WORLD PREMIER STAGED READING
Sunday, August 23, 2015
MCTA Scholarship Reception 6:00 P.M.
Conquering Madness reading 7:30 P.M.
On Sunday, August 23, 2015 a staged reading of Conquering Madness, a new play by Tonya M. Sedgwick, will premier at the Hidden Valley Music Seminars. Following the staged reading, the playwright and creative team will hold a talkback to discuss the play. Admission to the staged reading will be pay-what-you-can (suggested donation $20; no one will be turned away for lack of ability to pay), and all concessions sales will benefit the 2016 MCTA Theatre Arts Student Scholarship. The MCTA Scholarship Reception will be held prior to the performance, beginning at 6:00pm, and the staged reading will begin at 7:30pm. Closed captions will be provided for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons, and all stage directions will be read, making the reading accessible to blind and vision-impaired community members. It is recommended that guests with disabilities contact FMT prior to the performance with any needs or questions.
Produced by Fearless Minds Theatrical, Conquering Madness is a dark comedy about Ginny (played by Roxanne Cheysson), a young woman who believes that she turns into a wolf every night, who seeks out the help of psychiatry. Unbeknownst to her, however, she steps into a space that transcends time, where she is treated by three Furies (Greek minor deities of vengeance, played by Richard Boynton, Chris Caffrey, and Brian Benjamin Balistreri) who channel the psychiatrists of American history (1918-present). Here, she must decide whether to stamp out the wolf hidden within her--or live with it as a dangerous gift. The play is recommended for audience members 17 and older, with a trigger warning for topics of suicide and abuse.
