In the space of just six months, Atlanta’s theatres have pivoted from having rarely streamed anything to suddenly offering streaming options for everything. Now another downtown theatre has announced their pivot, kicking off on October 4.
Actor’s Express has announced the launch of Virtual Downstage: A Theatrical Online Experience for their fall season. As the theatre keeps its promise to patrons to produce top-notch entertainment safely, the season includes a new play reading, a weekly monologue series, and a one-woman show- all available for at-home viewing.
Check out the full series offerings below!
In the words of the theatre
“As theatre companies across Atlanta and the nation continue to assess when we can return to live, in-person programming, we wanted to think about different kinds of work that can resonate with our audiences online. We have curated a slate of work that speaks to our current moment in thoughtful and varying ways.”
-Artistic Director Freddie Ashley
Hometown Boy
New play reading
By Keiko Green
Directed by Donya K. Washington
October 4, 2020 at 7:00 PM
James hasn’t been back to his rural Georgia hometown in over a decade, but reluctantly returns to check in on his father, whose behavior has become worryingly erratic. And since the South has a way of holding onto secrets, he soon stumbles into a life he thought he had left behind as a child. That stench in the air isn’t just his father’s decaying house, but the rotten core of long-buried secrets teeming just under the surface and ready to explode. Hometown Boy boldly tackles race, class and being an outsider in the Deep South.
Monologue Series
Weekly, beginning October 8, 2020 on YouTube
About the Actor’s Express Monologue Series
Actor’s Express has commissioned short, solo performances from three playwrights whom they describe as some of “Atlanta’s most dynamic and fiercely talented young playwrights.” The pieces are a result of the playwrights’ personal interpretation of the general theme of hope for the future.
you are going to do amazing things by Quinn Xavier Hernandez
A young father records a message for the newborn daughter whom he’s given up for adoption and whom he may never know.
Toward Joy by Amina S. McIntyre
A woman on the cusp of a restorative journey ponders the need for joy in the world right now.
Spongebob Spectrum Pineapple People by Avery Sharpe
What do a trip to Mellow Mushroom, drunk-watching “Lovecraft Country” and a certain sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea have in common? You’re about to find out!
Neat
One-woman show
By Charlayne Woodard
Directed by Eric J. Little
November 11-25, 2020
Celebrated playwright Charlayne Woodard lovingly crafts the story of her cherished Aunt Neat, a woman whose simplicity, love, energy and tenderness made a profound impact. What begins as a nostalgic personal remembrance blossoms into a magical and compelling story of embracing womanhood, Blackness and the myriad changes of life itself. This tour-de-force solo play is as inspiring as it is hopeful.
An Actor’s Express Holiday Surprise!
December 2020
We’re cooking up a fun December surprise for everyone…stay tuned to see how we’re going to ring in the holiday season at Actor’s Express!
Admission
Hometown Boy and the Monologue Series are all free online events. Ticket information for Neat and An Actor’s Express Holiday Surprise will available in the coming weeks. Click here to reserve spots for Hometown Boy.
