'Three Days of Rain' Opens June 9 at Oldcastle

Print Story | Email Story

BENNINGTON, Vt. — The 2007 Oldcastle Theatre Company season continues with Richard Greenberg's Pulitzer-nominated drama "Three Days of Rain," directed by Oldcastle's Producing Artistic Director Eric Peterson, opening June 8 at the Bennington Center for the Arts.

Tickets are buy one, get one free for the matinee performance on Saturday, June 9.

Three actors play two generations of characters in two families in this thoughtful, thought-provoking, and unexpectedly romantic family story that The New York Times called "elegant." 

In the first act, set in 1995, Walker Janeway (Gil Brady) and his sister Nan (Sophia Garder) meet their childhood friend Pip (Avery Clarke) to divide the estate of their late fathers, who were partners in a successful architecture firm. As they go through the contents of the Manhattan loft that holds the firm's effects, the three try to piece together their fathers' lives and how their families intertwined decades ago.

In the second act Brady plays Walker and Nan's father, Ned, Garder plays Lina, and Clark plays Pip's father, Theo, as we see the families interacting in the same loft a generation earlier in the 1960s during three days of rain that were pivotal in their combined histories.

Originally commissioned and produced in 1997 by the South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, Calif., where many of Greenberg's plays have had their world premieres, "Three Days of Rain" opened in New York City later that year at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Last year it received a much-hyped Broadway production with Julia Roberts as Nan/Lina.

The cast of "Three Days of Rain" features a long-time Oldcastle actress returning to the company and two actors making their Oldcastle debuts. Sophia Garder most recently appeared in the OTC production of "Mornings at Seven" in 2005. Her other Oldcastle appearances include the premieres of "American Revolution" and "Panache." Gil Brady's television appearances include "Law & Order: Special Victims' Unit," and "All My Children." He appeared in the Foothills Theatre production of "The Full Monty" in Worcester and in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with Syracuse Stage. Avery Clark recently appeared in "Journey's End" at the Alley Theatre in Houston and "The Heidi Chronicles" with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. His New York appearances include "The Lion in Winter."

Kenneth Mooney has designed the sets and lighting for this production, and Patricia Brundage has designed the costumes. Sound design is by Nick Garder. Oldcastle's 36th anniversary season continues with Ernest Thompson's "On Golden Pond," running July 13-29, and then New York longest-running musical The Fantasticks playing Aug. 17-Sept. 2.

A fall production of Lee Blessing's "A Body of Water" will be presented Sept. 21-Oct. 7, followed by Tom Mula's "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" as a holiday treat from Dec. 13-16.

When you call for tickets, be sure to ask about a FlexPass which buys you five seats to use as you choose at a 20 percent discount over regular box office prices! Three Days of Rain runs June 8-24 at the Bennington Center for the Arts at the intersection of Route 9 and Gypsy Lane. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, with 2 p.m. matinees on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Tickets are $32 for adults and $12 for students, and group rates are available. Call the box office at 802-447-0564 or visit www.oldcastletheatreco.org for more information.

 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

St. Stan's Students Spread Holiday Cheer at Williamstown Commons

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Students from St. Stanislaus Kostka School  in Adams brought the holiday spirit to Williamstown Commons on Thursday, delivering handmade Christmas cards and leading residents in a community caroling session.
 
"It honestly means the world to us because it means the world to them," said nursing home Administrator Alex Fox on Thursday morning. "This made their days. This could have even made their weeks. It could have made their Christmas, seeing the children and interacting with the community."
 
Teacher Kate Mendonca said this is the first year her class has visited the facility, noting that the initiative was driven entirely by the students.
 
"This came from the kids. They said they wanted to create something and give back," Mendonca said. "We want our students involved in the community instead of just reading from a religion book."
 
Preparation for the event began in early December, with students crafting bells to accompany their singing. The handmade cards were completed last week.
 
"It's important for them to know that it's not just about them during Christmas," Mendonca said. "It's about everyone, for sure. I hope that they know they really helped a lot of people today and hopefully it brought joy to the residents here."
View Full Story

More Williamstown Stories