Among the Events This Week

Here's information for fans of "new" theater:

Floating Theater Company presents its fourth "New Play Festival" on Thursday, July 15 at 7 p.m.  This summer's festival is "In Your Face: untamed and unapologetic" and consists of readings of nine new short plays from nine Connecticut playwrights.

In these new works, playwrights take on a variety of contemporary themes from corporate greed to  gun control. The adult situations and language used in the works expand upon themes including the circus-like politics surrounding a women's right to choose, labor and safety issues for American factory workers, and sexual identity and self-expression.

The Floating Theater Company (FTC), with co-directors Jean Wertz and Jenny Lecce, provides support to playwrights and actively seeks to partner with existing theater companies and Connecticut actors in the development of new works. FTC members include actors who read the works on a weekly basis as well as writers. Several actor members have penned their first plays as a direct result of participating in FTC. 

This festival is being held at Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green Street, Middletown.  The ticket price is $8 and $5 for seniors.  All of the ticket price goes to support Green Street Arts Center.  Parents should note that the mature subject matter may make this festival unsuitable for children.  

Contact:www.greenstreetartscenter.org or call 860/685-7860.

Playwrights Seek Actors!

The Floating Theater Company will presents its 4th Annual "New Works" Festival on Thursday July 15 at 7 p.m.  in the Green Street Arts Center. The event features staged readings of new plays by Connecticut writers - this year's event is titled "In Your Face - Untamed and Unapologetic" This are adult plays concerned with political and social issues and contain adult language. Therefore, leave the young ones at home.

Well, you can not put on a festival without players.  To that end, the FTC is holding auditions this Monday (June 21) in the main auditorium of Congregation Adath Israel, 8 Broad Street.  No "head shots", no prepared monologues, just show up at 7 p.m. - the playwrights and directors will share scripts and talk about the event.  To find out more, call 860-685-7860 or go to www.newhaventheatercompany.com/email/950/field_producer_email
and drop them a note.

"Private Eyes" & Folk Music Too

If you did not get the chance to see the hilarious Theatre 4 production of "Private Eyes" at Oddfellows Playhouse this past weekend, buck up chum! - you have 4 chances this week and, as a bonus, you will be able to see the beautiful (and fairly new) Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center.

Definitely an adult comedy, the 1997 Steven Dietz script contains a play-within-a-play, dream sequences, and clever staging.  The performances are mighty impressive and the use of music is smart (pay attention to the lyrics.)  Middletown resident Robert Resnikoff has one of the 2 male leads (Philip Gardiner the other) and Theater 4 co-founding members Mariah Sage, Jackie Sidle and Rebecka Jones the female parts - the other co-founder Janie Tamarckin directed the cast and crew.

Performances are 8 p.m. Thursday June 10 through Saturday June 12 and the final performance is Sunday at 3 p.m. For ticket information, go to www.thekate.org or call 877-503-1286.  Go and have a good laugh, you deserve it - know this as well, no oil was spilled in the performance of the show....well, maybe some salad dressing.

This Thursday (June 10), the Russell Library presents the duo Mustard's Retreat at 7 p.m. in its on-going Courtyard Concert Series.  Composed of David Tamulevich (guitar, voice) and Michael Hough (guitar, voice), the duo has traveled throughout the country, entertaining audiences young and old with its infectious blend of joyful music.  Over their 35-plus years, Mustard's Retreat has issued 11 CDs, all of which (and more), you can check out by going to www.mustardsretreat.com. 

The concert is free and open to the public. In case of rain, the show moves indoors to the Hubbard Room. 

Floating Theater Company 2nd Annual Night of New Works

Middletown was abuzz with arts activities last night (Thursday June 18) as you can see from posts about Middle City Stage Company (read here or below this post) and the Rani Arbo/daisy mayhem concert at Russell Library (read here or below this post.)

This writer spent the evening taking part in the Floating Theater Company's "New Works" presentation. 4 short plays and 1 excerpt from a longer work were presented to an appreciative audience. Playwrights included Michael Ennis, Anne Cassady, Jean Wertz, Donagh Gleason and Terri Klein and the works ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Wertz's piece, "Traprock", featured a soliloquy by John Basinger inspired by the playwright's study of Noh Theater in Japan. It was stunning in its beauty and simplicity (thanks to the actor's great presentation.)

"The Session", Anne Cassady's piece (her first as a playwright), dealt with animals in a zoo but one was led to believe that they were in therapy.

Donagh Gleason's short play, "Boys Night Out (Gods Playing Pool)", dealt with the Gods Zeus and Jupiter playing pool and waiting for the Mayan Sun King to join them. The playwright and Michael Eck played the gods, having a fun time making them human.

Ennis' "The Tyrrany of Mammals" took on professors with clashing theories about how humans develop - Basinger's character, while brilliant, was also manipulative, crusty, and comically/tragically a breast man

The piece I took part in, Terri Klein's "Not So Fast", was quite surreal and a great exercise in comic existentialism.

Besides Eck, Gleason, Basinger and myself, actors included Kristin Flyntz, Courtney Antonioli, Virginia Wolf, Matthew Pollack, John Calderbank, and Ann Marie Sataline.

Many of those same actors will appear in a new set of "New Works" tonight (June 19) at 7 p.m. in the Green Street Arts Center. Judging by the first night, the plays should be very entertaining.

On The Town Reminders & Update (June 20-21)

Tonight (Thursday June 18) is a very busy Arts night in Middletown (read "On The Town - June 16-19" here.) Your choices are "New Plays" from members of the Floating Theater Company at Oddfellows Playhouse, the Middle City Stage Company "Get Acquainted Fundraising Reception" in the old ION Market site in Main Street Market (call 346-6051 for more information), and Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem in concert at The Russell Library.
All these events take place at 7 p.m. (sigh......)

Friday, the Floating Theater Company moves to the Green Street Arts Center for night 2 of "New Works" (7 p.m.), guitarist Miche Fambro at The Buttonwood Tree (7:30 p.m.) and the Jeff Albert Quartet at Boney's Music Lounge (8:30 p.m.) One has a little more flexibility on this night to go between events. (Read a preview of the Jeff Albert show later today by going to www.courant.com/kamins/. )

Saturday, Elizabeth Petry will speak at 3:30 p.m. at The Book Bower, 386 Main Street (inside Main Street Market.) Petry's new book, "At Home Inside: A Duaghter's Tribute to Ann Petry", is an intimate look at the woman, born in Old Saybrook, who became the first African American woman to have a book sell over 1,000,000 copies. This event is free and open to all.

The Eternal Perks Coffeehouse at Grace Lutheran Church, 1055 Randolph Road, presents an outdoor concert at 7 p.m. Music will be provided by people from the Church as well as "Joyful Noise", singers from the Church of the Holy Trinity. For more information, go to www.GraceMiddletown.org.

The Buttonwood Tree presents the Jerrod Cattey Double Trio Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Cattey's Trio appeared as part of the Susan Allison celebration several months ago and really impressed a number of the listeners with its clean sound and fine improvising. Cattey, the drummer, makes it a "Double" by adding pianist Darren Litzie to the lineup of guitarist Rick Baumer and bassist Kevin Smith. For more information, call 347-4957 or go to www.myspace.com/jerrodcattey.

Boney's Music Lounge welcomes the Tom Sanders Band Saturday evening at 8:30 p.m. The quintet features twin guitarists, Sanders and Jim Shepley, alongside Joe Elliot (keyboards), Greg Allen (bass) and Ken Hebert (drums) and plays a smoking repertoire based in blues and Southern Rock. To get a taste of the band's sound, go to www.myspace.com/tomsandersband.

Father's Day Sunday, one should take Dad down to Brew Bakers, 169 Main Street, to not only enjoy the victuals and beverages but also the music of Dave Downs. He starts playing at 11 a.m.