Shadows and Seances... This October at Actors' Theatre

What lurks in the shadows...? Can a play scare you...?

These burning questions will be answered next month by our First Friday event and our fall production!

Shadow Magic

We're excited to be bringing more of the performing arts to the First Friday Art Tours downtown. Our second-ever First Friday event on October 6 will feature the entrancing work of guest artist Adelina Skalandyte, an actress with "Budrugana Lithuania," specializing in hand shadow theater. Come witness how ordinary hands can transform into enchanting characters and stories, as Adelina unveils the secrets of this unique art form that has entranced audiences for generations.

A brief hand shadow show will be followed by a workshop where you can literally roll up your sleeves and be amazed at the charming creatures your hands can create. The whole family is invited to join in the fun, with the promise that, after this workshop, your hands will never be empty again. There will be three separate show/workshop sessions 6, 7 and 8 pm. Visit the First Friday website to learn more.

Crossing Over to "the Thin Place"

Then, opening on Friday the 13th, it's our fall production and first-ever Halloween show! Miguel Reyna directs The Thin Place by Lucas Hnath, one of today's most innovative and exciting playwrights. As a charismatic medium helps a young woman grappling with loss seek answers that lie between our world and the next, the audience becomes part of the spooky and intimate séance, where the mind creates a different kind of shadows, and nothing is exactly what it seems to be. The Thin Place will play Thursdays through Sundays from October 13 through October 29, with a special closing performance on Halloween night. Bring a friend--you'll want a hand to hold. Thursday performances are two for one. Get tickets here.

A Conversation with Thin Place Director Miguel Reyna

AT: So, Miguel, why did you want to direct this play for Actors' Theatre?

Miguel R: I wanted to direct this play by Lucas Hnath because it is a simple yet unconventional piece of theater. It's a play that can challenge the audience to think about what is real and what is an illusion. It asks us to examine our beliefs about whether there is something beyond this life that we know. Simply put, it’s chilling, well-crafted storytelling. It's an intimate play that asks for an intimate setting, and Actors Theater is the perfect venue for this type of performance.

AT: You've directed some interesting, quirky and downright scary productions in the past, such as "The Humans" last spring at Mountain Community Theater. What draws you to horror as a genre?

Miguel R: I love horror because horror is a device that examines and exposes the limits of the human condition. Horror is the boldest form of storytelling; it takes risks. One can expect to experience drama, romance, humor, social commentary, and allegorical representation of important topics. It’s an adrenaline rush. Horror shakes the viewer out of their current state and whatever they may be feeling at the time and helps them forget. For many, like myself, it can be an unorthodox release. But the biggest reason is that, if done correctly, horror can be thrilling, fun, and profound. For the theater stage, the genre is a rare gem that rarely gets any time in the limelight, As a director who loves horror, I want to find those gems and make sure they are seen.

Watch our Thin Place video promo below....