Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 01/04/2015 09:29 AM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 01/04/2015 09:30 AM
Expires: 01/01/2020 12:00 AM
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Eugene O'Neill's "Hughie" at Stage 3
Sonora, CA...Eugene O’Neill’s Hughie, opening January 9 at Stage 3 Theatre, is perhaps the least known work by one of America’s best known playwrights. Written in 1942, this one act play waited more than 20 years for its American debut in 1964 on Broadway with Jason Robards....
Hughie is set in the lobby of a seedy Times Square hotel early one morning in the mid-30’s. “Erie” Smith, played by Stage 3 veteran, Michael Crich, is a penny-ante, down on his luck gambler who has spent most of the last fifteen years at the hotel stumbling through periods of bad luck, small wins, and drunkenness. His most recent bender was prompted by the death of the title character, Hughie, who had been the hotel's night clerk all those years.
Matt Hobgood, a newcomer to Stage 3, plays the new night clerk, Charlie Hughes, and is often the target of Erie’s ire. He listens as Erie delivers what is essentially a long monologue on how his luck has gone bad since the death of the original night clerk, Hughie.
Matt Hobgood refined his skills at CSTARS, a Calaveras based children's community theater, and Murphys Creek Theatre in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, and most recently in their holiday production of A Christmas Carol. He is excited to experience this new theater and stated, “This will be my first opportunity to work with Stage 3, and I am thrilled to represent the company and Mr. Dambacher in this production.”
Artistic Director for Stage 3 and director of Hughie, Jon Dambacher, is always looking for something new for the 23 year old community theatre. “The fact it's a peculiar & underknown play by a widely known writer, Eugene O'Neill, certainly helped catch my attention. It's my favorite type of material: strong enough not to snap when sculpting new context in every scene.I'm proud to be among a community that craves a new theatre experience. That's exactly what Stage 3 Theatre is all about.”
For Dambacher, finding the new is what always matters, even if the material was written decades ago. “One of the things that makes O'Neill great is the same thing which makes Shakespeare great; the story is about right now. It could be set in any time or place and new events can be discovered with every production. The key is in finding our story beneath the words, what these two men in this hotel lobby at 4 am are doing, physically.”
Hughie is the first entry into Stage 3 Theatre’s 2015 season, a season of six production full of drama, laughs, and song. “Stage 3, starting with Hughie, is a chance to dig deeper into the average local theatre experience,” said Dambacher.
Hughie, a one act play by Eugene O’Neill, starring Michael Crich and Matt Hobgood, opens January 9 and runs through February 1. Tickets are 17.00 for students, 22.00 for seniors and 25.00 for adults. Showtimes are 7pm Friday and Saturday evenings with Saturday and Sunday matinees beginning at 2pm. For reservations call Stage 3 Theatre at 209-536-1778 or visit Stage3.org.
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