ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Allentown Public Theatre (APT) ushers in its season on October 20, 2015 with a new play-reading series at 7 pm on the third Tuesday of every month. The informal script-in-hand readings are being hosted at Hava Java Cafe (526 N. 19th St.) in Allentown's West End.
Taking a cue from the “haunting” season, APT leads off with Macbeth, Shakespeare's tale of kings, witches, and “murder most foul.” To spice things up further, actors will play Macbeth Lottery and draw their roles out of a hat.
Offerings in the next two months will continue with a seasonal theme while drawing on Lehigh Valley talent: For November 17, Dinner with Marney, by Easton playwright Jennifer Santos, is an absurdly funny piece about one family's ever-stressful celebration of Thanksgiving. On December 15, APT and its comedy troupe, The Associated Mess, will improvise a new take on a yuletide classic – with help from the audience, and no holds barred.
As the series continues, it will feature more new plays by young playwrights and works that expand on themes in Allentown Public Theatre's main-stage season. “What we're doing,” says Anna Russell, APT's Artistic Director, “is inviting the audience one step closer into the creative world of the artist. The informal cafe atmosphere sets the stage for something more like a read-through, the first step in any rehearsal process and one of my favorites: every casting, every staging, every artistic choice is still possible and available to the imagination. It's magic.”
Shaun Leisher conceived and organized the Theatre Cafe. Why' “Here in the Valley people seem to love splashy musicals, and dramas are a harder sell. But, compared to most musicals, well written plays can convey more complex ideas, provoke thought, even change beliefs. I'm fascinated with play-writing,” says Leisher, a middle school drama coach. “I read about 10 plays a week. I wanted to see a program where the writer is the focus.”
Every third Tuesday, 7 pm, through August 2016, at Hava Java Cafe, 526 N. 19th St., Allentown, PA 18104. Suggested donation: $5. For more information, www.allentownpublictheatre.com