I once heard it said, “Summer is the time when one sheds one’s tensions with one’s clothes.” This has become a mantra for me, a reminder that it’s time to let go—of fussy dinners, overscheduled weekdays and getting all your chores done. Summer’s the time for having fun.
Local theater companies evidently got that memo. From youthful fantasies under the stars to puppetry, carnival rides, roller skates, upbeat dance revues and more, there’s plenty of summer revelry to be had on local stages this summer.
RENO
Ageless Repertory Theatre
ART is celebrating 22 years of bringing readers’ theater to Reno, and 11 years of performing at Reno Little Theater. With free (donations encouraged) performances, typically on a Tuesday and Friday afternoon each month, ART’s shows are a good excuse to sneak away on a summer’s afternoon.
On June 10 and 13, check out Norman, Is That You? about a Jewish couple coming to terms with their son’s homosexuality.
Then, don’t miss Neil Simon’s California Suite, composed of four miniplays about travelers who, at separate times, occupy a single hotel suite in Los Angeles. It runs Tuesday, July 1, and Thursday, July 3, with a bonus Artown evening performance on Wednesday, July 2, at 7 p.m.
www.renolittletheater.org/art-at-rlt
Brüka Theatre
So, some teenagers die on a rollercoaster and go to purgatory. … It’s not the setup for a joke, but it is the premise of Brüka’s summer production, Ride the Cyclone, running June 27-July 19. In this musical comedy, the teens (one of whom is headless) are Canadian choir members who compete in purgatorial carnival games for another chance at life.
Brüka will keep that carnival theme alive for Carnivalia, its annual Summer Youth Intensive, July 14-26. Kids will write, produce and perform their own play.
Firebird Light Opera
This young upstart—started to reintroduce opera to locals in a fun, approachable, affordable way—will present Firebird Follies Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27. This revue-style showcase at the National Automobile Museum will feature an array of musical pieces, from pops to jazz, Broadway and opera.
Goodluck Macbeth
Missing your wingman? Feeling the need for speed? The only thing better than a summer blockbuster is an original summer parody of one. Catch GLM’s Bottom Gun, June 27-July 26. Get ready for plenty of awkward physical comedy, bad impressions and a planeload of queer love.
Latino Arte and Culture
In their quest to share Latino culture with a broader, more diverse audience, founders Annamaria Cavallone and Mario DelaRosa present another original bilingual play, Frida Kahlo and Her Friends, about the unlikely and complicated relationship between artist Frida Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, as well as her life and development as an artist. The show, for both English and Spanish audiences, runs June 5-8 at Reno Little Theater.
Reno Little Theater
It’s the summer of original theater, including The 24-Hour Plays: Reno. As if creating a play from scratch weren’t challenging enough, this event asks people to do it all in 24 hours. Writers, directors and actors who have signed on to participate will convene on Friday, June 13; divide into four teams; create plays incorporating two prompts (a prop and a line); and present it on Saturday the 14th.
Then comes Xanadu, in all its skates-and-sequins glory, July 11-Aug. 10. Based on the 1980 cult classic film, it’s the story of Kira, a Greek muse, who agrees to help a struggling artist establish a roller disco. Yep, you’ll see dancing and skating!
Finally, improv troupe Crocodile Nixon will perform one Tuesday evening each month. Watch the website for details.
Sierra Nevada Ballet
SNC kicks this summer off with a grand performance event on Sunday, June 1, inside the new Northern Nevada Performing Arts Collective space on Moana Lane. Glimpse the new building for this free event (RSVPs required).
On Saturday, July 5, enjoy another free event, Dancing at Bartley, at Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch, which will feature song and dance numbers, including tap superstar Sam Weber, singer Cami Thompson, and the SNB dancers.
SNB will once again be part of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s Showcase Series. To complement LTSF’s Twelfth Night (more on that later), SNB will present 12th Night—A Ballet Noir at the LTSF at Sand Harbor on Monday, July 28, with additional performances at the Pioneer Center on Saturday, July 26, and the Carson City Community Center on Saturday, Aug. 2. This ballet version of the Shakespearean comedy will have a film-noir twist.
Sierra School of Performing Arts
Speaking of the Hawkins Amphitheater, SSPA will present another Broadway musical at the outdoor venue, Aug. 8-23: Mel Brooks’ The Producers, about a con man and a timid accountant who cook up a get-rich-quick scheme to put on a show that will flop.
www.sierraschoolofperformingarts.org
TheatreWorks of Northern Nevada
Cuteness alert: TWNN, Reno’s teaching theater, will present Madagascar: A Musical Adventure JR. This abridged version of the Broadway musical (and DreamWorks animated film) follows a lion, a hippo, a zebra and a giraffe as they escape their zoo home to see the big wide world and encounter misadventures. It runs the final three weekends of July.
SPARKS
Restless Artists Theatre
The folks at RAT present Shamé (sha-MAY), a magician who also doubles as Tozy the Clown. From July 9-13, Shamé/Tozy will perform magic and lead clowning workshops. It all builds to the final day’s showcase of performances from participants.
Then look for Gruesome Playground Injuries, Aug. 22-Sept. 8. This two-person comedy is about two “scar-crossed” lovers who meet in elementary school at the nurse’s office, and then repeatedly come together over 30 years thanks to injuries and other disasters.
CARSON CITY/CARSON VALLEY
Carson Valley Community Theatre
CVCT has launched a regular improv workshop for locals of all experience levels, led by local actors, on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Guests can also be looky-loos. Participants get a chance to participate in ticketed productions, including the next one in August.
Catch an old comedy favorite with a twist in July. CVCT will present The Odd Couple—The Female Version, July 18-27, in which laid-back, messy Olive Madison and neurotic, uptight Florence Unger suddenly become roommates.
www.carsonvalleycommunitytheatre.org
Carson City Ghost Walk
Summer is the perfect time for a historic, mysterious stroll through downtown Carson City. The annual Carson City Ghost Walk returns Saturday nights, starting in June, led by Brüka’s own Mary Bennett as Madame Curry. The walk provides historic and fantastic information about the structures and people that are part of the city’s fabric. It’s a witch’s brew kind of season, Bennett said, with the tours weaving in some magical elements.
Proscenium Players, Inc.
What could be more playful than puppets? Carson City’s Proscenium Players, Inc. will dive into Avenue Q, the irreverent, puppet-filled musical parody of Sesame Street, May 30-June 8. Set on the streets of New York City, it follows Princeton, our puppet protagonist, a 20-something fresh out of college, searching for his life’s purpose. It takes place in the Brewery Arts Center’s black box theater space.
PPI also continues to host its Wednesday evening improv classes for eager budding performances ready to say “Yes, and … ”
LAKE TAHOE
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival
Grab your blanket, a bottle of wine and your favorite companions—the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival returns with a full lineup July 5-Aug. 25.
First up is Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the story of a shipwreck, mistaken identity and unrequited love. Sharing the stage on alternating evenings is Peter and the Starcatcher, a Peter Pan prequel about Peter’s untold adventures. A dozen actors portray more than 100 characters in this adventure featuring ingenious stagecraft and even, yes, puppets. Bring your little ones to family nights, July 13 and 20, and Aug. 10, for family-friendly preshow activities.
Every Monday (and an occasional Tuesday) are the one-night-only Showcase Series musical and dance performances from local and international acts. Tickets for most of the series are already sold out or limited, and some have waiting lists.
Finally, the D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program will present an interactive, one-hour adaptation of Twelfth Night performed by local students with professional actors, July 21-Aug. 3.