Oldcastle production of Wasserstein play to open Friday
Toolbox
By BOB ALDEN HERALD CORRESPONDENT - Published: October 1, 2009
"Third," the final play by the American playwright Wendy Wasserstein will be presented by Oldcastle Theatre Company as their last offering of the 2009 season running Oct. 2 through Oct. 11 at the Bennington Center for the Arts.
"Third" tells the story of a liberal college professor and her conservative student, a wrestler charged with plagiarism. Politics, ethics, stereotypes, feminism, liberalism, and friendship are brought into sharp focus in this bitingly funny play. Thought-provoking and challenging, slyly humorous and sublimely entertaining, "Third" is a play almost Shakespearian in its scope and magnitude.
The cast includes Christine Decker, an Oldcastle actress since 1973 in the leading role of Laurie, an esteemed educator facing a failing marriage, a dying father, the empty nest syndrome and a perplexing student she can neither understand nor believe.
Most recently Decker appeared in "Doubt" with the American Stage in St. Petersburg, Fla., and with the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. She is a member of the Orlando Theatre Project and was for many years a member of the improv unit at Disney World. Her most recent Oldcastle appearance was her critically acclaimed portrayal of Martha in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
Carleton Carpenter, a Bennington native and Oldcastle regular who made his first Broadway appearance in 1944 and followed it with a busy career filled with appearances on the Great White Way, in films, television and national and international tours, returns to Oldcastle for "Third."
Carpenter, a recording artist, novelist, a songwriter, piano player, singer, dancer and actor, was in "Love Letters" last year with Betsy Palmer in a special Oldcastle production and his many acting roles with the company include Norman in "On Golden Pond." He acted with Decker in "Spinning into Butter" another drama set at a small New England college.
Paula Mann, long a principal star in Dorset Theatre Festival productions, returns to Oldcastle where she starred in "A Body of Water" two years ago which was subsequently produced in New York.
Last season, Mann appeared in and co-produced "Our Town," a joint production between Oldcastle and Green Mountain College where she teaches. Mann has served as co-artistic director of the Dorset Theatre Festival and acted in more than 20 DTF productions. Her films include "An Unmarried Woman" and "Live Free or Die."
Loren Dunn is making his first appearance with Oldcastle in the title role of "Third," a college freshman charged with plagiarism. Dunn has been seen on television in "One Life to Live" and "As the World Turns." Another alumnus of Dorset Theatre Festival, he appeared in "The Subject Was Roses" with Mann there as well as "The Importance of Being Earnest" and other plays.
Jenny Strassberg, who appeared in Oldcastle's season opener, the American premiere of the farce "One Two Three," rounds out the cast. She met her husband, Loren Dunn, while acting at the Dorset Theatre Festival where she appeared in "The Importance of Being Earnest" (with Dunn) and "Tom Jones." (with Mann). Her television appearances include roles in "All My Children" and "The Guiding Light."
The first Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Oct. 2 is a buy one regular $34 ticket, get one free, and the Saturday evening performance offers $10 off a regular $34 ticket for members of all area Chambers of Commerce and for educators. Regular performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and 2 p.m. for Thursday, Saturday and Sunday matinees. Tickets are $15, $26 and $34. Student tickets are $10.
For further information or reservations, call 447-0564 or visit the Oldcastle Web site at www.oldcastletheatreco.org.
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