R-ACT'S 2024 SEASON
Click on the show poster or show title to view the archive page for that show.
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WINTER SHOW 2024
March 14, 15, 16, 17 So, There's a Leprechaun Now? by Brian Knavish | directed by Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre When Hailey comes home from kindergarten and mentions that her teacher told the class there’s a magical Leprechaun who visits children every night leading up to St. Patrick’s Day – engaging in an elaborate series of pranks and antics along the way – her parents think it’s cute...until they realize they’re the ones who have to pull this shit off. When they reach out to Mrs. O’Leary for the details and learn she’s away on a cruise, an entire crew of parents is left scrambling, adlibbing and struggling to come up with a "Leprechaun narrative" that not only brings to life the St. Patrick’s Day fairytale that’s been thrust upon them, but also one that protects the Easter Bunny legend, the magic of Santa Claus and the innocence of childhood. |
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R-ACT Theatre Productions is thrilled to announce that our production of the world premiere of So, There's a Leprechaun Now? by Brian Knavish won Best Theater Production in Pittsburgh City Paper 2024 Best of PGH Reader's Poll. Thank you for voting!
Check out the issue to see all of the winners. R-ACT can be found on page 10: https://issuu.com/pghcitypaper/docs/issue_38_2024 So, There's a Leprechaun Now? performed six sold out shows at the Segriff Stage in Rochester, PA, March 14-17, 2024. Produced by R-ACT and directed by Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre, the cast included Sarah Leigh Orbin (Jess), Johnna Lefebvre (Hailey), Michael Phelps (Mike), Jenn Rian (Liz), Colleen Tracy (Tanya), and Ted Froats (Jack). Click the poster above to view the production page which includes show and rehearsal photos, online playbill, production information, and marketing materials. |
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SPRING SHOW 2024
May 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 Murder on the Mesa - An Original Murder Mystery written and directed by Larry Spinnenweber It is the 1880s, and cattleman Hank Trent is set to take over the town of Whiskey Flats in the Arizona Territory. Unfortunately for him, he is shot in the back with the gun belonging to Whiskey Flats' young, wholesome sheriff, Tom Cooper. Sheriff Tom has until high noon to discover who shot Hank Trent. Was it Sagebrush Sal, the tobacco-chewing, lady stagecoach driver? Or maybe it was Julius Mayfield, the gentleman gambler in the middle of a long losing streak? Could it have been Nate Dexter, cattle baron and rival to Hank Trent? Maybe it was Miss Julie, owner of the Cactus Flower Saloon? Or even Cherry Jubilee, one of Miss Julie's dance hall girls? It could even have been Tom's sweetheart, schoolmarm Maybelle MacGillacuddy. Can Tom discover the murderer before he ends up the guest of honor at a necktie party? |
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FALL SHOW 2024
October 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson | directed by Brooke Echnat The Revolutionists is a new play about four very real women who lived boldly in France during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe De Gouge, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, loose their heads and try to beat back the extremist insanity in the Paris of 1793. What was a hopeful revolution for the people is now sinking into hyper violent hypocritical male rhetoric. However will modern audiences relate. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world. |
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HOLIDAY RADIO SHOW 2024
December 5, 6, 7, 8 Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll | directed by Tim Piper Embark on a magical holiday tradition with our annual radio theater presentation, this year featuring Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, adapted for radio by William N. Robson for Columbia Workshop's 1937 production. Join Alice as she takes a whimsical journey through the fantastical realm of Wonderland where she encounters eccentric characters and discovers the ordinary rules of logic are delightfully overturned. In this radio play of Lewis Carroll's timeless tale, the magic of Wonderland and its playful characters unfolds through the artful use of sound, voice, and narrative. |
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2024 R-ACTors
In 2024, we welcomed 13 newcomers to our stage and saw the return of 9 familiar faces. Together our R-ACTors brought four distinct shows to life: So, There's a Leprechaun Now?, Murder on the Mesa, The Revolutionists, and Alice in Wonderland Holiday Radio Show. Pictured left to right: *Sarah Orbin (So, There's a Leprechaun Now?) Michael Phelps (So, There's a Leprechaun Now?) Jenn Rian (So, There's a Leprechaun Now?, The Revolutionists) Ted Froats (So, There's a Leprechaun Now?) *Johnna Lefebvre (So, There's a Leprechaun Now?, Murder on the Mesa) *Colleen Tracy (So, There's a Leprechaun Now?) *Tom Abbott (Murder on the Mesa, Alice in Wonderland Radio Show) *Nino DeGennaro (Murder on the Mesa) *David Holderbaum (Murder on the Mesa) Kevin McGuire (Murder on the Mesa) Christopher Nardizzi (Murder on the Mesa) Lynne O'Meara (Murder on the Mesa) *Joan Schwartz (Murder on the Mesa, Alice in Wonderland Radio Show) *Rhonny Dam (The Revolutionists) *Myriah Cross (The Revolutionists) *Sarah Baker (The Revolutionists) *Abby Shaw (Alice in Wonderland Radio Show) *Lisa Germ (Alice in Wonderland Radio Show) Amy Joseph (Alice in Wonderland Radio Show) Dave Joseph (Alice in Wonderland Radio Show) Eric J. McAnallen (Alice in Wonderland Radio Show) Not pictured: *Arie Patrick (Murder on the Mesa) *Denotes new R-ACTors. All other actors have performed with R-ACT prior to 2024. |
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We are heartbroken to have lost one of our dedicated actors this year. John Basinger was a cherished member of our theater community since 2018 and he is dearly missed.
Visit the archive pages of some of the shows John was in here at R-ACT: Beaver Bridges (2023) A Killing in Kilts (2023) Tap Dancing on the Radio (2022) - no archive page Murder at the Movies (2020) Murder and Merry Men (2019) The Book of Liz (2019) Knock 'em Dead (2019) Fractured Fairy Tales Vol. 2 (2018) |
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