WCT presents The 2024 Living Music Event May 24 at Bethany Arts Community

Westchester Collaborative Theater (WCT)’s innovative Living Music Event, a sellout showcase that first fused theater and music two years ago, is returning with an all-new slate of never seen before short plays accompanied by song favorites that will run for two consecutive weekends from Friday, May 10 through Sunday, May 19 at WCT in Ossining with a special encore performance on Friday, May 24 at Bethany Arts Community in Ossining. The plays, crafted by WCT playwrights and performed by WCT actors, will segue into the tunes that inspired them sung by Ossining-based vocalist/songwriter Anne Carpenter.

“WCT playwrights have once again peaked in creativity, offering an incredible assortment of original dramas, comedies and dramedies sparked by some of the best-loved songs ever recorded. The Living Music Event was a stellar success when it debuted, and we are looking forward to presenting an all-new crowd-pleaser this spring, sure to be as entertaining as it is thought-provoking,” says WCT Executive Director Alan Lutwin.

This year, WCT is in the vanguard for exploring the connection between theater and psychology by collaborating with Jared Sossin, a therapist-in-training who will soon be entering the profession full-time with Midtown Practice in Manhattan. Sossin is meeting with the playwrights, directors and casts of several of the plays to examine the psychological issues inherent in each piece. Topics run the gamut from addiction to coping with loss to sibling rivalry.

“As a truly collaborative theater company, we are always seeking ways to bring WCT to the next level. This is a wonderful opportunity to enrich the quality of the works being presented,” says Lutwin.

The plays and their casts for the Bethany Community Arts performance will be:

Joanna’s Story by Howard Lipson (Tarrytown), directed by Mario Giacalone (Croton on Hudson)– After a family's child is murdered, it faces new choices and challenges. Featuring: Marilyn Collazo, Rob Ansbro (Mahopac), Shenendoah Thompson (Peekskill), Chasity Perez (Ossining), Brian Bagot (Ossining), and Lauren Braconi (Stamford).

Ruthie Lives Here by Lori M. Myers (Nanuet), directed by Flori Doyle (Cortlandt Manor)- A woman finds out about life and love in the unlikeliest of places. Featuring: Patty Griffith (Ossining), Adam Black (Tarrytown), Anne Glickman (Croton-on-Hudson) and Rob Ansbro (Mahopac).

Let’s Make a Deal, written and directed by Susan Ward (Ossining) - Long time partners Rita and Ellen have seen the world together. Now in their 80s, things have taken a turn. What will their next adventure be? Featuring Enid Breis (Croton-on-Hudson) and Gretchen Metzloff (Ossining).

Wishes and Prayers by Evelyn Mertens (Briarcliff Manor), directed by Missy Flower (Ossining) - Can love survive when demons of the past refuse to die? Featuring Anne Glickman (Croton on Hudson), Rofa Abayon (Peekskill) and Andrew White (Nanuet).

Anne Carpenter is well-known to audiences through her appearances at WCT with guitarist Peter Calo, former musical director for Carly Simon, and in jazz and pop venues throughout the region.

The 2024 Living Music Event performance at Bethany Art Community will be on Friday, May 24 at 8 pm where four of the six plays will be presented. The address for Bethany Arts Community is 40 Somerstown Road, Ossining NY.

About Westchester Collaborative Theater

Since its opening in 2017, the WCT black box performance space has become increasingly known as a venue showcasing WCT plays and readings, as well as live music and a variety of performance artists. For upcoming theater and music events visit http://www.wctheater.org/

Westchester Collaborative Theater is a multicultural, cooperative theater company located in Ossining, NY, dedicated to developing new work for the stage and bringing live theater to the community. It is comprised of local playwrights, actors, and directors who employ a Lab approach in which new stage works are nurtured through an iterative process of readings, critiques, and rewrites. When work is ready for production, it is presented to the public.

WCT is committed to furthering theater arts in our community. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and a recipient of production grants from ArtsWestchester and New York State Council on the Arts.

WCT is proud to be a grantee of ArtsWestchester with funding made possible by Westchester County government with the support of County Executive George Latimer