‘Floating Brothel' on stage at college

Middletown — Gold No Trade Theater Company will present its play “Floating Brothel” in Orange Hall Theatre on Friday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. In this production, five actors tell the story of a ship full of women convicts pulled out of their world in the underbelly of London and thrust into the belly of a ship sailing to a new continent — Australia — where they will begin their lives anew. Adapted from historical accounts of female convict ships, this epic journey of the 18th century follows three women pulled from the worlds they know and thrust into a new one: on the ship where the crew controls everything and among 200 other women convicts. These three women must use their savvy and ingenuity to forge alliances with the men and with each other — bonds that will determine in the end whether they live or die. Following the Lecoq Technique, the whole play is performed entirely within the confines of a 3’x 6’ platform, a tréteau, from which the actors never step off. The tréteau is descended from the tiny, portable stages traveling commedia troupes erected in town markets for their performances. And another feature of bringing Gold No Trade Theater Company to SUNY Orange is the workshop on Lecoq Techniques that playwright/actress Megan Campisi is offering on Wednesday, Oct. 13, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Orange Hall Theatre. Admission to the workshop is free. Tickets will be on sale at the box office starting at 7 p.m. the evening of the performance and online via the SUNY Orange web www.sunyorange.edu (click on “Events,” then “Online Ticketing.). All tickets are $6, and all students from any educational institution are admitted free at the door. Orange Hall is located at the corner of Wawayanda and Grandview Avenues, in Middletown. For more information call Cultural Affairs at 341-4891 or e-mail cultural@sunyorange.edu.