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10/25/2018 12:01 AMNew Play: Ivoryton is presenting a brand new play as it closes its season: The Queens of the Golden Mask from Wednesday, Oct. 31 to Sunday, Nov. 18. It’s set in Celestial, Alabama in the summer of 1961. The ladies gather to meet a newcomer from Ohio, but how will she fit in this society that bakes pies, sells Avon, and belongs to the Ku Klux Klan? The press material says, “Most women were partners in the goal of maintaining white supremacy, but there were many who, quietly and with great moral courage, put their lives on the line. This is their story.” For tickets, call 860-767-7318 or visit ivorytonplayhouse.org.
Cuckoo’s Nest: Up next at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford is the stage adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which begins performances on Wednesday, Oct. 31. It’s directed by Ezra Barnes, who won the directing award from the Connecticut Critics Circle for last year’s production of The Diary of Ann Frank. About this production, he said, “The characters are products of a society that values conformity over all else. Kesey’s novel, reflecting the twilight of the Eisenhower era, will be approached as a metaphor for our country’s quest for expansion and dominance.” It runs through Sunday, Nov. 18. For tickets, call 860-523-5900 or visit playhouseonpark.org.
A World-Premiere Drama: Westport Country Playhouse is ending its season, which was quite good, with Thousand Pines, Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Saturday, Nov. 18. It was part of Westport’s New Works Circle Initiative, which discovers, develops and produces new work. The story is about three family gatherings on Thanksgiving, just three months after a shooting at Thousand Pines Jr. High School. The families are, as the playwright Matthew Greene says, “grieving, hurting, and desperately confused.” It’s directed by Austin Pendleton. For tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org.
Sensory Friendly Performance: For the fifth year, Hartford Stage will present sensory-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol—A Ghost Story of Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. This is a performance designed “to create a welcoming and safe environment for individuals with autism or other sensory needs.” This means that certain aspect of the production are modified—haze is reduced, strobe lights eliminated, dim lighting remains in the auditorium, and loud and abrupt sound effects have been adjusted, among other things. There’s even free resource material to help prepare for the performance. For tickets to this special performance (prices are deuced by 50 percent), visit hartfordstage.org/sensory-friendly or call 860-527-5151.
Alternate Location: TheaterWorks in Hartford will be undergoing major renovations during part of this season. The renovations mean that several shows are being moved from the TheaterWorks venue: two will staged at the theater in the Wadsworth Atheneum. These are Actually (May 23 to June 23) and Fully Committed (Aug. 1 to Sept. 1). The location for the production of Girlfiend (March 21 to April 20) will be announced later.
New York Notes: Just opened on Broadway is The Waverly Gallery starring Elaine May and Tony award winners Joan Allen and David Cromer, among others. The play is about a family, an art gallery, New York City real estate, and a grandmother with Alzheimer’s. It’s at the Golden Theatre. Tickets are available through Telecharge. Stockard Channing, Hugh Dancy and John Tillinger are among the cast of Apologia at Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre. It’s a about a celebrated art historian whose memoirs stir up repercussion in her family about her past protests. Tickets are at roundabouttheatre.org.
Karen Isaacs is an East Haven resident. To check out her reviews for New York and Connecticut shows, visit 2ontheaisle.wordpress.com. She’s a member of both the Connecticut Critics Circle and New York’s Outer Critics Circle.