News release
The show will go on.
That’s the message from Hope Theatre Arts, which has announced a new venue for its upcoming play, “The Velocity of Autumn” by Eric Coble.
After the Aug. 24 fire on Main Street in Old Town Newhall destroyed The Main Theatre, where Hope Theatre Arts was scheduled to present its next production, Hope announced this week the play will now be presented at The Olive Branch, on the Patios at Valencia Town Center. Performances remain on the originally scheduled dates of Oct. 9-18.
“We were devastated to lose our venue, but we knew we had to find a way forward,” Director Susan Fletcher said in a news release from the nonprofit theater group. “We are incredibly grateful to The Olive Branch for welcoming us and helping us make sure this story reaches our audience.”
“The Velocity of Autumn” explores what happens when an aging artist refuses to surrender her independence — and her estranged son returns home after 20 years to convince her otherwise, the release said.
Alexandra is an 80-year-old artist who has barricaded herself inside her Brooklyn brownstone, armed with a razor-sharp wit, volcanic passion, and enough Molotov cocktails to take out the entire block. Her family’s unlikely mediator is her estranged son, Chris, who returns after two decades away.
But when mother and son come face to face, the emotional fireworks begin.
Written by Eric Coble, “The Velocity of Autumn” is a wickedly funny and deeply moving exploration of family, aging, independence, and the complicated bonds that shape who we become, the release said.
Fletcher describes the heart of the play this way: “‘The Velocity of Autumn’ shows us a mother and son who realize that the very essence of who they are — the good and the not-so-good — was shaped by one another. Audiences can expect to laugh, perhaps shed a tear, and leave with something to think about: a feeling, a memory, a question, or a renewed appreciation for the fragile, funny, complicated beauty of life.”
Fletcher adds: “Actors Donna Wiggins and Sheridan Ward are at the top of their game in this two-person play you do not want to miss.”
Tickets ($25 online, $30 at the door) can be purchased at www.hopetheatrearts.com. The Valencia Town Center is located at 24201 Valencia Blvd.
