Mosaic Stages Reading of Edgar Allan Poe Play Tuesday
South Florida theaters are traditionally dark on Mondays and Tuesdays.
But local companies are increasingly using the downtime to stage readings of works that might or might not show up in future seasons or enable playwrights to fine tune works in progress
At least three are slated for the coming weeks.
Just announced: Mosaic Theatre is hosting a free reading of A Bouquet for Raven Poe by Edward Castle at 7 p.m. Tuesday at its black box theater inside American Heritage School at 12200 W. Broward Blvd. in Plantation.
The play is described in a news release as “a comedy of manners and mayhem and… since we’re talking about Edgar Allan Poe, you can throw in a fair dose of the macabre as well.”
The cast includes Michael St. Pierre (as E.A. Poe), Shelby Steel (as Sissy Poe), with Scott Genn, Danielle Tabino, Oscar Cheda and Daniel Nieves.
No reservation required. Admission is free. For information call 954-577-8243.
Also slated on Monday and Tuesday, Ground Up and Rising will present a one-man play Jails, Hospitals and Hip-Hop by Danny Hoch. With a combination of performance art and monologue, the play depicts a kaleidoscope of marginalized people battling to have their voices heard. It will be held at GableStage in the eastern portion of the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia in Coral Gables. Performances begin at 8 p.m.
And in the wings, local theater legend Jan McArt is creating a Theatre Arts Guild Play Reading series at Lynn University to begin Oct. 24 with a reading of a new “delicious murder mystery,” Murder on Gin Lane, written by local arts leader Tony Finstrom. More on that in a few days.
Actors’ Playhouse Costumes For Sale
Just in time for Halloween (or a local production of Nicholas Nickleby), Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre has a n intriguing fund-raising idea: Thinning out its huge closet of costumes accumulated in 24 years of productions with a garage sale on Saturday, October 8.
The Costume Sale Extravaganza will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. in its second floor Black Box Theatre at 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables.
Hundreds of items including one-of-a-kind costumes from past productions, costume pieces, hats and accessories will be on sale for between $5 and $150 (cash only). Costumes are mainly for adults with very few children’s sizes available.
Samples of the varied collection, including some original designs constructed by the theater’s own design team, can be seen on the theater’s Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/pTMSGZ
For more information, call 305-444-9293 or visit www.actorsplayhouse.org.
Chaz Mena One Man Show Free
Popular actor Chaz Mena (Superior Donuts and The Quarrel) will present the one-man show he wrote, Yo Solo… A Visit with Bernardo de Gálvez, in free performances on Oct. 1 and 2 at the Hialeah High School Auditorium under the aegis of GableStage.
Mena wrote, “Don Bernado de Gálvez’s role in claiming Pensacola in 1781 is considered by many historians to be one of the turning points in the American Revolution; he is revered as a national hero in Spain, but we Americans know very little about him.”
The productions, followed by a question and answer session with Mena remaining in character, are slated for 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Oct. 1, and 2 p.m. Oct. 2.
Florida Follies Gives Back
The Original Florida Follies, known for its variety shows featuring retired show business veterans 60 to 90 years old, is following through on the second half of its mission.
Using proceeds from the shows, the Follies team will take 400 children-in-need on October 2 and 9 on a clothes shopping spree at JC Penney in Citi Center Shopping Mall in Pompano Beach.
The Original Florida Follies shows continue the tradition of the famous Follies’ shows with tap dancers, singers and showgirls in lush costumes .
Palm Beach Theater Guild Elects Trustees
The Palm Beach Theater Guild, the group that has doggedly fought to reopen the Royal Poinciana Playhouse, has elected new trustees and re-elected others, said President Patrick Flynn.
New trustees are Daniel de Beneditis, a lawyer from Boston and Palm Beach; and Rosemary Harder of Baltimore, Palm Beach and Boston.
Re-elected trustees are Tony-winning actor Christopher Plummer, who lives in Florida and Connecticut; Washington-area real estate developer Ellis “J” Parker; culture activist Elizabeth Bowden, and Florence Flynn, president of Artisan Promotions Inc. Other trustees include Simon Taylor, an investment banker and lawyer; actor and director, Barrie Ingham from Palm Beach Gardens.
The Guild has been fighting six years to preserve and reopen the 1958 theater, which is often referred to as a “jewel box” because of its plush interior and classic Regency exterior. But the 878-seat hall last hosted a performance in 2004. The deteriorating structure was estimated to cost between $4 million and $15 million in 2008.
Battles in court and city halls have left the issue uncertain as developers press to raze the theater and the other buildings in the shopping plaza it occupies.
David Goldyn Bows Out
As previously reported, Rising Action Theatre founder David Goldyn cut back his involvement last spring, turning over the reins to Andy Rogow who had the title of producing director.
But Goldyn announced this month that he is now relinquishing his title and duties as producing artistic director to Rogow and will stay on only as a consultant. Goldyn is “moving on to pursue acting, teaching and producing interests in New York,” according to a news release.
The gay-centric theater now based in Fort Lauderdale’s Sunshine Cathedral has had a rocky history with both acclaimed performances and critically-drubbed shows. Currently, it is presenting As Bees in Honey Drown through Oct. 9
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