Hickory – In Sylvia, the upcoming comedy opening November 3rd in the Hickory Community Theatre’s Firemen’s Kitchen, veteran local actor Joshua Yoder takes on three distinctly different roles.
Yoder, an actor, director, playwright and educator who lives in Lincolnton, is excited to be back on stage at Hickory Community Theatre in A.R. Gurney’s zany comedy. He was last seen on the HCT stage playing the title role in Hamlet. Other recent roles include Luther in Superior Donuts and Marius in Les Misérables. In Sylvia, Yoder plays three quirky characters: Tom, a fellow dog lover who shares advice with Greg; Phyllis, a snooty New York socialite; and Leslie, a therapist with hilariously unorthodox methods.
Yoder holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has performed in dozens of plays in the 20 years since he started acting, and has worked professionally at Triad Stage, Ensemble Stage, Bright Star Touring Theatre, and other regional theatres. Yoder has also taught acting, directing and script writing at several colleges and universities in North Carolina.
Sylvia is a comedy about a man, his dog and the other woman in his life: his wife. Greg and Kate are empty-nesters in the big city. On a walk in the park Greg is adopted by Sylvia, a bouncy, frisky poodle mix. But Kate comes to feel that she is losing Greg to his adoring new best friend who just loves to be petted, scratched, and talked to. This imaginative twist on midlife crisis leads to lots of laughs and some thoughtful insights into the nature of love, marriage, jealousy, and dogs.
Sylvia is on stage in the Theatre’s cabaret space, the Firemen’s Kitchen November 2-19. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays (Nov 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18) at 8:00pm, Thursdays (Nov 9 & 16) at 7:30pm and Sundays (Nov 12 & 19) at 2:30pm.
Tickets are $16 and are now on sale online at hickorytheatre.org or through the Theatre box office, in person or by phone at 828-328-2283. Box office hours are 12-5 Wed-Fri.
The Hickory Community Theatre is a Funded Affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. The 2017-2018 Season is sponsored by Paramount Automotive and A Cleaner World. Sylvia is produced by Robert Abbey, Inc. and Dr. George Clay, III, DDS.
Photo: Joshua Yoder plays all three supporting roles in Sylvia, coming to the Hickory Community Theatre’ Firemen’s Kitchen November 3-19. For tickets and information call 828-328-2283 or go to hickorytheatre.org. Photo by John Koval.
