Dear Friend, 

We’re delighted to have the opportunity to present two live, virtual readings of Michael McKeever’s  The People Downstairs  on Wednesday, June 24. Performance times are 3pm and 7pm. Unlike our Drama(in the)Works Monday evening readings, which conclude tonight,  The People Downstairs  will not be recorded for further online viewing. The readings are free, but reservations are required. Each reading will be followed by a virtual Q and A. Visit palmbeachdramaworks.org to reserve your spot. 

The People Downstairs , which was commissioned by PBD and is scheduled to be our next world premiere, explores the complex challenges faced by the courageous individuals who hid and took care of Anne Frank and seven others during the Holocaust. Since its first public reading this past January, at the second annual New Year/New Plays Festival, the play has continued to evolve. A newly revised script underwent a three-day workshop in May. Then came more revisions, another three-day workshop earlier this month, and more script changes leading up to Wednesday’s performances.   
The virtual readings (remotely) reunite the cast that initially read the play: Margery Lowe, Bruce Linser, Dennis Creaghan, Tom Wahl, John Campagnuolo, Matthew Korinko, and McKeever. Elizabeth Dimon narrates the stage directions. William Hayes again directs. 

“It’s such a timely story,” says Lowe, who plays Miep Gies, the woman who not only helped hide the Franks, but found and saved Anne’s diary. “Miep insisted she wasn’t an extraordinary person. She said that she and the others who looked after the people in the annex were not heroes, but ordinary people who did what had to be done in a time of need. 
“We’re living through such a time of change right now, and no matter what your personal viewpoints are, watching these ‘ordinary’ people speaking out through their deeds is an important lesson. Miep said she wouldn’t have been able to sleep if she had done nothing. You have to do the right thing. You can’t be silent.”

To read more of the interview with Lowe, click here

Readings of  The People Downstairs  are made possible through special arrangement with Actors’ Equity Association. If you would like to make a donation to support these benefit performances, you may do so online when you book your ticket.

Tonight at 7pm The Prey by Gina Montet
A tale of beauty, love, and murder in the heart of the Everglades. Set in 1912 and inspired by actual events, the play is a chilling interpretation of one of Florida’s most notorious killings. Register for tickets at www.palmbeachdramaworks.org  or call the box office at (561)-514-4042.
 
Stay safe.