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Event Detail:

PT Shorts shares childhood humor of Patrick McManus
November 07, 2009 - November 07, 2009
STARTS: 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Pope Marine Building, Water and Madison Streets

Patrick McManus has been called "the Robert Benchley of outdoor humor" for his hundreds of stories about nature and his depression-era childhood in Northern Idaho. His works have appeared in the magazine "Field and Stream" and the bestselling books "A Fine and Pleasant Misery" and "They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?"

The next PT Shorts program celebrates the McManus sense of humor with readings from his short stories on Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Pope Marine Building in Port Townsend. The free program, entitled "A Boy's Life: The Childhood Tales of Patrick F. McManus," has been assembled by director Jay Page.

"I find McManus's childhood stories particularly funny and poignant," says Page. "They feature great characters like ‘Crazy' Eddie Muldoon, Retch Sweeney, and crusty woodsman Rancid Crabtree."

The stories include "Sneed," in which a game warden chasing poachers seems to appear in four places at once. In another story, an Army surplus store proprietor may or may not be shooting bullet holes into old battle helmets to sell them at a premium to the neighborhood kids.

Jay Page most recently appeared on the KCPT stage as Dr. Prentice in this season's "What the Butler Saw." Joining Page as readers will be Art Reitsch and Don White. Reitsch took a lead roles in two of KCPT's WordPlay readings this fall, playing Barney Cashman in Neil Simon's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and Victor Franz in Arthur Miller's "The Price." White is the founder of PT Shorts and a frequent KCPT director and performer.

After the PT Shorts program, the audience is welcome to join another free event as the PT Songlines Choir dedicates a locally-crafted gypsy wagon on display at the Port Townsend Woodworkers Show to a pilgrimage of music and peace. Community singing will be lead by Laurence Cole, Rob Tobias and Sara Tone.

Port Townsend (PT) Shorts is produced by Key City Public Theatre and sponsored by the Port Townsend Arts Commission. Catch PT Shorts during Gallery Walk on the first Saturday of every month at the downtown Pope Marine Building, a disability-accessible facility located at Water and Madison streets. For more information, see www.keycitypublictheatre.org.

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