Lakeside Civic Players opens season

LUDINGTON — The opening production for Lakeside Civic Players, the resident theatre company at Ludington Area Center for the Arts, is The Laramie Project, which performs October 19-20 and 26-28 in the Arts Center’s performance hall.  Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30pm while the Sunday performance is at 2:00pm.

The Laramie Project is a drama documentary that chronicles the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming.  Actors portray several citizens of Laramie, some who are directly related to the crime and some who are not and the breadth of their reactions to the crime is intriguing.  The play was written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project in New York and based on hundreds of interviews the theater group conducted during several trips to Laramie, WY to learn more about the brutal beating and murder of Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student. The Laramie Project is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths of wickedness to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which humans are capable.

The cast for The Laramie Project includes Marcus Allen, Donna Knudsen, Mattea Bissell, Sean Bulger, Drew Oneal, Brian May, Chasity Morris, and Danae McKerchie.  Each actor portrays several roles.

The season continues with The Velveteen Rabbit. A holiday treat and family favorite; The Velveteen Rabbit is a heart-warming story of a stuffed toy rabbit that becomes real through the love of a little boy has been cherished for generations.   Performances are scheduled for Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2.  Auditions are scheduled for October 22 and 23 at 6:30pm at the Arts Center.

A capstone of the 2012-2013 season, LCP is proud to announce that this year’s musical is RENT, scheduled for February 7-10 and 14-17.  It is the Pulitzer, Drama Desk and Tony Award winning musical by Jonathon Larson.  Based on Puccini’s La Bohéme, RENTtells the story of several New York City artists as they struggle to survive and create amid poverty, discrimination, and the shadow of HIV/AIDS.  Two evenings of dinner theatre are scheduled for this production.

The season will close in April with a production of Baby With the Bathwater.  This is a dark comedy written in a playful style by Christopher Durang about how difficult it is to be a parent and how scary it is to be a child.  Despite its sardonic wit, Baby With the Bathwaterhas a hopeful ending.  Production dates are April 12-13 and 19-21.

Season tickets are available and may be purchased through the Arts Center for just $80.  This gives you 8 vouchers, valid for all four shows, to exchange for tickets in any way you choose, not including dinner theatre.  This is a savings of as much as $80 off the single ticket price.  Season tickets are limited, so call or stop by the Arts Center soon.  Single tickets for The Laramie Project are on sale now at the Arts Center office.  Seating is general admission and prices are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.  Ludington Area Center for the Arts is open Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 5:30pm, or you may call 231-845-2787 to reserve your tickets.  For more information and a complete calendar of events, visit www.ludingtonartscenter.org.