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Open Wide Theatre Wants to Shock a Little By Ros s Ha ars ta d
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equivalent to that of any other city, and omething new and brash is breaking that these artists deserve the chance to onto the Ithaca theater scene. Open show their true, talented selves.” Wide Theatre is the brainchild of The plays featured are: two 20-something theater-makers, Marisa “Flying Solo” by Marissa Biondolillo; Biondolillo and Adrienne Huffman. directed by James Comfort; “After a bad Biondolillo explained the company’s breakup, Carla must decide what to do moniker is because “We love a good double entendre. We are proud to have put together a show that busts open taboos and deals with sensitive topics in an open, fun way.” Huffman added, “Our writing and production meetings tend to be about 50 percent business and 50 percent sexual innuendos. So our title was the product of that The Open Wide Theatre troupe (Photo: Tim Gera) very fun back and forth riffing with a particular item leftover from her that we do. It just seemed to fit so well failed relationship.” with what we were trying to do with the “What We Play For” by James production itself; open people’s minds just Comfort, directed by AJ Sage: “Strangers a little bit more. Or a lot more.” Hailey and Ryan must face some tough Their maiden voyage may be just the tonic for post-Valentine blues. Under the questions after their one night stand.” “Meryl Streep Doesn’t Do Westerns” intriguing title, Be Gentle, It’s Our First written and directed by Jeff Hodges: Time, the producers promise an evening “When a guy’s pickup line doesn’t go as of “sexy, funny, and boundary-crushing planned, two strangers find themselves one-act plays … which do anything but beat around the bush … sexuality, gender, engaged in an enlightening conversation.” “Curse of the Bambino” by AJ Sage, relationships, feminism, and everything directed by Adrienne Huffman: “In this in between. We’re getting into all the modern coming-out tale, a proud father nooks and crannies with this one.” wrestles with nature and nurture when Performances are Friday to Sunday, his son reveals that he roots for the other Feb. 27 & 28 and March 1, at 7:30 p.m. team.” at the Community School of Music and “Misfit Toys” by George Sapio, Arts in downtown Ithaca. More info is at directed by David Kossack : “It’s not what openwidetheatre.com. we are. It’s who we are.” They began with a show by “2’s a Charm” by Deborah Simon, Biondolillo that Huffman wished to directed by Tim Perry: “When Nan’s long direct, then built up an evening of shorts time partner dies, Nan has to deal with by inviting other playwrights on board, many things she hadn’t faced alone in a people they had met through their long time. It’s all coming together except participation in Actors Workshop of for one pesky part—sex. Nan decides to Ithaca. In the final tally, six playwrights, take the matter in hand.” five directors and 19 actors are involved, Biondolillo, Comfort and Huffman several doing double or triple duty. will also share acting duties alongside “We love the opportunity to provide Paige Anderson, Judith Andrew, Mike more opportunities for local actors to do Davie, Ali Diemecke, Clayton Dubin, Jill what they love to do,” said Huffman. “We also seek to provide the kind of edgy, new, Friedmutter, Eric Hambury, Phil Hart, Daniel Masciari, Alek Osinski, James high-quality theatre that might usually Scott, Karlem Sivira, Jim Slattery, Leo be found in New York City or regional theatre environments. We believe that the Stellwag, and Sylvie Yntema. • caliber of actors that live in this town is
RACHEL LAMPERT, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
FEBRUARY 18 – MARCH 8 in the historic Willard Straight Theatre
Amie Siegel’s Empathy (free) Truffaut’s Mississippi Mermaid Mary Lorson & 8-piece band w/ Signals: A Performance Memoir $10 ($8 students) Interstellar The Jungle Book Disney original cinema.cornell.edu
* Member AEA
Long on Innuendo
2014 2015 SEASON
DIRECTED BY MICHELE MINNICK
LESLEY GURULE*
JAMES LEAMING*
CARMEN ROMAN*
A middle-aged couple awakens every morning in a beautiful house surrounded by water, not knowing who or where they are. A mystery about family and memory.
TICKETS: 607.272.0570 WWW.KITCHENTHEATRE.ORG 417 W. STATE / MLK JR. STREET
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ITHACA • HORSEHEADS • VESTAL • SYRACUSE www.veinandaestheticcenter.com | 607.257.2116 T
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