The Schoolhouse Theater presents 3-Way Stop by James Sheldon
3-Way Stop
By James Sheldon
At the Schoolhouse Theater, October 13-29
Directed by Owen Thompson
The Schoolhouse Theater is proud to present the Westchester Premier of James Sheldon’s 3-Way Stop, directed by Schoolhouse Artistic Director Owen Thompson.
This fascinating, formidable, and wickedly funny evening of three one act plays from master playwright James Sheldon is the third and final offering of TST’s 2023 season and will have audiences on the edge of their seats. It will be performed at the performance space at 3 Owens Road in Croton Falls with performances running from Friday, October 13th through Sunday, October 29th.
The opening of 3-Way Stop on Friday the 13th is no accident. Nothing is quite the way it seems in James Sheldon’s intriguing world. Patterns of the Sky introduces us to Franklin and Eliza, a perfect couple who seemingly have it all: brains, beauty, and money to spare. But will dark secrets undo them? In Cowboys and Indians, we meet brothers Michael and Mitch, with a sibling rivalry of truly biblical proportions. And finally in A Beautiful Day, we meet Matthew and Lil who are faced with the question, “what happens the day after the end of the world?” As our playwright himself observes, “Life isn’t the way it’s supposed to be.”
James Sheldon’s latest play, Reparations, drew record crowds at Brooklyn’s Billie Holiday Theatre and was named Best Play of 2019 by the Audelco Awards, recognizing excellence in Black theatre. The 2021 revival of Reparations, at the Gloucester Stage Company outside Boston, garnered Best Play of the Year honors from Broadway World (Boston). James’ other produced plays include the London premieres of Shiverman, nominated as Best Play of 2012 by the Off-West End Awards, and A Model for Mankind in 2010. He has also written two screenplays and is currently working on a family drama set in the post-Covid era.
3-Way Stop boasts a high-powered cast. Eric Bryant, who will be familiar to Schoolhouse audiences from his beautiful performance in Gladstone Hollow and from his many appearances at the Westport Country Playhouse where he received the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Lead Actor in The Invisible Hand. Natalia Cuevas is a classically trained Actress with many Shakespearean productions to her credit and will be familiar to audiences from her appearance on HBO’s The Deuce. P.J. Sosko is a familiar fixture on television series such as The Equalizer and Reservation Dogs and will soon be seen as Hunter S. Thompson on Netflix’s The Girls on the Bus.
Owen Thompson is thrilled to be leading the Schoolhouse Theater along with his true brother, Producing Director Bram Lewis. He most recently directed the opener of our season: John Logan’s Tony and Olivier Award-winning drama Red. This joyous production played to sold-out houses and standing ovations, and BroadwayWorld’s Bruce Apar called it, “thrilling, mind-expanding theater!” Owen’s productions have been seen throughout New York City and across America. His immersive, multi-media production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest was nominated for a bevy of New York Independent Theater Awards including Best Director and his production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado at the iconic Ivoryton Playhouse received the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical.
For tickets to 3-Way Stop, visit www.theschoolhousetheater.org or call 914-473-7111.
About Schoolhouse Theater
The mission of the Schoolhouse Theater is to enhance the life of the community through live, professional, regional, theater. Our goal is to support and promote the theatrical arts, to encourage actors, directors and playwrights, as well as to support and promote other art forms. This is a wide umbrella, enabling us to create opportunities for artists to challenge themselves and grow, and to enrich the lives of student interns, senior volunteers, and audience members. All of our theater programming, including main stage productions, workshops, classes, and staged readings, introduces our patrons to award-winning playwrights as well as emerging talented voices. Our dedication to professional, earnest and creative achievement engenders pride and respect in the lives of all participants, and helps audiences and the community to develop an appreciation for and enjoyment of theater and the arts.
The Schoolhouse Theater, a nonprofit organization, is a venerable cultural center devoted to professional theater, live music, and entertainment at the highest possible standard. Our galleries host local artists, sculptors, and photographers from all over the county. We have a gift shop, a 99 seat theater, an art gallery and classrooms. We rent our space for events, weddings and seminars. We are committed to bringing new, innovative and ground breaking programs and plays to the community. It is a place where new work is explored, and a place where things begin. Through classes for children, live theater, live music, comedy, slam poetry and story telling we have sought to be a landmark home for all of the arts in Westchester County. The beautiful building that houses The Schoolhouse Theater was formerly the Croton Falls elementary school. In 1983 founder Lee Popetransformed the building into a visual arts center. At that time the cafeteria, gym, and auditorium space was simply a white walled room with no risers and twelve borrowed lights. In 1987, Ms. Pope invited Manhattan’s Acorn Productions to bring their recently produced play, Bedroom Farce, by Alan Ayckbourn to the building. Starring Brooke Palance and Michael Wilding, its limited run was a huge success and The Schoolhouse Theater was born. Gradually over the years theatrical amenities were added and a number of talented local theater companies presented shows in the space. But it was Pamela Moller Kareman, former Artistic Director of Acorn, who stayed in close touch, and she and Lee Pope charted a clear vision of growth for The Schoolhouse with its unique intimate space. In 1998 The Schoolhouse Theater became a full fledged not for profit professional regional theater. The Schoolhouse has been honored by visits from a number of theater luminaries including playwrights Jules Feiffer, George Furth, Tina Howe, Michael Weller, and Paul Zindel, who all came to see productions of their work and lend support to our theater. We have successfully launched five productions to Off-Broadway: Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Ingmar Bergman’s Nora, S.N. Behrman’s Biography, Elaine Del Valle’s Brownsville Bred and The Enlightenment of Mr. Mole.