Sunday, November 15, 2026
Flight attendant Keith Gahegan stands next to Tifany (Louise Cornetta) in “Infrequent Flyers.”
The stage reading of “Famlet” featured a large cast.
Nora (Marie Prasek) and Ernie (Greg Birr) play a married couple in “Famlet.”
Parents Melissa Henning and Patrick Huey address their daughter Emily (Olivia Rodriguez) in “Other Priorities.”
The recent Arts Center Theatre’s “An Afternoon of Play Readings” was a well-attended affair.
Hyla Crane, Marco Island Center for the Arts Executive Director, addresses the crowd before the play reading starts.
Tifany (Louise Cornetta), seated, checks on her emotional support animal as Lynda (Patti Coroli) looks on in “Infrequent Flyers.”
Kip Jones, left, and Keith Gahegan, portray the pilot and flight attendant, respectively, in “Infrequent Flyers.”
Marco’s Arts Center Theatre closed out its 2022-23 season with staged “readings” of the works of three local playwrights.
Held recently at the theatre’s Marco Island Town Center home, “An Afternoon of Play Readings” presented two plays written by Leslie Sanderson of Bonita Springs: the comedy “Infrequent Flyers” and “Other Priorities,” a thought-providing and touching drama. Those creations bookended one penned by Alex Costello of Naples, the uproarious satire “Famlet.”
Directed by Marilee Warner, “Infrequent Flyers” tells the tale of an airline flight that is so jammed a full-price passenger is forced to share space with a no-frills seatmate from Hell and her alleged service dog. In the process, goodwill, ethics, patience, and airline rules are tested. The impropriety escalates as the flight progresses until, in the end, the flight attendant has the last word.
Warner also directed “Other Priorities,” which examines our society’s moral apathy toward gun control and what placing the onus on youths to be safe at school has wrought on children, families, and the country.
Directed by Mitch Eil, “Famlet” is about family dynamics, with textual inspiration and excerpts from Hamlet. The play deals with issues faced by the family of a young expecting couple and how the pregnant mother deals with her parents, her sister, and of course, her husband.
While Sanderson’s works had been presented before, this was the public’s first opportunity to see “Famlet.”
“We look forward to future opportunities where we can explore the works of new playwrights,” said Hyla Crane when interviewed after the show. Crane is the Executive Director of the Marco Island Center for the Arts, which expanded its mission to include the Arts Center Theatre last year.
Reader’s theater involves actors presenting dramatic readings of plays without any costumes, props, scenery or special lighting, using only scripts and vocal expression to communicate with the audience.
It was the only play reading during what has been the Arts Center Theatre’s inaugural season. As an experiment to gauge interest, the theater group’s schedule of regular programming extended past the tourist season’s end.
The free Sunday afternoon play reading proved popular, with few empty seats to be found. Crane said the summertime offerings have been well-attended.
“Stage 2 Improv last night, which was not a free event, was completely sold out,” Crane added. “The week before, for comedian Julie Scoggins, we sold out as well, evidencing that there probably is a bit more appetite for entertainment, even in the summer months, than we anticipated.”
The theater’s 2023-2024 season kicks off in October. For more information about the Arts Center Theatre, visit marcoislandart.org/arts-center-theater/ or call 239-394-4221. The theater is located in Marco Town Center, 1089 N. Collier Boulevard, Unit #432.
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