"The Oscars: A Conversation Among Friends" by John Thompson at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts

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The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts (Charter Arts) Theatre Department presents a fall season of dynamic original plays.  Playing host to these premieres is an important and distinct honor for a high school theatre program.  Artistic Director, Kelly Minner-Bickert adds: “We pride ourselves on offering something that is different from other high school theatre programs in the Lehigh Valley. In addition to the extensive training they receive here our students are given the rare opportunity to work with playwrights, composers and other artists at the forefront of the theatre movement in the creation of new works.”

The season kicks off with a production of "The Oscars: A Conversation Among Friends" by John Thompson, September 6-8. 2024. 

In this story, Oscar Wilde, a famously complex man, invites you into an evening of conversation between five different versions of himself- the young poet, the mature storyteller, the jaded playwright, the sorrowful prisoner, and the weary exile. The conversational jousting between the Oscars brings alive the arc of Wilde's life and follows his search for a way to recover himself as the artist of his own life.

This production features an exceptonal cast that includes students, alumni and community artists and is beautifully directed by Kelly Minner-Bickert, who shares:  “All of the artists involved in this project have diligently committed to taking the intimate conversation among the 5 Wildes and turn it into a transcendent spiritual experience of self reflection and hopefully, discovery for the audience as well. As Wilde questions his choices and the world’s view of them, he also challenges the audience (who will be seated around the actors as part of the action) to do likewise. Playwright John Thompson, in his first play, has crafted a piece of such raw emotional text (often using WIlde’s own words) where the famed wit, dandy, playwright peels back the layers of himself to unmask how his desires, his vanity, his genius, his suffering, and his mistakes led him on the ultimate search to embrace all of his identities and rediscover who is Oscar Wilde?”

Evening performances on September 6 & 7 at 7 PM. Matinee performance on September 8 at 2 PM. Tickets are General Admission: $12 Adult, $7 Student/Child. Limited Seating.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at CharterArts.org.  

The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts is located at 321 East 3rd Street in the Southside Arts District of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  To learn more about the school, visit CharterArts.org.