Theater briefs: New play-reading project, Henson auction at Center for Puppetry Arts
PLAY-READING PROJECT LAUNCHES
A new artistic endeavor was announced last week: the Untethered Theatre Project, which will stage three play readings at Spalding Nix Fine Art as part of its launch.
Developed by actor-director-casting agent Clifton Guterman, ArtsATL executive director Patti Siegel and actors Jeff Hathcoat and Courtney Moors-Hornick, the project’s mission is “to create storytelling opportunities for actors not yet firmly established locally by matching them with dynamic scripts, smart directors and veteran castmates.”
- J.B. Priestley’s “An Inspector Calls,” the 1945 thriller about an English upper-crust family implicated in a woman’s death, will be the first reading May 16 at 7 p.m., directed by Amelia Fischer. Find more info at spaldingnixfineart.com.
- Guterman will direct the second reading, “A Great Wilderness” by Samuel D. Hunter, July 18. Set in the present day at a gay conversion camp for teens in Idaho, the play centers on the aging man who runs the camp as he prepares to retire.
- Cynthia D. Barker, who currently stars in “The Light” at Horizon Theatre, will direct the final reading, “Thirst” by C.A. Johnson, Sept. 19. Set in a war-torn future, it involves two women struggling to raise their son peacefully in isolated Southern woods. The wives are called to action against a local tyrant when a water supply does not arrive.
The selected plays focus on issues of class, race, privilege, sexuality and societal accountability. They promote human connection. The project founders say the urgency of these stories prompted their action in the wake of the pandemic.
GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH HENSONS
The Center for Puppetry Arts will host its second annual online fundraiser Call to Auction, May 3-5, and bidders will have the opportunity to win virtual and in-person conversations with members of Jim Henson’s family and other Muppet puppeteers. It is a silent auction featuring items at every price range to encourage widespread participation. Register at puppet.org.
Among the available items:
- A Zoom meet-and-greet with Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company and an executive producer of the new “Fraggle Rock” and “The Dark Crystal” streaming TV series.
- A Zoom meet-and-greet with Brian Henson, chairman of the board of The Jim Henson Company.
- An in-person tour of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in New York, conducted by Jim Henson Foundation president Cheryl Henson.
- A walking tour of New York landmarks significant to Jim Henson, conducted by Heather Henson, founder of IBEX Puppetry and a Jim Henson Company board member.
- A Zoom meet-and-greet with a Fraggle and a “Fraggle Rock” prize pack.
- Zoom conversations with puppeteers Dave Goelz, Fran Brill and puppet designer Bonnie Erickson.
MEET OUR PARTNER
ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
