"26 August 2021"
by Benjamin Fortier
Flooded by a profound sense of joy and sadness Emotional utilities we were unable to deploy At the time of your loss Sudden, instantaneous violence Zipped you away from this existence In a flash of light you were gone What we saw that day did not matter Not because you didn’t care But because you simply were not there We remember you for who you were Are you alone in our memories? Untouched by the hands of your lover Unaccompanied by your closest confidants Are you a prisoner inside our aging minds? We are not captives Or stowaways of the flesh We are vessels of antiquity Children of divinity Brimming with intellect Capable of profound tranquility With more than enough room inside our hearts For those that have passed along the way Despite our fragile world of flesh Our spirits can’t be kept away
Native Rhode Islander and proclaimed Renaissance Man, Iraq veteran Benjamin Fortier is a multi-talented writer, musician, and technology geek. He is currently in school (again) studying computer networking and cybersecurity. His day job is in service to his rescue dog, Princess Peppa Pig the American Bully. He is the author of Stones of the Wooded Valley and The Silent Whispers of Omens.
Our summer hiatus is about to end and we can’t wait to welcome you back to the Parlor for the best date night possible free drinks and dessert, a hilarious live performance, professional actors, an intimate unforgettable space, and pay-what-you-can tickets - you know the spiel. Come on out and help us kick off the Fall leg of our season with our staged reading of Joshua Harmon’s smash hit drama/comedy Admissions.
Do our convictions apply in concept and only for others or across the board to include ourselves and those we love the most? Winner of the 2018 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Play, Admissions savagely examines this question through one family. Progressive, white parents, Sherri Rosen-Mason and her husband, Bill, both work in education. She is the admissions officer at an elite boarding school. He is the headmaster. Although they proudly celebrate their labored efforts to increase acceptance rates of students of color from 6% to 18%, they bemoan that there is still so much work to be done. However, when their Ivy-league hopeful son, Charlie, faces rejection because of his privilege and race, their celebrations of diversity, inclusion, and equity become much more difficult and are confronted with their inner hypocrite.
We expect Admissions to be sold out - so get your tickets now! As always, you’re welcome to show up and hope for a cancellation. But if you really want to see the show, why not book now and save yourself the uncertainty?