NEPA Scene Staff

New Vintage Ensemble debuts funny ‘Trouble with Sketch Shows’ at Scranton Cultural Center on June 24-25

New Vintage Ensemble debuts funny ‘Trouble with Sketch Shows’ at Scranton Cultural Center on June 24-25
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From a press release:

The New Vintage Ensemble has announced an upcoming production of an original sketch show, “The Trouble with Sketch Shows,” in partnership with the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple.

Performances will run Friday, June 24 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. and Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. in the Junior Ballroom at the Scranton Cultural Center (420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton). Tickets are $10 and can be reserved online at newvintageensemble.com.

Conor O’Brien, co-founder and executive director of the Scranton Fringe Festival, will direct a cast of more than a dozen actors as they bring to life sketches written by local playwrights, comedians, and New Vintage Ensemble members.

“The creation of this show has been a unique challenge, but one that I and the entire writing team found really exciting,” said O’Brien. “It was a combination of total collaboration and independent work, all of which though we supported each other through.”

Audiences can expect to see a variety of scenes performed, including a play on a local TV classic, parodies of news station talkbacks, award dinner speeches gone off the rails, darkly funny monologues, a TMI spelling bee moment, and a painfully awkward “guess who’s coming to dinner” moment. And, being that it’s an election year, audiences will also be treated to a few laughs of the political variety.

“As the signature goal for all New Vintage Ensemble projects is to somehow reinvent the familiar, we crafted the overall show to challenge not just ourselves as artists, but our audiences while still keeping things accessible,” noted O’Brien.

Written by O’Brien, Simone Daniel, Timothy McDermott, Matt Serniak, Sarah Regan, and Kathleen Barrett, this production is the second collaboration of the New Vintage Ensemble with the SCC. In years past, the local theater company has performed in numerous venues throughout the region, including in churches, pubs, restaurants, and found spaces. After presenting a successful run of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in January to regional acclaim, the New Vintage Ensemble was excited to continue working with the Scranton Cultural Center to bring future productions to life.

“We’re so thrilled to be working again with the Scranton Cultural Center,” said Mandy Pennington, ensemble member and supervising producer for “The Trouble With Sketch Shows.” “We couldn’t wait to continue our partnership after January’s run of ‘Hamlet.’ They truly are a world-class team to collaborate with.”

Founded in 2013, the New Vintage Ensemble is a collective of actors from Northeastern Pennsylvania dedicated to producing innovative and interactive theater while helping the art community of the Scranton region thrive. Their distinctive style and passion for engaging audiences has resulted in award-winning and internationally-recognized productions, as well as regional premieres of original works.

To keep up to date with upcoming performance announcements and future New Vintage Ensemble shows at the Scranton Cultural Center, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or visit newvintageensemble.com.

Learn more about the group in Episode 45 of the NEPA Scene Podcast, recorded just before their previous production: