Steampunk and Zombies to Invade Little Theatre's Play Reading Series

Little Theater of Manchester's Evenings@7 series continues on June 14, with a reading of the comedy COLONEL SELLERS: REANIMATOR by Mark Twain, William Dean Howells & Jacques Lamarre.

The June 14 reading, produced and directed by Jacques Lamarre, will begin at 7:00 PM in the Silk Room at Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road in Manchester. The event is free, although donations to support this type of work are gladly accepted.

Well over a century before Steampunk and The Walking Dead were in vogue, Mark Twain and his pal William Dean Howells wrote a play that contained elements of both. Sadly, Colonel Sellers as a Scientist proved to be D.O.A. in 1883. The New York Tribune review called it, "a miserable lot of twaddle with neither dramatic construction or reason." Ouch!

In 2015, playwright Jacques Lamarre exhumed and resurrected this wayward footnote in Twain's career as a Steampunk-Zombie mashup comedy. Colonel Mulberry Sellers has hit upon a surefire way to reverse his family's fortunes: an invention that reanimates the deceased! What could go wrong? Bloodshed, the undead, and lobbyists make Washington, D.C., a dangerous place in this hilarious new-old comedy!

Dinner will be available for purchase with advanced reservations. For dinner reservations and more information regarding COLONEL SELLERS: REANIMATOR or the Evenings@7 series, call the Box Office at 860-647-9824.

Evenings@7 offers FREE presentations of intimate script-in-hand play readings. Open to the public, these ONE-NIGHT ONLY performances are part of Little Theatre's mission to develop art and artists. This series, featuring both established plays and musicals and new works, enables local talent to grow in their craft by performing for live audiences in a casual atmosphere with minimal production elements.

Future 2016 Evenings@7 performances include September 13, The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer and produced by Michael Forgetta; October 11, August: Osage County by Tracy Letts and produced by Linda Ferreira and Debi Freund; and November 15, See Alice Run a new play by Anne Pié.

The Little Theatre of Manchester (LTM) was founded in 1960 for the purpose of producing community theater. Since its inception, LTM's volunteers have put on more than 650 quality performances that have been well-received and applauded by various members of the community. In the 1980s, the Little Theatre worked with the Town of Manchester in restoring Cheney Hall. In 1991, the extensive, award-winning restoration was completed and the state's oldest operating theater became the theatrical residence of the Little Theatre of Manchester. Today, programming is comprised of five main-stage theatre productions, numerous concerts, special events, and a range of other cultural, business, civic, and private functions. The Little Theatre is proud to serve a growing, annual audience of approximately 10,000.

If you would like to connect with us and find out more, please visit us at www.littletheatreofmanchester.org and you can find us on Facebook to stay updated with all our events.

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