Orange Theatre is back this October with two exciting events. The company will present their latest work in progress, “ELEKTRANOSTOP”–based on an ancient Greek revenge cycle–early in the month. Then, the group will follow up with a party and concert in honor of its fifth anniversary on Oct. 24. Acclaimed synthpop duo and recent LA transplants Bogan Via will be back in Phoenix to celebrate with the ensemble and fans.
The company will offer a sneak peek at 20 minutes of material from “ELEKTRANOSTOP” for two nights only on Oct. 8 and 9, 2015 at 8 p.m. The show will take place at Orange Theatre’s warehouse performance space at 1711 W Culver St. (between 19th and Grand Avenues) in downtown Phoenix. Orange Theatre is dedicated to making art accessible to everyone, so as always, show tickets are pay-what-you-can (cash or credit card), and they are available at the door or via the company’s website, orangetheatre.org. Free street parking is available near the venue.
Orange Theatre has based “ELEKTRANOSTOP” on Sophocles’ and Euripides’ plays about the house of Atreus, which tell the story of Klytaimestra, a queen who kills her husband Agamemnon to get revenge for his sacrifice of their young daughter, Iphigenia. Two of the remaining siblings, Elektra and Orestes, then conspire to murder Klytaimestra as payback for their father’s death, sparking a cycle of violence. Orange Theatre’s new adaptation incorporates contemporary texts, personal material, and inspiration from killing-spree films like “Badlands” and “Natural Born Killers” to create an inventive new production that speaks to a modern audience. As the latest in a recent string of exciting multidisciplinary collaborations with local artists, the ensemble is working with Dario Miranda of Phoenix band North Brother Island, who has composed original music and will perform live in the show.
Director/scenic designer Matthew Watkins leads the artistic team, with sound design by Stephen Christensen and media design by Tucker Bingham. Joya Scott is the dramaturg. The acting ensemble features William Crook, Katrina Donaldson, Carrie Fee, and Kerin Martinez.
Later in the month on Saturday, Oct. 24, Orange Theatre will host a fundraiser and fifth anniversary party from 7:30pm to midnight, also at the Culver St. space. As one of very few experimental performing arts ensembles to survive this long in Phoenix, the group is excited to share the festive occasion with supporters and collaborators from their first five years. As artistic director Matthew Watkins states, “Stephen Christensen and I founded Orange Theatre in our living room. We are thrilled to have come this far, with our own venue and almost a dozen shows under our belts. We couldn’t have done it without our audiences and supporters, who have proven that there is an appetite for experimental theatre in Phoenix and that the pay-what-you-can ticket model can work in the long term. We’re really looking forward to celebrating with them in October.”
Bogan Via, fresh off their west coast tour, will join The Hill in Mind, Grace Rolland of Run Boy Run, and other local musicians playing live sets at the party. Admission is $22 and include a free drink. Guests can buy tickets at the door (cash or credit card) or online via Orange Theatre's website, orangetheatre.org.
Next up for Orange is the full production of “Herakles,” a piece that played to sold-out houses as a work in progress in May, 2015. This expanded, final version of “Herakles” will run Dec. 11-20.
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