Culture
ABC Players Announce 2013-2014 Season
< < Back toMystery, family fun, and classic British comedy are on the playbill for the Athenian Berean Community Players' 2013/2014 season.
Death by Chocolate, directed by Cecilia Rinaldi and sponsored by the Hocking Valley Bank, will run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, 2013.
In this dark (chocolate) whodunit, Coco Purvis offers a tantalizing case to Nick Noir, private eye. Coco and her sister, Bonbon, run Precious Perks Coffee Shoppe, known for its signature drink: Death by Chocolate. Unfortunately, Vinnie the Leech died while drinking it last month and this has negatively impacted business. After a second death under similar circumstances, Nick's former secretary, Selma, plays a psychic who, with the help of her ever-present Blackberry, helps Nick solve the crime and earn enough to afford an office—and rehire Selma.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, directed by Jodi MacNeal and sponsored by the Ohio University Credit Union, will open the holiday season Dec. 5–7, 2013. When the bullying, cigar-smoking Herdman kids find out that church is followed by free refreshments, they show up in force, just in time to learn about auditions for the upcoming Christmas Pageant. The Herdmans take key parts in the Pageant and collide with the Christmas story head on; the result will either be the most disastrous Christmas Pageant ever… or the best!
To combat the winter blahs, ABC Players will offer The Princess and the Goblins, directed by Celeste Parsons and sponsored by Blackburn Home Furnishings, March 13–16, 2014. In this adaptation of a classic Victorian children's story, a peaceful kingdom is menaced by an army of monstrous goblins. Armed only with the gift of rhyme, the miracle of love, and a magical shimmering thread, young Princess Irene joins forces with a resourceful young miner, Curdie, to battle the plans of the wicked goblins.
Finally, veteran director Norman Cohn will present The Importance of Being Earnest, sponsored by the Rocky Outdoor Gear Store, May 8–11, 2014. Two friends, Jack and Algernon, use the same pseudonym (“Ernest”) for their on-the-sly activities. Jack loves Gwendolyn, Algernon's cousin; Algernon loves Cecily, Jack's ward. Both ladies think they are engaged to a man named “Ernest.” The play offers many laughs before all of the complications are finally sorted out.
Theater-goers can lock in their favorite seats now by purchasing season tickets during August and September. A season ticket sells for $30, providing four shows for the price of three, as well as a considerable savings in service fees over individual ticket purchases. Season tickets are available from the Stuart's Opera House box office in Nelsonville, where all shows will be performed, by calling 740-753-1924 or by visiting www.stuartsoperahouse.org.
The ABC Players have been working theater magic in Athens County for 40 years with all-volunteer casts and crews. Their website, www.abcplayers.org, provides pictures and more information about past and upcoming shows and events.