Black Box Theater Presents "Aunt Raini"

[pengwen]

World Premiere Play Runs Through May 7
By Las Cruces Reporter
© 2006 SONewMex.com - Reprint Permission Grant

No Strings Theatre Company presents local playwright Tom Smith's newest play, "Aunt Raini," a delve into the power of art. Directed by NSTC's Artistic Director, Ceil Herman, "Aunt Raini" opens Friday, April 21 and runs through Sunday, May 7.

http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/BBT_AuntRaini_KR1_M.jpg
Beth LeCocq (Katherine) and Toni Marie (Aunt Raini)

"Aunt Raini" is loosely based on the life of Leni Riefenstahl, who spent the early part of her career as the official documentarian of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Aunt Raini is played by Toni Marie, last seen at the Black Box Theatre as Emily Dickinson in "Belle of Amherst." She has come from Germany to visit her grand niece, Katherine, who is a successful gallery owner.

http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/BBT_AuntRaini_JK3_M.jpg
Patrick Payne (Joel) and Beth LeCocq (Katherine)

Katherine is played by Beth LeCocq, last seen at the Black Box Theatre in "Getting Out." In the end, Katherine and her Jewish boyfriend Joel, must decide whether great art stemming from evil should be judged as significant historical artwork or evidence of hate crimes. Joel is played by Patrick Payne, who performed in "Gray," another world premiere play written by Tom Smith which ran at the Black Box Theatre in 2001.



http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/BBT_AuntRaini_JK2_M.jpg
Patrick Payne (Joel) and Beth LeCocq (Katherine) in Aunt Raini

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., Sundays, April 30 and May 7 at 2:30 p.m. and Thursday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $9.00 regular, $8.00 students and seniors over 65 and all seats on Thursday are $6.00. Reservations may be made by calling the theatre (505)-523-1223 or online at http://www.no-strings.org (http://www.no-strings.org/).

For full details on other upcoming Black Box Theater Events, see Black Box Theater Schedule of Upcoming Events (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245) in our Las Cruces Community News section (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=14).

[webmaster]

In addition to the news posts and other activities we've been working on with No Strings Theater Company, we've been cooperating with them in an effort to get a gallery of photos from their past performances added to our site.

As of 2:45 a.m. on 5/5/06, we've completed the launch of our new No Strings gallery. Now, if all goes well, I also hope to take a drive down to Cruces this weekend and enjoy one of their final performances of Aunt Raini too.

You'll find their new gallery here:

Click here to Visit the No Strings Theater Company Gallery (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/pp-514/showgallery.php/cat/558)

With luck, we'll get a review of Aunt Raini posted early next week.

Meantime, if your schedule permits this weekend, and you're within driving distance of Las Cruces, drop down on Friday Staurday or Sunday and take in one of their performances of Aunt Raini. We hear it's a great show.


Have fun!

Greg Platt
WebMaster & Publisher

[webmaster]

This turned out to be a really great play. To read our review of the perfromance we saw, Click here (http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&file=viewreview&id=13). To see our gallery of photos shot at the performance, go here (http://go%20here/).

Kudos to the writer director, and cast. It was a great show.

To check the No Strings Theater Company's schedule of upcoming performances, click here (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265), visit our Las Cruces Community Calendar (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/forums/calendar.php?c=23) or drop by their web site (http://no-strings.org/).