LUNGS at Grange Theater, PROXY at Parish Players
Remember in the earliest days of the pandemic when theaters were shuttered and trying to find ways of delivering entertainment to their patrons? The Old Vic in London staged what was described as a “socially-distanced”production of Lungs, with actors Claire Foy and Matt Smith (previously of The Crown fame) portraying a couple trying to decide whether to have a baby. The staging (aided by clever camerawork) was, in my opinion, both awkward and brilliant, the characters appearing “together” on stage but actually with the requisite space between them, and of course, a completely empty house. The Old Vic live-streamed the play in real time right into my—and maybe your—living room. It was riveting.
No longer any need to stay home watching actors act while they distance to avoid the virus. Lungs is coming to Artistree in Pomfret, VT; the Grange Theater describes it as “ . . . a sparky two-hander about parenting and the planet.” Four performances, April 26 - 28, tickets are available here.
“Duncan Macmillan’s distinctive, off-kilter love story is brutally honest, funny, edgy and current. It gives voice to a generation for whom uncertainty is a way of life through two flawed, but deeply human, people who you don’t always like but start to feel you might love. It’s bravely written, startlingly structured.” ~The Guardian
And here is yet another instance of Upper Valley folks pivoting from lifelong careers to a “second-act” of artistic expression. (If you’ve been reading Artful, you’ll have seen stories of lawyers who are now painters, poets, and photographers, and more recently, Bob Wetzel, who retired his business-like wingtips to become a cabaret singer.) In this case, a doctor/medical school professor has turned playwright. From April 18 through 28, Thetford’s Parish Players will present the world premiere of Proxy, a new work by retired physician Kenneth Burchard, of Hanover, New Hampshire. The play will be directed by Hetty Thomae.
Proxy is a drama about people afflicted by Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, also known as “Factitious Disorder imposed on another,” or “Fabricated or Induced Illness by carers.” This is a mental health disorder in which a caregiver creates the appearance of health problems in another person, often a child.
Burchard began writing plays about twenty years ago, looking for creative ways to reveal what he calls “the less than laudatory aspects of medical education and practice.” Proxy was previously workshopped with the Vermont Playwright Circle in Montpelier, Vermont, and in 2019 was given a staged reading in Thetford by the Parish Players. This will be the first full production of the play. Tickets are available here.
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.