COURTESY
SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – The Great River Theater Festival will return to its roots in Saxtons River for its second season with four shows, two workshops and several gatherings, including cookouts, over three weekends beginning June 28.
Main Street Arts will offer three performances of Peter Shaffer’s “Equus,” a psychological thriller that is now considered a modern classic. Shows are June 28, 29 and 30, and July 5, 6 and 7, all at 7:30 p.m. in the MSA theater, which has been reconfigured so the audience has a ringside seat.
The show is directed by David Stern and features a cast that includes Michael Duffin as psychiatrist Martin Dysart, Cassie Dunn as Jill, Libby McCawley as Hester and Liam Johnson as the tortured young boy who has blinded six horses with a metal spike.
The show is suitable for ages 15 and older.
Meanwhile, over at the Horowitz Performing Arts Hall at Vermont Academy, Shakespearean actor John Hadden will be directing A.R. Gurney’s “Scenes from American Life,” with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. The show will be performed the following weekend with the same schedule and location.
Cast members, each playing many roles, include Bronwyn Sims, Lionel Chute, Liz Guzynski, Joanne Fuller, Kate Udall, Grace Johnson, Marit Bjerkadal, Louise Connor, Ira Richardson and Alec Dandelions.
Back over at MSA, Jana Zeller and Kalob Martinez will offer a Sandglass Theater production of “Puppet Crimes” at 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The show consists of two pieces: “El Beto,” with Martinez behind the curtain, is a version of Macbeth set in modern times in the Mexican drug cartels. Zeller’s offering is “Kasper and Gretel,” who bicker and dream in the style of Punch and Judy.
The show is recommended for ages 12 and older.
Younger theater-goers will have a chance to experience Sandglass puppetry at two shows, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at MSA when Zeller presents “Kasper’s Adventures,” a family-friendly show originally conceived by Zeller’s mother, Ines Zeller Bass. Advance reservations are advised.
Adding to the mix of the festival are two workshops. Bronwyn Sims is leading a “Rhythm Space and Character” workshop, exploring the building blocks of theater through the LeCoq technique, at 1 p.m. Saturday. The fee is $20. Sandglass artists are offering a free “Tape Guy” puppetry workshop at noon Sunday.
Informal gatherings to meet the cast and directors will take place at 9 p.m.at the Saxtons River Inn after the performances Friday and Saturday, July 6 and 7. MSA will host cookouts on both Saturdays, at 6 p.m. July 7 and at 5:30 p.m. July 14. Hannah Hoffman will provide live music at the latter.
Tickets for adults are $20 each or $40 for a pass to all three. The morning puppet show is $20 for adults and $8 for children 12 and younger. Tickets can be purchased online at greatrivertheaterfestival.org/index.html. A complete schedule can also be found there.
For more information, contact MSA at (802) 869-2960, [email protected], or online at www.mainstreetarts.org.
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