Next Fall: A Staged Reading at Dramashop

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Saturday, Dec. 12

Think of a staged reading as an audio book where you can see the actors' expressions. It's also a theater experience, which is to say that as an audience member, you are a participant in the drama rather than a passive consumer of the words. The ambiance of the Renaissance Centre theatre, located in the tallest building in Erie, with its jazz age murals and intimate seating arrangement, makes the experience of live theater even more satisfying. Dramashop's Staged Reading Series brings a play's words from the page to the stage, with no blocking or sets and

minimal cost. Scripts in hand provide a unique opportunity to focus on the author's written words spoken aloud.

Director David Baltusavich has assembled a cast of newbies and old pros to present Next Fall, a Tony Award-nominated drama about an unconventional love affair and how people come together in the face of loss and tragedy. Luke (read by Nicholas Emmanuele) is a godly man in a relationship with Adam (read by JR Fabin) who is an atheist. Next Fall paints a portrait of modern romance, asking hard questions about commitment, love, and faith. — Bryan Toy

8 p.m. // Dramashop, 1001 State St., Second Floor // dramashop.org