By Sophie Yalkezian
ALBANY — As red and golden leaves scatter our streets and scarves and sweaters reappear in our wardrobes, many upcoming productions are worth cozying up to. Whether you’re in the mood for a contemporary indie or a centuries-old classic, the stages (and streets) of the Capital Region have something for you in the coming months.
“Sympathetic Magic”
Nov. 9-19
Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, NY
This lesser-known work by the beloved playwright Lanford Wilson is getting a breath of new life from the Bridge Street team, who also put up Hannah Moscovitch’s “East of Berlin” earlier this year. In their words, the story follows “a young astrophysicist who makes a potentially world-changing discovery at the same time his long-term companion, a sculptor on the verge of a brilliant career, discovers that she is pregnant.” Knowing this theater’s penchant for bold choices and powerful themes, it’s sure to be a moving show. Get tickets here.
“Straight White Men”
Sunday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m.
Town Hall Theatre in Middlebury, Vermont
Brought to the stage by the Middlebury Acting Company and Director Becky Strum, “The Cutting Edge” is a series of off-broadway play readings that favors dynamic new playwrights from the New York City scene. This one comes from Young Jean Lee, and explores timely, subversive questions of identity and privilege through the Christmas gathering of a white father and his three adult sons. When this first ran at the Hayes Theater in 2018, it crowned Lee the first Asian-American woman to have a play produced on Broadway. Admission is free but donations are encouraged. Get tickets here.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Nov. 16-19
Fort Salem Theatre in Salem, New York
Fort Salem Theatre has a strong reputation for bringing old classics to dazzling new life on their stage, from their recent run of “The Pirates of Penzance” to this summer’s “Footloose.” Enjoy the enchanted forest setting and hilarious turns in their take on Shakespeare’s most popular and beloved comedy, “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Get tickets here.
“Albany Saints & Sinners: Full-Novel Marathon Public Reading of Ironweed”
Wednesday, Nov. 1
75 Livingston Ave. in Albany
This event is the first of its kind: A marathon public reading of the Pulitzer-winning “Ironweed” by famed Albany native William Kennedy. The novel draws on the author’s Depression-era upbringing in northern Albany and is sure to hit home for its audience. The reading takes place at the Albany Distilling Co. Bar and Bottle Shop before its final chapters are read on stage at the Capital Repertory Theatre (conveniently next door). Admission to the theater portion is a minimum $10 donation to the food bank of Kennedy’s former parish, Sacred Heart Church. Get tickets here.
Comments