ONE ACT FESTIVAL - NDSS Performing Arts "Into Madness" & Courtenay "Water Music"

NDSS. Inspired by Nellie Bly's 'Ten Days in a Madhouse' and Heather Marshall's 'Liberty Street', the original dance-theatre production explores resilience, injustice, and the power of finding one's voice. Using physical storytelling, performers enter the world of the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell Island, revealing the lives of the women confined there and the tragedies that unfolded within its walls. Written and directed by Kelly Barnum and Sarah Kielly.

Courtenay Little Theatre "Water Music". In a New York health club, a weary (probably retired) schoolteacher and an idealistic lifeguard encounter an unexpected visitor: Ophelia, from Shakespeare's Hamlet, who rises from the hot tub and into the modern world. It is comic magic realism intertwined with very human longing, leaving us with questions about what it takes to truly recognize others who are different. It is a poignant, funny exploration of recognition, love, loss, and the desire to connect across seemingly impossible divides. Written by Tina Howe. Directed by Michael Bach.