Community Enrichment

PCPA Plays On

Resident Artist/Director of Engagement
Kitty Balay

PCPA offered a new series of virtual programming for adults and families this past summer. These exciting ZOOM sessions offered a rare glimpse into the inner workings at PCPA and introduced community members of all ages to company members whose professional talent brings to life the fantastic productions for which PCPA has become known.

Classes range from hands-on crafting to lectures series. Instructors and guest speakers included PCPA’s resident company of directors, actors, and designers, along with recent and legendary alumni.

Previous Community Enrichment Sessions

InterPlay Preview Party
with Emily Trask & Mark Booher

Let’s celebrate something good! 6 new plays in 6 weeks! PCPA’s annual Interplay play reading series returns with new stories and diverse, new voices. Freshly premiered plays, penned by exciting current playwrights, brought to life by PCPA’s versatile company of actors will be brought to your home by zoom.
Make a signature cocktail and join us for this special preview of 6 great plays. That’s something to celebrate!

Every party is better with signature drinks. Try one (or all!) of these suggestions to get in the mood for some new plays.

THE AGITATORS
Troublemaker

Ingredients:
4 slices English cucumber, plus more for garnish
2 strawberries, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 oz. vodka
1 oz. Bonal or substitute sweet vermouth
3/4 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. lime juice
Seltzer

Directions
Muddle cucumber and strawberries. Shake vodka, Bonal (or vermouth), simple syrup, and lime juice. Pour over a Collins glass and top with seltzer. Garnish with half strawberry and cucumber slice.

ALABAMA STORY
Sweet Tea

Ingredients
8 teabags
1 cup of sugar
Lemons
Water
Ice

Directions
In small saucepan combine sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add tea bags. Turn off heat immediately and allow to cool. Fill gallon pitcher with ice. Add tea and then water to fill the pitcher. Refrigerate. Serve in tall ice-filled glasses. Add lemon slices for garnish.

THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE
A Nice Cold Beer

This play is about family, so we’ll keep it in our family and suggest Firestone Walker 805 pale ale.

Directions
Chill beer, pour into a chilled glass or drink it straight out of the bottle.

Enjoy!

MOTHER ROAD
Mother Road Mojito

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz white rum
fresh mint leaves
1 oz fresh lime juice, plus wedges to garnish
2 tsp sugar
Club soda

Directions
Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass. Crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar, and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture. Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Pour rum over the ice, and fill the glass with soda. Garnish with lime wedge.

The Artistry of Costuming
with PCPA Resident Costume Designers
Sara Curran Ice & Eddy L. Barrows

Do you ever wonder where all of our costumes come from? From the vivid imaginations of designers, of course! Join Resident Designers, Sara Curran Ice and Eddy L. Barrows as they guide us through the process of starting with a play and a sketchbook and ending with a whole new world of color, texture, and characters defined by the clothing they wear.

Black Theatre
with Yusef Seevers

In this two-part series, Yusef discussed a collection of works that are essential to beginning a dialogue about Black Theatre. He explored motifs, images, themes, concepts, while also providing context to the African American experience. He draws connections between the work of the playwright and the real-time experience of Black Americans. These sessions are for everyone who wants to begin to discover and learn more about Black Theatre.

Watch Part 1 of Black Theatre with Yusef Seevers.
Please note: this session contains racial slurs used in historical context.

Watch Part 2 of Black Theatre with Yusef Seevers.
Please note: this recording contains adult language in theatrical context.

A World in Miniature
with Jason Bolen

Painting Floors the PCPA Way
With Abby Hogan

Resident Scenic Artist, Abby Hogan, will guide you through the art history that has lived on the stage floor of the Marian Theatre, why it’s the most important scenic element on a thrust stage, and how she takes designers’ renderings and turns them into life-sized masterpieces.

What's in a Season?
With Artistic Director Mark Booher

Artistic Director Mark Booher, will answer the often-asked question; “How do you select the plays?” Participants will get a sneak peek into where we start, who is involved, where we ‘find’ the plays and how we decide on specific productions in the PCPA season selection process.

The Need to Speak
With Andrew Philpot

In a time of heightened emotions and a need for self-expression, spend time with gifted actor and teacher, Andrew Philpot, in an exploration of Shakespeare’s heightened language.
This class will probe the reasons behind the use of heightened rhetoric, and how to use it with intentionality in a scene. Whenever Shakespeare goes from down-to-earth language to poetic flights of fancy, he is telling us something is afoot!

Swordplay
With George Walker

Join George Walker for your personal introduction to swords and swordplay. You’ll see how characters are defined by their fighting style. George will warm us up for the excitement of The Three Musketeers by exploring different swordplay styles for D’Artagnon, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis. En garde!

Embrace the Challenge
With Leo Cortez

Special interviews with…
Donavan Marley, PCPA founding Artistic Director
Barbara Sellers, former Production Manager
Jack Shouse, Artistic Director Emeritus
Carolyn Shouse, former Resident Artist
Mark Harelik – Broadway and screen actor, award-winning playwright, former PCPA Resident Artist

SUMMER SHOW SPONSORS

Allan Hancock College

Jed & Diane Beebe

Linda Stafford Burrows

Sorina Carabeth, M.D.

Brad & Jacquie Hinds

Suzanne & Ron Levy

Catherine & Richard Luckett

The Melsheimers

Jerry & Sharon Melson

Ng & Ng Dental & Eyecare Center

Jim Patin