PHILADELPHIA, PA “ Kingfisher Theatre presents a fresh and intimate interpretation of the eternal Greek legend, The Odyssey: the timeless tale that follows the mythical ten-year journey of one man.

Odysseus, struggling to make his way home after the Trojan War. In a stage performance that is at once epic and "breath taking"”with live musical soundscapes performed by percussionist Rob Aptaker”this enchanting new solo work from Touchstone Theatre co-founder Bill George, with directorial assistance from Gerard Stropnicky (co-founder of Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble) is a sensory experience and a once-in-a-decade theatre event not to be missed.

Lehigh Valley theatre veteran Rody Gilkeson will be directing the new comedy, "The Spectre of Death" written by Charlie Barnett and produced by Crowded Kitchen Players at Between the Lines Studio Theatre September 22- October 1.

Lehigh Valley Stage asked Rody a few questions about his experience with this play, a funky comedy about the fictional death metal band, "The Crypt", who try to re-unite in defiance of advancing age, declining health, and chronic moral turpitude.

LEHIGH VALLEY STAGE: What is there about this play that you particularly like and are drawn to'

RODY GILKESON: I immediately felt a draw to this piece when I read it for the very first time. The fact that Spec, who is an aging rocker, is facing his mortality and being forced to drop his Peter Pan lifestyle is appealing to me. I have a number of former band mates who are just like Spec except on a far less famous level.

LVSTAGE: What genre does this play fit into' What makes it different in any way'

RG: I believe this play would fall into the category of Dramedey ( a combination of drama and comedy ). There is a lot of humor but, at the same time, many of the characters are facing different levels of drama. Anger, loss, love, confusion and jealousy all come to the forefront in this piece.

LVSTAGE: How do you feel your own, unique background as a stage actor and singer, as well as a seasoned musician, has impacted how you are directing this show and helping shape these characters'

RG: I started out as a frontman for a band in high school and spent the last 55 years singing either in bands or in stage productions. I have met a number of musicians like Spec, the lead character in the play. There is something about music/theatre folks who have tunnel vision for their art and miss so much of what is happening in their "real lives". I believe that has certainly helped me in shaping the members of "The Cript".

LVSTAGE: What have been the biggest challenges to getting this production ready for performance'

RG: I would have to say that working as a gypsy theater has presented some problems. I am excited that the challenge of rehearsing in one smaller space and then moving into the theater for the performance has been met with positivity. It's not what I am used to, but it is certainly a learning experience.

LVSTAGE: How difficult was it to cast this production, given the wide range in ages and backgrounds of the characters and the need for both acting skills and a sense of musicality'

RG: It seems that since I have directed quite a few musicals, actors/actresses with both skills came out for the show. I was excited to find such wonderful talent. The most challenging thing will be asking the audience to accept the fact that a few of the actors aren't exactly the age that they should be. It's not a large stretch, perhaps 10 years here and there. Suspend disbelief if you will.

LVSTAGE: What are the particular challenges of directing your spouse in a play' To what extent do you have to distinguish between your personal relationship and your rehearsal relationship'

RG: The surprising thing is, Elizabeth and I have worked together on so many projects the challenges are minimal. I know she is going to deliver a quality performance every time and she trusts me to never let her or the cast down. I would say that when rehearsal is over, we discuss briefly what may need to be improved or changed and then get back to real life. It hasn't always been like that, but as I have aged, I now have taken off the blinders. I don't allow the tunnel vision that I described earlier. She actually would make a really good director if she ever decided to take a project on.

LVSTAGE: What would you hope the audience experiences during and after seeing this production'

RG: I am sure a lot of the audience members would know very little about rock folk. I am hoping that they might leave with a small understanding of what older performers may be going through and how their lives are often "outside the tour bus" as Delilah explains to Spec. Also, as the title suggests, we are all facing the specter of death in one way or another. Sometimes it takes a realization of that fact to make us better, more understanding people.

LVSTAGE: Tell us a little about Between the Lines Studio Theatre, what you like about the space, and what you find challenging.

RG: As I said, being a theatre gypsy is very challenging. This is the first time where I have moved into a performance space with only a few days to get the show ready for an audience. BTL is a really lovely, intimate space that works extremely well for a smaller show like "The Specter of Death". I am sure once the audience comes to see our production, they will want to see more shows at this theater.

For information, visit ckplayers.com or call 610-704-6974

In Moravian University Theaters production of the coming-of-age musical "The Mad Ones," 18-year-old Samantha Brown grapples with the unknowns of the future.

Its a fitting sentiment for the final show to be produced in the University's Arena Theatre, which will be demolished in January as part of a renovation and expansion of the universitys Haupert Union Building(HUB). The musical runs through through Nov. 19.

After more than 40 years as the home of Moravians theater students, the Arena Theatre, a small black box theater located in the basement of the HUB, will be removed to make space for an expanded health and counseling center for students.

There is no plan for the university to build another dedicated theater space at this time, says Christopher Shorr, director of theater at Moravian.

"Students have been doing theater at Moravian since 1789. It is part of Moravians heritage," Shorr says. "Just like the character in the musical, theater at Moravian is at a crossroads, facing the unknown. Thats a scary place to be, but its also a place of incredible possibilities. So I think the show is perfect for us at this moment in time."

The Arena Theatre opened in 1981 as the first dedicated space for the Bethlehem schools student theater company. Shorr notes there has been theater at Moravian for nearly 200 years, beginning the first year it became legal to perform plays in Pennsylvania.

In an interview with Moravians student newspaper "The Comenian," university president Bryon Grigsby said the decision was made because the theater program is small and it is not cost effective for the school to support it in the same capacity as other schools with larger theater programs like Muhlenberg College and DeSales University.

"Much of our strengths lie in the facilities we have for STEM, majors like biology, nursing, public health, and health sciences," he told "The Comenian." "As universities need to keep down tuition costs for everyone, it becomes ever more important to focus on what an institution does well with the facilities it has at hand."

Shorr says he will continue to teach theater at Moravian. The schools Master of Fine Arts in Performance Creation offered in conjunction with Touchstone Theater, will not be affected since those students perform mainly at Touchstones South Bethlehem theater.

"Our students will keep doing theater," Shorr says. "I am confident in our students desire to keep something going. We will be finding creative ways to do theater. We will experiment with different spaces and maybe do some performances outside."

Shorr also says there are possibilities for the theater company to perform off campus, such as the the City of Bethlehems Ice House.

He says next semester, a night of one act play readings March 22 and a student cabaret April 19 and 20 will be held in Hearst Hall, a recital space on the universitys south campus.

"There will be plenty of opportunity for performance," Shorr says.

"The Mad Ones," written by Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk, tells the story of high school senior Samantha who sits at a crossroads, facing a choice about her future. She is being pulled in different directions by her mother, her boyfriend and her best friend and struggles with the pressure to do the expected and the fear of the unknown.

The 90-minute musical is intimate and nearly sung-through, perfect for the Arena Theatres swan song.

Ava Ferentinos is appealing as Samantha, her high schools valedictorian who has been accepted to Ivy League schools like Harvard and Columbia. Ferentinos ably channels Samanthas angst as she questions her proscribed future, inspired by Jack Kerouacs "On The Road."

Hannah Kolonoski is a burst of irresistible energy as Samanthas free spirit best friend Kelly who encourages her to take chances and throw away the map.

The two performers harmonize well on songs such as "Freedom," "The Made Ones" and "Go Tonight."

As Samanthas high-achieving but paranoid mother, Ry Kral is a domineering presence who struggles to give her daughter the space she needs. Kral is heartfelt on "I Know My Girl" and "Miles to Go."

Sherry Anderson is sweet as Adam, Samanthas loyal and inciteful, but not ambitious boyfriend. Their rendition of the hit song from the show "Run Away With Me," is moving and a highlight of the show.

The set is minimal and director Shorr well utilizes the entire Arena space to tell the story.

A talented orchestra made up of Ryan Anderson, harp; Hailey Belverio, guitar; Karina Bernatowicz , violin and Amal Shokr, piano adds melodic harmonies.

The final show is 2 p.m. Nov. 19.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors. For reservations, email Christopher Shorr: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Theater artist Susan Chase brings her mother front and center in her joyful, heart-breaking one woman show, which premiered at Bethlehem’s Touchstone Theater March 20.

Chase, a former Bethlehem resident and Touchstone ensemble member, who now lives in Philadlephia, premiered her original solo show in Bethlehem, before she takes it off-Broadway and on tour on the East Coast.

The 90-minute performance uses spoken word, music, dance, and film to celebrate not just Chase’s mother, but all mothers

Written and performed by Chase, “Mother’s Day” is an evocative look into how one woman’s relationship with her mother has shaped her entire life.

Chase opens the show dressed as a witch and recalling the magic of the woods when she was a child.

Describing herself as a tomboy, she conjures up stories of exploring castles, hiding treasure maps, sneaking a smoke and dangerously scaling a fire escape.

Then she pivots and says she has realized that the magic was actually from her mother.
“Mothers are God-like,” she says. “They create us. But they also create a world, and place us in the center of that world.”

Chase is impassioned as she describes the all-consuming love between a young child and their mother.

She tells how her mother was a constant, reassuring presence who was always in “the other room,” and 
how her her mother swooped in just in time when she got her hands on matches and burned herself. Skillfully blending movement with home movies and old kodachrome photos that display on a video screen behind her, Chase weaves the heartfelt story of her life as seen through the filter of her mother.

Many of the stories are humorous, such as her childish horror when her mother changes her hair color  and when she realizes her mother wouldn’t go in the pool because she didn’t want to mess up her hair.

Chase is jubilant as she talks about dressing up in her mother’s 1960s era colorful matching ensembles.

Especially touching is when she dances in coordination with a video of her mother ice skating.

Chase admits she closely resembles her mother, and the old photos prove the point.

She also explores her mother’s sense of loss after Chase and her two sisters left home, and how she attempted to fill the space in her heart with shopping for trinkets.

However, when Chase got pregnant as a single mother, she explains she looked to her mother for approval and acceptance.

The later section of the play takes a darker turn as Chase painfully discusses how her mother spent her final years in a dementia facility, and details her frustrated struggles to see her mother during COVID shutdown.

Chase’ play is ultimately passionate and illuminating, inspiring viewers to revisit their own relationships with their mother.

Sydney Smith is multimedia designer and technical director and Justin Solonynka is accompanist. Gerard Stropnicky has provided directorial assistance.

Chase will perform “Mother’s Day” Off-Broadway 7 p.m. April 16 as part of the annual United Solo Festival in  Theatre Row. 410 W 42nd St., New York City. Tickets are available at unitedsolo.org/the-18th-annual-united-solo-theatre-festival/mothers-day/

Chase also is scheduled to perform the show on May 4 at Theater Exile, 1340-48 S. 13th St., Philadelphia. For tickets, call 215-218-4022 or go to www.theatreexile.org

She will be at StoneRidge Center, Mystic, CT May 11. For tickets and information, call 860-572-5600.

Chase says she will tour the play again in the fall and will be back at the United Solo Festival in September and in Worcester, MA in October.

For information on additional performances of “Mother’s Day,” go to www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570464436240.