Mark Fleischer is ATF's producing artistic director. His second season reflects the company's commitment to contemporary work.
The eclectic slate will offer a musical, a solo show, a one-man "hip-hop opera," a new play reading and the upstate New York premiere of the family-vacation play Leaving Iowa, a popular regional theatre title.
Upstate native Sean Lewis' one-man "hip-hop opera," I Will Make You Orphans, will be seen in late-night performances. Lewis is originally from St. Johnsville in Fulton County, NY. His career as a playwright and performer has taken him all over the country, according to ATF notes, but "this piece is deeply rooted in his experiences growing up in upstate New York." Fleischer said the play gives voice to a segment of the region rarely seen on ATF's stage.
According to Fleischer, "I Will Make You Orphans gives a voice to many of the young adults I see walking in the neighborhood of South Street. Lewis' play adds such a unique dimension to the season."
Here's the 2009 season of Adirondack Theatre Festival.
Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon, June 24–July 3. "A lost notebook sets off a chain of events transforming the ordinary lives of four young New Yorkers into something extraordinary. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in and out of taxi cabs, to Union Square, Ordinary Days takes you on a journey of discovery filled with the romance and magic of a New York fairy tale."Goat Show: An Odyssey Behind Barn Doors, written and performed by Jennifer Fawcett, July 7-11. "Canadian performer and writer Jennifer Fawcett brings her one woman play, Goat Show, to Glens Falls for one week. A young girl's childhood is turned upside down when her father's dream of a simple lifestyle — one filled with purpose — drives him to abandon teaching and raise goats. The family soon realizes, however, that there is nothing simple about life on a farm. Fawcett's performance, while deeply personal, remains a comic and heartfelt exploration of the risks and rewards of following a dream."I Will Make You Orphans, written and performed by Sean C. Lewis, July 8-11. "For four nights ATF is offering an exciting late night option for theatregoers. Hip-hop, slam poetry and comedy combine to create an unforgettable theatrical experience. Meet Sean Boogie, a young man battling the expectations of his teacher, father and girlfriend. Not shy about expressing his opinions, Sean's fascination with hip-hop culture leads him to believe he is 'blacker' than his African-American teacher, even though he is a white kid from upstate New York. Reaching for a way to belong, through hip-hop Boogie discovers the difference between what it is to 'be' and to 'wannabe.'" I Will Make You Orphans will be performed for four nights at 9:45 PM following performances of Goat Show.
Leaving Iowa by Tim Clue and Spike Manton, July 16-25. "The season concludes with one of this country's most talked about comedies. Laughable memories of family road trips fill this sentimental comedy about a man returning home to find a resting place for his father's ashes. As he searches for the perfect spot to scatter the ashes, he relives the boyhood summer vacations he and his sister spent trapped in the family station wagon headed to uninteresting historical sites with their determined and well-meaning father. …Leaving Iowa is guaranteed to keep audiences laughing and remembering the childhood vacations they tried to forget."Brush the Summer By, a play in progress, by Hal Corley, July 19 & 20. "ATF's commitment to developing new works for the theatre continues with a one week workshop and two public readings of this new play by Hal Corley directed by Mark Fleischer. A Southern divorcee on a leaf-watching trip to the Adirondacks is shocked when she stumbles across a man sunbathing in the nude. Through subsequent encounters, she reluctantly succumbs to his charms. With equal parts comedy and drama, Corley explores the joy and danger of living in the moment and the challenges and rewards of forgiveness." Brush the Summer By was an unsolicited submission by the playwright. Fleischer found it in a pile of scripts at ATF. Audience members will play an active role in the development of this new piece by providing feedback to the playwright and director after each reading.
All performances will be held at the intimate Charles R. Wood Theater at 207 Glen Street in downtown Glens Falls. Season subscriptions for ATF's 2009 summer season range from $45 to $100.
For more information visit www.ATFestival.org. Subscriptions can be purchased by calling the Wood Theater box office at (518) 874-0800.
