What is art, and where do we draw the line between what is and isn’t art? Although the answer to that question can be as varied as the colors of a rainbow, the one thing that is certain about art is that it not only is it a means to pleasure, but also a representation of the human condition, and it is within those varied representations that the true power of art can be found.
Dignity Players is pleased to present for its ninth season a selection of plays as varied as the opinions on art, but all of which explore the many ways that all forms of art, visual, literary, musical, and dramatic, define who and what we are.
In the modern comedy Art by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton, three men with varied backgrounds ponder the artistic value of a white canvas. Directed by Darice Clewell, Art explores that fine line between what is and isn’t art, and, in so doing, sheds light on both the individuals and the relationships that define these three men. Art will be presented on September 13-28, 2013.
Not all art comes in the visual form, and in our production of Collected Stories by Donald Margulies, we’ll explore art in its’ literary form through the telling of a professor and short story writer and her young protégé who “steals” the love story told to her by the professor for a story of her own. Do we each own the events in our lives or are all events and stories told to us open for interpretation and delivery? Collected Stories will be directed by Gary Seddon and will be presented on January 17 through February 1, 2014.
From March 21 to April 5, 2014, Dignity Players will present A Man of No Importance with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Terrence McNally. Directed by Mickey Lund, this delightfully charming musical tells the tender story of Alfie Byrne, a bus driver living in 1960’s Dublin. A passionate fan of Oscar Wilde, Alfie is determined to stage a version of Salome at his church, despite the objections of church authorities. In the process of fighting for the play, Alfie is finally forced to confront his own sexuality and take a stand in the world, just as the famed artist Oscar Wilde did so many years ago.
In moving from visual to literary to dramatic art, the season culminates in an hysterical comedy that brings all three forms together into one. The 39 Steps by John Buchan and directed by Jim Reiter is the tale of a man with a boring life who meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale! A riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft using all forms of art, The 39 Steps amounts to an unforgettable evening of pure pleasure!
And that’s not all…Dignity Players will present a dramatic reading of the classic Dickens tale A Christmas Carol conceived, written, directed, and performed by local artists Lois Evans, Mark Hildebrand, and Eric Lund on December 5-8, 2013. Join us for this holiday classic as we celebrate the artist Charles Dickens himself.
Purchase a subscription to Dignity Players’ ninth season and get a discounted rate on tickets to our upcoming production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss presented on August 2-17, 2013.
Directed by Mickey Lund with Music Direction by Jill Compton, this hilarious musical comedy centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School where six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally-quirky grown-ups.
Join us for what promises to be our most theatrical and daring season yet! Subscriptions will be available on June 1 on our website, but sign up now on our website for our mailing list, and to receive a season brochure, as well as a monthly email newsletter.
A program of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis (UUCA), Dignity Players sprang into action in 2004. Separating it from the various theater groups in the Annapolis area, the new group was established to promote “the inherent self-worth and dignity of all people” through the production of plays and musicals containing a strong liberal, open-minded message of life, liberty, justice for all, hope, and dignity. Theater can inspire and promote, as well as entertain. With the help of the UUCA, Dignity Players hopes to bring to light the need for action on many of the social issues we read about every day, and to promote the worth and dignity of all people.
