The Twin City Players (TCP) is pleased to announce its 2018 Women in Theatre Summer Festival featuring four shows over four weekends in the Benton Harbor Arts District. The selected shows feature lead performances by women and highlight some of the finest local acting talent.
Tickets are $12 per show, general admission. Purchase tickets online at twincityplayers.org or through the TCP box office at 269-429-0400. Performances are 7 pm on Friday/Saturday and 2 pm Saturday/Sunday. The first three weekends, 7/27 – 8/12, will be performed at 259 Water Street, Benton Harbor, Michigan. PLEASE NOTE: The final weekend, 8/17 – 8/19, will be performed at the The Oak Room at the Citadel, 91 Hinkley Street, Benton Harbor, Michigan.
July 27-29, 2018:
Hospice by Pearl Cleage and And Baby Makes Two: An Adoption Tale by Nanci Christopher. Location: 259 Water Street, Benton Harbor, Michigan. Hospice Cast: Kendra Ann and Amber Burton. And Baby Makes Two Cast: Kathy McAlhaney.
Hospice: A celebrated dying poet and the now pregnant daughter she abandoned years earlier are trying to come to grips with their dysfunctional relationship.
And Baby Makes Two: An Adoption Tale: A single woman’s desire to experience motherhood without a husband at her side sends her through the world of adoption. Her path leads her through an array of characters and situations rife with drama. A new family is forged through the courage of two very brave women. A 2009 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Nominee.
Hospice produced by special arrangement with Abrams Artists Agency; And Baby Makes Two: An Adoption Tale presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
August 3-5, 2018:
Big Pants and Botox by Louise Roche. Location: 259 Water Street, Benton Harbor, Michigan. Cast: Christine Sloan.
Ever optimistic Barbara has just celebrated a significant birthday that she’s not too happy about, and now she’s weighing up the benefits of big pants (aka Spanx) and botox as she takes us on an hilarious, intriguing, touching, but ultimately uplifting journey.
Produced by special arrangement with The Agency (London) Ltd.
August 10-12, 2018:
The Belle of Amherst by William Luce. Location: 259 Water Street, Benton Harbor, Michigan. Cast: Meghan Pelkey.
Based on the life of poet Emily Dickinson from 1830 to 1886, and set in her Amherst, Massachusetts home, the play makes use of her work, diaries, and letters to recollect her encounters with the significant people in her life – family, close friends, and acquaintances. It balances the agony of her seclusion with the brief bright moments when she was able to experience joy.
Presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
August 17-19, 2018:
The Velocity of Autumn by Eric Coble. Location: The Oak Room at the Citadel, 91 Hinkley Street, Benton Harbor, Michigan. Cast: Carol Sizer and Paul Stortz.
The Velocity of Autumn swirls around Alexandra, an 80-year-old artist in a showdown with her family over where she will spend her remaining years. In Alexandra’s corner are her wit, her volcanic passion, and the fact that she has barricaded herself in her Brooklyn brownstone with enough Molotov cocktails to take out the block. But her children have their own secret weapon: estranged son Chris, who returns after 20 years and becomes the family’s unlikely mediator. A wickedly funny and wonderfully touching discovery of the fragility and ferocity of life.
Presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
The shows are directed by Larry Nielsen, Kathryn Kirkdorfer, and Sarah Simmons. Assisting the directors are John Taylor (stage and set designer), Sarah Simmons (props), Scott Bradford (consultant), and Laura Simmons (costumes and makeup). Festival Director is Larry Nielsen and Kim Kidd is Festival Business and Marketing Manager.
The 2018 Women in Theatre Summer Festival is made possible in part by a grant from the Berrien Community Foundation and The Schalon Foundation. Additional sponsors are TPC Technologies, Inc., Abonmarche, Wightman Associates, New Territory Arts Association, and Rolfe Jenkins.
About Twin City Players
Formed in 1932, Twin City Players is one of the oldest, continuously operating community theaters in Michigan. It is a volunteer based nonprofit organization that strives to be recognized for organizational excellence with an abundance of resources, producing irresistible, quality performances in southwest Michigan. The TCP Playhouse is located at 600 West Glenlord Road, St. Joseph, MI. New members are always welcome. For more information about TCP, call 269-429-0400 or visit us at twincityplayers.org.
