Author: downstageleftamsterdam

Playground 4 – The Waiting Room played in September 2022 at at Mike’s Badhuistheater. With each Playground we pick a theme and present 3-5 short plays based on that theme, including work from emerging playwrights, as well as established greats.

This evening of short plays was about the conversations that take place as people wait for important decisions that could change their lives.

The plays:

Womberang

by Sue Townsend (author of the Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾)
The waiting room of a gynecology clinic. Patients wait nervously. Enter Rita Onions. Her verve and energy, combined with a complete lack of respect for authority, gradually spreads an infectious, joyous anarchy throughout the patients as she demolishes officious hospital staff and generally sorts out the patients personal problems.
Directed by Cathrine Andresen and Yann Belin
This amateur production of “Womberang” was presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. http://www.concordtheatricals.co.uk

Jail Bird
by Niall Cleary
Following a night of heavy drinking, an Irish man wakes up in the holding cell of an Amsterdam police station with a (sore) head full of questions. When did he get a lawyer? What happened the night before that landed him here? And just how much trouble is he really in?
Directed by Jess Graham

The Astronaut’s Missing Passport
by Denis Burke
Having safely completed her first mission to space, Sadaf begins her journey home in the altered circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic but loses her passport on the way.
Stuck in bureaucratic limbo at the immigration office of a remote UK airport, she talks about Brexit, privatisation, statues and nationalism, with the officials detaining her as they weigh her story and their doubts about her identity.
Directed by Denis Burke

Set design by Jess Graham
Light and sound by Evonne Dunne

This edition of the Playground was made possible with the kind support of the Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst

Rehearsal Photography by Steve Lieveld @stevelieveldphotography
Performance shots by Arjen Veldt

Downstage Left performed Proof, by David Auburn, in April 2022. Our first live performance after the lockdowns was a great success.

Proof is the story of Catherine, the daughter of Robert, a famous mathematician at the University of Chicago, and her struggle with the fine line between genius and madness. How much of either did she inherit from him?

Catherine has cared for her father through his long mental illness, while her sister Claire got on with her life in New York. Upon Robert’s death, Claire returns home to ‘settle’ family affairs whilst his ex-graduate student Hal searches Robert’s papers hoping to find a bit of his old brilliance.

What Hal discovers causes them all to examine the very nature of love, trust and sacrifice. It also raises the question: is it possible to prove anything?”

Proof won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2001.

Praise for our production of Proof
“An excellent play excellently produced and performed in de Nieuwe Anita!” – Sue

“Saw the first performance of the wonderful play ‘PROOF’. It was so great and the actors were all excellent!” – David

“Such a wonderful production! Great acting all around, well-written script. Invites you to think!” – Michael

Where and when?
Downstage Left performed Proof at De Nieuwe Anita on April 12 and 13 and at Mike’s Badhuistheater on April 21, 22 and 23.

Cast and Crew

Catherine – Alyssa Wagner
Robert – Ben Evans
Hal – Denis Burke
Clare – Quin Mero

Dramaturge – Valia Tamvaki
Set Design – Jess Graham
Light and sound – Evonne Dunne
Promotion – Katharina Olsen

Poster design: Victoria Prokhorova @nika_prokhor
Photos: Arjen Veldt

This amateur production of “Proof” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. http://www.concordtheatricals.co.uk

Plot summary adapted from “Proof”(CC-BY-SA)

A short play about identity, privatisation and the simple documents that change our lives.

Having safely completed her first mission to space, Sadaf begins her journey home in the altered circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic but loses her passport on the way.

Stuck in bureaucratic limbo at the immigration office of a remote UK airport, she talks about Brexit, privatisation, statues and nationalism, with the officials detaining her as they weigh her story and their doubts about her identity.

Starring:
Türkü Köksel, Abigail Levene and Andy Cowie

Written and directed by:
Denis Burke

The Astronaut’s Missing Passport was first presented as part of Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics 2021.

Playground 3: One Night Stand centered around the topic of couples, both odd and ordinary, finding themselves thrown together in places challenging their sense of borders and intimacy.

In the One Night Stand universe, situations quickly turned from the usual to the unusual, in unexpected ways, as our delightful duos found their relationships tested in unfamiliar ways.

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Playground 3: One Night Stand Played on:

February 19, 20, 26 & 27
20:15
De Nieuwe Anita
Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 1052 HN Amsterdam

The plays:

NAP TIME
by Denis Burke
Have you ever been in a panic that you couldn’t tell the living from the dead? Welcome to Michael’s world, hopefully his old band mate Harry can help get him out of this jam.

With Ben Evans, Andy Cowie & Quin Mero
Directed by Quin Mero
This amateur production is presented by donation from Denis Burke

THE SEVEN MEN OF HANUKKAH
by Sharon Cooper
Stephanie loves animals. Phil hasn’t gone to an audition in a long time and isn’t so sure that he’s at one now. So where the hell is this story going?

With Brian Ligthart & Katharina Olsen
Directed by Andy Cowie
This amateur production is presented royalty free by CRY HAVOC (www.cryhavoccompany.org).

REMOTE
by Eric Coble
After a disappointing sales pitch, Emma and Charlie’s bad luck isn’t over just yet. These two now find themselves trapped between a hostage situation next door and each other!
Pillow Talk

With Christine Blakeley & Abigail Levene
Directed by Quin Mero
This amateur production is presented by donation from Eric Coble

PILLOW TALK
by Peter Tolan
Doug & Aaron are enjoying a road trip across the US. But unexpectedly having to share a bed one night forces them to examine their feelings about friendship & initmacy a little too closely for comfort. A comedy double act with two straight men.

With Charles Bird & Chris Grabski
Directed by Ben Evans
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited

Poster design: Victoria Prokhorova @nika_prokhor
All photos courtesy of Arjen Veldt

Downstage Left presented Don’t Dress for Dinner, by Marc Camoletti, adapted by Robin Hawdon in November 2019.

Bernard has high hopes for a steamy weekend away with his mistress. He has hired a gourmet chef for the occasion. His friend Robert is ready to cover for him. His wife, Jacqueline, is on her way to her mother’s house. The plan seems too good to be true. It is. Oversights lead to hasty improvisations, which, in turn, lead to hilarious disaster. This show is relentlessly funny.

Don’t Dress for Dinner played on
November 14-17, 2019 at Het Polanentheater, Polanenstraat 174, 1013WC Amsterdam

Praise for Don’t Dress for Dinner

Hilarious! A must see!
– Patricia

One dinner party you’ll never forget!
– Svetka

Really Great show! Congratulations, everyone!
– Jackie

Echt een aanrader! Hilarisch verhaal, supergoed gespeeld, in een leuk theater. Everyone do see this play! You’ll enjoy it, in a cosy theatre
– Hans

A fantastic and truly hilarious show, not to be missed!!! Amazing set, fabulous direction and excellent actors… Well done to all the crew involved and keep entertaining us Downstage Left!
– Delphine

Whatever you might see for English-speaking plays in 2019, this one you shouldn’t miss. A fast moving, immensely funny and well-written play, you will find yourself often laughing and enjoying this high-spirited craziness. The director, set designer and all the actors did a tremendous job. Treat yourself to a feast of hilarious comedy. Well worth seeing!
– Michael

Poster design: Victoria Prokhorova @nika_prokhor
Photos courtesy of Jess Graham, all rights reserved.

This amateur production of “Don’t Dress for Dinner” was presented by special arrangement
with Samuel French LTD, a Concord Theatricals Company.

Playground 2: Crossed Wires played at De Nieuwe Anita in June, 2019. This evening of one acts was all about people getting their wires crossed, relatable but infuriating misunderstandings, and finding love in confusing places.

Praise

“A great fun evening of theater”

– George

“Don’t miss this fresh, fun and inspiring performance. I enjoyed it a lot. Well done Downstage Left Amsterdam”

– Daniela

“I laughed, I cried, I had a great night. Original writing and truthful acting. A mere 10 euro well spent”

–Peppy

“Saw this last night and thoroughly enjoyed all three pieces. Congratulations to all!”

–Michael

The plays:

“Alan Alba and the Black Friday Panic” by Denis Burke
(with Christine Blakely, Andy Cowie, Brian Ligthart, Türkü Köksel and Paddy O’Connell).
Directed by João Calado.
A popular TV show examines mass hysteria by faking disaster situations. When its star presenter is seen shopping moments before reports of a terrorist attack, no one takes him or the situation seriously, leaving him with nothing but panic and well-meaning fools for company.

“DMV Tyrant” by Chris Durang (with Christine Blakely and Ben Evans).
Directed by João Calado.
Renewing your driving license is rarely easy. It shouldn’t be this hard. The play features just two characters. We have all met one of them and we have all been the other.

“I’m Home” by Denis Burke (with Borislava Todorova, Quin Mero and Denis Burke).
Directed by Annika van der Vegt and Denis Burke.
After a heavy night of drinking, Lily forgets that she recently moved house and barges into her old apartment. Her unplanned visit (or break in, depending on how you view it) leaves new resident Francesca bewildered, but allows her flat mate Neill a chance to finally get something off his chest.

Photos courtesy of Arjen Veldt, all rights reserved.

A 2016 Love Story was a great success. We had lots of fun. Photos from the talented Arjen Veldt

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An original farce, by playwright Denis Burke, A 2016 Love Story plunges us straight back into that tumultuous year. Embroiled in a madcap world of fake news, celebrity deaths and political mayhem, a chance meeting between implacable enemies hints that all is not lost and that, perhaps, love really does conquer all.

Photos courtesy of Arjen Veldt, all rights reserved.