Productions coming in Theatre Conspiracy’s current season

Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance will celebrate its 25th consecutive season with these shows:

Repossessed (A World Premiere Play) by Greg Lam; directed by Steve Hooper

What would happen to our world if anyone could choose to remix and rewrite their memories and personalities? Rich and Gretchen seem to have the ideal marriage, until they learn that it was manufactured by a mysterious biotech company which installed it into their brains. Because they can no longer afford this service, the company must repossess their improvements. Repossessed explores questions of identity, morality, and authenticity amidst a world of rapidly changing technology and the ethics that come with it. The play won the annual Janet and Bruce Bunch New Play Contest Award presented by Theatre Conspiracy. Performances are August 16-18 and 23-25 at 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on August 19 and 26. The August 26 date is an Audio Descriptor Performance. There will be a talk-back with playwright Greg Lam following the August 18 show.

Murderers – A Killer Comedy by Jeffrey Hatcher; directed by June Koc

Gerald, Lucy and Minka look like everyday people, and each relates to us as they would to a trusted friend. But they have one dark secret in common: they’re murderers! Homicide has never been so hilarious as in this quirky whodunit show! Except you know whodunit; the fun is finding out how they dunit and why. Set in Riddle Key Retirement Center in Riddle, Florida, these three unlikely killers justify their crimes in the most outrageous ways. Performances are September 27-29 and October 4-6 at 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on September 30 and October 7. The October 7 date is an Audio Descriptor Performance.

20th Annual New Play Contest

This annual event features readings from the top three of more than 500 entries received from all over the world. After the last play is read, the audience votes for and determines the winner, which will be produced and performed during the 2019-2020 season. Now in its 20th year, the New Play Contest provides an opportunity for audiences to get involved with the production process itself rather than just the end result. Held on November 3, the evening begins with hors d’oeuvres, wine and other beverages at 7:00 p.m., followed by the readings at 8:00 p.m.

The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance; directed by Rick Sebastian

The Elephant Man is based on the life of John Merrick who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man – victim of rare skin and bone diseases – he becomes the star freak attraction in traveling sideshows. Found abandoned and helpless, he is admitted to London’s prestigious Whitechapel Hospital. Under the care of celebrated young physician Frederick Treves, Merrick is introduced to London society and slowly evolves from an object of pity to an urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati, only to be denied his ultimate dream – to become a man like any other. Performances are November 8-10 and 15-17 at 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on November 11 and 18. The November 18 date is an Audio Descriptor Show. There will be a talk-back following the November 18 performance. The Elephant Man is sponsored by Noreen Raney.

The Agitators by Mat Smart; directed by Bill Taylor

The Agitators is inspired by the enduring but tempestuous four-decade-long friendship between Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. As they grew to become the cultural icons we know today, their movements collided and their friendship was severely tested. This series of powerful vignettes tells their story, from their meeting in Rochester, through the Civil War and to the highest halls of government. They agitated the nation, they agitated each other and, in doing so, they helped shape the Constitution and the course of American history. Performances are January 17-19 and 24-26 at 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on January 20 and 27. The January 27 date is an Audio Descriptor Show, which will also be followed by a talk-back. This show is sponsored by Janet and Bruce Bunch.

Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood by Adam Szymkowicz; directed by Rachael Endrizzi

A gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing and hilarious new take on the classic tale. Robin Hood is and has always been Maid Marian in disguise. Robin/Marian leads a motley group of Merry Men (many of whom are not men) against the greedy Prince John. As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin? Modern concerns and romantic entanglements clash on the battlefield and on the ramparts of Nottingham Castle in this play about selfishness, selflessness, and the cost of revealing your true self in a time of trouble. Performances will be February 7-9 and 14-16 at 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on February 10 and 17. The February 17 date is an Audio Descriptor Show, which will also be followed by a talk-Back. This production is sponsored by Susan Ion Hogan, DDS.

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson; directed by Sonya McCarter

Set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1911, owners Seth and Bertha Holly play host to a makeshift family of people who come to stay – some for days, some longer – seeking new jobs, new lives and new beginnings. This eccentric group of wanderers includes proprietors, an eccentric clairvoyant with a penchant for old country voodoo, a young homeboy from the South and a mysterious stranger searching for his wife. Each denizen of the boarding house has a different relationship to a past of slavery as well as to the urban present. Performances are March 1-2, 7-9 and 14-16 at 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 matinees on March 10 and 17. The March 17 date is an Audio Descriptor Show, which will also be followed by a talk-back. This production is also sponsored by Noreen Raney.

Rancho Mirage by Steven Dietz; directed by Anne Dodd

Acclaimed playwright Steven Dietz’ comedy looks at affluent suburban couples whose truths finally catch up with them. At an ill-fated dinner party, these long-time friends are awakened to the secrets of their past with hilarious and farcical results. Written by one of America’s most widely produced playwrights, this comedy asks what remains between us when youth and dreams have faded and the last bottle of wine is gone? Performances are May 9-11 and 16-18 at 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on May 12 and 19. The latter date is an Audio Descriptor Show. Rancho Mirage is sponsored by: Stephen Hooper & Ellen Poage.

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the box office at 239-939-2787, visit 10091 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers, FL or go online at www.ArtInLee.org/Theatre.

Posted August 1, 2018.