Now is the time for The Last Sunday at Sum Theatre
There is theatre in the park and theatre in the round. Now there’s theatre in the now.
The thrust of Sum Theatre’s latest venture is immediacy. Held monthly at a secret location, The Last Sunday will feature a short play written only weeks or days before being presented. A local band or musician will perform a song that fits the theme. There will be a rant by a local personality to trigger a dialogue. And a “hot seat” interview with someone involved will further the discussion.
“We hope that through the variety of art, through the variety of mediums and the variety of personalities which will change every
month, it will be a really dynamic and unique way for people to engage with what’s going on,” says Charlie Peters, artistic associate.
Unlike traditional theatre, where it can take years for a play to reach the stage, The Last Sunday’s plays will be inspired by an issue that’s occurred in the past month.
“You get an immediacy, a responsiveness that I think will be quite a powerful thing for an audience to be a part of,” says Peters.
Adding some intrigue, the audience will meet at Broadway and 11th Street and be led to a secret location.
“We’re hoping it adds to the excitement. The idea is that we won’t know exactly what we’re getting, so it encourages us to be open to what we do get,” says Peters.
The Last Sunday takes place on the last Sunday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Running time is about an hour. The theatre piece will be read by professional actors. Performers will be paid but the event is free thanks to fundraising and sponsorships.
“Sum Theatre really believes that art shouldn’t only be accessible to a few. We hope that our entire community can be a part of it,” says Peters.