In God's Hat examines the extremes of humanity. The love of family and the contempt for it. Roy and Mitch are estranged brothers. Prison bars and a nefarious history have kept them apart for nearly a decade. On the day of Mitch's release he is shocked to see Roy waiting for him. But what exactly are Roy's intentions? Together they travel down a desolate road stopping at the only lodging around; a fleabag motel. It is here something and someone confronts them that is as equally damaging as their past. But is it a set up or coincidence? And how will they respond this time?  Tension manifests itself through out darkly comical situations. But in the end the brothers must confront both the present and the past.  Where some secrets are revealed new ones must be kept.

After a successful staged reading in our Development Series, In God's Hat by Rhett Rossi will be the lead off production in our 2010 inaugural season.  Aiming for an opening in June of next year, Apothecary Theatre Company is thrilled to be producing this original work under the direction of Rutgers' professor Kevin Kittle, starring Emmy Award Winner Tom Pelphrey, Rhett Rossi, and Dennis Flanagan.

We are constantly on the lookout for help in mounting this production next year. The budget and scale of this production is immense compared to our first production last December, but we have something very special with this play and are prepared to go to great lengths to secure funding. If you are interested in making a contribution or know someone who might be able to help, please contact us and we will be in touch. In this current economic downturn, in it more vital than ever to ensure arts and theater a place in our community and we, as a company, are dedicating our entire 2009 year to the reaching our goal.

Dear Friends,

A bad moon has risen; crises abound, and yet in the midst of this global whirlwind and chaotic uncertainty I feel a quiet, steady optimism taking hold. As a member of the younger generation, often blamed for passivity, apathy and a crippling ennui, I believe we are discovering our own ways of responding to the call. Our collective unconscious is ready and willing and invariably rising to the challenges at hand. We will not shy away from the chance to keep our dreams alive. This inspiring resurgence of hope from the ashes of a corrupt and crumbling infrastructure of a world we once knew as only moving forward and up has forced us to realize that Art is more important now than ever. We recognize the theatre as a refuge; a place to coalesce with an aching community and retreat rejuvenated, galvanized, and hopeful. We are Apothecaries afterall. We are committed to seeing this through and we thank you, too, for responding to the call.

As an audience you have come out again or for the very first time to support our company's Development Series, which began with a reading of Ric Taylor's newest play, In God's Hat on March 28th at the Tank Theatre. The night was a tremendous success. There was the initial effervescent bustle and glow of a happy gathering of fellow artists, friends, family and already a small following of loyal playgoers interested to see what was next after "Crazy. Sexy. Dead." We welcomed you and the actors took to the stage. An eclectic brotherhood looked back at us; a seasoned, grounded veteran amidst a bouyant bunch of young guns, two best friends off-stage playing enemies on stage, and the powerful relationship between the play's central characters, Mitch and Roy, a pair of brothers with a troubled past.  Ric Taylor's brilliant play moved us all and more importantly sparked a dialogue between us.  We took you to the Irish Rogue for a drink and some wonderful conversations ensued.  It was clear that the first reading of In God's Hat marked an auspicious beginning.

We have decided to forgo a September production so as to embark on the arduous journey of fundraising for the fully realized production of In God's Hat projected for 2010. We have proposed a pretty intense budget for this endeavor, but cling, with faith, to the old adage if there's a will there's a way. Garnering the resources to bring this play to audiences at it's most profound capacity is our mission for 2009. 

In the meantime, we will continue to stretch our creative muscles any way we can. We have planned a fundraising soiree in conjunction with the Miscreant Theatre Company on June 1st in NYC. There we will do an encore performance of the titillating and very endearing "Fair Rosamund and Her Murderer" by Don Nigro, starring Tom Pelphrey and myself.  As a company we are hoping to expand and invite outside artists to work with us on smaller projects.  As the artistic associate, I am organizing a small gathering with fellow actors for an intimate reading of Arthur Miller's "The American Clock", a play based on Studs Terkel's Hard Times.  Twenty actors will portray some fifty-two characters in the throes of the Great Depression.  It is a fierce depiction of a time in American history we young artists do not remember, but a reminder of the indomitable spirit that has been handed down to us from generations past. 

We invite you to stay in touch and to keep the dialogue open.  We want to hear your thoughts, ideas, and hopes. If you'd like to be involved in some way, write us an email. We'd love to hear from you.

Evermore thanks for your support of our young company.

Sincerely,
Kate Russell
Artistic Associate

Welcome to the Home of The Apothecary Theatre Company! We are very excited to have assembled a theatre company of fellow artists, from actors to designers to playwrights, and want to invite you to be a part of our growing community. Please explore our website and get to know us and our goals.