Touchstone Theatre
Three women from New York will stage an original work, “Language of Dolls,” at Touchstone Theatre, which is located at 321 E. Fourth St. in Bethlehem. It’s part of Touchstone’s “UnBound Year-Round,” a new year-long reframing of its “Festival Unbound.”
In “Language of Dolls,” written and performed by Lizzie Olesker, Peggy Pettitt and Louise Smith, three lifelong friends go to a cabin in the woods to reconnect, and they discover an old box of dolls. Their finding sparks difficult, highly charged conversations that open onto new and unexpected terrain, including exploration of American history.
Over the course of one night, the three women eat, laugh, argue, dance, dream, and share their unexpected stories. Together, they question how their racial and social identities were formed, and how their personal histories have been shaped and influenced. This culminates in the discovery of each of their inner “soul” dolls, revealing a part of themselves they may have forgotten or perhaps never known. Through their connected encounter with one another, they find the restorative power of friendship and its true ability to transform.
“After forty-plus years of knowing one another, we intentionally began a dialogue about our identities as one Black woman and two white women,” said Pettitt. “In 2022, we saw the exhibit ‘Black Dolls’ at the New York Historical and it profoundly affected the direction of our work. The dolls on display haunted and spoke to us in their silent presence. Their hidden histories inspired us to create our own ‘soul dolls’ from found materials, discovering how each one possesses their own language of poetic possibility.”
Performances will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $35 for adults and $25 for students and seniors.
Thursday’s performance is pay-what-you-will.
Following each performance, audience members can take part in a guided discussion related to the issues and questions that the piece raises, such as “what messages around race have we received from the time we were born and carried throughout our lives?” and “how does our interconnectivity as friends help us resist rigid categorizations?”
The women will host a storycircle workshop at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Using a methodology first used by John O’Neal of the Free Southern Theater, participants will be invited to share personal stories across different experiences and to create theatrical moments that emerge from real-life narratives. The workshop is free, but space is limited. Those who want to attend can register online or by calling 610-867-1689.
Updated classic
The Lafayette College Department of Theater will present a new adaptation of the classic Greek myth “Medea” at Weiss Theater, which is located in Buck Hall at 219 N. Third St. in Easton.
Written by Lafayette professor Melissa Livingston, “Medea” is about a woman who has lived her life in service of her husband, Jason, and finds herself cast aside when Jason decides to leave the marriage and take the youthful princess of Corinth as his new bride. Alone, broken, and in despair, Medea hatches a plan that she believes will bring her husband joyfully back to her; instead, things end tragically.
Livingston also directs the show, with lighting design by Lafayette professor Jake Salgado; set design by senior Aven Lancaster, and costume design by senior Emma Li.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Train journey
The Northampton Community College Department of Theatre will stage “The Coast Starlight” at the Norman Roberts Lab Theater, which is located at 3835 Green Pond Rd. in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County.
“The Coast Starlight” is a play by Keith Bunin, set on the iconic train journey from Los Angeles to Seattle. The story follows a young man with a secret, who seeks help from his fellow passengers as they navigate their own personal journeys and reckon with their past choices. The play explores themes of connection, regret, and the impact of our interactions with others, even in fleeting encounters.
Directed by Clair M. Freeman, the play features Max Cole, Tiah Fonto, Marquis Banks, Andrew Maldonado, Tamara Decker, Remy Grim, Giuseppe Silimperi, and Maria Gambino.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Original musical
Artists of Sing for America, made up of the Gilbert family, have written and composed their first musical, “Steel Hearts: The John Henry Musical.” It will be performed at Shawnee Playhouse, which is located at 552 River Rd. in Shawnee on Delaware, Monroe County.
According to Taryn Gilbert, the show was inspired by the American folk hero, John Henry, immortalized in a classic folk song, who was a steel driver on the railroad and challenged a steam-powered rock drill, that was replacing workers. The show is presented by Truth and Light Media Productions, started by the five singing siblings from Forks Township, Northampton County.
Set in the South, “Steel Hearts,” begins with Henry’s parents, played by Ian Holmes and Taryn Gilbert, who are born into slavery. After the Emancipation Proclamation, Henry, played by Jorne Gilbert, is a freed man who finds work laying down rail for the railroad. When the steam-powered rock drill threatens to take away the steel drivers’ jobs, Henry stands up against overwhelming odds.
Gilbert said “the show turns a familiar folktale into a moving live musical about work ethic, perseverance, and what it means to build a life with purpose. It’s a story about race, but also about shared humanity, and the belief that effort and integrity still matter.”
The score is inspired by Gospel music and includes songs such as “The Ballad of John Henry,” “Lady of Steel,” and “Morning in America.”
The cast also features Shauna Cheatham, Tasia Gilbert, Max Albert, Jewel Gilbert, Gabriel Soto, and Abraham Pla.
Sing for America was started in 2003 by sisters Taryn, Tasia, and Teara, and brothers Jewel and Jorne Gilbert to raise money for local causes. The siblings perform in, direct, choreograph, and do costume and set design for all their shows.
Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for seniors, and $15 for children.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
‘Kinky Boots’ tour
The State Theatre in Easton will stage the hit musical, “Kinky Boots.”
The Tony Award- and Grammy Award-winning play features a score by pop legend Cyndi Lauper, a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, and original direction and Tony Award-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell.
Based on true events, “Kinky Boots” follows the journey of two people with nothing in common, or so they think. Charlie Price reluctantly inherits his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As Charlie and Lola work together to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair find that they have more in common than they realized and discover that you change the world when you change your mind.
Tickets cost $65 to $105.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Chamber concert
Nora Suggs
Satori, a mixed ensemble of winds, strings, and piano, that plays both traditional and contemporary chamber music, will present a chamber concert at 2 p.m. on Sunday at College Hill Moravian Church, which is located at 72 W. Laurel St. in Bethlehem.
The concert will feature music for flute, strings, and guitar from Baroque sonatas to modern sambas.
Performers will be Nora Suggs, flute; Rebecca Brown, violin; Marie-Aline Cadieux, cello; and John Arnold, guitar.
A reception will follow the concert.
Tickets cost $10 at the door only.
‘Dirty Dancing’ show
Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem will present “Dirty Dancing in Concert” — the iconic film and live music experience — on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The digitally-remastered movie will be shown on screen as a live band and singers perform the iconic soundtrack. From the timeless romance to the legendary dance moments, audiences will be swept back into one of the most memorable films of the past 35 years.
Following the screening, the celebration will continue with an encore performance, as the band and singers return for a high-energy party that will have audiences singing and dancing along to their favorite “Dirty Dancing” hits.
Tickets cost $49 to $55.
Lakota Sioux play
Jeff Ward | 69 News
KU Presents! will present an inspiring performance by Native American artist Delwin Fiddler, Jr., who will share his rich ancestry through song, dance, and storytelling with “Paza Experience – The White Buffalo” at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Schaeffer Auditorium, which is located on the campus of Kutztown University at 15235 Kutztown Rd. in Maxatawny Township, Berks County.
The show will introduce people of all ages to the Lakota Sioux culture, combining storytelling, dance, and music. It will feature Fiddler (Elk Bear) narrating, performing hoop and grass dances, and playing music; also featured will be Samora Free, a singer multi-instrumentalist and soundscape artist.
As the firstborn son of the Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, Fiddler carries a profound legacy. In the theatrical production of “The White Buffalo,” Fiddler and Free tell the origin story of how the Lakota received the Seven Rites, sacred ceremonies that not only govern traditional law and way of life for the Lakota people, but that also resonate with many rituals practiced around the world today.
Fiddler is the founder of PAZA, Tree of Life, an Easton-based nonprofit that is devoted to teaching and sharing many aspects of the Lakota tradition with Native Americans and anyone else who would like to know more about this culture. Its logo explains it best: “Bringing People Together Through Culture, Community & Conservation.” Free is the manager of PAZA’s Arts and Culture Department.
Tickets cost $20.
‘Pirates’ for families
Genesius Theatre in Reading will premiere a family version of “The Pirates of Penzance,” written by Douglas Carter Beane. It’s a playful, fast-paced adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s beloved comic opera designed for young performers and audiences.
Packed with patter, pirates, and playful wit, this version boasts one bold band of pirates and a whole lot of fun for audiences of all ages.
When Frederic, a young pirate-in-training, realizes he was mistakenly apprenticed to a band of silly (but surprisingly polite) pirates, he’s eager to leave the crew and live an honest life. But his sense of duty keeps getting him into hilarious trouble, especially when he meets the beautiful Mabel and her large family of sisters, all watched over by their bumbling but brave father, the Major-General.
This world premiere edition, created by Genesius Theatre and directed by Dara Tatarowicz, brings the spirit of Gilbert and Sullivan’s topsy-turvy humor alive in a fun-filled musical adventure celebrating friendship, loyalty, and laughter.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and March 13 and 14; at 1 p.m. on Saturday; and at 3 p.m. on Sunday
Tickets cost $25.50 for adults and $18 for children.