About This Show

Like the sandbar-cum-rest area after which the Magic Theatre’s new plays festival is named, Bruno’s Island is a place where folks with new inventions get to test out their wares on an unsuspecting public. Bruno’s is 11 straight days of new plays by wonderful young writers you may or may not have heard of before. Plays include:

The Listening Room tells the story of a prominent rock critic who finds himself held captive in his own soundproof music room by a sardonic young woman with mysterious motives and a semi-automatic rifle. Usurping his online identity while conducting an intense interrogation, she holds him to account for misdeeds both critical and personal.

The Temple of Dionysus tracks the 21st century adventures of the eponymous Greek god of wine and fertility. Having recently returned to earth and seeking a comeback, Dionysus must convince a regular Joe named Steve to help him carry out his plan. Together, they mount a full-blown publicity blitz promoting the Dionysian religion of drinking, sex and pleasure. Using a top notch marketing firm and a slew of celebrity and corporate sponsorships, the “Temple of Dionysus” becomes a pop culture phenomenon. But, can Steve live with the world he has created?

The Play About the Ice Cream follows a distraught man and his strong-willed daughter, and their encounter with a strange visitor who will utterly transform their conceptions. A seemingly simplistic tale set in a surreally decorated suburban kitchen, The Play About the Ice Cream features an alien, a sarcastic audience member named Chris, a lot of ice cream, and a series of upended expectations.

The Cheever Tapes is the story of a fading Media Studies professor and the security-camera videotape he uncovers that just might net him his long-belated tenure, starring the tongue of morgue technician Jeff Cheever. While the prof debuts the tape in class, the students (and the audience) attempt to piece together the mysterious events captured on film, and being played out onstrage.

Performance Schedule:

Program 1: The Play About the Ice Cream and The Temple of Dionysus

June 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 at 8:00pm
June 20 at 7:00pm

Program 2: The Listening Room and The Cheever Tapes

June 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 at 8:00pm
June 20 at 3:00pm

Show Details

Dates: Opening Night: June 10, 2004 Final Performance: June 20, 2004