As opposed to fully produced plays— with props, costumes and sets— staged readings allow for plays to come to fruition more quickly. This presentation form allows busy and popular actors to take on projects they might not otherwise have time for. The talent has time to focus solely on the script, which can heighten the meaning of the playwright’s words. Two exciting staged readings will be held for special, one-night only productions:
Valuable art
Modern art, too often, prompts the statement: “I could do that.” Whether or not you can or can’t, modern art typically responds with, “Well, I did it first.” Explore the ambiguity of authenticity and the value of art during the staged reading of Stephen Sachs’ Bakersfield Mist, directed by Bill Quinlan and presented by Actors Collaborative Toledo. The tongue-in-cheek comedy drama follows Maude, a fifty-something unemployed bartender and trailer park resident who buys a thrift store painting she believes was made by Jackson Pollock. When confronted by a world-class art expert, Maude shocks the snobby historian. The one-night presentation is appropriately held in the Delightful Art Gallery— the first theatrical presentation at the venue.
8pm Friday, January 29
Delightful Art with Dee, 137 N. Michigan Ave
419-206-0409 | act419.org | brownpapertickets.com/event/2220643
Feminine Challenges
When a woman struggles, how does she handle the challenge? Whether in an uncomfortable situation at a dentist’s office, or at a public swimming pool mishap, feminine struggles convey a truth about the demands and expectations of womanhood. Discover seven different stories of women in distress during a staged reading of playwright Tina Howe’s “Shrinking Violets and Towering Tiger Lilies.” Seven stories will be directed by Jere Righter, giving the audience brief vignettes of womanhood with clever dialogue.
7:30pm Friday, February 5
Donations welcome
The Croswell Opera House Art Gallery, 129 E. Maumee St., Aidrian, MI
517-264-7469