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For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102

For Immediate Release

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Key West’s Red Barn Theatre will follow up last year’s remarkably successful season with another stellar lineup of plays and special events that will bring a full measure of laughter and emotion to its audiences.

“I think there’s something for everyone,” said Joy Hawkins, the Barn’s artistic director. “We take our time finding the best new plays that have come along, and this year’s group is very special. And we’re again fortunate to have a terrific company of actors to bring them to life.”

The Red Barn’s 46th Season kicks of December 9th this year with the holiday-themed “Scrooge Macbeth” by David MacGregor. It’s a hilarious mash-up of Dickens and Shakespeare when a theater company is left to come up with a replacement show for their Shakespeare production when all their actors call out sick. Can they save their theater by coming up with a show in a couple of hours? It’s a very funny collision of everything Christmas and everything Shakespeare. The show stars Dominic Paolillo, Morgan Fraga Pierson, Mathias Maloff, Cassidy Timms, and Gerri Louise Gates, and will be directed by Mimi McDonald. It will run through January 3, 2026. Please note that there will be no performances Christmas Eve, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve.

Christine Mild will return to the Barn with her latest musical special event, “The Queens of Country: Patsy! Dolly! Loretta!”. The show will have only four performances, January 7-10, 2026. Pianist Jim Rice will once again lead a terrific country band to back Christine up. Limited tickets will be available, and Christine always sells out, so grab your seats as soon as they go on sale later this summer.

Joy Hawkins will direct the next mainstage production, “At the Wedding”, by Bryna Turner, running January 20 through February 14, 2026.  Patrons will be cordially invited to a Northern California wedding and meet Carlo, an agent of comedic chaos, as she attempts to make it through the night without drinking too much, talking too much, or trying to win back the bride. The very funny play stars Jess Polak, Martha Hooten-Hattingh, Jody Orrigo, Rita Troxel, Susannah Wells, Jessica Miano Kruel, and Jack McDonald.

Next up February 24 through March 21, 2026 will be a wonderful musical revue, “And the World Goes Round”. The show features the songs of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the composers behind such great hits as “Chicago,” “Cabaret,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and the movie scores for “Funny Lady” and “New York, New York.” It will be directed by Joy Hawkins and Lauren Thompson, with musical direction by Michael Fauss, and feature the voices of Lauren Thompson, Jeremy Zoma, Claire Caplan, and more.

The Barn’s season will close with “A Rock Sails By,” a play by Sean Grennan that Broadway World called “A thought-provoking story filled with humor, and emotion.” When a UFO is sighted heading towards Earth, astrophysicist Dr. Lynn Cummings grants an interview to a journalist who has misquoted her, inviting him to view the object with her as it comes close to our planet. There is no telling what she will discover beyond the stars. The play will be directed by Joy Hawkins and star George DeBraud, Susannah Wells, Jody Orrigo, Fritzie Estimond, and Glenda Donovan. “A Rock Sails By” will run March 31 through April 25, 2026.

Tickets will be available on this website and at 305-296-9911 later this summer. As always, Opening Night ticket holders are invited to an Opening Night reception with the cast and crew. So make your plans now to join us for another stellar season at the Red Barn!

"The Yale Drama Series is seeking submissions for its 2026 playwriting competition. The winning play will be selected by the series’ current judge, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of their manuscript by Yale University Press, and a staged reading at the Schwarzman Center at Yale University. The prize and publication are contingent on the playwright’s agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement."

There is no entry fee. Info and Guidelines: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/yale-drama-series-rules-and.../

REVIEW OF SAST: “ALTERNATIVE FACTS” AT THE RED BARN THEATER

by Guy DeBoar | April 10, 2025

konklife.com/red-barn-theatres-short-attention-span-theatre-alternative-facts-delivers-comedy-heart-and-45-years-of-excellence

Photo by Roberta DePiero

Red Barn Theatre’s “Short Attention Span Theatre: Alternative Facts” Delivers Comedy, Heart, and 45 Years of Excellence

For 45 years, the Red Barn Theatre has been a creative cornerstone of Key West’s cultural landscape, thanks in large part to visionary artists like Mimi McDonald and Joy Hawkins. Both have shaped the theater’s identity, helped nurture local talent, and sustained a reputation for professional-level productions in an intimate space. While Joy Hawkins has stepped back from day-to-day operations, her legacy lives on in every show mounted on the Red Barn stage. Mimi McDonald continues to lead with passion and precision, serving both on and off stage as a guiding force for this enduring theatrical institution.

“Alternative Facts” is a high-energy, fast-moving series of short plays, each offering its own unique twist. It’s a format the Red Barn has mastered over the years, keeping audiences engaged with variety, surprise endings, and characters you can’t forget.

This year’s production is expertly directed by Mimi McDonald, Gary McDonald, Jack McDonald, and Amber McDonald Good—a family of artists whose collaboration is clearly rooted in shared sensibility and deep theatrical intuition. The show features a strong and versatile ensemble: Erin McKenna, Cassidy Timms, Nina Pilar, Mathias Maloff, and Zach Franchini—all of whom handle multiple roles across various genres and tones with impressive dexterity.

The evening opens with “I Saw This in Paducah” by Rich Orloff, directed by Gary McDonald. This clever piece features Erin McKenna and Nina Pilar as two eccentric theatre lovers who obsessively travel across the country in pursuit of one thing: world premieres. What begins as a charming quirk quickly unravels into something more complicated, proving that obsession—especially theatrical obsession—is fertile ground for comedy. Both actors hit just the right tone, blending naive enthusiasm with suspicious intensity, creating a laugh-out-loud opener that sets the stage for the unexpected.

Next is “Clean Slate” by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Mimi McDonald. Cassidy Timms, Mathias Maloff, and Zach Franchini portray characters tangled in a Kafkaesque web of miscommunication, paranoia, and darkly comic bureaucracy. Maloff plays a bewildered news anchor caught in the crosshairs of two overzealous FBI agents investigating a possible media hijacking at KWWP Radio. The skit plays like a fever dream, raising questions about media, trust, and fear. McDonald’s direction ensures that the ambiguity serves the comedy rather than muddling it, and the actors keep the tension high and the audience guessing.

Act One closes with “The Caterers” by Tony Meneses, directed by Amber McDonald Good. Set during a chaotic engagement party where the bride-to-be has vanished, the action unfolds in the kitchen, where the catering staff and family members try to locate both the missing woman and a sense of normalcy. Erin McKenna shines as Garcia, a catering employee who takes a romantic shine to the bride-to-be, Josephine, played with emotional nuance by Nina Pilar. Their flirtation provides a charming and heartfelt undercurrent to the otherwise frantic family drama.

Act Two opens with one of the evening’s strongest comedies, “Veronica’s Test of Worthiness” by Eddie Zipperer, directed by Jack McDonald. Mathias Maloff plays a man so desperate to avoid commitment that he hires a ragtag group of actors to impersonate his dysfunctional family and scare off his girlfriend. Ironically, Cassidy Timms plays Veronica, the unsuspecting fiancée—and in real life, she and Maloff are married. Their real-life chemistry adds an extra layer of hilarity to the performance, and the skit builds to a wildly funny climax that underscores the show’s larger themes: perception, expectation, and chaos.

The penultimate skit is “Incident on the Golden Gate Bridge” by David MacGregor, directed by Gary McDonald. Zach Franchini delivers a heartfelt performance as a troubled young man contemplating his future on the edge of the bridge. Enter Cassidy Timms and Mathias Maloff, whose attempts to talk him down evolve into a deeply human exchange about life’s uncertainties and unexpected revelations. The scene shifts tone beautifully, offering a moment of genuine connection and introspection amid the show’s zanier moments.

The evening concludes with a surprise short piece conceived and directed by Gary McDonald, bringing the entire cast together one last time. This final skit cleverly ties the previous stories together—sometimes literally—reminding the audience of the connective threads (and possibly one particular prop!) that subtly linked each play. It’s a satisfying and smart wrap-up, showcasing the production team’s attention to detail and commitment to narrative cohesion, even in a show made of fragments.

This year’s Short Attention Span Theatre is more than just a collection of quirky vignettes—it’s a reflection of 45 years of artistic innovation, community engagement, and fearless storytelling at the Red Barn Theatre. From set and lighting to costume choices and direction, everything is tight, efficient, and fully realized—no small feat in a show with this much moving parts.

If you’re in Key West this April, don’t miss your chance to see this annual favorite. It’s funny, thought-provoking, and deeply satisfying—not just as entertainment, but as a testament to what community theatre can achieve when it is led by people who care deeply about the craft and the audience.

Show Dates: April 8 – May 3, 2025
Box Office: (305) 296-9911
Tickets & Info: RedBarnTheatre.com
Location: 319 Duval Street, Key West, FL

Join the Red Barn in celebrating 45 years of theatrical excellence. With “Alternative Facts,” they’ve once again proven that short plays can leave a lasting impression.

PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102

For Immediate Release

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Cast of Short Attention Span Theatre: “Alternative Facts”

There’s an old saying in theater: “When you find a gem, let it shine.”

Key West’s Red Barn Theatre found such a gem over a decade ago, and they’ve been letting it shine in most of their seasons since. It’s called “Short Attention Span Theatre”, and it’s proven to be one of the most popular shows the theater offers each year. This season will be no different.

It’s a simple concept – pick a mixed slate of funny, powerful, poignant, or simply off-the-wall short plays and populate them with some of the area’s top comedic talent, then string them together for an evening of stellar fun. Each year, the Red Barn’s resident family – the McDonalds – find six or seven wonderful new plays and pull them together under a title that relates to them all. This year’s theme: “Alternative Facts”, which anyone will agree, certainly is relevant to the times.

“One of the things I love most about Short Attention Span Theatre (SAST),” said the Red Barn’s Managing Director Mimi McDonald, “is that it gives us the opportunity to explore a number of different voices and new playwrights in one show. And it seems to many of us that the human condition is evolving right now, and these playwrights are noticing that and commenting on what’s happening in a very comedic way. And we have such great comedic actors all doing a variety of very funny characters in this one.”

This year’s rendition of SAST will star Erin McKenna, Mathias Maloff, Cassidy Timms, Nina Pilar, and Zach Franchini. They appear in various combinations during the evening of eclectic plays that focus on characters who are in conflict with larger forces – from a catering job for an engagement party with a missing bride; a chance meeting on the Golden Gate Bridge; two audience members who insist on world premieres; a fiancé is put to the test when she meets her possible in-laws; and two FBI agents who interrogate a newscaster when a newsroom is hijacked.

“It’s a fast, fun evening,” said McDonald, “but there’s a message or two in there as well.”

As they do every year, the entire McDonald family shepherds this show to the stage, with each of them directing, building sets, handling the tech, and more. Along with Mimi are her husband Gary, and their two (now adult) children, Amber and Jack.

“We’ve been a theater family for more than 45 years,” Mimi said. “It’s in our blood, and we have such a great time working together on this show. It’s always a big hit.” Or to put it another way – it’s a gem.

Tickets for “Short Attention Span Theatre: Alternative Facts” are available at KeysTix.com, redbarntheatre.com, or by calling the box office at 305-296-9911. Note that all curtain times are 7:30 pm.

PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102

For Immediate Release

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Michael Castellano and Jessica Miano Kruel | Photo by Roberta DePiero

It’s been said that chance meetings are often an aphrodisiac moment out of which true love may bloom. That doesn’t guarantee it will be an easy germination, of course…just that there’s an outside chance for an acceptable blossom.

Playwright John Patrick Shanley endearingly lets us watch such a flowering in his latest play, “Brooklyn Laundry”, running March 4-29 at the Red Barn Theatre in Key West. Shanley, author of the romantic megahit “Moonstruck”, is a master of the charming, imperfect love story, and this play fits his model well.

“Brooklyn Laundry” is about three sisters and a guy who runs a laundry in that New York borough. Fran is a single woman and bone-tired of being so, whose sisters each have their own crosses to bear. Trish is dealing with a threatening illness, and Susie with a dissolving marriage, and each of them is turning to Fran, who is feeling overwhelmed with it all.

Then one day, Fran takes a bag of laundry to the cleaners in her building and runs into the owner, Owen, whose sweetly gruff adorability breaks through her protective barriers and sparks something between them. Owen, too, has had to deal with some unexpected twists in his life, but he uncharacteristically rises to and goes with the moment, asking Fran to dinner. From there on, Shanley takes us on an utterly charming and very funny ride into a story of two people trying to find balance in their lives despite the bumps that come their way.

The Red Barn production stars a quartet of top local actors, including Jessica Miano Kruel, Michael Castellano, Donna Stabile, and Lauren Thompson. It is directed by Joy Hawkins, the Barn’s artistic director.

“It’s a beautiful play,” Hawkins said, “nicely written, funny, tender, and heartwarming. It does deal with some situations we sometimes have to deal with in life, and it might bring some tears here and there, but you’ll leave the theater feeling really good. It’s very life-affirming, with characters you can really root for.”

The New York Times called the play “Utterly charming.” The New York Theatre Guide said, “Forget the dating apps – maybe the laundromat is the place to find your next great love…”.

Tickets are available at KeysTix.com, or at redbarntheatre.com. For more information, call the box office at 305-296-9911. All shows for the March 4-29 run are at 7:30 pm. The production is sponsored in part by Florida Arts and Culture, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.