This year, playwright and Theater in the Rough co-founder Aaron Elmore celebrated 25 years of producing plays in Juneau with wife and co-founder Katie Jensen. His latest play, however, is a first: Elmore’s “Running With Pretty Sharp Things,” which opened Friday, is the first original script he’s penned.
Elmore has adapted works for the stage like “The Three Musketeers,” “Puss in Boots” and “A Christmas Carol,” but has never staged an original work. The inspiration came, of all times, while tying his shoes.
“I thought of the name ‘Threadneedle and Pins Alterations and Mending’ and I thought ‘that sounds pretty interesting, that’s something I want to write,’” Elmore said in a Friday phone interview.
Showings run through July 9 at McPhetres Hall on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with two Sunday showings at 2 p.m. on July 2 and 9. Tickets can be purchased at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center, local bookstores and at the door. There’s a pay-as-you-can performance on June 21. Thursdays and Sundays have special prices.
The comedy centers around Jon Threadneedle, played by Empire employee Hadassah Nelson, who finds himself in a mythical land ruled by a king, played by Zebediah Bodine. Natalia Spengler and Dan Wayne, playing the “mysterious stranger” and Threadneedle’s boss Ted Pins, respectively, round out the central cast.
“It’s about a young guy who through circumstances rather random ends up in contact with the king of his country. They both have to propose masterworks to become real live parts of their world,” Elmore said.
