Award-winning playwright Tom Stanczyk (Block Nine) explores the absurd, the romantic and the enigmatic through the lives of seven couples in his collection of short works, This Side of Sweetwater. From wide-open dreamscapes through life changing celebrations to hard choices made in the uncertain vastness of a cool desert night, lovers fall for each other, argue, swear they can't go on, and then... they go on.
Tom’s warm humor and his encouraging and helpful nature was loved by many. After his sudden passing, Lightning Rod Theater produced This Side of Sweetwater in his memory. Playwright Tony Foster contributed "Part," the final piece in the show.
Starring: Annelisha Dixon, Matthew Leddy, Keith Ewell, Cheryl Huggins, Darryl Armbruster, Brice Mitchell Williams, Anastasia Narinskiy, Marisa O'Brien, Aaron Lyons, Bryan Bellomo, Lauren Van Kurin, Demetris Hartman, Amir Levi, Brendan Farrell, and Tarah Pollock
Directed by: Amy French, Marisa O'Brien, Katherine Barcsay, Paul Hoan Zeidler, Shaina Rosenthal
Produced by: Paul Hoan Zeidler, Tony Foster, and Charlie Pacello
Photography: Katherine Barcsay
"The bittersweet conclusion sends you out with a well of emotion and overall, it’s a touching tribute to a lost friend, artist, and lover."
- Maureen Lenker, Stage Raw
"Speaks to the enduring, mystifying qualities of the human heart… riotously funny, with fine performances…"
- Lovell Estell III, Stage Raw
"A heart-warming tribute to a man who was obviously loved by many. Sincere performances and a lot of humor. A genuine exploration of human
idiosyncrasies that all come together to paint a picture of a man who seemed incredibly in tune with the questions we seek but often can’t find."
- Arthur Keng, the Vagrancy