Second Stage Series
What is Second Stage?
Town & Gown’s Second Stage is an exciting opportunity for smaller or more experimental productions. These shows often feature new or local playwrights and properties, and are performed in the same space as our Main Stage productions. Although it often presents shows that ordinarily would not appear on the Main Stage slate (because they are too controversial or unfamiliar to a general audience), Second Stage has included a number of titles that are often done as Main Stage productions elsewhere. The Town & Gown Second Stage Series offers a wide variety of shows–from comedies to dramas, from musical revues to original works. Those who direct and act in these Second Stage productions include some of the theater’s most experienced and talented performers, who come together on a small budget in order to add nuance and excitement to the theatre season.
How do I get tickets?
Normally, Second Stage shows run for one weekend and open either one or two weeks after the closing of a Main Stage show. Tickets are available on ShowClix, our ticketing service. All ticket pre-sales are handled through ShowClix and must be paid with a credit card.
Even though Town & Gown doesn’t think of Second Stage productions as “big shows” (some have as few as two or three in the cast), there is scope for quite ambitious works. Look at this list of past entries: Julius Caesar, Amadeus, Requiem for a Heavyweight, Fool for Love, The Chairs, Burning Patience, Payback, The Gift of the Mayfly, Battery, Scrooge and Marley, The Buried Child, Bully, Arms and the Man, Soap Opera, The Ugly Duckling, The East-West Relation, Another Perfect Day in East Hampton, The Physicists, ‘Round Robin, He Said She Said, Other People’s Money, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, The Long Voyage Home and Other Plays of the Sea, Art, Misery, Henry V and several musical revues.
Proposing a Second Stage Production
Second Stage is an opportunity for burgeoning directors and upcoming playwrights to produce exciting new works or smaller, edgier shows. A proposal should be submitted to the Second Stage Coordinator. This proposal must include a full production crew, information about auditions, a copy of the script, and any specific publicity requirements.
If you have any further questions and/or want a copy of the proposal form, please email secondstage@townandgownplayers.org.
Second Stage productions currently have two weeks in the theater beginning after the previous Main Stage strike. The run is typically the second weekend of this stay – Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm.
In order for a show to be approved by the Board of Directors, the show’s director must become a Town & Gown member. Please see Membership for more detailed information on becoming a player.
Town & Gown Second Stage has 4 performances per year. The deadline and Board approval schedule is as follows:
- June 1 proposal deadline (August board meeting approval) for SS1 (Oct/Nov) SS2 (Feb/Mar)
- December 1 proposal deadline (February board meeting approval) for SS3 (Apr/May) & SS4 (Jun/Jul)