A full production of classic Christmas stories and songs to celebrate the holiday season, a Christmas Celebration was conceived and directed by Presby Players and ART artistic director Jeffrey Stocker

Performes will be at the newly renovated Marsh Hall at the First Presbyterian Church on Sussex Street in downtown Port Jervis Friday December 18th at 7:30pm, Saturday December 19th at 3pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday December 20th at 3pm.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door .The highlight of the production will include a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” performed by members of ART and the Presby Players. For information and ticket reservations call 845-856-1231.

“650 participating theatre companies offered more than 65,000 tickets to 1,700 performances”

Why?  To energize future audiences.  TCG believes if you want to grow theater in your area, you need to show people why theater is worth going to.  And the only way to do that is to give them a test drive.  And their results?

• 77% of those attending Free Night have gone to a theatre since the program, including 33% of those who only attend the theatre infrequently (two or fewer times or less). Further, 34% say they go to the theater more now than before the program and 86% of them attribute additional attendance to the Free Night program
• According to the online survey of the 2008 Free Night patrons, required when they made their ticket reservation, the program continues to attract a significant number of people who fall into non-traditional theatre participant categories, including infrequent theatregoers, young people, less educated, non-white and those with lower household incomes.
• Of those trying a new theatre during Free Night 2008, 33% returned to that theatre and purchased tickets, including 2% who purchased a subscription, showing the benefit of the program to the participating theatres

” In past years, over 3/4 of the people who participate have never been to the host theater before. And almost half of them come back and pay full price. Teresa Eyring says a substantial number are young, ethnically diverse, and don’t have a lot of disposable income. ‘What we’ve been able to determine is we’re reaching a new audience that does not meet the traditional profile of theatre-goer.’ “  – from “Free Theater Night Brings New Audiences“, a report by Jeff Lunden on NPR Weekend Edition Saturday

Convincing enough?

If you run a theater, large or small, we emplore you to join this event.  We know the actual date is months away (in October most likely, the actual date hasn’t been mentioned at the time of writing this) but if you want to be a part of this, you need to act now.  This isn’t ad hoc.  If you want to be an official part of the program and the marketing muscle it is creating, you must contact Robert Zuckerman of NYSCA who is acting as the statewide representative.

If you would like to discuss other ways to increase your audience and grow a diverse theater culture in Orange County, contact us as well.  We’d love to talk with you.

Warwick Community Center
11 Hamilton Ave
Warwick, NY

For more information and to purchase tickets, cal the Lakes Theater Collective at 845.595.1172

November 13 and 14 at 8:00 PM
November 15 at 5:00 PM

Doors 1 hour before show
$18/15 for students and seniors
(845)-569-8593 for tickets

Click for Poster

The Search for the Rivermonster

Friday, November 13th. Show starts 8pm.

All-new stand-alone radio play performed live at the Royal Pavilion Theatre at the Lycian Centre in Sugar Loaf, NY by the Air Pirates Radio Theater, voted BEST Local Troupe 2007 by the Times Herald-Record Readers Poll. This special show will be recorded live for airing.

LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR
by Neil Simon

October 16-17, 23-24 at 8:00 p
Sunday Matinee Oct 18 at 5:00 pm
doors 1 hour before show
$18 admission, $15 with student ID

From Wikipedia: Inspired by Simon’s early career experience as a junior jokesmith (along with his brother Danny, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, and Carl Reiner) for Your Show of Shows, the play focuses on Sid Caesar/Jackie Gleason-like Max Prince, the star of a weekly comedy-variety show circa 1953, and his staff, including Simon’s alter-ego Lucas Brickman, who maintains a running commentary on the writing, fighting, and wacky antics which take place in the writers’ room. At the plot’s core is Max’s ongoing battles with NBC executives who fear his humor is too sophisticated for Middle America.

On August 8 The Air Pirates Radio Theater, the only theater of its kind, continues its 2009 season with the fourth in its series Los Tres Balceneros. A unique mixture of live contemporary interactive theater and old time radio drama the company is once again presenting live radio plays at the Lycian Centre in Sugar Loaf, NY. The Air Pirates perform the staged readings as if they were broadcasting live on the radio. An ensemble of five actors portrays all the characters in each episode while the audience is asked to produce all the sound effects. The Cue Card Girl lets the audiences know when it’s time to slam a door, make the footsteps and even shoot the guns during the shows. The Pirates even perform the radio commercials live asking the audience to supply the necessary sounds.

The Air pirates continue the 2009 season with Los Tres Balceneros: Rap City of the West. In this, the fourth episode of their musical comedy western the Air Pirates introduce the audience to the Rapperhoe nation, the west’s lost tribe of rapping Indians.  The story of Sonny, Ringo and the Kid is typical cowboy fare with bad guys, saloon girls and of course horses.  New to the group this season is Allen Brady who has become the Air Pirates in house expert on all things cowboy, Indian, and funny.  Brady who lives in Warwick first discovered the Air Pirates in their 2008 season, during which he played the key role of “audience member.” The troupe’s performances inspired him to submit an original sample script of his own, whereupon he was invited to write the last two chapters of Los Tres Balceneros.

With gunshots, running horses and of course commercial breaks the audience has plenty to do to move the action along. Prior to the performance all the necessary toys are made available to the audience and they are given a brief review of what they are to do.  One of the unique features of Air Pirates Radio is the inclusion of commercials.  During each performance the cast takes commercial breaks in which they perform real ads for sponsors of the Air Pirates season.  Coffee and desserts are available at the family friendly performances giving a casual, friendly feeling to the Air Pirates Radio Theater.

The season continues through the summer with:

Los Tres Balceneros: Rap City of the West

Saturday August 8th

Space Cadet: Kung Fu Amazons of Doom

Saturday, September12th

The Air Pirates Radio Theater is also pleased to announce that they have received a grant to produce a special program this year for the Hudson Fulton Quadri-Centenial with the date to be announced shortly. The Grant was made possible by the Orange County Planning Department and the Orange County Legislature.

Sponsors for this season of Air Pirates Radio Theater include Weinert T-Shirts, Eclectic Tech, The Alternative Board, L Bakker, CPA, Croll Organizing, Petitio Wealth Management and D & H Canvas.

All program recordings are produced at Hit the Road Productions. Air Pirates is made possible with a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts decentralized program administered by Arts in Orange and by Orange Arts and Orange County Tourism and the Orange County Legislature. The Air Pirates Radio Theater is a PEP production.

The Air Pirates Radio Theater five play series is scheduled to perform at the Pavilion at the Lycian Centre in Sugar Loaf August 8 and September 12. Tickets are $15 for each show or $50 for the season. This season a dinner and show package at Goldberg’s Famous Bagel Kosher Style Deli is available call for information or reservations.

All performances are at 8:00 PM.  For information and to order tickets call 845-469-7563 or visit www. airpiratesradiotheater.com.

The Air pirates continue the 2009 season with Los Tres Balceneros: Rap City of the West. In this, the fourth episode of their musical comedy western the Air Pirates introduce the audience to the Araphoe nation, the west’s lost tribe of rapping Indians.  The story of Sonny, Ringo and the Kid is typical cowboy fare with bad guys, saloon girls and of course horses.  New to the group this season is Allen Brady who has become the Air Pirates in house expert on all things cowboy, Indian, and funny.  Brady who lives in Warwick first discovered the Air Pirates in their 2008 season, during which he played the key role of “audience member.” The troupe’s performances inspired him to submit an original sample script of his own, whereupon he was invited to write the last two chapters of Los Tres Balceneros.

With gunshots, running horses and of course commercial breaks the audience has plenty to do to move the action along. Prior to the performance all the necessary toys are made available to the audience and they are given a brief review of what they are to do.  One of the unique features of Air Pirates Radio is the inclusion of commercials.  During each performance the cast takes commercial breaks in which they perform real ads for sponsors of the Air Pirates season.  Coffee and desserts are available at the family friendly performances giving a casual, friendly feeling to the Air Pirates Radio Theater.

The season continues through the summer with:

Los Tres Balceneros: Rap City of the West

Saturday August 8th

Space Cadet: Kung Fu Amazons of Doom

Saturday, September12th

The Air Pirates Radio Theater is also pleased to announce that they have received a grant to produce a special program this year for the Hudson Fulton Quadri-Centenial with the date to be announced shortly. The Grant was made possible by the Orange County Planning Department and the Orange County Legislature.

Sponsors for this season of Air Pirates Radio Theater include Weinert T-Shirts, Eclectic Tech, The Alternative Board, L Bakker, CPA, Croll Organizing, Petitio Wealth Management and D & H Canvas.

All program recordings are produced at Hit the Road Productions. Air Pirates is made possible with a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts decentralized program administered by Orange Arts and by Orange County Tourism and the Orange County Legislature. The Air Pirates Radio Theater is a PEP production.

The Air Pirates Radio Theater five play series is scheduled to perform at the Pavilion at the Lycian Centre in Sugar Loaf August 8 and September 12. Tickets are $15 for each show or $50 for the season. This season a dinner and show package with Uptown’s Blue Ribbon Restaurant or Goldberg’s Famous Bagel Kosher Style Deli is available call for information or reservations.

All performances are at 8:00 PM.  For information and to order tickets call 845-469-7563 or visit www. airpiratesradiotheater.com.

La Bohème – Giacomo Puccini’s tragic love story of impoverished young Parisian artists, one of the most famous in the operatic repertoire. Love, despair and death are displayed in Puccini’s most famous and heartwrenching scores. In Italian with English supertitles, fully staged and costumed with chamber orchestra conducted by Artistic Director Dr. Jim Blanton..

Cast: Julie Ziavras of Middletown as Mimi, Erik Sparks of East Scranton, PA as Rodolfo, Jeanne-Marie Lowell of Highland Mills as Musetta, Mark Garguilo of Goshen as Marcello, Eric Barsness of Callicoon as Colline, Gustavo Morales of Middletown as Schaunard and Johanan Bickhardt of Lord’s Valley PA as Alcindoro.

Saturday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. – Tusten Theatre, 210 Bridge Street (Rt. 52), Narrowsburg, NY 12764
Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. – Seelig Theatre, Sullivan County Community College, 112 College Street, Loch Sheldrake, NY 12754
Friday, August 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Tusten Theatre, 210 Bridge Street (Rt. 52), Narrowsburg, NY 12764
Sunday, August 16 at 3:00 p.m. at the Tusten Theatre, 210 Bridge Street (Rt. 52), Narrowsburg, NY 12764

There are also two more performances of the Merry Widow left, for more information see their web site.