Peninsula Players Theatre is thrilled to announce that The Play’s the Thing, its winter play reading series presented to Door County audiences, will be offered virtually in 2021. Fully cast play readings will be available to stream for one night only through the theater’s online ticketing system located at www.peninsulaplayers.com. The plays will stream beginning at 7 p.m. Mondays, February 1, March 1 and April 5. Admission to each online event is limited to 300 households. Online ticket registration through the theater’s ticketing system is required. Listening is free; donations are welcome.
“Peninsula Players Theatre is excited to continue to bring winter arts programming to audiences in our traditional off-season,” said Managing Director Brian Kelsey. “We are especially delighted to bring our patrons an opportunity to continue these yearly theatrical events by offering them through our ticketing system for streaming in the comfort of your own home.”
To attend, patrons will simply need to log on or create an account in the theater’s online ticketing system to reserve access to each reading. Tutorial videos on creating an account and accessing the play readings are also available on the theater’s website and YouTube channel.
“We are thrilled that the collaboration with Door County Reads that began over 10 years ago remains fully embraced by the community,” Kelsey said. “Peninsula Players has commissioned a new audio play to open the play reading series, and Artistic Director Greg Vinkler has lined up a variety of plays for all to enjoy. Royalty agreements limit accessibility to each event to one night only with a maximum of 300 households. We suggest registering early on our online ticketing system.”
The first offering is the world première of a new audio play commissioned by Peninsula Players. Scheduled for Monday, February 1, is “The Dust of Death,” an adaptation by Neil Brookshire of Fred Merrick White’s science-fiction short story, “The Dust of Death: The Story of the Great Plague of the Twentieth Century.”
Death comes to London in the form of a horrific plague which inevitably spreads from person to person, causing great turmoil and havoc throughout the city. Adapted from one of the most frightening and captivating science-fiction short stories of the early 20th Century, it is a race against time as Dr. Label and Dr. Hubert reveal the source of the plague and offer their treatment before all of London is wiped-out.
Peninsula Players Theatre commissioned Brookshire to craft this original adaptation of “The Dust of Death” for the first of its winter play reading series, The Play’s the Thing. “The Dust of Death” is produced in coordination with NEA Big Read: Door County and its exploration of Emily St. John Mandel’s book “Station Eleven.”
While “Station Eleven” is a futuristic post-apocalyptic novel “The Dust of Death” is set in 1903 London, where White started working as a full-time journalist in 1891. In 1903 he published six short stories entitled “The Doom of London,” “The Dust of Death” being among them.
The cast for “The Dust of Death” will include Vinkler and Peninsula Players veteran Cassandra Bissell. “Bell, Book and Candle” by John Van Druten is slated for March 5 and the play selection for April 5 is yet to be finalized. The full cast list for “The Dust of Death” will be announced shortly.
NEA Big Read: Door County is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The partnership between Door County Library and the Peninsula Players began 11 years ago when the two organizations collaborated to bring
The Big Read to Door County. A full listing of events is available at www.doorcountyreads.org.
The Play’s the Thing is funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment of the Arts, as well as generous grants from Door County Medical Center, Friends of Door County Libraries, The Shubert Foundation and operating funds of Peninsula Players Theatre.
Peninsula Players Theatre is America’s Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theatre. The Play’s the Thing is part of the Players’ continuing winter outreach programming, presenting professional play readings for the public. Learn more about Peninsula Players and its rich history at www.peninsulaplayers.com or call the Box Office weekdays at (920) 868-3287.