Bruce Jordan is bringing it home.
After Jordan co-authored the play "Shear Madness" in the 1970's and
debuted it at the Lake George Dinner Theater in 1978, the whodunit is
making its first appearance in the Capital Region since it opened.
"Shear Madness" will be shown at the Capital Repertory Theater in Albany from Wednesday, June 10 through Sunday, June 14.
Along with Marilyn Abrams, Jordan discovered a play by a German writer named Paul Portner called Scherenschnitt. The dark murder mystery takes place in a hair salon but has no humor to it. Jordan and Abrams loved the concept, but wanted to take the play in a different direction, Jordan said.
Through humor and audience incorporation, the play has not only been given rave reviews, it is the longest-running play in the history of the United States, beating out "Cats" and "Les Miserables."
"The play really reaches all audiences. There's a broad demographic of people who enjoy this play. The interaction with the audience not only makes them feel connected to the play, they also help to determine the ending," Jordan said.
"Shear Madness" takes place in a unisex hair salon with characters Tony Whitcomb and Barbara DeMarco trying to figure out who killed the concert pianist who lived upstairs.
"It occurred to me when we started actually performing the play that it would work well as a comedy. Early on most of the laughs were attained during the times when the audience was actively involved with solving the crimes," Jordan said.
After rave reviews from the performances at the Lake George Dinner Theater in 1979, Jordan and Abrams scheduled a brief run at the historic Charles Playhouse in Boston's theater district. It opened in January 1980 and the "brief run" of the play is still being shown today.
The play is adapted each time it is shown to include local references and current events.
"It's a different play each time it's shown because of the location and the audience. They literally decide the ending of the play," Jordan said.
The performance in Albany will take place in a hair salon on a specific corner on Lark Street, he added.
The play is being brought to the area for only the third time since is opened 30 years ago.
"I would let the play be shown locally until I could get it back at the Lake George Dinner Theater where it was born. That happened two years ago, so I thought it was time to let other locals see it in their hometown," Jordan.
While it has only been in the area for brief periods, "Shear Madness" has been produced internationally in places such as Seoul, Barcelona, Athens and South Africa to name a few.
"This is pretty exciting stuff for two former teachers from Upstate New York," Jordan said. "We've been very careful about who we sell the rights to because we have strict guidelines and artistic control that we insist upon."
Preview performances of Shear Madness begin on June 5 and end on June 9. Tuesday through Thursday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $36-46. To purchase tickets, contact the Capital Repertory Theatre box office at (518) 445-SHOW or log on to www.capitalrep.org.
"Shear Madness" will be shown at the Capital Repertory Theater in Albany from Wednesday, June 10 through Sunday, June 14.
Along with Marilyn Abrams, Jordan discovered a play by a German writer named Paul Portner called Scherenschnitt. The dark murder mystery takes place in a hair salon but has no humor to it. Jordan and Abrams loved the concept, but wanted to take the play in a different direction, Jordan said.
Through humor and audience incorporation, the play has not only been given rave reviews, it is the longest-running play in the history of the United States, beating out "Cats" and "Les Miserables."
"The play really reaches all audiences. There's a broad demographic of people who enjoy this play. The interaction with the audience not only makes them feel connected to the play, they also help to determine the ending," Jordan said.
"Shear Madness" takes place in a unisex hair salon with characters Tony Whitcomb and Barbara DeMarco trying to figure out who killed the concert pianist who lived upstairs.
"It occurred to me when we started actually performing the play that it would work well as a comedy. Early on most of the laughs were attained during the times when the audience was actively involved with solving the crimes," Jordan said.
After rave reviews from the performances at the Lake George Dinner Theater in 1979, Jordan and Abrams scheduled a brief run at the historic Charles Playhouse in Boston's theater district. It opened in January 1980 and the "brief run" of the play is still being shown today.
The play is adapted each time it is shown to include local references and current events.
"It's a different play each time it's shown because of the location and the audience. They literally decide the ending of the play," Jordan said.
The performance in Albany will take place in a hair salon on a specific corner on Lark Street, he added.
The play is being brought to the area for only the third time since is opened 30 years ago.
"I would let the play be shown locally until I could get it back at the Lake George Dinner Theater where it was born. That happened two years ago, so I thought it was time to let other locals see it in their hometown," Jordan.
While it has only been in the area for brief periods, "Shear Madness" has been produced internationally in places such as Seoul, Barcelona, Athens and South Africa to name a few.
"This is pretty exciting stuff for two former teachers from Upstate New York," Jordan said. "We've been very careful about who we sell the rights to because we have strict guidelines and artistic control that we insist upon."
Preview performances of Shear Madness begin on June 5 and end on June 9. Tuesday through Thursday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $36-46. To purchase tickets, contact the Capital Repertory Theatre box office at (518) 445-SHOW or log on to www.capitalrep.org.
Main Menu
Leave a comment