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Stagefright

British stage star Mark Rylance (pictured above) is getting raves for his performance in Steven Spielberg’s film Bridge of Spies. Rylance won the Tony award last year for his performance in the all-male production of Twelfth Night directed by Tim Carroll who will become artistic director of the Shaw Festival next year. Rylance made his Broadway debut in 2008 (and won another Tony) in the comedy Boeing, Boeing, which also starred the fabulous Christine Baranski.

On Monday, November 16th Shakespeare in Delaware Park will hold its annual autumnal fundraiser affair. This year, the company will present Et Tu, Shakespeare? an original show where four actors (Marie Costa, Patrick Moltane, Adam Rath and Tracy Snyder) perform excerpts from the Bard’s most famous works. The event will take place at Sacred Heart Academy, 3860 Main St. Curtain is at 7:30pm with hors d’oeuvres beginning at 6:30pm For tickets, call 856-4533. And, save the date! Shakespeare’s Annual Feast will be held on April 9th, 2016.

Up next for O’Connell & Company, Uh Oh! Here Comes Christmas, an evening of storytelling and song based on essays written by Robert Fulghum who also wrote the popular All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten. Directed by Joey Bucheker, the production will star Michael Starzynski, Mary Moebius, Tim Goehrig, Edith Grossman and Corey Bieber. The show runs November 27th—December 20th.

The New Phoenix Theatre continues its 20th anniversary season with the Pulitzer Prize winning comedy Harvey, by Mary Chase. Directed by Tom Makar, the production will star Richard Lambert, Caitlin Coleman, Dave Lundy, Betsy Bittar, Tammy Hayes McGovern, Sharon Straight, Jamie Nablo, Nicholas Lama, Todd Fuller, Rich Kramer, and Franklin LaVoie. The show runs November 20th—December 20th. By the way, the company’s annual Phoenix Festivus scheduled for this coming Friday, has been canceled.

Raices Theatre Company will hold its annual fundraiser, La Gran Fiesta, on Friday November 13th at Pucho’s, located on 261 Swan St. (Pucho Olivencia Community Center). The evening will consist of appetizers, cash bar, basket raffle, DJ music, dance presentations, and live entertainment by the Raíces ensemble. The event will culminate with a salsa dance contest. Individual tickets are $25; $40 for non-competing couples and $50 for competing couples. To buy tickets call 238-1522 or visit www.raicestheatrecompany.com

Loraine O’Donnell has taken over the direction of It Was a Wonderful Life, the annual holiday offering presented at the chapel in Forest Lawn. This year the production will star John Fredo, Dudney Joseph, Jenn Stafford, Kelly Copps, Doug Crane, Timothy Finnegan, Mary Craig, Annette Christian, and O’Donnell herself, with music direction by Christopher Sierzchula. In the show, the actors portray historical figures who are buried in the cemetery. Performances begin November 28th.

After a two-year hiatus Neal Radice returns to play Charles Dickens in the Alleyway Theatre’s 33rd annual A Christmas Carol (he played the part for the first thirty years), which will run December 10th—20th. The production will also star David C. Mitchell, Joyce Stilson, Jerry Hudson, and the Alleyway Carolers: Stephanie Bax, Melissa Leventhal, Roger VanDette, and David G. Poole.

Nickel City Opera will present the world premiere of Shot!, an opera in two acts about the assassination of President McKinley at The Pan American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901. Written by Persis Vehar with libretto by Gabrielle Vehar, the opera will be performed at Shea’s on June 10th and 12th.

Buffalo State College alum Peter Michael Marino will return to Buffalo with his new solo/talk show spoof comedy Late with Lance!, which premiered this past summer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Two pay-what-you-can performances are scheduled: Friday, December 4th at 8pm at the Donald Savage Building at Buffalo State College; and Sunday, December 6th at 7pm at Allen Street Hardware, 245 Allen St. No reservations required.

After having had to leave their space in TheaterLoft this past February, Ujima Company will be performing at the Alleyway’s Main Street Cabaret this coming February. N. R. Davidson’s El Hajj Malik will play February 19th—March 6th, starring Shanntina Moore, Tanika Holmes. Davida Tolbert, Brian Brown, Daisy Medina, Paulo Silva, and my darling Zoe V. Scruggs.