BETHLEHEM, PA “ Touchstone Theatre, the region's only ensemble-based theatre, presents "Games We Play" “ a new, two-person show written and performed by company members Emma Ackerman and Chris Egging. With production support from stage manager Alexis Leon and choreographer Ashley Tait Weller, this nostalgic exploration of lifelong friendship runs from February 16 through 26 in Touchstone's home theatre on the South Side of Bethlehem.
How do we remember our childhood best friends' What defines the nostalgia we have with those we know best' Set in a time where bonds were forged in mix CDs and make-believe, this two-person performance by company members Emma Ackerman and Chris Egging follows the journey of two friends as they try “ and sometimes fail “ to stay connected.
Though they grew up in vastly different parts of the country “ Egging in rural Nebraska and Ackerman in suburban Pennsylvania “ the Games We Play creators say their shared reference points around growing up in the 1990s and early aughts resonated strongly between them. 
In fact, say Ackerman and Egging, while the play follows the coming-of-age story of just two people from a specific generation, its themes of friendship, nostalgia, and growing up have universal appeal. "This show is for everyone," Egging says. "I can't wait to see what resonates with different audience members of all ages."
Punctuated by a periodic score of original music written by Egging and Ackerman, the intimate production follows their two characters from carefree childhood to the responsibility-laden adulthood in nonlinear fashion as they retell and relive their shared memories from various points in their lives. "We're sitting with our legs dangling off the edge of a treehouse, then hunched amongst piles of boxes working through an aging parent's finances," says Egging. "Sometimes in the same scene."
"This show asks us to remember our 'inner kid'," says Ackerman. "There's sword fighting, mix tapes, make-believe. But it's really about nostalgia, memory, and the imperfection thereof. We all remember the past differently, and the way we remember things shapes our reality, whether it's true or not."
As her final mainstage production after a 15-year tenure at Touchstone, "Games We Play" is a bittersweet milestone for Ensemble Member Emma Ackerman, who will be moving out of state
later this year. The production also marks a first; though a company member since 2019, "Games We Play" is Chris Egging's mainstage premiere as he moves from a designer behind-the-scenes to a performer onstage.
Games We Play runs from February 16 through 26, 2022. Shows begin at 8pm Thursday through Saturday, and at 2pm on Sunday. Tickets are $25, with $15 tickets for students/seniors and the option to Pay-What-You-Will at the door on Thursdays. Group rates are available upon request. Tickets are available at 610.867.1689 or online at touchstone.org.