May 2023 Newsletter Plain Text Accessible
Newsletter—May 2023
Geek Parties of the Grand Valley
Summer Shakespeare Series: 2 Tragedies
[Image: Black and white line drawing of Shakespeare in a strong arm pose holding a skull with a sword and crown behind]
Heather is in post-apocalyptic heaven producing a wasteland-themed Romeo & Juliet. We’ve been collecting non-biodegradable trash bits to build costumes and props from. That and the play’s themes of a culture failing teenagers are guiding this year’s production.
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Performances are June 14 at The Shift, June 23 at Lowell Village Commons, and June 24 at Edgewater. All doors at 6, shows at 6:30.
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A second Shakespeare play will be Queen Lear. Auditions in June, rehearsals in July and August, and the show September 16 at Lincoln Park.
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Accessibility is important to us. If you need accommodations for any of our shows let us know!
Halfoween Costume Ball
[Image of a jack-o-lantern with heart eyes in the dark, illuminated from within; text in image is Halfway to Halloween]
Dance and Dinner with Costume Contest: Come celebrate halfway to Halloween at our Costume Ball at Lincoln Park Barn.
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Dance $15 adults, $10 teens; Doors 7:00 Costume Contest 8:00 Last song 9:00
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Dinner Catered by Colorado Q, +$20; order online by May 6th; Doors 5:30; Dinner 6:00
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See our website for costume guidelines and contest rules.
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This event is a fundraiser for GPGV. Proceeds and donations support free theater, including Romeo & Juliet in June. All GPGV staff are volunteer.
Important Dates
May 13 // Halfoween Ball
June 14, 23, 24 // Romeo & Juliet
June // Casting Call for Queen Lear
July // Mad Max Tea
August 26 & 30 // Casting Call for The Poe Project
September 16 // Queen Lear
October 1-7, 14, 28// The Poe Project
November 11 // Fandom Formal: DIY Met Gala
December // Alice in Wonderland Tea
Show and Tell Social
NEW for 2023!
Show and Tell at Gemini Brewing Company
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2nd Sundays
Except May, 3rd Sunday
2-5PM
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Follow the Facebook Event
to find out the month’s bonus activity
like puzzles, board games, collage, origami, lego
On the web at tinyurl.com
/GeekParties
/PoeProjectGJ
/GeekPartiesCalendar
On facebook at facebook.com
/GeekPartiesGV
/PoeProjectGJ
/SummerShakespeareSeries
/groups/GeekPartiesTheater
/groups/GeekPartiesGrandValley
Email at
GeekPartiesOfTheGrandValley@gmail.com
Page 2
Newsletter—May 2023
Updates since May 2022: The Pandemic Effecffet
2022 Summer Shakespeare Series
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play with a cast of 22, played on our stage by 8 people. The cast knocked their multiple parts out of the park, and costume changes were breathless.
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So many things happened to this play throughout the season caused by COVID-cautiousness. A director, a cast, and an audience were all affected. We ended up playing the Chaos Theater card and it just went however it was going to go. The feedback was excellent, however, from everyone who joined us.
[Image: A fairy with sword standing next to a seated person with Ass head. Two more fairies are behind and next to the seated person.]
[Image: A man in a chair covers his face with his hand; a woman sits on the floor in front of another chair. There is a table with a bust of Edgar Allan Poe and some books and ravens.]
The Poe Project 2022
The Poe Project was not immune to the lingering effects of the pandemic. Algorithms weakened by lack of activity didn’t reach actors or audiences, so again our skeleton crew performed for thin but enthusiastic crowds during Poe Week.
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The Project this year had a wider variety of events, including a Walk to End Alzheimers and an hour of private readings at Aspen Ridge, as well as a ghost walk and table readings for an evening at Copper Club. Go where the audience is, I hear.
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Kathy Applebee wrote, produced, cast, and performed two thrilling You Be The Judge events for Cask of Amontillado to packed houses at the end of the month. That’s the kind of energy we hope for in every production. Also a sign of things to come...
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See the Playbill at tinyurl.com/Poe2022Playbill
2023 Austen Fair
[Image: An audience faces three actors in the center background of the image. In the foreground, a table with paper and writing tools.]
To say we underestimated the turnout we’d have at Austen Fair in February would be an understatement. We ran out of programs, but not tea. We ran out of space, and chairs, and time. On the heels of the Poe Trial events, we can only ask, is this a return to normal?
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The Margery Ballroom’s renovations brightened the space. Our presentations included a short play, music, and a reading by an audience member on his 80th birthday.
Tea Time
[Image: Three people in flowing clothes stand in the desert under a cloudy sky]
Mad Max tea in August 2022 was a rainy day with low turnout, but it was fun and dirty out there in the desert, and exactly what we wanted out of it. We loved it so much we’re doing it again. We’d enjoy company but truly we like each other enough we’re okay if you’re not up for desert rain.
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Sparkly Tea in February 2023 was warm and sunny which was perfect for sparkly. Turnout was fantastic and we had a hard time leaving. We met at Roots, a cafe behind Grassroots Cycles.
[Image: A group photo of people in sparkly clothes in front of a brick wall. Two children swing swords in the foreground.]