Post by aaronjoy on Sept 1, 2017 0:47:34 GMT
On November 13 Deering Lodge #183 AF&AM (102 Bishop Street, Portland, Maine deeringlodge.com/), under the Grand Lodge of Maine (http://www.mainemason.org), will bring a momentous and unique event to Maine's Masonic community. The Lodge will host the debut of the one act Masonic themed play, "In The Interests Of The Brethren", written and directed by Brother Aaron Joy, with a six man cast drawn from across the district's nine lodges.
Calling this is a 'unique event' is meant quite literally. This will be the first time a play combines all the variables of being explictly about the Masonic experience, taking place present day, written by a Maine brother, not a former Scottish Rite degree or Brother Carl Claudy play, and performed for the public with no cover charge. All those variables make for a unique moment in Maine Masonry and the Portland theater scene. Previous theater productions have been privately performed, not locally written or not with Masonry as the main theme or were written decades ago and not reflecting current culture.
The show is open to the public and all are invited, whether Masonic brother or curious about Freemasonry or just a theater attendee looking for a new experience, men and women, though the show is not proper for children. This is not semi-public nor in open lodge, but a fully public informal event. Optional dinner at 6:30, show at 7:30, normally scheduled Stated to follow for attending brothers. Guests are invited to stay after the show to find out more about Masonry. No tickets or entry cost, but those who come for dinner are asked to give a small donate to cover food costs and RSVP for a head count. Other attendees, in lieu of tickets, are invited to instead contribute to the Lodge's annual collection of personal items that are boxed together and given to the homeless. A donation can be something like a wool hat or a toothbrush.
The play was written in 2016 and was loosely inspired by the Rudyard Kipling short story of the same name, which is about a soldier discovering how a lodge transcends world problems and can make enemies into unexpected friends. This play is about a guy that left Masonry after the first degree on the eve of his father not being voted in as Master, and who would also leave the Craft to soon die heart-broken. Years later, when Masonry is a forgotten bitter taste, the guy finds himself unexpectantly attending Lodge again. Here he discovers what Masonry really means, comes to terms with his father's death, and understands why even in the face of disappointment his father still encouraged him to stay with Masonry.
The play will be presented as a reading. This is not to be confused with poetry readings but is a performance without formal set or costumes and with script in hand. While eliciting future productions is welcomed, the goals of this production is to share a local brother's work, get writing feedback for further development, introduce a new social activity into the Lodge culture, open the lodge to visitors and remind Brothers that Masonry isn't just about memorizing ritual but it can go wherever one wants to take it.
Its author/director has over 200 theater shows under his belt, ranging from acting in community theater to technical work to directing Off-Broadway, with audiences of under a dozen to over a thousand. Most recently he was seen performing lead in some Scottish Rite NMJ degrees with the Valley of Portland and was in a largely improvised show gangster themed show for DeMolay in 2016. To direct his own show is a lifelong dream and Masonry provided the much needed source of inspiration while seemingly aligning the stars. Brother Joy is a member of Portland's Triangle Lodge #1, Gorham's Harmony Lodge #38, Scottish Rite and is the webmaster for the Maine Lodge of Research.
Contact playwright/director Brother Aaron Joy of Portland at aronmatyas@hotmail.com or call/text 646-597-1583 (leave a message) for more information, questions, and to RSVP for dinner.
Calling this is a 'unique event' is meant quite literally. This will be the first time a play combines all the variables of being explictly about the Masonic experience, taking place present day, written by a Maine brother, not a former Scottish Rite degree or Brother Carl Claudy play, and performed for the public with no cover charge. All those variables make for a unique moment in Maine Masonry and the Portland theater scene. Previous theater productions have been privately performed, not locally written or not with Masonry as the main theme or were written decades ago and not reflecting current culture.
The show is open to the public and all are invited, whether Masonic brother or curious about Freemasonry or just a theater attendee looking for a new experience, men and women, though the show is not proper for children. This is not semi-public nor in open lodge, but a fully public informal event. Optional dinner at 6:30, show at 7:30, normally scheduled Stated to follow for attending brothers. Guests are invited to stay after the show to find out more about Masonry. No tickets or entry cost, but those who come for dinner are asked to give a small donate to cover food costs and RSVP for a head count. Other attendees, in lieu of tickets, are invited to instead contribute to the Lodge's annual collection of personal items that are boxed together and given to the homeless. A donation can be something like a wool hat or a toothbrush.
The play was written in 2016 and was loosely inspired by the Rudyard Kipling short story of the same name, which is about a soldier discovering how a lodge transcends world problems and can make enemies into unexpected friends. This play is about a guy that left Masonry after the first degree on the eve of his father not being voted in as Master, and who would also leave the Craft to soon die heart-broken. Years later, when Masonry is a forgotten bitter taste, the guy finds himself unexpectantly attending Lodge again. Here he discovers what Masonry really means, comes to terms with his father's death, and understands why even in the face of disappointment his father still encouraged him to stay with Masonry.
The play will be presented as a reading. This is not to be confused with poetry readings but is a performance without formal set or costumes and with script in hand. While eliciting future productions is welcomed, the goals of this production is to share a local brother's work, get writing feedback for further development, introduce a new social activity into the Lodge culture, open the lodge to visitors and remind Brothers that Masonry isn't just about memorizing ritual but it can go wherever one wants to take it.
Its author/director has over 200 theater shows under his belt, ranging from acting in community theater to technical work to directing Off-Broadway, with audiences of under a dozen to over a thousand. Most recently he was seen performing lead in some Scottish Rite NMJ degrees with the Valley of Portland and was in a largely improvised show gangster themed show for DeMolay in 2016. To direct his own show is a lifelong dream and Masonry provided the much needed source of inspiration while seemingly aligning the stars. Brother Joy is a member of Portland's Triangle Lodge #1, Gorham's Harmony Lodge #38, Scottish Rite and is the webmaster for the Maine Lodge of Research.
Contact playwright/director Brother Aaron Joy of Portland at aronmatyas@hotmail.com or call/text 646-597-1583 (leave a message) for more information, questions, and to RSVP for dinner.