Welcome to
The Gate Theater Group
Northern Thailand's First English-language theater company
The 2021-2022 Season starts December 2nd
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a court martial has been adapted by the author into suspenseful evening of theatre. A young lieutenant is relieved his captain of command in the midst of a typhoon on the grounds that the captain, Queeg is a psychopath in crisis and commanded the ship and its crew to destruction. Naval tradition is against him, but testimony eventually reveals a devastating picture of Queeg's mental disintegration. Skeptical lawyer, Barbra Greenwald, grudgingly defends Lt. Steve Maryk, a navy man who wrestled control of a ship from its domineering captain, Lt. Cmdr. Philip Francis Queeg, in the midst of a violent storm at sea. As the court martial progresses, Greenwald begins to wonder if the events aboard the U.S.S. Caine were truly a mutiny, or merely the brave acts of a faithful group of sailors who could no longer trust their unstable leader.
The play was first presented by Paul Gregory in the Granada Theatre, Santa Barbara, California, on October 12, 1953 and then went on tour across the United States before being given its first performance on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on January 20, 1954 in a production directed by Charles Laughton and produced by Paul Gregory. The play starred Henry Fonda as Barney Greenwald, the accused mutineer's defense attorney, and John Hodiak as the accused, Steve Maryk; Lloyd Nolan played Queeg. Herbert Anderson (later Dennis the Menace's father on TV) played Dr. Bird (he would later go on to play Ensign Rabbit in the 1954 film version of the novel). James Garner appeared in a non-speaking role as a court martial panelist . It ran for 415 performances.
The play was first presented by Paul Gregory in the Granada Theatre, Santa Barbara, California, on October 12, 1953 and then went on tour across the United States before being given its first performance on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on January 20, 1954 in a production directed by Charles Laughton and produced by Paul Gregory. The play starred Henry Fonda as Barney Greenwald, the accused mutineer's defense attorney, and John Hodiak as the accused, Steve Maryk; Lloyd Nolan played Queeg. Herbert Anderson (later Dennis the Menace's father on TV) played Dr. Bird (he would later go on to play Ensign Rabbit in the 1954 film version of the novel). James Garner appeared in a non-speaking role as a court martial panelist . It ran for 415 performances.
Coming in February 2022
The Gin Game
This winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize is a two-person tragicomedy in two acts that uses a card game as a metaphor for life. Weller Martin is playing solitaire on the porch of a seedy nursing home. Enter Fonsia Dorsey, a prim, self-righteous lady. They discover they both dislike the home and enjoy gin rummy, so they begin to play and to reveal intimate details of their lives. Fonsia wins every time, and their secrets become weapons used against one another. Weller longs for a victory to counter a lifetime of defeats, but it doesn’t happen. He leaves the stage a broken man, and Fonsia realizes her self-righteous rigidity has led to an embittered, lonely, old age.
D. L. Coburn conceived of the play first as a conflict between a man and a woman and strictly as a tragedy. He felt that the simplicity of two people and a card game could have more impact because of its concentrated format. The setting of the old age home was not conceived until later in the development of the story, and the comedy worked its way in unintentionally through the wit of the characters.
This winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize is a two-person tragicomedy in two acts that uses a card game as a metaphor for life. Weller Martin is playing solitaire on the porch of a seedy nursing home. Enter Fonsia Dorsey, a prim, self-righteous lady. They discover they both dislike the home and enjoy gin rummy, so they begin to play and to reveal intimate details of their lives. Fonsia wins every time, and their secrets become weapons used against one another. Weller longs for a victory to counter a lifetime of defeats, but it doesn’t happen. He leaves the stage a broken man, and Fonsia realizes her self-righteous rigidity has led to an embittered, lonely, old age.
D. L. Coburn conceived of the play first as a conflict between a man and a woman and strictly as a tragedy. He felt that the simplicity of two people and a card game could have more impact because of its concentrated format. The setting of the old age home was not conceived until later in the development of the story, and the comedy worked its way in unintentionally through the wit of the characters.
The Gate Theater will present "Shrapnel in the Heart", based on the book by Laura Palmer, on November 11th at KAD Studio Theatre. There will be only one performance starting at 6:00 pm. This is a readers theatre presentation suitable for the entire family with a reduced ticket price of only 250 baht at the door.
"Shrapnel in the Heart: Letters and Remembrances from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial", is an assortment of letters, poems, and other mementos left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In 1986, Laura Palmer researched many of the letters left at the monument and was able to trace them back to the persons who had written them. Laura Palmer then interviewed a number of the authors of the letters, and with their permission, created a powerful and heartbreaking book/script. For more information call 087 177 2195.
"Shrapnel in the Heart: Letters and Remembrances from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial", is an assortment of letters, poems, and other mementos left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In 1986, Laura Palmer researched many of the letters left at the monument and was able to trace them back to the persons who had written them. Laura Palmer then interviewed a number of the authors of the letters, and with their permission, created a powerful and heartbreaking book/script. For more information call 087 177 2195.
Second Annual Chiang Mai Fringe Festival
January 28-31, 2021
In 2019 The Gate hosted Chiang Mai's first International Fringe Festival of Performing Arts. The program was such a success we are making it an annual event. Look for it to be back in 2021.
The Chiang Mai Fringe Festival is proudly open to a wide range of performers and groups of artists working independently in traditional forms as well as outside traditional forms. All performance styles are encouraged, from the avant-garde to the family friendly. Traditional and street theater, storytelling, dance/movement, experimental music, video/film, performance art, poetry, puppetry, comedy and improv, art installations, circus and cabaret.
Performers or groups will choose their own ticket price of up to 400 baht and receive 100% of that amount paid to them. More information coming soon.
In 2019 The Gate hosted Chiang Mai's first International Fringe Festival of Performing Arts. The program was such a success we are making it an annual event. Look for it to be back in 2021.
The Chiang Mai Fringe Festival is proudly open to a wide range of performers and groups of artists working independently in traditional forms as well as outside traditional forms. All performance styles are encouraged, from the avant-garde to the family friendly. Traditional and street theater, storytelling, dance/movement, experimental music, video/film, performance art, poetry, puppetry, comedy and improv, art installations, circus and cabaret.
Performers or groups will choose their own ticket price of up to 400 baht and receive 100% of that amount paid to them. More information coming soon.
Due to the present situation concerning COVID-19 cases across Thailand, The Gate Theater has decided to postpone the 2021 Fringe Festival which was originally planned for this January. We want to thank all of our supporters and patrons for their support, open discussions and encouragement. As everyone has been reminding us, great things happen when artists and the community comes together and connects at events such as the Chiang Mai Fringe Festival. For this reason, we fully intend to host the festival during the 2021/22 season.
We hope this postponement will allow time for performers and Chiang Mai residents who are unable to travel at this time to participate in and enjoy the festival when a new dates are announced. For more information about the Chiang Mai Fringe Festival please contact The Gate at gatetheater@gmail.com
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