For Immediate Release:
Contact: David Kuehn, Executive Director
Cotuit Center for the Arts
Phone: (508) 428-0669
Email: David@cotuitcenterforthearts.org
Website: ArtsOnTheCape.org
2nd Wednesday Theater Presents “Motorola Miracle” at Cotuit Center for the Arts on August 13
Cotuit Center for the Arts’ 2nd Wednesday Theater will present a staged reading of “Motorola
Miracle, “written and directed by Jo Brisbane, on Wednesday, August 13, at 7:30 PM, on the main
stage. Admission is free.
It’s 1954; Rose Johnson (played by Laura Shea) has just won a television set, and it is about to change
the world for her and her husband Tom (Garrett Almeida). “The last American innocents,” as Cape
Cod playwright Jo Brisbane describes them, Rose and Tom live in a remote part of the country, and
their cozy lives are shaped by the fantasy world of magazine advertising and its wild promises of a
glamorous future.
Two worldly delivery men (Christopher Cooley and Daniel Fontneau) bring the television to the home
of the young couple and try to explain it to them. It’s a scary world, though, of Cold War hysteria and
fear, delivered right into their living room.
“Reading a newspaper, turning on the television—if you didn’t know any better, you’d think the
world was coming to an end every day,” said Brisbane, who has drawn upon her own experience to
write “Motorola Miracle.”
“I’m obsessed with old magazines and even researched old television tubes and chassis layouts,” she
said. “I once worked as a broadcast engineer, and then as a television producer, so I have an
understanding of broadcast equipment and putting together shows. I was fascinated, as a kid,
watching my dad take apart and put together our TVs at home.”
The television set itself is a character in the play, voiced by the cast. “I’ve been influenced by old
television shows,” Brisbane said. “The play feels a little like a ‘Twilight Zone’ episode.”
Brisbane has brought together an accomplished cast for the production. Laura Shea has been on
stage all her life, dancing, singing, and acting. She appeared in CCftA’s productions of “Company,”
“Cabaret,” “It’s a Grand Night for Singing,” and “Becky’s New Car” at Black Box Theater.
Garrett Almeida is a recent graduate of Cape Cod Community College, where he appeared in many
productions, including the joint 4Cs/CCftA’s production of “Noises Off” and “Christmas in Cotuit.” He
has also appeared in several shows at Cape Rep Theatre. He will return to college in the fall to
continue his theater program.
Christopher Cooley has performed in numerous shows at Cotuit, including “Bleacher Bums,” “Dark of
the Moon,” Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Quills,” “Twelve Angry Men,” and “If Nothing Changes.” He also
directed “’night, Mother” and was the stage manager for “God of Carnage.”
Daniel Fontneau has been involved in a variety of capacities with numerous plays at CCftA. Most
recently, he appeared in “The Pepper Grinder,” one of the 10-minute plays written for “PlayPen,” a
one-day playwriting and performance event. Fontneau is a frequent performer at Harwich Junior
Theatre and Cape Rep Theatre.
Brisbane is an actor, director, and playwright. She recently appeared in “Moby Dick! The Musical!”
and “Company,” both at CCftA. She has also acted in shows at Cape Rep Theatre, Eventide Arts, and
Harwich Junior Theatre. Brisbane wrote “The Homewreckers,” a ten-minute play, for CCftA’s
“PlayPen,” and recently completed a full-length play, “The Revelation of James Hampton.” She will be
directing “Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche,” by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood at CCftA’s Black Box
Theater in September.
Second Wednesday Theater is a monthly play-reading series of rarely performed classics,
undiscovered gems, and exciting new works. Admission is free, and wine is available for $5 a glass.
Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit. For more information, visit artsonthecape.org
or call 508-428-0669.
# # #
What:
2nd Wednesday Theater presents “Motorola Miracle,” written and directed by Jo Brisbane
Where:
Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit
When:
Wednesday, August 13, 7:30 PM
Admission:
Free
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