Eclipsing Stars (A Staged Reading)

Written by Kaely Michels-Gualtieri & Directed by Natalie Cutcher

"In 1847, young Edwin Booth is pulled out of school by his father, a renowned tragedian, to tour the country performing Shakespeare. Left behind is his younger brother, John Wilkes Booth. So begins the story of the Booth brothers: one rises to fame, while the other falls into infamy. As the ringmaster of this unfolding tale, P.T. Barnum leads us through a world where historical truth, Shakespearean verse, and circus metaphor converge on a perilous tightrope stretched between tyranny, democracy, and free will. The curtain rises. History unfolds. And we’re left asking: What is the cost of a human life when the show must go on?"

These staged readings are free - suggested donation $20