The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie
By Albert Innaurato
Directed by Mark Sickler
Some of us, it seems, exist outside of nature and no one knows where we fit. Nature has her claws in all of you but not in we who exist outside her. You have your claws in us.
Can intelligence, sensitivity, and a deep appreciation of nature and beauty be enough to combat the ugliness of despair, loneliness and longing for acceptance and love? In simpler terms, is beauty really only skin deep? The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie tells the story of a 500lb young man who can no longer face these questions. Through monologue and memory we learn of his tragic upbringing, and ultimately his resolve to eat himself to death.
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Eternal Swim
By J. Mark Baumhardt
Directed by J. Mark Baumhardt
Friends Josh, Sam, and Kate come together on a Vermont mountain top to mourn the loss of their good friend, Will. They share memories of Will both good and bad, but when Will’s ex-wife Claire, an unwelcome guest arrives for the eulogy, Josh, Sam, and especially Will’s sister, Kate, are forced to face truths and unexpectedly discover forgiveness. In the end, Will gets what he wants “pulling strings from beyond the grave.”
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It’s Just the Wind
By Jan Donley
Directed by Michelle M. Aguillon
Hovey is participating in the Boston Theater Marathon this year. The 10-minute piece by Jan Donley is entitled “It’s Just the Wind” and features Karen Dervin, Leigh Berry, Maureen Adduci, and Gabrielle Hatcher.
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The Curse is Reversed
Book and Lyrics by David Kruh
Music and Lyrics by Steven Bergman
Directed by Tom Berry
America’s favorite pastime takes the stage in this musical. Writers David Kruh and Steven Bergman take us on a nostalgic, 86-year journey from 1918 through 2004, exploring the reasons for the sale of Babe Ruth and its subsequent effects on the Boston Red Sox and their die-hard fans, leading to the ultimate reversal of fortune.
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The Batting Cage
By Joan Ackerman
Directed by Michelle Fisher
Two estranged sisters travel to St. Augustine, Florida, to memorialize their beloved deceased sister, Morgan, whose dying wish was to have her ashes scattered in the ocean. When the airline loses their luggage—and the ashes—the sisters have no choice but to wait, and confront their strained relationship. Amidst tourist attractions and batting cages, and from the curious man with a barnacle growing in his ear to the odd conquistador, the sisters discover themselves and each other in this sometimes unusual and very moving story.
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The Woman in Black
By Stephen Mallatratt
Directed by Kristin Hughes
Arthur Kipps, a middle-aged lawyer, hires a theater and its actor/manager to help him re-enact and ideally exorcise a ghostly event that he believes has haunted his life. At first, Kipps is hesitant; but he and the actor work together to bring the story to life, using the theatrical effects left from other productions. Kipps, coached by the actor, portrays a variety of roles, as the events he narrates begin to come to life on the stage. The actor portrays the young Kipps, sent to an isolated location to settle the estate of an elderly recluse – where he encounters the Woman in Black. Through a series of events, he learns her tragic story – and how it may affect him.
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The House of Yes
By Wendy MacLeod
Directed by Mark Sickler
The House of Yes is a richly textured dark comedy that examines the life of a family that exists without rules, without limits, and without a father. The Pascal family is celebrating Thanksgiving approximately twenty years after the assassination of JFK, and Marty, the oldest son, is bringing his fiancée Lesley home to meet his mother, his younger brother Anthony, and his twin sister Jackie-O. And while a hurricane blows outside, a bigger storm approaches with Marty and Lesley’s arrival. Lesley is everything that the Pascals are not. She was not raised in a pampered, wealthy environment and did not have neighbors such as the Kennedys. Perhaps her upbringing reminds Mrs. Pascal a little too much of her own past? Her appearance is a harsh dose of reality for the Pascals and a threat to the fragile relationships and secrets that they share. These are secrets that are probably best kept buried in the croquet lawn. Marty’s search for normalcy leads him back to the house and family that hold his secrets and ends in tragic loss for everyone.
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Sense and Sensibility
Adapted by Pamela Whalan, from the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Michelle M. Aguillon
When Mr Dashwood died his considerable estate passed into the hands of John, the son of his first marriage. His second wife and her three daughters had to rely on the good nature and honour of John Dashwood if they were to have more than a modest competence upon which to live. Unfortunately, John Dashwood loved his money much more than he loved his half-sisters.
“Sense and Sensibility” tells the story of the two eldest daughters of Mrs. Dashwood – brought up to be young ladies in comfortable circumstances but now reduced to poverty. Elinor Dashwood is the “sensible” sister who puts others before herself. Marianne Dashwood is full of “sensibility” allowing herself to be ruled by her feelings and caring little for the feelings of others. Lose your heart and come to your senses as you follow the trials and tribulations of these two young ladies. Jane Austen’s story of greed and love is as fresh today as it was when first published in 1811.
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