KEENE, N.H., 11/5/2015 – Keene State College Theatre and Dance Department will present The Premiere Series, a new play festival from December 3 to 5. The Premiere Series, directed by KSC Theatre Professor Daniel L. Patterson, consists of four original plays written by Keene State students with different plays to be performed as staged readings each evening as follows.
- Thursday, December 3: Technicalities by Dana Angelis follow a young woman who is stage managing solo for the first time at a prestigious summer theatre company and the oddball people she must deal with.
After a 15 minute intermission another play is staged that evening, The Weekend at Allagash Lake by Lauren Wilbur, about a group of friends who are graduating high school and want to spend one final party week together at a remote camp in Maine but plans change when older relatives arrive.
- Friday, December 4: Dancing the Limbo by Amy Donovan follows a group of people who find themselves in a very strange environment which turns out to be Purgatory.
- Saturday, December 5: Tiger by Eleanor Marshall is a dramatic piece about a young man who is struggling with his sexual identity and thinks he wants to be transgender but family and friends try to dissuade him.
Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Wright Theatre of the Redfern Arts Center on the KSC campus. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and youth, and $6 for Keene State students. For tickets, call the Box Office at603-358-2168 or visit keene.edu/arts/redfern.
“These are all fairly short plays, the longest is just over an hour, and a couple are very funny,” said Patterson, who will retire in May after 37 years teaching at KSC.
. He started The Premiere Series in 1990, as part of a new-play development program in the Theatre and Dance Department.
“It’s important to stimulate new play writing because new playwrights are going to be the future of the theatre,” said Patterson.
This year’s festival was a competition among 16 KSC students enrolled in the spring 2014 Playwriting class taught by Patterson. All plays are presented as staged readings because it’s important that new playwrights hear the words they’ve written to see the staging of the production and the nuances of speech and body language.
Many actors, who include KSC faculty, staff and community members as well as students, are cast in the four plays to be presented during The Premiere Series.
Technicalities by Dana Angelis includes seven men and five women: Cara Gerardi, Samira Barar, Veronica Reeder (strike) Bridgette Lord, Will Adams, Josh Bernard-Kriegl, Matt Geary, Will Howell, Tim L’Ecuyer, Doug Wilcox, Molly Millard, and Daniel Patterson.
The Weekend at Allagash Lake by Lauren Wilbur includes five men and two women: Kenon Veno, Will Adams, Tony Gentile, Dominique Pascoal, Meg Lacey, Doug Wilcox, and Will Howell.
Dancing the Limbo by Amy Donovan includes six men and six women: Megan Pereira, PeggyRae Johnson, Kenzie Klem, Josh Bernard-Kriegl, Kenon Veno, Mitch Hodge, Dominique Pascoal, Ashley Gage, Alaina Vickers Dodge, Danielle Kelly, Tony Gentile, and Will Adams.
Tiger by Eleanor Marshall includes four men, one boy, and four women: Kenzie Klem, Kat Vaccaro, Jeannie-Marie Brown, Mia Moravis, Matt Geary, Mitch Hodge, Will Adams, Meg Lacey, Keith Medlock, and Josh Bernard-Kriegl.
About Keene State Theatre and Dance Department
The Department of Theatre and Dance is dedicated to providing a comprehensive course of study that balances theory and practice within a sound liberal arts education. The collaborative nature of theatre and dance disciplines fosters an atmosphere in which students work closely with peers and faculty to gain practical experience in all facets or production and critical engagement. As artists and teachers, our primary focus is to encourage and guide our students as they find their creative voices and experience and question the world through the arts. For more information about the Theatre and Dance Department, visithttp://academics.keene.edu/tad or call 603-358-2162.
About Keene State College
Keene State College is a preeminent public liberal arts college that ensures student access to world-class academic programs. Integrating academics with real-world application and active community and civic engagement, Keene State College prepares graduates to meet society’s challenges by thinking critically, acting creatively, and serving the greater good. To learn more about Keene State College, visitwww.keene.edu.
Keene State College: Wisdom to make a difference.
