BETHLEHEM, PA - Touchstone Theatre's Fresh Voices showcase returns to premiere new original works from June 2-12, 2020.
In light of recent events concerning public health and safety, these performances have been developed to take place remotely and will feature both downloadable and streaming content from Touchstone Theatre apprentices Sean Patrick Cassidy and Adam Ercolani.
Touchstone's Apprenticeship Program annually selects emerging artists to study within the company and learn about life in a professional ensemble theatre. Apprentice work touches every aspect of the company and includes acting, stage management, playwriting, teaching, design, and more. 
Over the past twenty years, Touchstone has launched over 70 theatre artists from its apprenticeship program. This season marks the inaugural year of Touchstone's partnership with Moravian College, converting the longstanding apprenticeship into an MFA-granting program.
The Fresh Voices showcase performance annually gives apprentices an opportunity to explore and create their own solo and ensemble-created original theatre.
This year's Fresh Voices features three original works; two solo pieces performed back-to-back via live stream and a collaborative podcast released in four installments.
POTHOLE, a solo piece developed and performed by Ercolani, is framed around the notion that the best conversations happen in your car, and so do the best concerts. POTHOLE puts the viewer in the passenger seat for a trip around town with a driver who has a lot he needs to get out in both word and song.
DR. SOGOL'S MAGNIFICENT, MALFUNCTIONING, INTERGALACTIC, COSMIC CAR WASH AND STAMPS, a solo piece developed and performed by Cassidy, transports us to the car wash of the future, where every last miniscule detail is customized for the consumer. The live streamed performance finds the audience at the shop's grand opening where they meet Dr. Sogol and his magnificent, sometimes malfunctioning, intergalactic cosmic car wash that sells stamps and promises to make all your dreams – and possibly nightmares too – come true.ISO/NATION PRESENTS is an auditory immersion into days gone by created by Cassidy and Ercolani. Bringing together the nostalgia of the radio play and the high-brow pretentiousness of the modern podcast, ISO/NATION PRESENTS explores how a community reacts to a situation no one could have predicted, and what happens when everyone only hears what they want to hear.
POTHOLE and DR. SOGOL'S MAGNIFICENT MALFUNCTIONING INTERGALACTIC COSMIC CAR WASH AND STAMPS will stream live back-to-back on June 5 beginning at 7 PM on YouTube Live.
Downloadable audio content from ISO/NATION PRESENTS will be released in installations on June 2, 5, 9, and 12 on isonationpresents.com.Touchstone's season is sponsored locally by season sponsor RCN. WDIY provides media sponsorship and Working Dog Press provides print sponsorship.Fresh Voices runs June 2-12, 2020. Listening/viewing is free, and donations are gratefully accepted at bit.ly/FreshVoices2020. Please note that the June 5 performances are created outside, and in event of inclement weather, they will be rescheduled to June 6 or 7. For more information on streaming, visit touchstone.org