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It's been said that more than half of new small businesses shut down within their first year. That's a fear upstart troupe Raconteur Theatre no longer has to worry about.
The group is offering a second installment of its popular "Flex Series" in celebration of that long-awaited one-year milestone.
A series of short plays, the "Flex Series" has become known for its flexible approach to theater, offering patrons the option of paying to see either Act I or Act II, or both, during any given night of a production.
This year the series is operating under the theme "Negotiations and Love Stories," a tribute to the woes of love. Check out a synopsis of each of the seven plays featured:
Act I
"Plugged In," written by Columbus native Dave Grant and directed by Jill Ceneskie, is a one-man show that tackles the lastest technological advances in the dating scene, and how it keeps us connected and disconnected at the same time.
Shadowbox Cabaret leading funnyman Jimmy Mak contributes his latest work, "Roger's Beard," a twisted comedy about a woman's interest in her boyfriend's wife, directed by Jason Speicher.
Rebecca H. Jone's "Forever Again," also under the direction of Ceneskie, takes a Freudian look at a seemingly normal marriage proposal that goes awry when the couple's secret thoughts began to literally play out on stage.
"Rock-a-bye Bullet," by Theatre Daedalus founder Jaclyn Villano, takes a focused look at a couple who have just discovered they're pregnant, even though they weren't exactly ready for it. The play is directed by Aaron Einhorn.
Act II
In "Fast, Light and Brilliant," nationally acclaimed playwright Richard Martin Hirsch presents a character drama about a unhappily married man and a recently divorced woman whose present miseries bring them together at a business conference. It's directed by Mary-Aileen St.Cyr.
"His Return," by legendary American playwright Percival Wilde, adds a period piece to the mix. Set in 1918, the story chronicles the fears, anxiety and excitement felt by a woman whose husband is returning from war. It's directed by James O. Johnson Jr.
"Walking Distance," by New York playwright David Lewison, is a lighthearted boy-meets-girl romantic comedy that takes a deeper look at attraction. It also is directed by Johnson.
"Negotiations and Love Stories" opens May 21 at Club Diversity and runs Thursdays through Saturdays until June 6. Tickets are $6 for either Act I (which starts at 8 p.m.) or Act II (starting at 9 p.m.), or $10 for both acts. For more information, head over to the Raconteur Theatre Web site.
