June 13, 2019 444 PM
MARFA – You might have seen them as Dickens Carolers at the Hotel Paisano. Or at the Marfa High School One-Act Plays. Or, if you get up early on Saturdays, you can’t miss the one that juggles at Farm Stand Marfa. Marfa’s theatre company Dresden Collective has been gearing up for the World Premiere of Mayhem and Other Delights at the 2019 Capital Fringe Festival, July 18 through 28 in Washington, D.C.
“We’ve been working together for almost a year,” said Hope Lafferty, playwright, artistic director and resident juggler of Dresden Collective, “and have been invited to participate in a surprising number of very cool local events. That’s been our mission since the start: to develop theatric work of and for rural and borderland communities. Now we get to take our original work to our nation’s capital—and showcase for Marfa audiences in advance.”
Dresden Collective is hosting an open rehearsal fundraiser on Sunday, June 30th at the Hotel Paisano Ballroom. Folks are invited to watch these actors work through the Mayhem, enjoy snacks and signature cocktails thanks to District Distillery gin, and bid on fun and creative items at a silent auction. Doors open at 4pm and the performance starts at 4:30pm.
“‘Yikes! I can’t wait,’ Hope closed our rehearsal with on Sunday,” said Theseus Francis, actor-director for Dresden Collective. “We spent the afternoon revamping the show—and with everything else she’s doing, fundraising and promotional work—we hated to put one more thing on her plate. She seems truly fed by this process.”
Mayhem and Other Delights comprises short works written by Lafferty in 2018 with themes that address smart technology, opiate addition, in vitro fertilization, and whether we can function in the 21st century without meditating all day. Music is performed and composed by Marfa musician Andy Schneider. Dresden Collective includes Francis, Gabrielle Rule (actor-director), Jonathan “JB” Fields (actor), and Michael B. Amerson (actor-director).
For show and fundraising updates, follow Dresden Collective on Facebook (@DresdsenCollective) or Twitter (/DresdenCollect) or visit marfatheatreincubator.com.
