“The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged” at The Drake, a Tiny Dynamite production, ends its theatrical run on June 26.
Ask writer, actor, director and Tiny Dynamite co-founder Kathryn MacMillan what the aim of her low, flying and floating theater company has been, and she states that “Tiny Dynamite’s principal longtime mission was to bring theater to locals in new intimate ways with nice priced tickets and an air of the convivial.” If any of MacMillan’s productions best prove that theory it is her The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged, a work she has co-penned with fellow locals Jessica Bedford, Charlotte Northeast, and Meghan Winch, and whose late June run ends Sunday, June 26 at the Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake (302 S. Hicks Street).
“We want to be a resource and a balm for our audiences as we start to feel released from the trauma of the last twenty-two months,” said MacMillan, talking about Tiny Dynamite escapades such as “The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged”, and the company’s other mainstay, “A Play, a Pie and a Pint”.
She continued, “We are about generating conversation, inspiring joy, and boosting our connectedness to one another with a return to in-person programming. We also recognize the significant opportunity we have right now to reach new audiences for theater. The pandemic has shaken up people’s behavior patterns, and there are many Philadelphians who may not consider themselves theatergoers who are looking for new ways to enjoy our city.”
For the uninitiated, the socially satirical, fast moving “The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged” is a costumed comedy where a handful of actors become Austen’s classic heroines, friends, and love interests in just 80 minutes.
“I think Tiny Dynamite is well positioned to reach new audiences, with our long history of demystifying the theater going experience,” said McMillian. “Personally, I love to host. I am a thrower of epic parties in my personal life. And it’s a part of my identity that I have really, really missed in the last two years. So I channel that energy into Tiny Dynamite! We want these events to feel like a party, to offer some joy in a trying, lasting hard time.”
Cheers to that.
Images: Daniel Kotz
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