The Las Cruces local theatrical season resumes after the holiday break this weekend with two local productions opening downtown.
No Strings Theatre Company, an anchor of the downtown theatre scene, is once again staging a play by Eugène Ionesco, the 20th century playwright regarded then as a leading figure in the French avant-garde and also popular in the American theater.
Director Joshua Taulbee was a member of the ensemble and scenic designer for No Strings’ production of Ionesco’s “The Killing Game” in 2020.
As related by the theatre’s website, the play tells “the story of King Berenger, ruler of a crumbling kingdom, who wakes up one more morning with aching bones, a failing liver and a really bad headache, among other ailments. Even worse, nothing and no one around him—not the weather, not his wretched first queen, not even his adoring second queen and trusty guard—obeys his commands. Since the King has ruled for more than four centuries, thus overstaying his welcome by about 200 years or so, it seems the administrators upstairs have made an executive decision—to terminate the King’s reign and his life, effective immediately. Not ready to give up the ghost, however, Berenger fights the inevitable as his mind and body shut down. Can this materialistic, greedy, cruel and uncaring monarch learn to let go of the one thing he loves most—himself?”
The cast, as announced in November, includes Atticus Starritt, Lisa Taylor, Rachel Maze, Jeff Peckham, Casi Galban and A.J. Tumminaro.
The production opens Friday, Jan. 17, at 8 p.m. and runs through Feb. 2. Show times, ticketing and further information are available online at no-strings.org, or via 575-523-1223. The theatre is located at 430 N. Main Street in downtown Las Cruces.
Down the street, the Rio Grande Theatre hosts the Blank Conversations Theatre Company’s production of the famed musical “Jesus Christ Superstar,” with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The 1971 rock opera centers on the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ (played here by Alyssa Gose) and Jesus’ conflict with Judas (Peyton Womble).
The production is directed by Lisa Hermanson and choreographed by Ryan McMullen, per the company’s website. In addition to Gose and Womble, the ensemble includes Ivan Aragon, Kacie Bauer, Liam Day, Ben Garcia, Maya Marquee, Eliseo, Katie Meyers, Mario Montiel, Mattie Ruminer, Karen Shaw, Delaney Sivils and Kelly Jo Waggoner.
The show runs from Jan. 17-26, opening with an 7 p.m. performance on Friday. Showtimes, ticketing and additional information are available at RioGrandeTheatre.org, while information about Blank Conversations is available on Facebook and at BlankConversations.org.
The Rio Grande Theatre is located at 211 N. Main Street downtown.
