A Bicycle Country
A SIMPLE THEATRE – A Season of Legends – presented in various venues as a Staged Reading. The MFA is pleased to host one of these readings on October 18, in connection with the exhibition Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, which will open October 27.
What is a Staged Reading?
Never been to a reading before? Not sure what to expect?
Remember radio shows from the 1940’s? These shows are just like that, except that instead of just listening to the actor’s voices, you can see their facial expressions as well, as they read with the same passion and energy you would see in a fully produced play. The only difference is there is no blocking, no costumes, and no set. The actors stand behind music stands, reading their parts from the play on a music stand in front of them. When their character is “onstage” they are standing. When they are “offstage”, they are seated. A narrator reads the stage directions, sometimes with the aid of music cues, to allow the audience to envision the setting, time, and feel of the play.
OK, but why readings? Why not just produce the show?
Large casts and technically complicated sets are incredibly expensive and logistically challenging to produce, so readings allow A Simple Theatre to bring you the plays that otherwise might not get produced in the Tampa Bay area. Readings are also incredibly intimate – they focus solely on the words of the playwright and the acting of the actors. It’s a bit that like that old MTV series UNPLUGGED. It’s theatre in its most stripped down and raw form, distilled to its essence.
“Come join us as we explore a series of plays about people, contests, and journeys that are so fantastical they border on the impossible. From nail-biting battles to record-breaking races, these seven stories [2016-2017 season] are truly the stuff of legends,” Gavin Hawk, Artistic Director, A Simple Theatre.
October 18: A Bicycle Country, by Nilo Cruz. Three characters whose lives seem to be moving nowhere set out to build a dream, even if that dream seems perilous. This stirring portrait of three Cuban exiles and their harrowing journey across the Caribbean Sea examines the universal themes of freedom and oppression, hope and survival. The price of your ticket also gains you admission to the Museum’s exhibitions. To purchase tickets for this event please click HERE. The discount code for MFA members to receive $5 off the ticket price is JUSTFINE.