Curtain rising on latest theater offerings

Advertiser Staff

From left, Walter Eccles, Dion Donahue and Kristen Van Bodegraven in The Actors' Group production of "The Weir," opening Wednesday at the Yellow Brick Studio.

'Morning's at Seven'

A veteran cast fills the comedy "Morning's at Seven," a tale about four sisters who have lived near or next door to each other for 50 years. Their lives are disrupted when the 40-year-old son of sister Ida brings home his longtime girlfriend to meet the folks.

The play, by Paul Osborn, was nominated for nine Tony Awards. The cast includes Jo Pruden, Sharon Adair, Sylvia Hormann-Alper, Mary Francis Kabel-Gwin, Becky Maltby, John Hunt, John Mussack, David Schaeffer and David Starr.

"Seven" is directed by Joyce Maltby.

Premieres at 8 p.m. today, repeating at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays (but at 6 p.m. on May 11), through May 11 on Hawai'i Pacific University's Windward campus. Tickets: $14 general, $10 seniors, military, students, HPU faculty and staff, and $5 HPU students. 375-1282.

'Unspeakable Acts'

Aimed at college and high school students but open to the public, "Unspeakable Acts" is a serious discussion about date rape. The play made its debut in March 2002, and new skits have been added for these performances.

The script is based on real experiences of assault/date rape, with segments titled "What a Night," "He Said-She Said," "Just a Guy," "A Word with My Rapist," "Wrongfully Accused" and "Learned the Hard Way."

The student cast includes Terry Allen, Sondra Barker, Cindy Beth Davis, Christiana Miller, Ely 'Aina Rapoza, Lillian Tsang and Venesh Sharma. It's directed by Debra Jean Zwicker, an MFA candidate in children's theater.

Premieres at 8 p.m. Monday, repeating at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Hawai'i Institute for Geophysics, Auditorium 110, UH-Manoa. The Thursday performance will be sign-interpreted. Admission is free; discussion sessions will be held after each performance. 956-9977.

'The Weir'

The Actors' Group offers "The Weir," an award-winning play by Conor McPherson that takes place in a rural pub in Ireland. Four drinking buddies try to impress a new woman in town with their ghost stories; then the woman tells a story of her own.

The cast includes Dion Donahue, Walter Eccles, Richard MacPherson, Jim Tharp and Kristin Van Bodegraven.

"The Weir," which won the Olivier Award in 1999 for best new play, is directed by Dave Donnelly.

Premieres at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, repeating at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays through May 11 at the Yellow Brick Studio, 625 Keawe St. Tickets are $10. 722-6941.

'Les Miserables'

A taste of Broadway comes to Makiki as Punahou School presents "Les Miserables School Edition," a version of the blockbuster designed for student performers. The musical, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, tells of the petty thief Jean Valjean and his nemesis, the relentless Inspector Javert, in 19th-century France.

Premieres at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, repeating at 7:30 p.m. April 18-19, 24-25 and at noon April 26 at Dillingham Hall on the school campus. Tickets are $6 general, $3 students. 943-3673.