BETHLEHEM, PA - Touchstone Theatre presents the world-premiere of a third and final chapter in the Kitchen Chronicles, a multi-year story-gathering and performance project led by Mary Wright, to be performed February 10-20, 2022. Shows will take place in Touchstone's black box theatre.
Wright, an Ensemble Member at Touchstone, began work on the Kitchen Chronicles project in 2017, after a two-decades-long interest in stories from the heart of the home and the specific kinds of conversations we have in kitchens. Speaking to Lehigh Valley locals, as well as friends from around the world, she gathered stories of family favorite recipes, wisdom shared while washing dishes, discussions that happened around kitchen tables - and why this part of the house is so important to so many.
Wright shared her first iteration of the project in spring of 2019 as small, personalized, interactive performances in people's homes; audience members were encouraged to invite a few friends over for dinner, enjoy the performance, and make an evening of it. The piece grew and evolved into its next iteration for October 2019, where Kitchen Chronicles performed with music, puppetry, and fresh-baked food in the studio kitchen at PBS39, as part of Touchstone's Festival UnBound.
"As a storyteller, I've always been interested in the ways the little things in life aren't little at all," says Wright. "It's been a real honor to be invited into people's homes “ to have them sharing their stories with me and each other around a table. I'm thrilled to invite folks into my (theater) home this time around."
Now in its third iteration, Kitchen Chronicles comes to Touchstone's home stage. Wright is joined by her real-life daughter and equity actor Katie Willmorth as the two play mother and daughter onstage, in a play exploring family recipes, the meaning of legacy, the miracle of Cool Whip, and why, hungry or not, we always end up in the kitchen.
"When I began this process, I wanted to explore the role a kitchen plays in multiple generations of a family's life," Wright adds. "I didn't realize I'd be lucky enough to create it with an extremely talented writer and actor who just happens to actually be family. Life is imitating art which is imitating life."
Like most area theatres, Touchstone has set health and safety guidelines to help keep patrons and performers safe during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Precautions include reduced capacity, universal masking for everyone in the audience, and a requirement to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test from within 72 hours. All performers and company members are fully vaccinated. Patrons are encouraged to read up on the full details of Touchstone's COVID-19 policy at touchstone.org.
Touchstone's season is supported locally by season sponsor RCN. WDIY provides media sponsorship, and Working Dog Press provides print sponsorship.
Kitchen Chronicles performs February 10-20, 2022, with shows at 8pm on Thursdays-Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays. Tickets are $25, with $15 tickets for students/seniors and the option to Pay-What-You-Will at the door on Thursdays. Tickets are available at 610.867.1689 or online at touchstone.org