The Evanston 2nd Act Players, which did it’s last show online in mid-2021, is hoping to return to a live stage this November with performances of a new, two-act version of the poignant drama Talking with My Dad.
Written by 2nd Act Co-founder John N. Frank, Talking with My Dad centers around a man awaiting heart surgery as he confronts issues from his past raised by his father’s untimely death. Frank originally wrote it as a one-act play which the 2nd Act Players performed in 2014.
“We’re returning to our roots with one of my scripts,” explains Frank. “Covid gave me a chance to bring the main character Frankie forward into Covid time when he has a second heart attack and must again confront his ghosts in the isolation of Covid.”
The 2nd act Players has applied to Northminster Presbyterian Church for permission to use its theater space for the production. The church has been undergoing a three-year renovation that includes adding air conditioning to the theater space used by the 2nd Act Players. The 2nd Act Players last did a show there in late 2019.
“The work underway at Northminster is mind-boggling in its scope,” says Frank. “We’ll have a lot of work to do ourselves, likely needing to rent a new light board and sound system and perhaps repainting the stage. I was there recently, it’s still a work zone (see photo).”
Congratulations! Even those it’s still in the “hope to” stage, I’m so glad you’re finding your way back.