Compose Yourselves For Pleasure: The Aphra Behn Coffeehouse

Thanks to everyone who made opening night of OR, so titillating! Johnny Downes, our script prompter, forgot his camera for the opening night reception but we assure you it was a scintillating evening. Week two is looking to be just as thrilling, with not only another weekend of performances but the Aphra Behn Coffeehouse both Saturday and Sunday! Curated and hosted by Caffeine's Associate Artistic Director and Resident Dramaturg Dan Smith, the Coffeehouse will feature some of Aphra's own provocative poetry, the winning poem from "Golden-Pointed Darts, Or, A Contest in Poesy to Honour the Incomparable Astraea and other Adventuresses, Spies, Poets, and Thespians" (previously published on this blog) and the following pieces:

Excerpt from Aphra Where Have You Behn? 

      by Heather Jeanne Violanti

Savage Umbrella Theatre presents “Failing”

      by Laura Leffler-McCabe and Blake Bolan, directed by Gina Di Salvo

"Code Name: Astrea" 

      by Jacob Juntunen

"The Nun and Lila" 

      by Priscilla Page

Clown Piece Conceived and Performed 

      by Deanna Myers and Lea Pascal

As Liz Duffy Adams writes in the prologue of OR: "We hope [Aphra] would forgive our trespasses./While you we hope to solace and seduce/With our most alluring strategems./Compose yourselves for pleasure, if you will./Cue the lights, let never time stand still."

The Coffeehouses will be performed at the Newberry Library at 1pm on Saturday and at Collaboraction immediately following the performance of OR on Sunday (curtain is at 3pm and the Coffeehouse will begin at approximately 4:30pm). Our Coffeehouse events are always free, and we can't wait to see you there, dear readers!