Late Night Theatre Presents IT COMES IN THREES: An Evening of Quick Comedies

Student-run theatre company, Late Night Theatre, presents It Comes in Threes: An Evening of Quick Comedies to kick off the 2018-2019 Late Night Series. Three short comedic plays written by three different playwrights and led by three different directors, ensures that this production will keep you on your toes and laughing all night.

Starting the night off with a bang is Lynn Nottage's snappy comedy, entitled Poof! After a woman's abusive husband unexpectedly combusts into a pile of ashes, the following ten minutes are full of twists and turns that will leave audience members breathless from a combination of laughter and suspense. How will a poor housewife and her best friend handle such a surprise? "Poof! looks at the cycle of abuse and turns it on is head," says Director and MFA Candidate Thea Wigglesworth. "The women find strength by and through each other. Their emotional journey lies in stark contrast to the seemingly preposterous situation they have found themselves in." Behind its witty dialogue, this off-color comedy contains a meaningful backbone a combination sure to captivate as well as entertain.

Following Poof! is Christopher Durang's The Actor's Nightmare directed by Keita Beni. Director Beni is no stranger to the UHM Department of Theatre + Dance having completed his MA in Theatre and now in the process of earning his PhD. This play follows a man who finds himself as an understudy in a live performance but doesn't know his lines or remember attending any rehearsals, a classic nightmare of many performers. A fan of Durang's work, Beni believes the show themes are universal to all, actor or not. Beni guarantees that The Actor's Nightmare will bring you back to those memories that made you sweat, gasp or grin; remembering nightmarish moments in our lives and how we have survived them.

The final play of the night is David Ives' Sure Thing directed by MFA Candidate Robert Sanchez. A delightfully short, rapid-fire comedy, this is the story of a chance meeting of two strangers and their conversation, which resets to the beginning with each ring of a bell. The bell acts as a buffer between the characters, rapidly resetting after any negative interaction, eventually guiding their conversation toward a common ground. Director Sanchez shares that through Sure Thing he hopes to emphasize how "words and the power of language can determine any relationship, especially the budding relationship of the two characters."

Performances of It Comes in Threes run September 15, 16, 21 and 22 in the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre inside Kennedy Theatre on the UH Manoa Campus. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 9:30 with a "matin-eve" on Sunday the 16th at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at the Kennedy Theatre Box Office one hour before curtain. There will be no intermission. Adult language and mature themes are present in the production.

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