New island theater company unveils debut season lineup

Bainbridge Island’s newest theatrical production group, inD Theatre, has announced their debut season lineup.

Founded by Matt Eldridge and Tom Challinor, the nonprofit inD Theatre produces independent theatrical events focusing on the bridge between the script and the audience: the actor. Admission to all productions are free and all participating artists are compensated.

The group’s debut lineup includes:

“Closed for Maintenance” (June 8 and 9) by James E. Anderson, III. Directed by Tony Award-winner Dinah Manoff, the show stars Ted Dowling and Shannon Dowling and features musical performances by Anya Flanagan and the Continental Sound Trio.

“The North Plan” (Sept. 21-30), written by Jason Wells. A ruthless faction is seizing power in Washington, D.C. as an official runs off with the new regime’s top secret enemies list, pursued by DHS agents. The chase has ended in an Ozark police station. Revolution is in the air.

Wilson Milam — whose critically acclaimed directing credits span New York, London and Seattle — directs this unsettling, politically charged, dark comedy.

“Under Milk Wood” (Nov. 8-11) by Dylan Thomas. In this vivid poetic-dramatic evocation of the variegated population of a small Welsh seaside town, Thomas strands humor and death-tinged melancholy through monologues, dialogues, vignettes and songs.

Llareggub and its population spring to vibrant life, so intensely particular that they achieve universality. Thomas explores their lives, hopes and thoughts in the dreams of a night and the rhythm of a day.

“A Child’s Christmas in Wales” (Dec. 22, 23) by Dylan Thomas. A half-hour tale with reading and live music.Thomas’ nostalgic, slightly misty-eyed prose, a character-rich description of Christmas from the point of view of a young child, is full of yearning for the innocence of childhood and the simplicity of times past

Eldridge is an actor and producer. He earned a MBA from Yale and has performed recently in more than a dozen semi-professional and community theatre productions in Seattle and on Bainbridge Island.

Challinor is an actor, director and producer. He has a MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University and has mounted a number of theatrical productions. He founded the BPA Shakespeare Society for Bainbridge Performing Arts and directed the first three plays in the successful Bard at Bloedel series.

To learn more about the times and location of each show, visit www.indtheatre.org.