“Fill in the Blanks Theatre,” is the upcoming and first fundraiser for the non-profit Exit, Pursued by a Bear (or Bear Theatre, for short) which calls Community High School’s auditorium (302 Campbell Ave. SE) home. The Bear’s first of four plays for the 2024-25 season, the Pulitzer prize-winning Crimes of the Heart, has been cast and debuts on July 19, with five performances scheduled over two weekends.
During Fill In The Blanks Theatre night (Saturday, June 8 at 7:30pm), audiences will help create new, freshly written 10 minute plays, where words are left out of the script and prompts ask them to suggest a noun, an adjective, "nonsense words" and the like. Adding to the mayhem, they’ll do that without seeing the scripts – and then volunteer actors will perform six of those mini works of art on stage.
"Audience members can get further involved by acting themselves. It's part audience participation, part improvisation,’” says Exit, Pursued by a Bear Vice President Stevie Holcomb. (The new downtown theatre’s name was inspired by a Shakespeare stage direction in The Winter’s Tale.)
Other area playhouses have been invited to participate in the Bear's spirit of collaboration and support for all local community theatres. There is room in the valley for another venue, especially in downtown Roanoke, providing additional opportunities for veteran – or brand new – actors, directors, stage managers, costumers, set designers, etc. It’s what the Bear aspires to be all about.
Admission to Fill In The Blanks on June 8 is ten dollars – or more for those choosing to do so. Tickets can be purchased online at beartheatre.com, or at the door on June 8 before the 7:30 curtain. Tickets for Crimes of the Heart will be on sale by mid-June.