Luna Stage has made the decision will reschedule its in-person production of “#RIFT Part 2: The Live Experience” by Gabriel Jason Dean because of high area coronavirus case numbers.
Originally slated for February, “#RIFT Part 2” will now take place in April. In January and February, Luna will launch additional cycles of “#RIFT Part 1: A Play Over Text Message.” Audience members can sign up for this free virtual experience at lunastage.org/rift.
The regional theater will also continue to offer small in-person classes as well as readings and workshop events in its West Orange theatre space, which is equipped with Merv-18 air purifiers. Proof of vaccination is required for all, and masks must be worn at performance events, according to the theater.
“#RIFT: Part 1,” a free eight-week virtual experience currently accessible to audiences via text message, was awarded grants from the Venturous Theatre Foundation’s Plays For Now program and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s STAGES Festival, and is currently a featured event as part of the National Day of Racial Healing. Signups are available at lunastage.org/rift for the next cycle, which starts Jan. 25.
Told through the lens of two real-life brothers — one a convicted murderer, the other a playwright; one a member of the alt-right, the other an A.O.C.-type progressive — #RIFT” “explores whether it is possible to bridge fundamental political and ideological divides. Playwright Gabriel Jason Dean navigates a personal landscape; his brother is currently incarcerated, and the two had barely spoken in 10 years. In creating this piece, Dean reconnected with his brother to explore the roots of their differences, to see if there is any way to find common ground, and to try to understand what love means in this context.
“#RIFT” deals with mature themes including violence, sexual abuse and racism, and is intended for audiences 16 and older.
In addition to acting and filmmaking classes, this month the theater launched “Roleplay in Action: RPG and Improv,” a fusion of gaming and theater in which students explore a fantasy world, complete with epic quests, mysteries and monsters. More information on this class and all Luna’s programming can be found at lunastage.org