One of the greatest and oldest performance traditions is that of the lone story teller. Monodrama is the modern evolution of that ancient lineage, where a single actor performs an entire play — often with multiple characters — and sometimes even creates it. This season, The Northeast Theatre presents three self-produced monodramas called Acting Alone, a festival celebration of the monodrama, part two.

The series opens with Andrea Brugnera’s one man versions of two epic films; The Ten Commandments and The French Revolution. Performed in a contemporary style with roots in commedia dell’arte, Signore Brugnera brings with him a lifetime of skill and comedic style.

Second in the series is Scranton native Maura Malloy in The Syringa Tree, created by Pamela Gien; a personal, deeply evocative story of an abiding love between two families, one black, one white, and the two children that are born into their shared household in early 1960’s South Africa. Maura Malloy plays 24 characters; black, white, young, old.

Finally, Sigrid Heath brings the story of Beryl Markham, Wingbone. The famous aviatrix and author grew up in the African bush, and though the daughter of an English rancher, her upbringing among the locals gave her the heart and soul of a bushman. Heath brings her to like again, from childhood, through her days as a horse trainer, her triumph in making the first east to west flight across the Atlantic, her career as author and lecturer, to her death in Kenya in 1986.

Also, on March 22, Italian actor Andrea Brugnera teaches a Master Class: Mask & Character in Commedia dell’arte, from 1 to 5 pm. Signor Brugnera takes students through an intensive overview of how to approach a character physically and bring a mask to life, based on his lifelong association with the ancient form of improvisational Italian theatre, commedia dell’arte.

On April 12 and 13, Maura Malloy teaches her Master Class on African Dance, from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday and noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday. These traditional dances are intense, vital, and loads of fun.
For both Master Classes, advance enrollment is required: 570-558-1515 or www.thenortheasttheatre.us - Master Classes are offered to the public without charge — space is limited. Made possible by a generous grant from The Willary Foundation.