Theater Scoop officially launches June 14, but ever since COVID restrictions were eased in May, the summer event news has been piling in so fast we can’t resist announcing it. Here’s what’s on the stages this weekend and next. (That’s a phrase I haven’t typed in over a year, and I sure am relieved to be able to say it.) And if you still prefer to view from home, Reno Little Theater has some intriguing new fare for you.
Crank
Theatre Works of Northern Nevada
Reno
June 4-6
Annalize Sanders & Dwight George are the directors of this stage adaption of Carson City author Ellen Hopkins’ novel, Crank, based on the real-life experiences of her daughter, Cristal, and her addiction to methamphetamine.
Songs for a New World
Outdoors at the Brewery Arts Center
Carson City
June 11-12
Two husband-and-wife singing duos—Matt and Andie Wilkerson of Youth Theatre
Carson City and Nick Aliberti and Sierra Scott from Wild Horse Stage Company—star in Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs For a New World,” originally produced Off-Broadway in 1995.
“The performers are local ‘theater stars’ who have grown up in Carson and then went off to perform in NYC, LA and across the country,” Wild Horse Director Carol Scott wrote in an email. “This is the first time they are performing together in over 10 years!”
The show benefits Youth Theatre Carson City, Wild Horse Stage Company and the Brewery Arts Center.
Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole
Oats Park Art Center
Fallon
June 19, 7:30 p.m.
Cedric Watson, a four-time Grammy-nominated fiddler, singer, accordionist and songwriter, comes to Fallon with his band, Bijou Creole. The group resurrects the ancient sounds of the French and Spanish contra dance, mixing in spiritual rhythms of the Congo tribes of West Africa, plus creole, Cajun, bluegrass, and zydeco. This performance is free and outdoors at the Centennial Stage in Oats Park, followed by a Q&A with the artists.
Natalie Wood Was Not Puerto Rican
Online, from Reno Little Theater
June 11-13
Can’t get enough West Side Story? Can’t wait until December for the Spielberg reboot? Ever wondered about an actress born to Russian parents playing a Latinx lead in the 1961 film? Reno Little Theater addresses all of the above with a virtual reading of Natalie Wood Was Not Puerto Rican, a play about displacement and identity.
Sunday Jazz at RLT: No Comprende
Reno Little Theater
June 13, 7 p.m.
Local Latin-jazz ensemble No Comprende combines Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz harmony for a high-energy sound that’s hard not to dance to. The band includes Musical Director Hans Halt, Eric Middleton on vibes and percussion, Kris Landrum on keyboard, Dallas Smith on sax and flute, Eric Finkelstein on drums, and Chance Utter on congas.
Cover photo: Cedric Watson plays at Oats Park in Fallon June 19.
