Liberty Bell stages ‘Middletown’
The Liberty Bell Drama Company will present “Middletown,” a play by Will Eno, on Dec. 8, 9 and 11 at 7 p.m. and on Dec. 12 at 2 p.m., at The Merc Playhouse in Twisp. Tickets at the door will be $5 for students and $15 for adults. Masks required for audience members.
“Middletown” is a full-length dramatic comedy, described on the Concord Theatricals website as “a deeply moving and funny play exploring the universe of a small American town. As a friendship develops between longtime resident John Dodge and new arrival Mary Swanson, the lives of the inhabitants of Middletown intersect in strange and poignant ways in a journey that takes them from the local library to outer space and points between.”
New shows at Confluence
Confluence Gallery in Twisp opens two new exhibits on Nov. 20 — “10 x 10: A Riot of Color” in the main gallery; and “Methow: Image and Word,” a solo show by Greg Wright, in the community gallery. Both shows run through Jan. 8, 2022.
“We invited artists to explore and play with any color in our world in small works for our holiday gift show,” curator Joanne Marracci said in a press release. “We challenged them to work in predominantly monochromatic hues, shades and tones to explore one color at a time.”
“The aims of ‘Image and Word’ are simplicity and directness,” Wright said in the press release. “I present to you photographs and poems which to me distill my artistic, and perhaps spiritual, experience of the Methow.”
Admission to the gallery is free. Confluence will be open every day from Nov. 26 to Dec. 24. For information, visit www.confluencegallery.org or call 997-2787.
‘Twelve Angry Women’ at Merc
The Merc Playhouse Reader’s Theater production of “Twelve Angry Women,” a play adapted by Sherman L. Sergel from the Emmy award-winning television movie by Reginald Rose, will open on Nov. 18 and continue through Nov. 21. The production is directed by Jane Orme.
Show times are 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is by donation, with a minimum fee of $1 for online reservations. All reservations must be made in advance either online or by calling 997-7529. Doors open 30 minutes before show time.
Masks will be required of all audience members and proof of vaccination will be required for ages 12 and older.
The play is about a 19-year-old boy standing trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. The jurors’ final verdict and how they reach it create the drama. There will be a discussion session after each performance.
For more information, visit www.mercplayhouse.org.
‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ auditions
The Merc Playhouse will hold auditions in December to fill out the cast of The Tom Zbyszewski Children’s Theater production of “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” now scheduled to open in March 2022. About half-a-dozen roles are available.
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” was ready to open in March 2020 when coronavirus protocols shut down live performances at The Merc. Some actors cast for the production will be returning for the 2022 show; other parts remain to be filled. Roald Dahl’s classic play follows the adventures of Mr. Fox as he works to outwit three dimwitted farmers, along with the help of a cadre of woodland creatures.
Auditions will be on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. at the theater and are open to kids 8 and older. No previous experience is necessary.
Visit www.mercplayhouse.org for information on how to sign up for the auditions.
Twisp River Taphouse music
On Friday, Nov. 12, guitarist and singer-songwriter Rich Brisbois will perform classic rock,’90s alternative, and originals at the Twisp River Tap House at 201 Methow Valley Hwy N. in Twisp. Music starts at 7 p.m., no cover. For more information, go to. www.twisprivertaphouse.com.
On Saturday, Nov. 13, The Marcus Duke Project will feature an eclectic repertoire of guitar, bass, flute and keys at the Twisp River Tap House. Music starts at 7 p.m., no cover.
On Friday Nov. 19, Brisbois will be back at the same time. No cover.
Missoula Children’s Theatre coming to the Methow
Missoula Children’s Theatre will once again bring the stage to children in the Methow Valley, but in a different format this year.
Methow Arts has brought the Missoula Children’s Theatre to the Methow Valley for the past 30 years. Past performances include “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “Blackbeard the Pirate.”
COVID-19 restrictions won’t allow the group to do its traditional musical theater production, but instead, Methow Arts is bringing Missoula Children’s Theatre staff to the area to do a series of workshops.
The workshops will be offered the week of Nov. 8 and will include topics such as “Acting 101,” “Improv,” “Creative Dramatics,” “Mime” and others.
Workshops are offered to first- through sixth-grade students in the Methow Valley School District, including the REACH program. Space is limited and registration is required.
The program is free to participating students and is funded by Methow Arts, the Public School Funding Alliance, Winthrop Kiwanis, the Chewuch Inn and other sponsors.
For more information, go to www.methowarts.org/methow-arts-presents-missoula-childrens-theatre-workshops.
Methow Arts schedules November events
On Nov. 20, the Atomic Bombshells Vintage Burlesque group will perform at 7 p.m. at the Winthrop Barn. The event is 21-plus.
The Atomic Bombshells are originally from New Orleans, but are now an internationally celebrated Seattle-based burlesque troupe.
“This is no send-up; this is the real thing,” according to Methow Arts. For more information, go to http://www.methowarts.org/the-atomic-bombshells/.
Both events require proof of vaccination. For more information, email info@methowartsalliance.org.
