Area theaters are busy this fall with shows ranging from horror farces to updates on classic tales.
Reading Community Players will stage “Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors” at WCR Center for the Arts, which is located at 140 N. Fifth St. in downtown Reading.
“Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors,” written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen and based on Bram Stoker’s classic “Dracula,” is a comedy filled with clever wordplay and pop-culture references. The 90-minute gender-bending, quick-changing, laugh-out-loud reimagining of the gothic classic is perfect for audiences of all blood types.
Influenced by the comedic genius of Monty Python and Mel Brooks, this version promises to deliver laughs alongside the chills.
Effete attorney Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to sell some London real estate to you-know-who. Once the vampire arrives in London, both terror and hilarity accompany him and his six coffins of Romanian dirt (the best kind). Harker’s fiancé, Lucy, reminds the titular sex symbol of his long forever lost love. But can Harker, Lucy’s father, and Dr. Van Helsing foil Dracula’s plans for a “romantic getaway?” Oh, and there’s this crazy dude Renfield, too.
With a small ensemble of actors bringing the entire cast of characters to life, the audience should prepare for side-splitting scenes and unforgettable moments.
Evan Duswalt plays Dracula, and the ensemble cast features Mary Beth Grimner, Susan A. Behm, Stephanie Hartline, Christy Jones, Joseph Mountz, Tony Quinones, Dave Renninger, Allison Larkin Schiding, Laura Diann Stewart, and Sean C. Hafer.
Steve Reazor directs.
Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for students.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
D&D play
Northampton Community College’s theater department will launch its fall season with the quirky dramatic comedy “She Kills Monsters” at Lipkin Theater, which is located at 3835 Green Pond Rd. in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County.
“She Kills Monsters,” written in 2011 by Qui Nguyen, follows Agnes Evans, played by Tamara Decker, an average woman who loses her parents and little sister Tilly, played by Sarai Misic, in a car accident. Having been very distant from her sister while she was alive, Agnes embarks on an adventure to get to know her sister better by playing a “Dungeons & Dragons” module that Tilly wrote and discovers things she’d never imagined.
Taking place in reality and in the imaginary game world, what begins as a game becomes a heartfelt journey filled with epic battles, 1990s pop culture, and plenty of humor. Along the way, Agnes discovers courage, friendship, and the bonds that last beyond loss. With its mix of fantasy adventure and emotional depth, “She Kills Monsters” is both a fun thrill ride and a touching exploration of grief, identity, and the power of imagination.
The cast also features Rahsheed Aziz, Max Cole, Tiah Fontno, Magnus Lawler, Wyatt Mullins, Tatiana Torres, Declan Messics, Alika Sommia, Madisyn Bonilla, Auqinay, CQ Marquis Banks, Adyn Wellington, Mia Ferreira, Ryan Prince, and Za’Yaughna O’Cain.
Darah Donaher directs.
Tickets cost $5.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Jane Austen classic
Lafayette College’s theater department will present “Sense and Sensibilty” at Weiss Theater at Buck Hall on the Easton college’s campus.
In Jane Austen’s classic novel, the Dashwood family is forced from its estate to a modest country cottage after a change in circumstances, and sensible Elinor and passionate Mariane, sisters with different approaches to life, struggle to find love. This delightful and hilarious stage adaptation by Kate Hamill is a fast-paced story of unlikely loves, and it will be presented in celebration of both Lafayette’s bicentennial and Austen’s 250th birthday.
The production is directed by Mary Jo Lodge, head of theater, and set design is by professor of engineering, Jeff Helm.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Modern mariachi music
The Kutztown Presents performing arts series at Kutztown University will present a performance by Mariachi Herencia de México at Schaeffer Auditorium at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
A new generation takes the genre to whole new heights when two-time Latin Grammy-nominee Mariachi Herencia de México pushes the boundaries of traditional mariachi music. A dazzling display of modern mariachi, this celebrated band honors the music’s extensive history while also looking forward and representing a new bicultural generation in the United States. From mariachi’s roots in Guadalajara to the group’s birthplace in Chicago and now to Kutztown, Mariachi Herencia de México presents an electrifying and unforgettable night of Mexican music and culture.
Tickets cost $44 for adults, $42 for seniors, and $19 for students.
‘Postcards From Paris’
Photographer: Benjamin Ealovega
Williams Center for the Arts’ performance series will present the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, featuring James Ehnes on violin, in “Postcards From Paris” at 8 p.m. on Friday at Lafayette College in Easton.
Renowned for their collaborative spirit, the Grammy-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has played without a conductor since their inception, performing with edge-of-the-seat intensity and displaying an infectious love for making music for audiences arond the world. Making his long-awaited Orpheus debut, violinist James Ehnes glamorizes the gorgeous French aesthetic in Saint-Saëns’ “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso” and Chausson’s “Poème. “
To honor his 150th birthday, a new commission brings Ravel’s “Piano Trio in A Minor” into the chamber orchestra repertoire. Composer and violist Jessica Meyer has a keen ear for ensemble color, and her friends in Orpheus are ready to dispatch her newly commissioned “Cartes Postales.”
Tickets cost $33 for adults, $10 for faculty/staff, and $6 for non-Lafayette students. Lafayette students are admitted free of charge.
New chamber music concert
The Allentown Symphony Orchestra will present the first of two new chamber music concerts this season at 7 p.m. next Tuesday, Oct. 28, in Curiosity Hall at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown.
The concert will showcase original innovative compositions by primarily local composers, featuring any combination of string quartet (violin I, violin II, viola and cello) and two additional instruments for a few added innovative elements (percussion and electric bass). Curiosity Hall boasts a 3,000-square-foot screen, standing 58 feet wide and 53 feet high. Projected visuals behind the musicians will bring these original compositions to life.
Ten composer-finalists were chosen by Clarice Assad, the symphony’s composer-in-residence, and Diane Wittry, the symphony’s music director and conductor, in September. Each composition, limited to five minutes or less, was required to include a full score, individual parts for musicians, and an MP3 recording. Some composers also included detailed notes for musicians and an innovative visual element.
In addition to these new works, the concert will feature an entirely improvised piece by Clarice Assad. The concert will also feature a work for solo viola by the renowned female composer, Anne Clyne.
Composers whose works will be performed at the concert are Andrew Ardizzoia, Benjamin Miller, Bernard Walasavage, Bettina Gray, Sami Seif, Ric DelNero, Sean OBoyle, David Dawson, Daniel Hagenbuch, and Erin Busch.
Tickets cost $10 and available at the door or by calling 610-432-6715. Students 21 and under receive free admission.