KOFEST: IS SEX POSSIBLE?

Constance Congdon is an internationally acclaimed prizewinning playwright. But this July 6-8 the veteran dramatist takes to the other side of the footlights with her first solo show: IS SEX POSSIBLE? – a piece she calls a “sit-down” comedy about the trials and tribulations of sex and dating after you reach the so-called Golden Years of 50, 60 – and beyond. "When your age passes the legal speed limit, don’t slow down, press on the gas!" advises Congdon as she shares her real adventures with sex and the challenges of, yes, faulty plumbing and other unreliable equipment. Frank, funny, and, at times, very poignant, Congdon’s piece has been well-received at Dixon Place in New York City, a venue Spaulding Grey once graced with his monologues, but not well-received at her high school reunion in Kansas. "I just wanted to share what I was doing with my classmates, the ones who were still around after our graduation in 1963. I expect a better reception in Amherst." Those objecting were "a vocal minority, but I’m undaunted. Others came up to me and thanked me. It gave me a sense of mission--to talk about sex and aging, in a way that makes people laugh and relax. And I’m always talking about my own experiences, so no one should feel uncomfortable."
Constance Congdon has been called “one of the best playwrights our country and our language has ever produced” by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tony Kushner. Perhaps best known for her Tales of the Lost Formicans, which has had more than 500 productions world-wide, Congdon’s other plays include: Casanova, Dog Opera, both produced at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre, Losing Father’s Body (Portland Stage (Maine), Lips, (Primary Stages), Native American, (Portland Stage, Maine), (Lyric Hammersmith Studio, London). Two of her most recent plays, Paradise Street and 2 Washington Square had their first productions at Amherst College. Congdon’s adaptations include A Mother, starring Olympia Dukakis and The Servant of Two Masters, which is currently on an extended run at The Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C. and goes on to the Guthrie Theater next season. Her new verse version of Tartuffe is published in its own critical edition by Norton. Congdon’s No Mercy, and its companion piece One Day Earlier were part of the 2000 season devoted to Congdon at the Profile Theatre in Portland, OR. She has also written a number of opera libretti, one with Lewis Spratlan and another one in the works. She has written seven plays for the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis and three plays for adolescents for ACT’s Young Conservatory. A collection of her plays has been published by TCG, Inc. Also in the works are two commissions: Take Me to the River for the Denver Theater Center and No Little Rebellion for the consortium of Shakespeare theaters American history project, MAKING AMERICA.
Congdon has been writing a long time and can thank the NEA, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation and numerous awards for making this more possible. Congdon was just honored with an award for "distinguished service to the American theater” at the Great Plains Theater Conference. She’s an alum of New Dramatists, member of The Dramatists Guild and of PEN. Congdon has been teaching playwriting at Amherst College for decades.
With outrageous props, and no-holds-barred humor, IS SEX POSSIBLE? is rated R for language and frank sexual discussion. As one past audience member told her, "You should have your mouth washed out with soap!"
Artistic Director Sabrina Hamilton calls Congdon “one of the bravest and funniest people I know. To have someone tell the truth – the real truth – is such a wonderful way to kick off the season. Let’s blast apart any preciousness and get down to it. I‘m so glad we have post-show discussions following every performance. I can’t wait to hear what the audience has to say afterwards."

All performances take place in Amherst College’s accessible, air-conditioned Holden Theater on the Amherst College campus. The theater is located just behind the Admissions Office off of S. Pleasant Street in Amherst, MA. Plenty of close, free parking.
Unless otherwise noted, tickets $20 Adults / $16 Students & Seniors. Call about a very limited number of $8 tix. Tickets and further information are available at www.kofest.com or by calling box office phone: (413) 542-3750.
 

Associated Group: Local Entertainment

Posted by: kofest