No Pissin' Around: Urinetown Plays at PACA
In a hypercapitalist society, is the monetization of public restrooms really that farfetched?
PREMIERING FRIDAY, APR. 17
It has been said that in a capitalist society, art is often a form of rebellion. And no theatrical work exemplifies that quite like 2001's Urinetown: The Musical, winner of three Tony Awards. So, it seems fitting that one of Erie's own refuges and voices for artists (in this crazy timeline we're living through), The Performing Artists Collective Alliance, or PACA, is staging this show as its April production.
Urinetown is under the direction of Bob Martin, who previously directed The Fantasticks, Weird Romance, and Bat Boy. Part satire and part comedy, it tells the story of a near-future world where "water has become such a precious commodity that people have to pay to use public restrooms to go to the bathroom," Martin explained. "If they are caught doing otherwise, they are hauled off to the vague and mysterious Urinetown."
For the cast, which includes Patrick Vahey Jr., Hadleigh Jae Bills, Michael Graham, Joe Greulich, Maeve Kirby, Kat McMahan, Derrian Ulmer, Aaron Maracci, Jordan Gilmore, Sherree Beltz, and Laila Murosky, half are wearing multiple hats and playing several roles. And that's just part of the challenge that comes with staging this musical. The moving of set pieces, costume changes, and overall logistics requires "everyone to constantly be on their toes," Martin said. But, he added, "The payoff is worth it."
If the times have got you feeling down, take in PACA's Urinetown, a timely tale that yes, reflects on lost freedoms and the greed of capitalism, but also, according to Martin, "the search for happiness and light in a world where things are getting increasingly dark."
Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. // PACA, 1505 State St. // $20 // For exact show dates and to purchase tickets, visit: tickets.eriereader.com
