GO
For the past two years, Rough Magic and the Angels Theatre
Company have hosted Summerstock, a showcase of new, 10-minutes scripts by local
playwrights.
But Summerstock is no more, as one company has decided to — excuse the groaner pun — GO it alone.
This year, Rough Magic is working alone to produce “GO,” which works on the same model as Summerstock but has company members hoping the event will appeal to a hipper, edgier crowd.
The show opens Thursday at the Loft at The Mill, 800 P St., and features 11 new scripts — plays, multimedia presentations and movements —from five local playwrights.
The crop of scripts promises to be entertaining, with looks at a presidential staff locked in a bunker, a man’s choices leading up to his travels on Sept. 11, 2001, and a choose-your-own-adventure play, where the audience will vote to decide what happens next.
In the past, Summerstock consisted of themed plays (last year’s were all about summer and heat). But “GO” drops the theme concept. Rough Magic members said trying to tie scripts together might have made for mediocre theatre in the past.
“This year, it was more about finding pieces that really appealed to us,” said artistic director Jack Carpenter.
The 11 scripts were chosen from 20 submissions for quality and variety, regardless of the theme, said Rough Magic member and co-founder Gregory Peters.
One of the five featured playwrights, Peters penned three of the 11 scripts, which range from a turbulent coffeehouse romance told through “laughably bad” poetry to an old man’s monologue about his younger days.
It will be one of Peters’ last productions with Rough Magic. As one of the last founding members of the company, he’s stepped down as artistic director and will be leaving the group this fall.
But Peters said he’s quite proud of the new generation of Rough Magic members, which includes his replacement Carpenter.
“The group that’s there now is a lot more capable of making things happen,” he said. “When we started, we were basically two actors and a director who had no experience in marketing and tech or anything like that.
“Now there’s a remarkable range of talents. It almost makes me jealous in a way that I’m leaving right as things are coming together, but it functions on its own. It doesn’t need a central personality to make things happen.”
As artistic director, Carpenter said he wants to get more members involved in the administration of the group.
“I want to make sure the company is using everybody’s talents rather than having it fall on one person,” he said.
That philosophy seems to drive “GO,” which features an ensemble cast of 12 and six directors — Peters, Noelle Bohaty, Joel Egger, Mary Gaetz, Laura Kendall and Jen Lukas.
Peters said he’s looking forward to seeing how the show turns out.
“It’s going to be fun,” Peters said. “Jack and I both are really proud of the crop of pieces we have this year.”
Reach Joel Gehringer at 473-7254 or jgehringer@journalstar.com.
If you go
What: “GO: A collection of new works in theatre, dance and film”
Where: The Loft at The Mill, 800 P St., Suite 301
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, next Friday, June 10, June 15-17, with additional performances at 10:30 p.m. next Friday and June 16
Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students at the door or by calling (402) 730-3936 or at roughmagicproductions@yahoo.com.
But Summerstock is no more, as one company has decided to — excuse the groaner pun — GO it alone.
This year, Rough Magic is working alone to produce “GO,” which works on the same model as Summerstock but has company members hoping the event will appeal to a hipper, edgier crowd.
The show opens Thursday at the Loft at The Mill, 800 P St., and features 11 new scripts — plays, multimedia presentations and movements —from five local playwrights.
The crop of scripts promises to be entertaining, with looks at a presidential staff locked in a bunker, a man’s choices leading up to his travels on Sept. 11, 2001, and a choose-your-own-adventure play, where the audience will vote to decide what happens next.
In the past, Summerstock consisted of themed plays (last year’s were all about summer and heat). But “GO” drops the theme concept. Rough Magic members said trying to tie scripts together might have made for mediocre theatre in the past.
“This year, it was more about finding pieces that really appealed to us,” said artistic director Jack Carpenter.
The 11 scripts were chosen from 20 submissions for quality and variety, regardless of the theme, said Rough Magic member and co-founder Gregory Peters.
One of the five featured playwrights, Peters penned three of the 11 scripts, which range from a turbulent coffeehouse romance told through “laughably bad” poetry to an old man’s monologue about his younger days.
It will be one of Peters’ last productions with Rough Magic. As one of the last founding members of the company, he’s stepped down as artistic director and will be leaving the group this fall.
But Peters said he’s quite proud of the new generation of Rough Magic members, which includes his replacement Carpenter.
“The group that’s there now is a lot more capable of making things happen,” he said. “When we started, we were basically two actors and a director who had no experience in marketing and tech or anything like that.
“Now there’s a remarkable range of talents. It almost makes me jealous in a way that I’m leaving right as things are coming together, but it functions on its own. It doesn’t need a central personality to make things happen.”
As artistic director, Carpenter said he wants to get more members involved in the administration of the group.
“I want to make sure the company is using everybody’s talents rather than having it fall on one person,” he said.
That philosophy seems to drive “GO,” which features an ensemble cast of 12 and six directors — Peters, Noelle Bohaty, Joel Egger, Mary Gaetz, Laura Kendall and Jen Lukas.
Peters said he’s looking forward to seeing how the show turns out.
“It’s going to be fun,” Peters said. “Jack and I both are really proud of the crop of pieces we have this year.”
Reach Joel Gehringer at 473-7254 or jgehringer@journalstar.com.
If you go
What: “GO: A collection of new works in theatre, dance and film”
Where: The Loft at The Mill, 800 P St., Suite 301
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, next Friday, June 10, June 15-17, with additional performances at 10:30 p.m. next Friday and June 16
Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students at the door or by calling (402) 730-3936 or at roughmagicproductions@yahoo.com.
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