Tangent Theatre to Present DINNER WITH FRIENDS by Donald Margulies at The Stissing Center's Cellar Space

Tangent Theatre Company, based in Tivoli NY, is planning a new series of pop-up play readings to appear around the region, and has revealed their next show this summer - Dinner With Friends by Donald Margulies at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 6pm; doors open at 5pm, bar and light snacks will be available. The reading is free, with donations welcomed and encouraged. Dinner With Friends, winner of the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, follows two married couples and close friends as they navigate their evolving - and increasingly rocky - relationships.

The reading will feature Tangent’s premier ensemble of Brenny Campbell, Ann Osmond, Brett Owen, Michael Rhodes (Tangent’s Artistic Director) and Steven Young, who will read stage directions (Campbell, Osmond and Rhodes are members of Actors’ Equity Association). Tangent’s readings have become a popular series in Tivoli and beyond, often presented in pubs or restaurants, or similar intimate spaces. Actors read the plays with scripts in hand, and little or no “miming or physicality” introduced, and stage directions are read to orient the listener, move the story along and let patrons visualize the play. Their last reading in the Fall saw two sold out shows (a second show was added to accommodate the demand), held at Santa Fe Tivoli and an encore show the next night at Tivoli’s Village Hall. “We often call our readings story time for adults with whiskey” states Rhodes. “We’ll likely make you laugh, make you cry and we might shout a little” he adds with a smile. Tangent’s plays are primarily adult contemporary dramas (or new works) that engage audiences and grab them on a gut level.

“It will be a joy to perform at the Stissing Center. We feel Dinner With Friends is a great example of our work. Being exposed to new faces and introducing our audience to this stylish space is a nice bonus” adds Tangent’s producer and co-founder Andrea Rhodes.

>> Dinner With Friends by Donald Margulies, play reading Sun. July 16 @ 6pm at The Stissing Center, 2950 Church St., Pine Plains NY (doors 5pm); FREE, donations welcome. RSVP required; reservations can be made via info@tangent-arts.org. stissingcenter.org | tangent-arts.org

Tangent Theatre Company was founded in New York City in 2000 by Hudson Valley natives/married couple Andrea & Michael Rhodes, and the late Keith Teller, and re-located to Tivoli in 2009. Tangent is known for intimate character driven productions, their new plays festival and their popular pub readings.