Description

Read by Ceil and Peter Herman, Connections is an evening of three short plays about making connections presented as NSTC's Valentines Day present to our patrons. A bit of information about the plays and making reservations follows.

A WALK IN THE PARK by Stanley Dyrector 2018.
Jack, an older man walking in the park, sees a woman on a bench who seems to be adjusting to being a senior. She looks familiar. Does he know her? Could it be the girl, Essie, who long, long ago helped him get over another who broke his heart?

A PAIR OF LUNATICS A Dramatic Sketch by W.R. Walkes 1889
Pair of Lunatics, He and She, on first meeting in a mental institution, are lead to believe the other is an inmate. This ever-popular comedy originally played at the Drury Lane Theatre, London. The opening generated an overwhelming success - a time-honored classic that delivers laugh after laugh- the fun is immense!

THE ILLUMINATI IN DRAMA LIBRE by Alice Gerstenberg 1920
Two characters, He and She, are dressed absurdly in the most vivid colors. Their faces are painted in stripes, squares, etc., in colors, crimson, purple, green, etc. The two make a whirlwind entrance in front of the curtain. They talk.

The performance is free but reservations must be made due to copyright restrictions. To make reservations email nstcbbt@zianet.com with "Connections" in the subject line.

Credits

Reviews

LOVE IS ON THE AIR
Reconnect with theater online via No Strings' 'Connections'
- Cheryl R Thornburg,

Many of us have been missing connections in this past year and No Strings Theatre Company has a solution - its February production, "Connections: For Love of Love" is streaming this weekend and next - for free! "Connections" consists of three short plays that explore the topic from different views. The staged readings feature No Strings' own Ceil and Peter Herman, who are usually behind the scenes, rather than center stage.

The plays span more than a century, reflecting theater of different times.

The show opens with the most contemporary, "A Walk In The Park" by Stanley Dyrector. Published in 2018, it is a described as a romantic short play for seniors. Jack is walking in a city park when he comes across a woman sitting on a park bench and he thinks he recognizes her. When he approaches her, however, she denies it and an interesting conversation ensues as she describes the hardship of living in a rent-controlled apartment where the owners want her to move out and he talks about the woman from his past. It's an endearing piece of theater with characters that seem familiar.

Next up is "The Illuminati in Drama Libre" by Alice Gerstenberg, a definite departure as we move to the 1920s where some plays, as well as art, branch out into experimental modes. Gerstenberg's play features a man and a woman against a black background. Both are wearing colorful masks, and they begin a somewhat disjointed dialogue. As they fire words and phrases back and forth, they cover a range of emotions. Unlike the previous play, it's not the people, but the emotions that seem to be the focus. All of this takes place in just three minutes.

The final play, the longest of the three, is a delightful comedy written in 1889. It's still quite funny more than 100 years later. "A Pair of Lunatics," written by W.R. Walkes, is a classic mistaken identity comedy with a twist. A ball is held at a lunatic asylum hosted by Dr. Adams. Two of his guests separately seek refuge in a drawing room after dancing with a variety of "famous" people including Lady MacBeth, the Sultana of Zanzibar and Hamlet. They each think the other is a patient and decide to play along, inventing more and more fanciful stories. The result is a charming and rib-tickling bit of theater. Thanks Ceil and Peter Herman for resurrecting this oldie but goodie.

"Connections" plays on Valentines Day and continues on February 19th & 20th. The show streams for 24 hours beginning at 7 p.m. on all days. Anyone wanting to watch on Sunday should sign up for the Saturday show on the day before the Sunday date. The show is free, all you have to do is register by emailing nstcbbt@zianet.com with Connections in the subject line and indicating which date you'll be watching.

It's a great way to reconnect with live theater in these crazy times.

Viewers will connect with 'Connections'
- , Las Cruces Bulletin

Black Box Theatre owners Ceil and Peter Herman make a rare appearance in front of the curtain in the No Strings Theatre Company production of "Connections," which continues streaming free of charge through Sunday, Feb. 21.

In less than 35 minutes, the Hermans perform as the aging couple Jack and Esther, who meet for the first time in a park - or did they meet decades before in a Hollywood taxi? Then, they are "He" and "She" in 1921 in brightly colored masks and a very brief but colorful word exchange. And, finally, at a formal-dress ball at a lunatic asylum in late 19th-century London, they are the sultana of Zanzibar and a dear friend of William the Conqueror -- or are they really Miss Manners and Capt. Fielding?

The three short plays "A Walk in the Park," "The Illuminati" and "A Pair of Lunatics" have been cleverly linked in this engaging production whose works stretch across more than a century.

So often during the past 20-plus years, I've been to BBT to see shows (and performed in a few) that Ceil directed and/or produced and Peter lit and did other technical work for. It was fun to see them in character, in costume and on stage.

"Are words nothing?" "Everything!" is one of their characters' exchanges in "The Illuminati." Indeed - and the masks are brilliant.

I think my favorite line is one that one of Ceil's characters says: "I knew it - he's a lunatic. I must humor (more likely spelled humour because it's a British play) him and get away."

In shadow and in light, in formal and informal costume, in memory and make believe, Ceil and Peter connect with a bit of lunacy, a lot of humor (or humour), tenderness (I loved them holding hands in "A Walk in the Park"), good fun and a lovely opportunity to get away.

Mario Valencia worked the camera for "Connections," and Sigi Treviso did the sound and lights. The mood lighting and camera moves are an important part of the shows, and the music was especially delightful.

There is no charge to watch "Connections," which streams 24 hours beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20. That means the Friday performance continues through Saturday evening, and the Saturday performance continues through Sunday, Feb. 21.

Preregister to watch the show by sending an email to nstcbbt@zianet.com with "Connections" in the subject line and indicating your desired viewing date.

Visit BBT at http://no-strings.org/.

Seating

No seating plan has been posted.