Hello Sourcers!

Welcome to this week’s issue of Locally Sourced. Let’s see what we’ve got for you.

🚨 CRIMES! (sort of)

📚 READING! (not yet considered a crime)

🎭 THEATER! (which can include both reading and crimes)

The street outside WSKG North (our Ithaca office) was vandalized by an individual known by their nom de crime, The Buffalo Pothole Bandit! Gaze upon this wanton destruction.

But they didn’t stop there! They defaced another Ithaca pothole with a quote from This American Life’s Sarah Vowell.

Sarah Vowell never asked to be complicit in this crime spree!

While this mastermind hails from my hometown, shares many of my interests, and apparently also hit the sub shop next to my college apartment in Geneseo over the weekend, my dogs can attest to my whereabouts at the time these crimes were committed. I am not your bandit!

Okay, let’s calm it down. Way down.

A couple years ago, I started seeing articles about NYC bars hosting silent reading nights. These bars enforced silence while people sipped (but not slurped) their drinks and read their books. There were breaks in between to chat, but otherwise it was dead quiet.

Folks were skeptical that people would not just attend but pay for the opportunity, but these events often sold out. The need to throttle down the noise is extremely relatable, but so is the apparently competing urge to be around others.

This weekend, the Tompkins County Public Library is hosting their fourth Silent Reading Party at Northstar Public House in Ithaca. I attended one of these last fall at South Hill Cider, reading Percival Everett as rain fell on a tin roof. It made me very envious of my kiddo’s ability to whip out a book in the middle of any kind of crowd and just tune the world out.

The great thing about a silent reading party is how little is required to host one yourself. All you need is a couple comfy chairs and some friends you can hold silence with. Beyond that, you can go BYOB&B (Bring Your Own Booze and Book).

So what’s your go-to activity to get away from noise, whether that’s mental or auditory?

Oh, before I hand things off, I want to let you know that this weekend, the Bold Local Artists of the Southern Tier (BLAST) is doing staged readings of The Happy Place, a never-produced Twilight Zone script written by Rod Serling, at the Cider Mill Stage in Endicott.

There will be time to talk more about the Rod Serling of it all, but if you’re looking for a little socially-conscious sci fi this weekend, that’s the ticket for you.

Hoping your volume is at an appropriate level, which for me is 11.

Bob Proehl

Locally Sourced Editor

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Hi I’m Amelia Pena, WSKG’s Executive Assistant and a HUGE thespian. There’s a wide variety of engaging live theatre happening across the region over the next few weeks! From pies to pirates to actors running around in their underwear, there’s something for everyone’s taste and price range.

The Hangar Theatre in Ithaca is presenting Waitress from July 10th-19th. This is one of my favorite musicals of all time. Based on the 2007 film, the musical adds songs by Sara Bareilles that are absolutely breathtaking. They might have to escort me out for singing along (This is a joke: please do NOT sing until the car ride home!) The musical is about a waitress named Jenna, who is navigating a life she never planned. This tale of resilience, female friendships, and breaking the cycle of abuse brings me to tears every time. 

Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown is showing the beloved Sondheim musical, Sunday in the Park with George, inspired by Georges Seurat’s painting, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. I saw this musical at Ti-Awagha Players in Owego about a year ago, and it was absolutely breathtaking. It’s a unique piece, with Act Two set 100 years after Act One, showing how while technology changes, a heart for the arts stands the test of time. Glimmerglass is a bit on the pricier side, but they do have tickets as low as $38. 

At the Anderson Center at Binghamton University, the Summer Savoyards, a summer-only theatre company dedicated to performing only the writing duo Gilbert & Sullivan’s work, is presenting Pirates of Penzance. Granted, they just did this one in 2018—there’s not that many Gilbert & Sullivan musical operettas—but it’s free for anyone under 18! It’s a great way to bring your kiddos to see some great theatre for cheap! H. Scot Saggiomo, recently seen as Kenickie in Grease at SRO, is playing the Pirate King. Zach Curtis is playing the Major General. If you saw him last year at the Chenango River Theatre as Macbeth, you know you’re in for a treat. Bonus points to anyone who learns the Major General’s patter song “I am the very model of a modern major general”. 

If you’re not a big musical theatre buff, Franklin Stage Company is presenting Kimberly Akimbo, the play from July 4th-20th. There’s a musical by the same name, but this one is sans songs. Heidi Weeks, owner of Mabel D’Orr Fashion Boutique in Binghamton plays Kimberly, a girl with a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly. You might also recognize Vito Longo, who’s playing Buddy, from his recent role as Eddie in Hurlyburly, which just closed at KNOW Theatre in June (EDITOR’S NOTE: Amelia was also in Hurlyburly!). All tickets at Franklin Stage are FREE! 

The Kitchen Theatre, an adorable little thrust stage in Ithaca is presenting a two night only show (July 25th & 26th) of Undressed the Musical. Tickets are $30 (general) and $15 (student). The show is only an hour and they have a bar, if that’s your jam. 

There are many great opportunities to see great theatre in your community without breaking the bank. I firmly believe art should be for everyone, and since theatre traditionally has such a high barrier to entry for audience members, it is wonderful to see t cost effective options for those of us who have minimal disposable income. 

Please let me know about shows you’re excited to see this July! I hope to see you there! 

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