The City of Dowagiac is no stranger to musical works and performances, as entertainers have been filling the area with sold-out shows and packed houses since the early 1900s. The Beckwith Theatre Company, which takes up residence in the historic Beckwith Memorial Theatre at 100 New York Avenue, was formed in 1990 and has since produced a plethora of plays, musicals, improv shows, concerts, and the like. This year, their season presents a list of productions you don’t want to miss, behind ‘Improv!!’ that closed in February, and ‘Jeeves At Sea’ that ended in early March.
May 6, 7, 8 and May 13, 14, 15 will introduce ‘Five Women Wearing the Same Dress’ by Alan Ball; “a wickedly funny, touching, and irreverent celebration of the women’s spirit.” Directed by Larry Nielson, this comedy has a cast of six, and is set in Knoxville, Tennessee during a wedding reception. Tickets for this show are $15 each, and can be reserved by calling 269-782-7653. The Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m., and Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m.
2016 production of Bleacher Bums
Following the May production, the Beckwith Theatre Company will put on three additional plays and a To Be Determined December show. The first and second weekends in July will showcase ‘Arsenic And Old Lace’ by Joseph Kesselring, August 19th (20, 21, and 26, 27, 28) will debut ‘Unnecessary Farce’ by Paul Slade Smith, and October 7th will begin the two-weekend performance of ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’ by Oscar Wilde.
Beckwith Theatre Company also offers a Summer Youth Program, where students will learn and perform a play in only two weeks. This program is “designed to be a low-stress introduction to theatre, for youth in grades 7 – 12,” where acting, stagehand, and production roles will be filled by participants. Beginners are encouraged to join, and students of any school district or homeschool are welcome. You can find more information about the program, scheduled for June 10 – 25 of this year, on their website, beckwiththeatre.com.
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM Contributor
