Share/Bookmark

Christmas comes but once a year with good reason, as Alan Ayckbourn’s dark comedy, “Season’s Greetings,” put on by The Wellesley Summer Theatre Company, reminds us.

Everything about the setting and circumstances seems typically English — relatives are gathered to celebrate Christmas. There is a well-stocked home bar and a nearby pub, which, under ordinary circumstances, should be enough to bubble everybody along through three days of closeness.  The Christmas tree, given pride of place, of course, towers over wrapped gifts of the noisy variety.

The adults claim to have given themselves over to the idea that Christmas is for children, after all, so what’s a bit of clamor and a few toy guns thrown in for good measure?  The audience is given to understand that there are plenty of children around, but we never see them.  Or not the chronologically aged ones, anyway.  The actual appearance of any children, and their accompanying antics would tip the play into full-out chaos.  Since the adults in this holiday fiasco hog up all the childish behavior for themselves, there is no need to completely exhaust the audience with the spectre of real children.

As the play moves along, each of the nine adults reveals their inner child, and a spoiled child it is.  Belinda, the lady of the house played by Ashley Gramolini, mood swings between martrydom and VERY warmly welcoming her sister’s love interest to her home. As Belinda’s determination grows to seduce (attack?) Clive, played by Dan Roach, she lets nothing stand in her way, not even her sister, who is, literally, standing in her way.  Clive may as well be a swing at the playground that Belinda is determined to have, and her sister, played by Christine Hamel, a not-very formidable obstacle.

Bernard, played by Derek Stone Nelson, effectively takes the play to its emotionally darkest place, even as the room itself is at its brightest and most cheerful.  As he becomes more bungling and short-tempered during dress rehearsal for a puppet show, his yearly contribution to seasonal jolliness,  he turns on his allies with contempt he should reserve for his foes.  Finally, all are either against him, disgusted by his behavior, or sobbing.

As the family members interfere with and tear each other’s projects apart, be they wrapped presents or dinner preparations, the audience would not be surprised if, when the Boxing Day scene came around, things suddenly got  very literal and the set was actually transformed into a ring.  The action goes futher than that, however, and Clive, dressed in grey in the early scenes, and looking perhaps a bit like the big bad wolfe in Bernard’s puppet show, may end up the scapegoat in family lore for this Christmas that won’t soon be forgotten.

Director:  Shelley Bolman
Designers: Ken Loewit (lighting design)
David Towlun (scenic design)
George Cooke (sound design)
Nora Hussey (directing consultant)

Ticket prices are $20 general admission and $10 for seniors and students

The play runs until Jan. 29 on Thursdays-Sundays at the Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre at Wellesley College

Share/Bookmark

“It’s Christmas in suburban London, and things couldn’t be going less well for Belinda and Neville and their disfunctional relatives. This black comedy features furtive trysts under the tree, a horrifying puppet show and a few madcap mistaken assumptions. Join us for the holiday festivities as we laugh at the darker side of family life. ”

by Alan Ayckbourn
January 5-29, 2012
Thu. at 7pm, Fri at 8pm,
Sat. at 3pm and 8pm,
Sun. at 3pm
Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre

Tickets:
$20 general admission
$10 for seniors, students, and members of the Wellesley College community
Wellesley Summer Theatre box office: 781.283.2000

Share/Bookmark

Look for Wellesley actors, including Mary and Megan Kaye, a slew of Perry family members, plus WHS Drama teacher Stephen Wrobleski, appearing in the upcoming production of The Music Man by The Weston Friendly Society.

Performances are as follows:
Saturday, November 26th at 2:00 & 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 27th at 2:00 PM
Friday, December 2nd at 7:30 PM
Saturday, December 3rd at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM

You can purchase your tickets ONLINE HERE

Share/Bookmark

From Wellesley College Theatre:

This three-generation drama about an inescapable ethnic legacy tells the story of an American college student choosing to visit Armenia after the death of her grandfather, heeding his call to seek out her ancestral history. Join us as we dance, sing, eat, make music, cry, laugh, scream, and support each other in this empowering tale of ethnic identity.

Performance Dates: Thurs. November 10 @ 7pm; Friday November 11 @ 8 pm; Sat. Matinee Nov. 12 @ 2pm; Saturday November 12 @ 8 pm; Sun. Matinee Nov. 13 @ 2pm

In the Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre of Alumnae Hall, Wellesley College

Ticket Prices are $10 general admission and $5 for Senior Citizens and Students; Free to the Wellesley College Community w/ID; Free to students with Wellesley, Babson, or Olin ID; To make a reservation: Box Office at (781)-283-2000; The theatre is handicap accessible. For disability services contact Jim Wice @ 781-283-2434

Share/Bookmark

Actors from the London Stage will perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7pm at Wellesley College’s Alumnae Hall. The performances are free and open to the public. Wellesley College describes The Tempest as conjuring up “a world of innocent lovers, bawdy buffoons, mystical beings and a spectacular storm that transforms everyone in its path.”

You know, sort of like a WHS night football game crowd.

The actors are in residency at the college this week, also conducting workshops for students.

Free parking is available for the performances at the Davis Parking Facility. Directions and a map of the College are online at www.wellesley.edu/Admin/travel.html. Wheelchair accessible. For disability services contact Jim Wice at 781-283-2434 or jwice@wellesley.edu.

Share/Bookmark

Tickets have gone on sale for the Performing Arts Showcase taking place the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Wellesley High School as part of the Turn Out the Lights festivities celebrating the end of the old school.

A star-studded line-up of Wellesley High graduates has been assembled, with new performers being added seemingly daily. It will be hosted by Hollywood film writer Tim Dowling (WHS ’92) and actor Adam Harrington (WHS ’96), and performers will include opera singer Joanna Mongiardo, poet Nazaleem Cecile Smith (WHS ’70), singer Sarah Blacker (WHS ’2001), hip hop artist Cam Meekins (WHS ’11) and more.

Share/Bookmark

Little Women The Musical
Arsenal Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre 321 Arsenal St. Watertown, MA 02472. 781.237.8114
http://www.wellesleyplayers.org.  MBTA: 70/70A bus to School Street. Oct 7 – 8 @ 8pm; Oct 9 @ 2 & 7pm; Oct 14 @ 8pm; Oct 15 @ 2 & 8 pm; Oct 16 @ 2pm.  Tickets $25 General Admission – $22 students, youth, & seniors.

Little Women, the Broadway musical based on the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel, is brought to life on stage by the Wellesley Players. A powerful score accompanies the enchanting story of the four March sisters — brassy tomboy and aspiring writer Jo, romantic Meg, pretentious Amy, and kind-hearted Beth — and their experiences while the men are away fighting the Civil War. Helmed by Celia Couture, acclaimed director of recent Wellesley Players productions Fiddler on the Roof and Steel Magnolias, Little Women will warm audience hearts as the March sisters endure without their father, a chaplain in the Union army during the Civil War.

Share/Bookmark

The story takes place in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. According to Wellesley Summer Theatre Co.: “First performed in a hit off-off-Broadway production, and now a film starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony La Paglia, The Guys is a timeless drama about the surprising truths people can discover in ordinary lives, and the connections we make with others and ourselves in times of tragedy.”

Performances held in the Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre of Alumnae Hall on Saturday Sept. 10 @7pm & Sunday Sept. 11 @7pm. Admission is pay what you can; Reservations: 781-283-2000

Share/Bookmark

What’s more, the Wellesley Players will only be performing 1 of the 3 productions in Wellesley.

“We are no longer able to afford the Sorenson Center for all three of our productions,” says Celia Couture, who is directing the first production of the season, Little Women, The Musical.  “We would lose thousands of dollars as production costs and rental would not be covered by our fund-raising efforts or ticket prices…  It’s unfortunate, as we have enjoyed working in the space for many years.  This situation and an increase in price in renting our rehearsal space has caused us to look for other suitable venues while still trying to be close enough to our Wellesley patrons.”

The Wellesley Players will open their 2011-2012 season in October with Little Women, the Musical,  based upon the Louisa May Alcott novel. This production will be the Players’ first at the black box theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown. Audition Dates: June 28, 29 at 7P.M. and call back, if necessary on June 30 at 7:30 P.M.

Next up, in January, and also being performed  in Watertown, is The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife by Charles Busch.

Wrapping up the season in March is the family favorite musical Oliver! It will be performed at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at Babson College.

If you have any interest in volunteering, contact the producers for the show:

Little Women – Diane Rothauser; dlr415@gmail.com

The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife – David Kimmelman and Wil Breden: dKimmelman@avenue100.com and wrbreden@aol.com

Oliver! – Roz Seipel : rseipel@comcast.net

Share/Bookmark