Scene from We 3, a fresh interpretation of Chekhov’s Three Sisters. Contributed photo.
Founded in 1996, Franklin Stage Company (FSC) celebrates its 20th anniversary this summer. FSC produces both classic and contemporary plays, and prides itself in having a free admission policy. Over the years, it has produced plays by William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Molière, Henrik Ibsen, Eugène Ionesco, and many others. Located at Chapel Hall, a landmark building erected in 1855 in the Greek Revival style, the company is an iconic cultural institution in the region.
I interviewed Carmela Marner, the executive and artistic director of Franklin Stage Company, and talked about theater as an artistic form, its origin and history, as well as the beginnings and evolution of Franklin Stage Company. A graduate of Brown University, Marner is an accomplished stage and screen actress (she appeared in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut). She is also a stage director. Carmela teaches in the Theater Department at SUNY Oneonta.
Performances this summer include We 3, a reinterpretation of Chekhov’s Three Sisters, and Shakespeare’s King Lear, among others.
Author Talk with Stephen M. Silverman at the Erpf Center in Arkville. Silverman will be talking about his book “The Catskills: Its History, and How It Changed America;”
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream is performed at the Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany. This year marks the 400th commemoration of Shakespeare’s death;
And, Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra performs at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.