Backstage Series, Tag Sale and Play Lab Set for Center Stage's Fall 2015 Fest Weekend

Center Stage will host three events the weekend of Oct. 2-4: its annual family-friendly open house, Backstage @ Center Stage; a costume, props and furniture tag sale; and its fall Play Lab workshop series.

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Backstage @ Center Stage (Sat., Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.)

Center Stage's annual family-friendly open house, Backstage @ Center Stage, will feature theater workshops and demonstrations, performances, a costume photo booth, face-painting, self-guided tours and a Q&A with the actors of Pride and Prejudice.

The free event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, with activities throughout the six-floor 700 N. Calvert Street building.

Workshops include stage combat, stage make-up, mask-making, tango and improvisation by local theater professionals. Center Stage staff will lead demonstrations in the props, costume and scene shops. Children's Playhouse of Maryland, Camp Center Stage and Center Stage staff members will offer performances throughout the day.

A new activity to this year's event is a "confessional booth" where patrons and visitors can share stories about their memories and experiences at Center Stage as the theater prepares to temporarily shut down for major renovations in January 2016.

Costume and Prop Tag Sale (Sat., Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 4, 12-5 p.m.)

A rare event for the theater, Center Stage is cleaning house in preparation for its building-wide renovation. A tag sale of costumes and props will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and with replenished stock from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. A close-out 50 percent off sale will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The tag sale includes vintage and contemporary clothing for men and women, props ranging from ceramic unicorns and rotary phones to parasols, and more. Some costumes, furniture and set pieces will also be for sale. Most items range from $1 to $50, with a few high-end pieces.

An example of the range of items: Edwardian paper collars; dozens of hospital gowns and lab coats; dozens of red and white striped pajamas from The Pajama Game; lots of vintage dresses from the '50s, '60s and '70s; contemporary men's suits and shoes; sweatpants and sweatshirts; vintage stockings from the '30s to '50s; fantastical costumes from Once on This Island; select Renaissance and period costumes; and vintage and contemporary T-shirts, among many other items.

Fall Play Lab Workshop Series (Fri., Oct. 2, and Sat., Oct. 3, at 8 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 4, at 2 p.m.)

The first of Center Stage's Play Lab series will be Oct. 2-4. Readings of the ongoing work will be performed for audiences at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Playwright Nathan Alan Davis will workshop his play Protect The Beautiful Place, part of his three-play series, "The Refuge Plays."

Davis' work often addresses his experience being black in America and being a father. He is a Lila Acheson Wallace Fellow at Juilliard and a 2050 Fellow at New York Theatre Workshop. His plays have been produced or developed at professional theaters across the U.S., including at Center Stage.

Audiences are invited to come early for the complimentary Toast Bar (various breads and spreads). Full bar service will also be available.

Admission to Play Lab performances are $10 for general admission, $5 for members. For more information, visit www.centerstage.org or call 410-332-0033.

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