Events Theatre

 

Spain was performed in June 2006

 

 

 

…a zany, comedy by emerging American playwright, Jim Knable. Barbara’s husband has left her for another woman.  What’s a woman to do?  She escapes into her great passion for all things Spanish, and next thing she knows, a 16th century Spanish Conquistador arrives in her twenty first century living room! No one seems to understand how this has happened. This quirky time traveling adventure is a theatrical delight with live musical accompaniment on the Spanish Classical guitar.  Journey with Barbara as she acts out fantasies of quitting her job, taking revenge on her husband, and eventually learning about the power she holds within herself. Spain is a quintessential fractured fairy tale… for adults!

Spain received its world premiere at the Wooly Mammouth Theatre in Washington, D.C.

The Washington Times says of that production “…you will feel warmed by the demented cheer of this story…fantasies about sunny Spain, the land of Don Quixote, Frederico Garcia Lorca, flamenco dancing and the scent of Seville oranges.”

Fiaga Levine of Channel 21 said, “ Knable is a witty, imaginative, creative writer, the cast is wonderful and I had loads of fun.”

The cast of Spain features Half Moon founders Stefanie Salzmann as Barbara (Kingston resident, MFA Acting-Rutgers, theatres coast to coast, Abigail Adams in the History Channels’ American Revolution); Molly Renfroe Katz as her best friend, Diversion (Poughkeepsie resident with credits on Broadway, The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Cleveland Playhouse, Adobe Theatre, film and television); and Neil Worden as the Conquistador (Poughkeepsie resident, Professor of Acting at Vassar College, MFA Acting –University of Washington (Seattle), theatre, film, stage combat choreography and voiceover for over 100 productions across the nation).

Rounding out the cast are local actors Soyal Smalls, playing no less than six roles as The Ancient, Roman, Psychiatrist, Lawyer, Monk and General (Poughkeepsie resident, currently appearing in Caucasian Chalk Circle at Suny New Paltz with extensive experience at Hudson Valley Shakespeare and New Day Repertory Theatre in Poughkeepsie); and actor-composer-musician Gilles Malkines as the ex-husband John and the onstage guitarist (Olivebridge resident with credits Off Broadway, Carnegie Hall, Woodstock’s River Arts Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Company and Performing Arts of Woodstock). Also an accomplished musician he has three CD’s with current performance partner Mikhail Horowitz. 

The production team features the extraordinary artistry of Esopus resident painter and sculptor Robert Hite as set designer (www.roberthite.com ).  Lighting Design is provided by Chris O’Shea whose work is ubiquitous in the Hudson Valley (4th Wall productions, The Annandale Troupe, Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center and longtime designer for Dutchess Children’s Theatre); and Jennifer Raskopf as costume designer (currently in the graduate design program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas – a SUNY New Paltz graduate, Hudson Valley resident and former designer for the Annandale Troupe).  All these artists have previously collaborated with Director Margo Whitcomb (founding Artistic Director of Half Moon Theatre, formerly Associate Artistic Director of American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and Artistic Director of The Annandale Troupe in Millbrook, extensive experience nationwide as an actor, director, dramaturg and educator as well as fim and television).

Spain is being produced at Cunneen-Hacket Arts Center in Poughkeepsie.