BRATTLEBORO — Shoot the Moon Theater Company has opened its 2017 season at the Hooker-Dunham Theater with a two-weekend run of The Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise.
The show premiered Feb. 17-18 and continues at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24 and 25.
The dramatic comedy by Japanese playwright Toshiki Okada made its New York City debut in 2014 with an English translation by Aya Ogawa. Time-Out New York awarded it four stars and The New York Times praised it as “a war on boredom.
In a news release, Artistic Director Joshua Moyse likens the play to absurdist classics, such as Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, for its unconventional structure and brand of humor.
“It's very dreamlike and then a punch in the gut,” he says. “It has wonderful insights into what it means to be alive and how to be a better human being.”
Cast Members Elias Burgess, Josh Goldstein, Colin Grube, Jennifer Moyse, and Xoe Perra play the nameless group of youngish and middle-aged characters searching for ways to make their lives better. Alistair Follansbee is the stage manager and Charlie Schneeweis provides original music.
Moyse estimates he read about three dozen plays searching for one that would launch Shoot the Moon's second full season as the company-in-residence for Hooker-Dunham. He believes this to be the New England premiere of the Okada's play, and considers it one of the more experimental productions for the company to date.
General admission is $12 and reservations can be made in advance by calling 802-254-9276. The Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery is located at 139 Main St. in Brattleboro. More information is available at www.hookerdunham.org.