It always feels kind of weird hearing about the next upcoming theatre season in March, but things are already starting to come into picture for the next season. Next Act Theatre just sent out details on its upcoming season.
Personally, I love the look of the show they’re opening first. I’m really excited about this one…
Up and coming playwright Mike Lew’s comedy Microcrisis looks fiercely clever. The tagline for the comedy on the playwright’s website reads like this: “Can a few coins set off the next financial crisis? You bet.” Wall Street Bankers use the Nobel Prize-winning concept of “Microcredit.” Things go wrong. It’s a comedy about the next big economic collapse. A savvy banker harnesses the power of good intention into a global lending scheme that has them all constantly trying to stay ahead of the game. Sounds like a sophisticated and topical comedy. Sounds like a lot of fun. Other productions of the show have run an hour and a half without intermission. My wife’s going to love this one—she works for a bank AND she loves short shows.
Come to think of it--that’s actually a really good market for this one—there are a lot of people in the financial services industry who might be interested in seeing a show. Giving them a show about their business could be a major draw if the show is marketed the right way. There’s no reason this show can’t completely sell-out with the right marketing. And its not just stuffy financial office comedy. I understand there’s racquetball. And dancing.
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Other shows in the early announcement include two different holiday shows—November 15th through December 9th, Next Act stages a production of It’s A Wonderful Life in the fashion of old-time radio. A live radio retelling of the classic story features music, commercials sound effects and suchlike.
Later-on, John McGivern brings Pat Hazell’s A Kodachrome Christmas to Next Act. The popular show that was staged at the Marcus Center’s Vogel Hall last year comes to Next Act’s new space on 255 South Water Street. He’ll also be back later on in the season for a reprisal of his role in The Mystery of Irma Vep—this time accompanied by Norman Moses (as opposed to Christopher Tarjan) in the dizzying quick-change comedy.
Also on the upcoming season, Next Act brings Stephen Massicotte’s The Clockmaker to the stage. January 31st – February 24th. This one sounds really interesting as well . . . shades of Kafka and Philip K. Dick in places . . . it’s the story of a clockmaker who befriends a woman who brings a cuckoo clock in to his shop to be repaired. The clockmaker is questioned by authorities about a crime he may or may not have committed or may or may not be about to commit. The narrative vidently slides around and gets a bit nonlinear. Existential romance with a solid emotional core as I understand it. Between Vep, the Clockmaker and Microcisis—it looks like a REALLY good season for Next Act.
