Arts & Entertainment
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A Spoof on the Ex-Gay Movement
Vermont Stage Company Presents "New" Shakespeare Play
Timely Play Addresses Racism, Homophobia, and Society's Endorsement of Violence
Queer Classics:
"My Sister's Hand in Mine:
The Collected Works of Jane Bowles"
The Oldcastle Theatre Company Presents...
Civil Union
The Oldcastle Theatre Company Presents ... Civil Union
The Oldcastle Theatre Company begins its spring season in Bennington on May 25 with Civil Union. Nine actors will play 32 characters whose lives are affected by the controversy over the legislature’s decision to legalize Civil Unions. The cast includes such Oldcastle veterans as Willy Jones and Daryl Kenney, and Broadway veterans Pamela Blair and Richard Council.
Civil Union – Producing Artistic Director Eric Peterson’s project for the past 18 months – focuses on a gay couple, a lesbian couple, a young newspaper reporter and his girlfriend who are considering marriage, and a minister and his wife as they struggle to understand how homosexuality and God relate. It deals with Vermont residents from all sides of the community – natives, flatlanders, the white and blue collared. As Peterson says, “I know these people. They are my neighbors, friends, family. I’ve spoken about the issue with many, many people. I’ve collected [their] thoughts, feelings, opinions, fears, hopes, dreams and frustrations and put them in the play. Some of the characters share my views, others don’t.”
Civil Union will allow audience members to revisit the dialogues between community members and the honest controversy over a major cultural change as they witness a highly political and emotion-driven play. Peterson explains his need to write the play: “My wife and I were struck with the options we have as a heterosexual couple. We can live together or not. Get married or not. Gay and lesbian couples didn’t have as many options. That affects the entire community.”
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After its May 25 opening at the Bennington
Center for the Arts, it will run through
Sunday, June 10.
Performances are held
Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8 pm,
Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm
and Sunday at 3 pm.
The performance on Sunday, June 3, will be followed
by a question-and-answer session with
the cast and the playwright.
Tickets are $24 to $29, with
a student rate of $10.
Group rates are available.
For reservations or more information please call
the box office at 802-447-0564.