Have you ever thought you would like to hear a reading of a play you knew at school, or perhaps saw advertised somewhere and always wanted to know what it was about?
Bay Theatre Players’ monthly play reading evenings are just the place for you!
BTP members and friends always enjoy their play reading evenings and everyone is welcome.
The readings are held, more than anything, to provide a fun evening for theatre lovers, but also to assess scripts for future use on the Playhouse stage.
A good example was last week’s reading, the first for 2017, of Harvey by Mary Chase.
This Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy is the story of a perfect gentleman, Elwood P. Dowd, and his best friend, Harvey - a pooka, who is a six-foot tall, invisible rabbit.
When Elwood begins introducing Harvey around town, his embarrassed sister Veta and her daughter, decide to commit Elwood to a sanatorium.
A mistake is made, however, and Veta is committed rather than Elwood!
The play was adapted for the 1950 film of the same name starring James Stewart and Josephine Hull.
Play readings are usually held on the third Tuesday of every month at the Playhouse in Gregory Street at 7pm.
Play reading co-ordinator, Tay Mugridge, is always on the lookout for new scripts.
She said of last week’s reading, “Wow! What a fantastic start to 2017. Thank you to all who came. Harvey was well received by our readers and a fun night was had by all”.
Please contact Tay on 0419 127 679 with any play reading suggestions.
She says that next month’s reading will be what has been described as “a most controversial play”, “a poetic masterpiece” and “the most significant English language play of the 20th century”.
So, please keep an eye on the BTP facebook page and future “Curtain Up” stories to learn more!
Remember, you don’t have to take part in the reading (although everyone is welcome to do so). You can just sit back and listen and enjoy the delicious cakes always provided.
Meantime, rehearsals are under way for Bay Theatre Players’ first production of 2017, Blithe Spirit.
The play, by Noel Coward is set in late 1930s England and takes us into the home of novelist Charles Condomine who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance.
The scheme backfires when he is haunted by the ghost of his annoying and temperamental first wife, Elvira, after the séance.
