Pequod Productions

03/21/2025

Good morning, fellow Bard-o-philes!
Who wants to participate in 2025’s reading of the Shakespeare Sonnets?
We welcome readers and listeners alike.
In Person session*:
Saturday April 26 1:00 EST
Virtual session**:
Sunday April 27 1:00 EST

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13YkndSS9DzTU6NQq-uAsqpKeDYvYOZzDlLOAirw9EBw/edit
“Schedule” tab show which are still available.
“Information” tab SHOULD answer any questions.
To sign up , email
[email protected]
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*At Burning Coal Theatre Company in Raleigh, NC
**In a Zoom session that will be shared on Facebook Live.

11/17/2024

Now and then All the Cool People need to go to Comedy Worx.

10/27/2024

THREE YEARS AGO!
Joanna Vickery Herath, Judy Dove, and Ted Willis had a cyber-blast AND a live-blast with our Poe-Fest!
Deb Royals made a pilgrimage to Baltimore to score some appropriate beer: "Raven Special Lager," "Tell Tale Heart IPA," "Anabelle Lee Wit Ale" which we served at the live reading at Pure Life Theatre.
Many thanks to all involved!

10/15/2024

On Monday 10/14, All The Cool People* were properly impressed by Burning Coal Theatre' Pop-Up Production: The US Premiere of Haughey/Gregory by Colin Murphy -- a very witty Historical Comedy (based on actual events) in the world of 1980s Irish politics.
Director Flora Bare has coaxed over 30 individual, distinct characters out of five actors.**
And the Creative Team*** is on top of it, too!
We've also been enjoying a bit of "study" afterwards.
While we want to urge everyone to attend, we feel your enjoyment will be enhanced by
1. reading at least the first few paragraphs on this page:
https://www.rte.ie/culture/2019/0125/1025295-haughey-gregory-colin-murphys-acclaimed-play-comes-to-rte/,
2. listening to at least a few minutes of the imbedded audio there,
and
3. by listening to this podcast:
https://burningcoal.podbean.com/e/episode-115-flora-bare/
(note for those of you with limited time: discussion of the play itself begins at the 20-minute mark)
More information? Click here:
https://burningcoal.org/haughey-gregory/
and/or stand by for an upcoming issue of Triangle Review
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*Douglas Kapp, Monica Hoh, Larry Bliss, Jim O'Brien, Jerome Davis, and a host of others!
**Preston Edgar Campbell, Andrew Price Carlile, Margaret-Ellen Christensen, Dan Oliver, & Laurel Ullman
***Chris Popowich, Lynda Clark, Juan Isler, Barry Jaked, Meredith Riggan, Carry Vaughan-Sprouse, Rick Herndon, Avanthicka Iyengar, Addison Florio, Julianna Babcock, & ColeTrain

10/14/2024

All the Cool People* were BLOWN AWAY by Stone Soup Theatre Co's Saturday night's performance of Godspell (2012 Revised Edition) at Center Theater (300-G Main St. Carrboro)
A joyously upbeat first act (followed by "communion" with Jesus during intermission) sets up the more serious second act.
Director/Choreographer Melissa Craib Dombrowski has assembled a highly energetic cast**.
Music Director Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis heads up a superb orchestra***
Backed by a team of Designers & Crew Members****

https://www.facebook.com/events/880429597321061/880429627321058/?active_tab=about
For more info, click here: https://stonesouptheatreco.com/2024/godspell/
and/or stand by for an upcoming issue of Triangle Review
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* Kurt Benrud, Carolina C. Alford, & Douglas Kapp
**Alyssa Krasovich, Reid Bowman, Ada Chang, Ben Gibson, Ellie Hanna, Finn Purvis, Kailen Gore, Krista Katzenmeyer, Livia McIntire, Natasha Gore, Kalindi Hess, Sarina Edwards, Anna Beth Green, & Pam Guidry-Vollers
***Joanna Sisk-Purvis - Conductor & Keyboards
Louis Landry - Guitars
Jeremy Boomhower - Bass
****
Andrea Wainwright-Zimmerman, Ava Bitsas, Joe Purvis, Lisa Hess, HD Welker, Nathan Dickson, Patrick Dombrowski, Pam Guidry-Vollers, & Gabi Tessier

(Premieres Fall 2024) The first major musical theatre offering from three-time Grammy and Academy Award winner, Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Children of Eden), Godspell took the world by storm. Stone Soup opens our 2024-2025 season with the 2012 revision of this amazing, meaningful show.

10/14/2024

Opening tonight at Burning Coal Theatre: Colin Murphy's Pop-Up Production: The US Premiere of Haughey/Gregory
Directed by Flora Bare & featuring a standout cast*
Irish ● Political Comedy
In 1982, in Dublin, two very repulsive characters were running for high office. Then … something happened. Haughey/Gregory is the hilarious and brilliantly HOPEFUL play about a moment in time when the least expected thing happened, and the world changed for the better.

“The Gregory Deal” has become one of the most fascinating and unprecedented untold footnotes of Irish politics and Haughey/Gregory looks to examine all the political game, uprise, and sacrifice behind this lesser-known Cinderella story. Inner-city Dublin, 1982: after seeing plans for the demolition of his poverty-stricken hometown, small-town politician Tony Gregory makes an unusual rise in politics, shockingly becoming a Techta Dála as a member of an independent party. In doing so, Gregory finds himself in a very unique position of power as he is now among a split Daíl and it becomes clear that his vote could completely sway the upcoming election. Now courted by both major nominees Fitzgerald and Haughey, Gregory meets with both big-time politicians trying to figure out how to best leverage his newfound power to represent and fight for “the little guy.”

Haughey/Gregory will play Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm, October 14th – 23rd at the Murphey School Auditorium.
https://burningcoal.org/haughey-gregory/

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*Preston Edgar Campbell, Andrew Price Carlile, Margaret-Ellen Christensen, Dan Oliver, Laurel Ullman

Special Performance: Haughey/Gregory Performance Dates: October 14 – 23, 2024 Haughey/Gregory is an addition to Burning Coal’s 2024-2025 season and is separate from the mainstage series. It will run in repertory with Copenhagen at the Murphey School Auditorium. Performances take place on Monday-...

10/14/2024

Does reading a play online interest you?
Lit_Lovers will be reading Shakespeare's "The Two Noble Kinsmen" in a Zoom session on Sunday 10/20 at 1:00 EDT. Anyone interested in joining us: Message Kurt Benrud or email [email protected] Text: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/the-two-noble-kinsmen/read/ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MYYHczHURIIq5PUJwCxxZ1-210A4LoFlKUH8Ebo8x04/edit?gid=1400975156 =1400975156

10/05/2024

Time is running out! Only one more performance!
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey— presented by Wake Forest Pride, produced and presented by John DuVall at The Graham (306 S White St.) in Wake Forest is not to be missed!

Even people who claim, “I don’t like one-man shows” will be very entertained and fulfilled by this 70-or-so minute show that sketches out the solving of a hate crime in a small town in Jersey Shore.

The “one man” is Chuck DeSantis, a hard-boiled police detective who tells this story in fashion that is just similar enough to “film noir” to get his audience into “noir-listening-mode” without ever creating the feeling that we are entrenched in the genre. This “one man,” however, within five minutes introduces us to four other characters (and we eventually meet a total of nine or so).

While the play is very much a “whodunnit” mystery, it is much more. It’s about the “brightness” that one individual can add to the lives of those around him, about the love that we can feel, and extreme loss that we can feel (even if our connection to the deceased had been tangential at best).
More than that – It’s about the very human need to be true to oneself (and about the consequences inherent in doing so).

DeSantis seems to be telling the story from a ten-or-so-years-down-the-road perspective. Keep in mind that he never even met Leonard, but watch for the degree to which the young man’s story changes him.
MORE? Click here: https://facebook.com/events/s/the-absolute-brightness-of-leo/8287922454635758/ and/or stand by for an upcoming issue of Triangle Review.

10/04/2024

Tonight’s event.
Join All the Cool People for The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey— presented by Wake Forest Pride
Produced by John DuVall at The Graham*
Tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00 pm.

In James Lecesne’s “The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey,” we meet every character in a small Jersey shore town, where Leonard, an optimistic and flamboyant 14-year-old, goes missing. He becomes an unexpected inspiration as the town’s citizens question how they live.

https://facebook.com/events/s/the-absolute-brightness-of-leo/8287922454635758/
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* upstairs at Cotton Company
306 S White St, Wake Forest