Archive: Arts & Entertainment

To mark the completion of their fifth season Theatre Incognita  revives their acclaimed production of Thornton Wilder’s American classic Our Town and mounts a brand-new, youth-driven Romeo and Juliet on the boards of the Hangar Theatre.

The two plays, featuring over 30 actors ranging in age from 10 to their 80s, will play in alternating repertory at the Hangar Theatre the first two weekends of May; with matinee and evening performances Saturday and Sunday. Each day features both plays, with enough time between them to take in dinner in downtown Ithaca.

Returning as Our Town’s young lovers are New Roots seniors Lecil James and Kai Haskins.

Kai will double as Mercutio in the Shakespearean tragedy. Arthur Bicknell reprises the role of Stage Manager and David Romm the role of Doc Gibbs. Also returning are Isabella DeCombray-Gold as Rebecca Gibbs, Cole Long as Simon Stimson, Bob Finley as Joe Stoddard, P.D Shuman as Howie Newsome and Aidan Setlock (Boynton), who graduates from Wally Webb to the Crowell boys.

Fresh to the cast are Kristin Sad as Mrs. Gibbs, Lisa Banlaki Frank as Mrs. Webb, Lloyd Harris as Mr. Webb, Eileen Hagerty as Prof. Willard, Sherron Brown as Mrs. Soames, Kai Feldman as Wally Webb, Alek Osinski as Constable Warren, Eric Hambury as Sam Craig and Lila Setlock as one of the townspeople.

Romeo & Juliet features numerous local teens. Erin Hilgartner, a freshman at Ithaca High School, will play Juliet, opposite the Romeo of Eric Hambury (recent alum of Hobart William Smith). Charlotte Senders (Trumansburg High) is Tybalt, and Caitlin Mallory (Lehman Alternative Community School) is Benvolio. Other teens in the show are Emily Scarpulla (IHS), Sirena Carpenter (LACS), Claire Saloff-Coste (IHS) and Kurt van der Veur (Cortland Jr. High).

Returning to the stage after a prolonged absence is Karen Veaner as the Nurse. Dave Dietrich, an Incognita regular and long-time member of Ithaca Shakespeare Company, will play the Friar. Also cast are Scott Witham (Lord Capulet), Payal Bowker (Lady Capulet), Junito Cubero (Prince Escalus), Lloyd Harris (Lord Montague), Brenda Aulbach (Lady Montague) Shuman (Apothecary), Osinski, and Setlock.

IHS Senior Molly Westbrook serves as Production Stage Manager. The fight sequences in Romeo & Juliet are being choreographed by Nick Shuhan. Maxwell T. Robin, a senior BFA major in design at Ithaca College, will design lights. Music for Our Town will once again feature a live choral accompaniment of hymns and Americana by members of Bella Voce (music director Doreen Alsen.) Sam Peters coordinates the music for Romeo & Juliet. Incognita’s Artistic Director, Ross Haarstad, directs both productions.

ROMEO & JULIET: Sat May 3 @ 7:00 • Sun May 4 @ 1:00;Sat May 10 @ 2:00; Sun May 11 @ 6:30

OUR TOWN: Sat May 3 @ 2:00; Sun May 4 @ 6:30; Sat May 10 @ 7:00; Sun May 11 @ 1:00

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