By John Moore
When: Sept. 8-Oct. 14
Written by: Jeffrey Sweet
The story: A drama about an aging actor, Benny, who was blacklisted during the 1950s and was unable to find employment for years before finding success in television. His actress daughter, Norma, is cast in a play directed by his old friend who testified against him before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Now Norma wonders whether the two can reconcile.
Why it made the list: According to playwright Jeffrey Sweet: “The play keeps getting done because the blacklist keeps mutating and re-inventing itself in every political era, so the story stays relevant.” As for the name of the theater company, “Or” is the Hebrew word for “light.”
Cast list:
Director: Richard H. Pegg
Roger Simon as Benny
Lisa Rosenhagen as Norma
Dave Ufford as Leo
Where: At the Pluss Theater in the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., Denver
Performance times: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays (half-price preview 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6; no performances Sept. 16 or 27)
Prices: $20-25
Contact: 303-316-6360 or www.maccjcc.org
No. 1: Curious Theatre’s “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity”
No. 2: Ben Dicke Presents’ “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”
No. 3: Abster Productions’ “August: Osage County”
No. 4: Midtown Arts Center’s “In the Heights”
No. 5: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “The Giver”
No. 6: Local Theater Company’s “Elijah: An Adventure”
No. 7: Vintage Theatre’s “The Cider House Rules”
No. 8: Miners Alley Playhouse’s “The Three Penny Opera”
No. 9: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center’s “Make Sure It’s Me”
No 10: Creede Rep’s “Is He Dead?” at the Arvada Center
No. 11: Theatre Or’s “The Value of Names”
Among the many other shows to watch:
Sept. 1-16, 2012: Ami Dayan Presents “A Happy End,” at Buntport Theater Read my interview with playwright Iddo Netanyahu
Sept. 4-16, 2012: National touring production of “La Cage Aux Folles,” at the Buell Theatre
Sept. 7-Nov. 3, 2012: Boulder’s Dinner Theatre’s “Avenue Q”
Sept. 7-22, 2012: Germinal Stage-Denver’s “A Kind of Alaska”
Sept. 7-Oct. 6, 2012: Spark Theater’s “Rebecca” (note new address: 985 Santa Fe Drive)
Sept. 11-30, 2012: Arvada Center’s “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (and Oct. 4-14 at the Lone Tree Arts Center)
Sept. 13-16, 2012: PACE Center’s “Scarlet Letter, The Musical” (Parker)
Sept. 14-Oct. 14, 2012: Town Hall Arts Center’s “Sweet Charity” (Littleton)
Sept. 14-Nov. 10, 2012: The Avenue’s “Murder Most Fowl”
Sept. 14-Oct. 14, 2012: Ashton Entertainment’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” at the Aurora Fox
Sept. 15-Oct. 14, 2012: Bas Bleu’s “The Love of the Nightingale” (Fort Collins)
Sept. 20-Oct. 14, 2012: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “Fences” (Space Theatre
Sept. 21-Oct. 21, 2012: The Edge’s “Boom” (Lakewood)
Sept. 27-Oct 21, 2012: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “The Three Musketeers” (Stage Theatre)
Oct. 2-24, 2012: And Toto Too’s “Pardon My Dust” (at Laundry on Lawrence)
Complete Denver Post theater listings:
Capsules of all currently running productions
