Charis Community Theater was formed to provide a community theater program for students and young adults in the Tampa Bay area to be challenged by performing serious and demanding theatrical productions. Most theater companies for young people perform light comedies and musicals for large casts. The group was formed to give young actors a chance to perform dramas and challenging productions in more intimate plays that would help them prepare for future professional work.
“Performing plays with a small cast also gives us a lot of time to really concentrate on our group dynamics,” said Charis Community Theater’s director, Shanna Tvenstrup. “Some of the young actors are hoping to go on to university and work professionally in the theater. It is my hope that I’ve helped them prepare for life in the professional performing arts. In the past, we’ve performed classic dramas, such as Rope, The Mousetrap, Harvey and Twelve Angry Jurors.”
On Friday and Saturday, November 14-15, Charis Community Theater will bring its production of William McCleery’s Parlor Story to Plant City Entertainment.
“Parlor Story was written by William McCleery and premiered on Broadway in 1947,” Tvenstrup said. “McCleery was originally a newspaper reporter before becoming a playwright and professor at Princeton University.”
Parlor Story centers around a family in a small university town. The main character is a retired newspaper reporter and father who teaches journalism at the local university. Although the play centers around family life with teenagers in a small town, it involves a political drama in which the lead must grapple with his integrity as he decides whether to compromise his values for a promotion or stand up for what he believes in to protect the future generation of writers.
“We are excited to bring this play to the stage, as most people in the theater community are not familiar with the play,” Tvenstrup said. “The cast is really being challenged and love their roles. Those who have attended our former performances know we love drama. With Parlor Story, the audience can expect a balance of dramatic moments and witty comedy. The play includes relatable truths about what it’s like raising teenagers, teaching difficult but gifted students and how challenging good communication can become in a family of freethinkers. We hope that the play will make the audience laugh and also make them think. We’re hoping it will stimulate lots of engaging discussions for those who attend as it opens a dialogue towards the audience through its writing.”
If you would like to learn more about Charis Community Theater or attend Parlor Story, you can visit its website at www.chariscommunitytheater.com. Plant City Entertainment is located at 101 N. Thomas St. in Plant City.
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