MCT’s Ghost Light Theater Presents Masque of the Red Death
Jade Adkins and Michael La Mere bring to life a pandemic horror story written by Edgar Allan Poe over a hundred and seventy-five years ago–with the complete original text, and recorded completely in their home–just in time for Halloween.Pleasant screams!
2021 Season–New Works Presentation: A Marriage Proposal
A Marriage Proposal is a fast-paced comedy. World renowned playwright, Anton Chekhov, is known for brilliant, serious full-length plays, yet in his younger years he fancied writing short, one-act comedies like “A Marriage Proposal”. It was written in 1888–1889 and first performed in 1890 when he was just thirty before contracting tuberculosis which darkened his view of the world. Combining wit, irony, and brilliantly developed and impassioned characters, this three-person play shows the young playwright at his best. Chekhov’s one-act has been adapted by Santa Cruz writer Brian Heath who recently adapted the holiday show “Ebenezer” for Jewel Theater. The play centers around a Russian landowner and hypochondriac Lomov who comes to propose marriage to his neighbor Natalya. This spirited journey on the road to love features MCT favorites David Leach, Tiffany Lee Cesarin and Steve Capasso directed by Hannah Eckstein.
MCT is grateful for donations from viewers to help offset filmmaking costs for this and our other New Works entries. Simply click below to donate!
Our 2020 Season is now our 2022 Season!
We’ve missed you! Like virtually everyone else, MCT’s live productions have been shut down since March 2020 – since what literally would have been opening night of our first show of the season, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. A few months ago, when California lifted its COVID-19 restrictions, the virus seemed to be in retreat, and as we began taking off our masks and gathering again, MCT made plans to begin live productions in September, starting again with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. We recast a couple of parts and rehearsals were set to begin this week. But then . . . Delta, slowing vaccinations, and rising cases and hospitalizations happened, and we’re still in the middle of all that.
So, to be as safe as possible and minimize both risks and inconveniences, the MCT membership decided this week to postpone the entire 2020 season to 2022, when we hope and trust it will be safe. We love our slate of shows, beginning in March with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, followed by Calendar Girls in May, New Works Weekend in August, The Robber Bridegroom musical in September, and Now and Then in November. You can read about each of these shows here (the exact dates will change once we have everything organized, but they will be close to what they were in 2020) .
Everyone who bought season tickets for 2020 can use those tickets for the 2022 season. If you have any questions about your season tickets, contact Michele at subscribers@mctshows.org. Season tickets for everyone else will go on sale early next year.
As you know, although we have not staged any live productions, we have been busy. We have produced dozens of videos through our Ghost Light Theater effort, which will continue. You can see all the GLT videos here. Now, we are happy to announce some additional special treats. Starting very soon, we will release three new short films as our New Works entries for 2021 Season. First will be One Goodbye, a filmed play with music written by Scott Deal and directed by Kathie Kratochvil. That will be followed by A Marriage Proposal, a comedy adapted by Brian Heath from the play by Anton Chekhov, and directed by Hannah Eckstein. The final entry will be an as-yet incomplete and untitled piece that will tell the stories of several people who lost their homes in the CZU Fire and some people who fought that horrible fire, all in their own words, assembled and directed by Peter Gelblum. All three films will be available for free on the MCT website, although we are grateful for any donations viewers can contribute to offset the expenses of these three films. We will send notices out when the films are available.
We are very excited to bring you these new original pieces along with our GLT entries, and are especially looking forward to being with you in the theater again after what will have been two very long and trying years. FINALLY!
Thank you,
The MCT Board and Members
MCT Presents Ghost Light Theater
MCT is happily dealing with the sadness of not being able to present live performances by creating digital productions under the banner of MCT Presents Ghost Light Theater. In the theater, a “ghost light” is a light, often a single bulb on a stand, that illuminates the stage when the theater is dark, i.e., when no production is being presented. It can be simply between performances or when there is a more extended absence of productions. We thought it fitting for this time.
We have no set schedule, although we have been posting a new entry every week, usually toward the end of each week. You can see all of the GLT productions HERE or on our YouTube channel, @MCTSHOWS! Feel free to subscribe to our channel or to the Ghost Light Theater Playlist on our channel. We hope you will enjoy the growingly diverse potpourri of work we are creating, and welcome requests and suggestions.
Mountain Community Theater statement regarding Racism, Police Violence, and Racial Inequality
Mountain Community Theatre whole-heartedly supports the Black Lives Matter movement and other groups and individuals who are working against racism, police violence, and inequality. We realize that what we present to our community on stage makes a difference — and we endeavor to tell stories that deepen an understanding of the human condition. We consider ourselves a “family of artists’ behind the scenes, where we strive to make sure that everyone feels seen, heard, and valued for who they are. We believe that justice matters and that the fight for meaningful change must involve all of us.
Our full statement can be found here on our Community page.
