Press Release: Cotuit Center for the Arts presents St. Francis in the Vivian and Morton Sigel Black Box Theater

UPDATED/POSTPONED DATES:
Cotuit Center for the Arts presents St. Francis in the Vivian and Morton Sigel Black Box Theater

“Our desire is this: to write and champion strong, smart female characters, the importance of accountability, and the taking on of personal responsibility." —Miranda Jonte

Cotuit Center for the Arts is proud to present the Cape Cod debut of St. Francis, an original play written by and starring Miranda Jonte and directed by Jason Mellin. St. Francis opens in the Vivian and Morton Sigel Black Box Theater on May 12, 2022 and runs through May 29, 2022, Thursdays–Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. There will be both a 2pm matinee and a 7:30pm evening performance on Sunday, May 22, and there will be no performance on Saturday, May 28.

St. Francis follows the story of Tessa (Miranda Jonte), a veterinarian who runs a dog rescue in Northern CA. Tessa is outspoken, has an over-inflated sense of justice, & probably drinks too much. Being forced out by an incoming Starbucks, she is desperate to find a new building for her shelter. She is at the mercy of the disapproving city council, is confronted with her high school sweetheart moving back home, all the while mentoring teenage volunteer & budding vet Molly Mattie, who has a penchant for pop culture, & thinks Tessa is the greatest thing since sliced bread. At the end of her rope, Tessa is left with approaching her estranged father for financial assistance to keep the rescue open to save the dogs, and ultimately, herself.

Miranda Jonte was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her MFA from the Actors Studio in New York, her BA in Theatre & German from Chico State, and studied at the University of Tuebingen in Germany. ​After years of being a working actor, she began creating her own work; her first full-length play, Greasemonkey, was nominated for a Princess Grace Award in Playwriting and awarded the Puffin Grant to be adapted in a feature film.

St. Francis is Jonte’s second original work and was also a semifinalist for Princess Grace in 2015. In August of 2015, St. Francis debuted at the New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC), directed by Stephen Brotebeck. The play was published in Applause Books' "The Best Plays from American Theatre Festivals 2015" and "Contemporary Monologues For a New Theater" in 2017. It was also performed in Pinole, CA as a benefit for Carr Fire Relief in 2018.

In addition to Jonte, the cast will feature familiar faces from the local theater community: Emma Fitzpatrick (from Center productions Constellations, Sweeney Todd, and more) will feature as cheerful shelter assistant Molly Mattie; in addition to directing, CCftA’s own Jason Mellin will be playing Will, Tessa’s high school sweetheart. Fresh new talents Roger and Gaylene Eidsaune will be making their Cape Cod theater debut. St. Francis will also herald a first for the Black Box in the form of a four-legged cast member, Laszlo the rescue dog, who will play Tessa’s dog George.

“Our play is about how we shape and are shaped by our communities,” says director Jason Mellin. “It’s about the many ways love manifests in our lives, and ultimately, it's about dogs.”

Tickets are $25, with a $5 discount for members of the Center. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit artsonthecape.org or call 508-428-0669 x0. Cotuit Center for the Arts is located at 4404 Falmouth Road/Route 28 in Cotuit.

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What:
St. Francis in the Vivian and Morton Sigel Black Box Theater

Where:
Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit

When:

NEW DATES: May 12–29, 2022
Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 2:00
***Sunday, May 22: 2 performances, at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
***Saturday, May 28: no performances

Admission:
Tickets $25/$20 for Members

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