WHEN
Fri, May 15 @ 6:00 pm
WHERE:
COST:
$15
Forward Thinking & The Dutch Castaway
2 shows in 1 hour!
Forward Thinking
This minimalist dystopian short play is a darkly tender exploration of grief, loneliness, and the absurd sacrifices we make to feel “alive.” Mr. Bronner, an elderly man on the verge of a mysterious operation, moves through a sterile world that treats survival like procedure. As he confronts the loss of his partner and the slow shrinking of his social world, Mr Bronner’s relationship with himself becomes the central battleground: between dignity and despair, memory and reinvention, human need and human exhaustion. Through his bond with his young neighbor Sandy, his foil in many ways, the play asks what love looks like when words fail—and whether transformation (spoiler: into the body of his own cat, “Miss Gloria”!) can be a kind of mercy; choosing what form of life you can bear.
Nora Butler – Nora Butler is a Brooklyn-based director with experience in contemporary, classical, and experimental theater (and opera!). As a psychology graduate, she strives to create character-driven work, investigative of the inner psyche, and the socio-emotional complexities of human life. Her passion for ambitious and emotional storytelling extends beyond directing, into sillier performance settings. Since her early days at Wesleyan University, Nora has been a lover of improvisational comedy, wrapped up in ridiculous worldbuilding and absurd characters. When she isn’t directing, you can find Nora hanging with her cat, training for a half marathon, or eating trail mix. @norabutlerr
The Dutch Castaway
In 1725, a Dutch sailor on a merchant ship was marooned on a deserted island for the crime of sodomy. Months later, two English sailors discover his diary and translate it for each other there on the beach. While their shipmates search for signs of the man’s fate, the two sailors read the troubling account of survival, guilt, and hallucinations. Through discussing the mystery, they find profound comfort in each other.
Featuring playwright Lawrence Gullo and actor Sebastian Crane
Fri May 15 @ 6:00 PM – DENTE’S BARBER SHOP