As we thaw out from February and enter our Fool’s Spring, Beckwith Theatre Company in Dowagiac is ready to brighten your spirits and fill you with joy with the announcement of their 2023 Season.
This year’s performance schedule begins with Improv Comedy Nights, this Friday, March 3rd and Saturday, March 4th. Both nights offer two shows each, a Family Friendly performance ($5 per person) at 7:00 p.m, and an 18+ performance ($15 per person) at 9:00 p.m.
“Improv is great because it appeals to all ages,” says Ryan Murray, one of the groups’ directors. “Our cast ranges in age from twenties to fifties. We have gained new participants at Beckwith through our improv shows who wouldn’t have otherwise auditioned for a traditional play.”
The Improv Group at Beckwith began in 2015, and brings hilarity (and chaos) to the stage in a different way than scripted shows. The best part about improv? “The first big laugh of the show– the moment when the crowd reacts to an incredibly creative and hilarious line by one of the actors,” Ryan says. Ryan proudly co-directs with James Huffman, as “it takes two to keep this high-energy group wrangled”.
The rest of the season will bring five more shows to the stage at 100 New York Avenue in Dowagiac. Jennifer Shoemaker, Treasurer for the Beckwith Board of Directors, says, “We’re very excited about the variety of shows we have planned for this year. It’s been a rough few years for the arts, and last year we did all comedies, to lift spirits and welcome people back to the theatre.”
April 14th-23rd debuts Sylvia, a romantic comedy by A.R. Gurney, and Jeeves in Bloom, adapted by Margaret Raether, runs from June 2nd – 11th. This high-comedy, high-theatricality play is based on a series of short stories by English author P.G. Wodehouse.
“A great deal of thought and research goes into our play selection,” says President for the Beckwith Board of Directors, Jack Gannon. “It is our goal and mission to bring to the community a varied slate: comedies and dramas, beloved classics and thought-provoking plays which challenge and expand us.”
July 21st-30th introduces An Inspector Calls, a drama and thriller by J.B. Priestley, and dark humor, dotted with emotional conflict, is portrayed in The Outgoing Tide, by Bruce Graham from September 8th – 17th. Journey to the 1940s in Second Samuel by Pamela Parker, where diversity and family drama mesh with southern comedy, on October 27th through November 5th.
Tickets for all performances are $15 each, and can be reserved through the Box Office at 269-782-7653. Audition dates and times can be found on the Beckwith Theatre Co. social media page, as well as at beckwiththeatre.com.
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM Contributor
