Bethlehem, PA - Touchstone Theatre premieres its new work Bhudoo, an original musical fable, with ten performances between March 31 and May 1, 2016 at various venues throughout the Lehigh Valley. Bhudoo, directed by Touchstone artistic director Jp Jordan, features original songs written by Jordan and Touchstone ensemble associate and Bhudoo playwright Christopher Shorr.
The Touchstone acting ensemble – Bill George, Emma Chong, and Mary Wright – performs the 80-minute one-act comedy.
The story of Bhudoo (pronounced BOO-doo) follows three wizards in a dire competition for the position of Royal Grand Vizier.
Loosely mirroring the country's current election-year politics, the audience witnesses the top contenders at the annual Bhudoo Games exemplifying their own unwavering ideologies and pitting themselves against one another in a gladiatorial battle of sorcery and public opinion.
While live theatre performances are by their very nature subject to minor changes show-to-show, no two performances of Bhudoo will be exactly alike because audience input will alter the course of the plot.
"Following in the tradition of Touchstone's past work, this will indeed be a unique experience," says director and co-writer Jp Jordan, "as the audience will vote and actually affect the action of the play."
Additionally, rather than staging the show for Touchstone's home black box theatre, Jordan conceived of it performing in the round, i.e. with audience members seated on every side of the action.
To accommodate this vision, the play will perform at multiple venues including the Charles A. Brown Ice House, Moravian College's Arena Theatre, and two outdoor spaces.
This summer, Bhudoo's travels continue overseas to Budapest, Hungary and Fara Sabina, Italy performing at sister ensemble theatre companies Maladype Theatre and Teatro Potlach respectively.
Touchstone's 35th anniversary season is sponsored by First Generation, an integrated marketing communications company, and RCN. WDIY provides media sponsorship, and Working Dog Press provides print sponsorship.
Bhudoo performs March 31-April 3 at the Charles A. Brown Ice House (Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2p); April 14-17 at Moravian College's Arena Theatre (Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2p); April 30 outside of Advent Moravian Church (Saturday at 2pm); and May 1 outside in Saucon Park (Sunday at 2pm). Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students and seniors, with group rates available on request. Thursdays Touchstone offers a pay-what-you-will ticket option at the door, allowing walk up patrons to name their own ticket price. Advance tickets may be purchased at 610.867.1689 or online at www.touchstone.org