At a festive gathering of sponsors and patrons Saturday, March 19, Theatre of Dare (TOD), community theater for the Outer Banks, unveiled five shows slated for its 32nd season, beginning in October.
“After a successful run of Arsenic and Old Lace at our new location, and with Next To Normal opening next month, we’re excited to be settling into our new home,” says Stuart Parks II, TOD President. “We’re confident our selections for next season will encourage folks to come out and get involved – or at the very least to come see the shows!”
The season begins with The Mousetrap, the world’s longest running play. This murder mystery by Dame Agatha Christie is a classic English manor whodunit that has captured audiences for seventy years. In her directorial debut, Stephanie Harkness-Moxley has been active with TOD for a number of years and is excited to be planning auditions toward the end of summer, looking for a cast of eight.
For the holidays, December brings the madcap comedy The Man Who Came To Dinner by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. Excited to host a famous radio personality at their home, the Sheridans are dismayed when their guest slips at their door and breaks his hip. Forced to tolerate his presence as he convalesces in the weeks leading up to Christmas, they watch their abode descend into chaos. Leah Cribb, who has long participated both onstage and off at TOD, will direct, and there are plenty of roles to be filled, with over twenty on-stage parts.
Tim Hass returns to the director’s seat in January with Lauren Gunderson’s dark revenge comedy Exit, Pursued By A Bear. Nan has decided to teach her abusive husband Kyle a lesson. With the help of her friend Simon and a stripper named Sweetheart, she tapes Kyle to a chair and forces him to watch as they reenact scenes from their painful past, planning to cover the room in meat and honey when they’re done so Kyle will be mauled by a bear. Casting includes roles for two men and two women.
The 32nd season musical will be Urinetown, directed by Gail Hutchison, long-time TOD veteran whose recent projects include Cabaret and You Can’t Take It With You. This oddly named satirical comedy, with music by Mark Hollmann and lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, tells the story of a city besieged by a terrible water shortage that has prompted the government to ban all private toilets, and the citizens must pay to use public facilities. Scheduled for March, the show requires around 20 singers and dancers.
Finally, in late April, Kelsey Thompson, a powerhouse on and off the TOD stage, will direct of The Wizard of Wonderland by Joseph Robinette. This delightful mash-up of The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland is filled with laughter and surprises at every turn, features approximately eleven performers, and is especially suited to entertain children of all ages.
Every show will need volunteers to get involved backstage as well, from building sets and running lights to gathering costumes and handing out playbills. To assist, call 252-715-1155, email info@theatreofdareobx.com, or fill out the volunteer form at www.theatreofdareobx.com/volunteer.
For more information on the 32nd season shows, visit the website at www.TheatreofDareOBX.com.