Tonight is the reading of my play Dark Night of the Soul, the winner of the Nittany Theatre at the Barn's 2017 Free Speech Play Contest.
I saw a rehearsal last night, and the actors are terrific. Laura Ann Saxe plays Joan of Arc, and Dave Saxe plays the Earl of Warwick, the English nobleman intent on having her burned at the stake.
John Koch is wonderfully creepy as Pierre Cauchon, the bishop who presides at Joan's trial. Brother Martin, a young Dominican who wants desperately to save Joan, is played by Jeff Buterbaugh, a student at nearby Penn State.
The reading is semi-staged. The actors won't be in 15th-century costumes, but they are wearing something to give the play period flair. There will also be a minimal set and a few light cues.
If you're in Central Pennsylvania, please come out at 7:30 for the reading. Donations are suggested but not required. For more information, please click here.
