever upwards.”

Download the pass (PDF)

50 Years of Ayckbourn: Sugar Daddies

admin — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:55:54 +0000

Beat the Winter Blues!

Please join us this Sunday, January 25th at 3:00 pm for a reading of “Sugar Daddies” by Alan Ayckbourn, performed by The Forays – The Alan Ayckbourn Aficionandos of America.

Young Sasha comes to the aid of an edlerly man dressed as Father Christmas. Their relationship develops, but does everyone have good intentions? And who is the mysterious neighbor with the eye-patch?

$5.00 donation at the door