Archive: Arts & Entertainment

Kitchen Theatre Company announced Wednesday its 2015-2016 Season, with seven plays running September through May. They are also celebrating a big milestone - their 25th Anniversary Season and the sixth in their beautifully renovated, LEED-certified home at 417 W. State/MLK, Jr. St. in downtown Ithaca, NY.

Led by Artistic Director Rachel Lampert and Managing Director Stephen Nunley, Kitchen Theatre Company is Central New York's Off-Broadway theater, a small professional Equity company producing new and modern plays. 'Important conversations happen in the Kitchen' is the motto that has defined the work of this company for over two decades and motivated the play choices in this silver anniversary season.

Opening the 2015-16 season is a play that The New York Times called "irresistible, delicious and wickedly funny" - Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins. Alex, an out-of-work LA-based actor, finally gets a job - as a one-man shopping mall manager in Barbra Streisand's basement! And when Barbra descends those spiral stairs... A hilarious one-man show about celebrity and staying true to yourself. Previews are September 6, 8, and 9, opening night is September 10, and the play runs through September 27. Ages 14+

Next in the season is The Mountaintop by Katori Hall, which looks at one of modern history's most revered figures, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This 2009 Olivier-award winner for Best New Play brings Dr. King to life on his last night on Earth. A powerful surrealistic fantasy, the play imagines a conversation between King and a mysterious hotel maid who brings him a cup of coffee - and prompts him to confront his life, his past, his legacy, and our national story. Previews are October 11, 13, and 14, opening night is October 15, and the play runs through October 25. Ages 14+

The playful yet moving play I and You by Lauren Gunderson brings classmates Caroline, who has been homebound due to illness, and Anthony, the high school basketball star, together as they work on an English assignment about Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. As they let down their guards and share secrets, the seemingly mundane school project unlocks a much deeper mystery about what has brought them together. I and You is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness. Previews are November 8, 10, and 11, opening night is November 12, and the play runs through November 22. Ages 14+

To celebrate Kitchen Theatre Company's monumental 25th Anniversary, they are bringing back the popular 2001 play, The Soup Comes Last by Artistic Director Rachel Lampert. It is a delightful memoir of Lampert's 1997 trip to China to stage the first-ever production of West Side Story in the People's Republic. Miscommunications, awkward translations and cultural missteps beg the question, "Will the show go on?" A one-woman play about clashing and collaborating. Previews are November 29, December 1, and 2, opening night is December 3, and the play runs through December 13. 14+

Relive the magic of childhood adventures with Peter and the Starcatcher by Rick Elice, winner of five 2012 Tony Awards. It is Peter Pan like you've never seen it before! The prequel to the story of Peter and the Lost Boys is freely imagined in this magical, musical adventure story that final reveals how Peter came to Neverland and why he's never left the land of pixie dust, crocodiles, and pirates. An epic story told by a company of twelve actors playing over one hundred unforgettable characters! Previews are January 31, February 2, and 3, opening night is February 4, and the play runs through February 21. Ages 10+

The season continues with the funny and poignant Dancing Lessons by Mark St. Germain. After an unfortunate encounter with a NYC taxi, Broadway dancer Senga's career is sidelined. Her downstairs neighbor, Ever, a brilliant scientist, is in need of dancing lessons. Sounds like a good match. The only caveat - he has Asperger's, and a no-touch policy. Dancing Lessons is an honest, compelling, and wonderfully complicated story about understanding ourselves and others. Previews are March 13, 15, and 16, opening night is March 17, and the play runs through April 3. Ages 14+

Closing out the celebratory season is Heidi Schreck's Grand Concourse. Shelly, a nun who runs a Bronx soup kitchen, is struggling with her faith when Emma arrives on the scene. A reckless young drop-out with rainbow hair and a shocking secret, Emma shakes things up in ways that no one could predict. Grand Concourse is an astute examination of forgiveness, faith, and what makes a "good person." Previews are May 1, 3, and 4, opening night is May 5, and the play runs through May 22. Ages 14+

This season's directors are NYC-based directors Margarett Perry, Nicole A. Watson, and Sara Lampert Hoover; KTC Artistic Director, Rachel Lampert; and KTC Artistic Associate Emily Jackson.  The company of actors includes professionals from NYC and Ithaca who are in residence for 5 to 7 weeks over the course of the season.

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