The Velocity of Autumn

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The San Juan Community Theater announces its first “Off Site” production, “The Velocity of Autumn” by Eric Coble, co-produced with the San Juan County Fair and presented over two long weekends at the fairgrounds’ Marie Boe Building, starting July 6.

This deeply engaging 90-minute play looks at aging and family dynamics from the perspectives of both generations. As the scene opens, Alexandra, an elderly artist, booby-traps her Brooklyn apartment with homemade Molotov cocktails to keep out two of her adult children, who insist on moving her to a nursing home due to her increasingly serious mental lapses. Her third child, Chris, climbs a tree and shimmies in through a window to try to defuse the situation, literally and figuratively. Their hour-long conversation flits and lurches, with wit, humor and pain, as he tries to convince her to see “reason,” and she tries to make him understand why she’s dressed to the nines and surrounded by Mason jars full of flammable liquid.

“From my first reading of The Velocity of Autumn, I knew it was important,” says Director Carol Hooper. “So often the difficulties of life pull us inward instead of allowing us to give or receive help. Whatever the relationship – parent, child, sibling – the first step toward understanding is listening to each other. And truly hearing.”

Island actors Deb Langhans and Brad Fincher play the mother and son. Deb is well-known for her portrayals both at the Community Theater and at Island Stage Left. Brad is taking on his first leading role, having worked his way into increasingly prominent roles at the Community Theatre over the past several years.

The Velocity of Autumn, by Eric Coble, will be presented at the San Juan County Fairgrounds for 8 performances over two weekends, July 6-9 and 13-16. Performances will be in the 60-seat Marie Boe Building. Tickets are available at the community theatre box office for $15. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 5pm. Thursdays are “pay what you can” at the door, at 7:30. There will be talk-back sessions with the cast following Friday and Saturday performances.

For further information, contact director Carol Hooper at (360) 370-5605.

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