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Bix Beiderbecke, Dragonfly, Ladie's Room, Little Rock Free Press, MacBeth, Men's Room, Micheal Henderson, National Shakespeare Conservatory, Our Town, Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theatre, Weekend Theatre
The Public Theatre at 616 Center Street provides some of the best entertainment in town for $10, according to artistic director Michael Henderson.
“I like to look at (The Public Theatre) as halfway between the Weekend Theatre and the Rep. We pay sometimes and do more modern plays, plus some originals,” he says. “In my opinion, the Community Theatre does mostly family-oriented shows, where the Weekend Theatre has a social commentary niche. We don’t have a niche we have to fill, so we’re pretty wide open.”
Two original sketch comedies, “Men’s Room” and “Ladie’s Room,” have provided The Public Theatre’s biggest hits so far. The one-act plays revolve around comic relief found in the lavatory, featuring realistic bathrooms built on stage for the performance.
“I conceived them, and six local writers wrote scenes for them,” Henderson says, noting plans exist for a “Best of the Ladie’s Room” that will feature excerpts from the original plus a few new scenes. Other upcoming shows include “Our Town” (part of the American Classic’s series), the dark comedy “Dearly Departed,” and possibly “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” for Halloween. Unlike other theaters in town, The Public Theatre does not plan its whole season, which allows for scheduling flexibility. Continue reading