THE RIVERVIEW STORIES by Candyce Rusk
Sunday, September 25th at 6:30pm
Austin Playwrights Studio
5555 N. Lamar, Bldg. K, Ste. 125*
THE RIVERVIEW STORIES is a full length play, comprised of 3 shorter plays, all which are set in Riverview Amusement Park (1904-1967), once the largest park in America, taking up 102 acres on Chicago’s north side. LULU’S CHARMS IN THE DARK (mid-1940s) focuses on Ballroom dancers Lulu and Phyllis, who are overseen by a fierce mistress, Madame Swan. RIVERVEIW RITZ (mid-1960s) unwraps the tale of the African Dip, a racist dunking game, where La Fayette works raking in the big $. He rooms with a Polish immigrant, Jacek, and both agree to take in La Fayette’s girlfriend Lorette, who’s running from her violent Uncle Charles. Two local brothers, Hawk and Machine, work the park with pride and a hidden shame. NUMERAL SIDESHOW (mid-1930s) takes place in a sideshow tent. Each of the characters possess accidental birth defects, but rather than succumb to self pity, they present themselves with insight and wit.
Candyce Rusk’s plays and musicals have been staged throughout the US and Dublin. Works that have captured Best of Fest honors include: ROSETTA (one-act version); DICE; A SHINING ATTRIBUTE and RIVERVIEW RITZ. Her play LITTLE BABY TWO SHOES was adapted into a short film by Paul Bright. WISH KEY, featuring women in pants thriving on the Western frontier, was selected for Creede Repertory Theatre’s Headwaters Festival last August.
*Austin Playwrights Studio (aka Warren’s place) is in the office park behind Half-Price Books on North Lamar, 5555 N. Lamar, Bldg. K, Ste. 125. The best place to enter is from the back side of the Half Price Books complex. Go south on Guadalupe from Koening and take the 4th driveway on your right. There’ll be a building with a red awning on your left that says 5426 on it. Continue on and look for Bldg. K on the right. The door to the space says Suites K 123-126, so you won’t see the actual suite number from the parking lot. If you have trouble, call Christi at 512-589-4055.