TROUBLE IN MIND

by Alice Childress

This 1955 classic wasn't produced on Broadway until 2021, since the playwright held firm to her convictions about its content and ending.

Set during rehearsals for a major Broadway production, TROUBLE IN MIND illuminates the inner life of a Black actress struggling with her career. As Wiletta grapples with how she's treated, the role she's being asked to play, and what the production says (or doesn't) about race in America, her growing discomfort sets off a chain of events that reveal fissures within the acting company — and bring her into conflict with her director. Who will prevail? Find out as Seat of the Pants presents Alice Childress' 1955 play which didn't premiere on Broadway until 2021: a funny, satirical, moving, and heartbreaking look at racism, identity, and ego in the high stakes world of New York theatre.

Directed by Jeannine Gaskin and produced by Craig Joseph, the production stars Elizabeth Domer, Andrew Knode, Madison Ledyard-King, Michael Montanus, Zyrece Montgomery, Tom Stephan, Nicole Sumlin*, Darryl Tatum, and Tom Woodward*.

Sam Landgraf stage manages, with costume design by Marti Coles, lighting design by Ayron Lord, props design by Mia Jones, sound design by Aria Smith, and scenic construction by Christian Sanko.

CONTENT ADVISORY: mild profanity, racist remarks and language, descriptions of racial violence

TROUBLE IN MIND is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. — www.concordtheatricals.com

*denotes member of Actors Equity

November 3-19, 2023
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM / Sundays at 2:30 PM

LatinUs Theater Company
@The Pivot Center
2937 West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113

THE THINGS I FORGOT

written and performed by Ingrid De Sanctis

A preacher's daughter revisits her faith, family, and the victims of a sexual scandal, which tore her family apart nearly 40 years before.

With over 100 pairs of shoes, bouquets of flowers and four chairs, Virginia-based theatre artist, educator, and playwright Ingrid De Sanctis brings a deeply personal story to the stage in her new solo performance the things i forgot, a carousel of characters, stories, and memories written and performed by De Sanctis herself.

In the things i forgot, a preacher's daughter revisits her faith, her family, and the victims of a sexual scandal, which tore her family apart nearly 40 years before. Inspired by Ingrid’s own Pentecostal roots, this solo show is a theatre experience that inspires and challenges audiences to think about their own journeys through faith and family. Described as “part performance installation, part movement, part storytelling”, the things I forgot is a play about holding the truth, the weight of the truth, and the sometimes-rocky road to coming to terms with that truth.

CONTENT WARNING: Contains adult sexual content and language, deals with traumatic experiences

January 19-21, 2024
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM / Sunday at 2:30 PM

Performing Arts Hall
Founders Hall, Malone University
425 25th Street NW Canton, OH 44709

BACH AT LEIPZIG

by Itamar Moses

Germany, 1722. Leipzig's revered organist dies suddenly. Who will replace him and how far will they go to win? Farcical antics ensue.

Leipzig, Germany — 1722. Johann Kuhnau, revered organist of the Thomaskirche, suddenly dies, leaving his post vacant. The town council invites musicians from across the country to audition for the coveted position, among them young Johann Sebastian Bach. In an age where musicians depend on patronage to pursue their craft, the post is a near guarantee of fame and fortune — which is why the 7 candidates are willing to resort to any lengths to secure it. Half AIRPLANE! and half AMADEUS, BACH AT LEIPZIG is a fugue-like farcical web of bribery, blackmail, and betrayal set against the backdrop of questions about humanity, God, and art.

Directed by Michael Glavan and produced by Craig Joseph, the production stars Carolyn Demanelis, Scott Esposito, Heidi Harris*, Molly McFadden, Luke Wehner*, and Kadijah Wingo.

Sam Landgraf stage manages, with costume design by George McCarty II, lighting design by Ayron Lord, sound design by Maggie Hamilton, scenic design by Al Costa, props design by Lisa L. Wiley, and scenic construction by Christian Sanko.

CONTENT ADVISORY: sexual innuendo and comic violence

BACH AT LEIPZIG is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. — www.concordtheatricals.com

*denotes member of Actors Equity

March 22 - April 7, 2024
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM / Sundays at 2:30 PM
NO PERFORMANCE on Sunday, March 31st / Additional 2:30 PM Matinee on Saturday, April 6th

Franklin Circle Christian Church
1688 Fulton Road
Cleveland, OH 44113

THE WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE

by Deborah Brevoort

Loosely based on the aftermath of the crash of Pan Am Flight 103, the play examines how we grieve, care for one another, and live with hope.

A mother and father from New Jersey roam the hills of Lockerbie, Scotland, looking for their son's remains that were lost in the crash of Pan Am Flight 103. In their very different griefs, they encounter the local women, who are fighting the U.S. government to obtain the clothing of the victims found in the plane's wreckage. Determined to convert an act of hatred into an act of love, they want to wash the clothes of the dead and return them to the victims' families. Loosely inspired by a true story, THE WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE — written in the style of a Greek tragedy, with both heartache and humor — is a poetic drama about the triumph of hope over despair.

Directed by Craig Joseph, the production stars Terence Cranendonk*, Anjanette Hall*, Natalie Sander Kern, Anne McEvoy, Emily Polcyn, Charlene V. Smith, and Doug Sutherland.

Kate Beckley stage manages, with scenic design by Ron Newell, costume design by Jenniver Sparano, sound design by Angie Hayes, props design by Lisa L. Wiley, and scenic construction by Christian Sanko.

CONTENT ADVISORY: descriptions of a plane crash and the resulting deaths, mild profanity

THE WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service Collection. (www.dramatists.com)

*denotes member of Actors Equity

July 12-28, 2024
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM / Sundays at 2:30 PM

Performing Arts Hall
Founders Hall, Malone University
425 25th Street NW Canton, OH 44709

OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD

by Timberlake Wertenbaker

August 2022

"Our Country’s Good exposes the viewer to a part of history not well known to many. The overly-long script gets a creditable staging by Seats of the Pants Productions. It is worth the sit for anyone interested in probing theater." (Roy Berko, Cool Cleveland)

THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY

by James Lecesne

August 2021

"All [nine] characters come to credible life thanks to Craig Joseph’s remarkable performance acumen. From the timbre of his various accents (New Joisey, Britain, Germany) to the detailed nuances of body language, his expressivity is riveting, at once fiery, poignant and not without a generous dose of edgy humor. He turns the playwright’s words into specific, tangible people with attitudes — funny, happy, frightened, angry, mournful —  switching from one to the next with astonishing speed and precision." (Tom Wachunas, ArtWach)

APPLES IN WINTER

by Jennifer Fawcett

August 2021

"[Anne] McEvoy gives a brilliant performance as Miriam, who's alternately nervous, apologetic, funny and heartbreaking. Under the direction of Jamie Koeth, we feel the deep mourning of a loving mother through all of McEvoy's soulful performance." (Kerry Clawson, The Akron Beacon Journal)

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID

by Sarah Treem

March 2020

“[Craig Joseph] not only understands the script and how to hone his actors’ performances, but nicely blocks the movements to take advantage of Aurora Community Theatre’s quirky thrust stage … The cast, headed by Derdriu Ring and Amy Fritsche, is outstanding. The rest of the cast rises to their level, with each fleshing out a real person. [This is] a superb production, with high quality direction and acting, thus making it a perfect vehicle to “celebrate” the issues of womanhood in this era of angst.” (Roy Berko, Cool Cleveland)

RIPCORD

by David Lindsay-Abaire

November 2019

"Dede Klein is unwaveringly unpleasant and even imposing as Abby, who addresses everyone with contempt and condescension. Similarly well cast is April Deming as Marilyn, the kind of woman who tries to keep things upbeat and copacetic, no matter what. Benjamin Gregg is steadily amusing as Scotty, the facility aide who does his best to remain polite in extreme circumstances. Shani Ferry and Micah Harvey contribute to the fun as Marilyn’s daughter and son-in-law. James Alexander Rankin, as someone from Abby’s past, arrives for a dramatically resonant scene amidst all the craziness." (Dan Kane, The Canton Repository)

SMOKEFALL

By Noah Haidle

August 2019

"[Smokefall] is mounted here by Seat of the Pants Productions, ... always on the look-out for powerful, challenging stage literature. [They've] found it again. And again, [they have] assembled a superbly accomplished ensemble to articulate it.” (Tom Wachunas, ArtWach)

THE END OF THE TOUR

by Joel Drake Johnson

March-April 2019

“Well-paced, with clearly-developed characters and high-quality acting. The overall effect is respect and awe for the cast and director. This is a must-see production.” (Roy Berko, Cool Cleveland)

MOLLY SWEENEY

by Brian Friel

November 2018

“A beautiful sense of melancholy pervades … this gracefully written and performed play, … an achingly quiet work with big ideas.” (Kerry Clawson, The Akron Beacon Journal)

THE CHRISTIANS

 by Lucas Hnath

August 2017

“Lucas Hnath’s writing doesn’t succumb to preachy histrionics, melodramatic propaganda, or obtuse Christian apologetics. What we get instead is the uncanny sensation that these actors aren’t really acting so much as offering an unabashedly honest look at the complex reality of ideological impasses. Their sincerity is so palpable and disarming that we become not merely passive witnesses to a church’s plight, but engaged, sympathetic neighbors sharing the innermost spiritual struggles of a once harmonious community. Church as microcosm of our turbulent times?” (Tom Wachunas, ArtWach)

CHESAPEAKE

by Lee Blessing

June 2017

“Mr. Joseph IS the play, as it’s a one-man affair. So it would be a hollow compliment to say you can’t take your eyes off him. There’s nothing else to look at in this production – no set, no props, no lighting changes. This nearly two-hour (with an intermission) monologue is delivered in a black box. And yet it explodes with all the complicated colors and textures of clashing ideas and personalities. Joseph is a proverbial and otherwise riveting man of a thousand faces (and voices to match) who brings Blessing’s tale – maddeningly compelling and preposterous – to cantankerous and hilarious life. He does so with memorable panache, and an astonishingly keen ability to balance both comedic absurdities and searing drama with startling credibility.” (Tom Wachunas, ArtWach)

THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

by Jason Miller

May 2017

“Only five minutes in, as each perfectly-cast man performs his role with both gusto and the finest nuance, audience members forget that this is a staged reading. We don’t even notice the scripts in the actors’ hands because, quite frankly, there are too many other fascinating dynamics occurring onstage.” (Albert Clay, The Voice)

THE BEST MAN

by Gore Vidal

August 2016

“All eleven members of this excellent cast are remarkably adept at articulating the play’s uneasy balance between biting sarcasm and credible human drama….Stephanie Cargill has crafted a remarkably poignant rendering of dignity amid woundedness, tempered with a measure of emotional detachment both chilling and sad in her role of Mrs. Russell.” (Tom Wachunas, ArtWach)

PICNIC

by William Inge

August 2015

“Once again, Seat of the Pants demonstrates remarkable acuity for drawing out compelling realism from cast members. They truly own their roles, imbuing Inge’s language - which on paper can sometimes seem hoakey and histrionic – with visceral authenticity. Additionally, The Black Box Theatre is made all the more intimate by Micah Harvey’s artful set that cuts across the floor so that we in the audience, viewing it from two sides, feel like neighbors peering into the shared back yard where most of the story unfolds.” (Tom Wachunas, ArtWach)

GOD OF CARNAGE

by Yasmina Reza

October 2012

“And, oh, how fun to watch this foursome transform and unravel from the safety of one’s seat! A superb cast… this is some of the finest ensemble acting I’ve ever seen on a local stage, brimming with energy and inspired details that seem utterly of the moment… This terrifically juicy and entertaining production deserves to be seen.”   (Dan Kane, The Canton Repository)