Red Monkey Theater Group Announces 2014-2015 Season
5/2/2014
Red Monkey Theater Group (RMTG), the University of Mount Saint Vincent’s theater company-in-residence, is proud to present a “A Season Among Friends,” an exploration of the pleasures and dangers of male friendship through classic and contemporary plays. All performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. in Cahill Theater at the University of Mount Saint Vincent. Performances are free for University of Mount Saint Vincent Students and Staff with ID.
The performance series, beginning in October 2014 and continuing through mid-April 2015, includes Tal Aviezer’s adaptation of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare; “Art” with Dance, a play by Yasmina Reza accompanied by a dance show; and Laughter on the 23rd Floor by Neil Simon.
Performances will be held in the University of Mount Saint Vincent’s Cahill Theater at 6301 Riverdale Avenue, Riverdale, N.Y. 10471. This 75-seat venue, featuring an intimate thrust stage and raked seating, is ideally suited to the personal, thoughtful performance style and voyeuristic staging that have long been RMTG hallmarks.
RMTG’s “A Season Among Friends” will commence with a production of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Speckled Band. It will feature RMTG Artistic Director Tal Aviezer’s original dramatic adaptation of one of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson’s strangest and most thrilling adventures. The production is directed by Holland Renton and runs October 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, and 18.
The season continues with William Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona, a classic comedy of friendship and betrayal. Directed by Tal Aviezer, the performance will start with a free preview on January 10, 2015 at St. Paul’s Church National historic site in Mount Vernon, NY. Subsequent performances will run January 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25, 2015 at the College’s Cahill Theater.
“Art” with Dance, Yasmina Reza’s play accompanied by a dance show, will follow. It will feature a comic crisis of friendship and trust that tells the story of three longtime friends whose relationships disintegrate when one spends an exorbitant sum on a painting. The play, directed by Joe Laureiro will also showcase original modern dance pieces created by emerging choreographers including (Alex)andra Taylor. The show runs February 21 and 22, 2015 only.
“A Season Among Friends” will conclude with Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor, a hilarious Cold War story that takes the audience into the brilliant yet besieged writer’s room in the golden age of live television comedy. The play is directed by Carin Zakes-Green and runs April 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, and 26, 2015.
Season tickets are currently on sale at www.redmonkeytheater.org for $60 for ALL FOUR shows ($45 for students and seniors). Season subscribers receive early access to tickets to reserve their preferred performance dates in advance. Admission to all performances is free to University of Mount Saint Vincent Students and staff with ID.
Founded in 1999, the Red Monkey Theater Group is a non-profit performing arts company dedicated to enriching local communities through the cultivation, creation, and presentation of live classical and contemporary theater. Our home theater at the University of Mount Saint Vincent serves as a developing cultural destination and venue for theatrical education and exploration. Company members have trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, the Moscow Arts Theater, Lincoln Center Theater and other diverse institutions and programs.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.