The Asylum Theatre Presents “Gifts of Gratitude” on Nov. 23

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

By Debbie Hall

The Asylum Theatre brings its second Solo Play Day Festival to the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum with a performance of “Gifts of Gratitude” from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23. The event features an afternoon of poetry, music, and monodrama created by Sarah O’Connell, artistic director of The Asylum Theatre. Presented amid the museum’s striking collection, the performance highlights the power of individual expression and the ways art transcends borders, disciplines, and experiences.

Now in its second year, the Solo Play Day Festival is a synchronized international collaboration of the WEST Association, presented in multiple countries. Sarah noted the significance of returning to the museum, where The Asylum has produced numerous theatre and poetry events. She praised the artistic legacy of Rita Deanin Abbey, calling her one of the most prolific visual artists she has encountered.

The event is presented in partnership with the Ukraine-based WEST Association, created by The Asylum Theatre and the ProEnglish Theatre of Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 attack on Kyiv. The coalition supports artistic freedom and cross-border collaboration through solo performances, staged readings, workshops, tours, and virtual exchanges. WEST has championed dozens of original projects and maintains monthly international Theatre Club meetings.

Guests will experience the creative world of Rita Deanin Abbey, whose expansive 10,500-square-foot museum showcases the breadth of her work, including abstract expressionist paintings, stained glass, sculpture, landscape studies, murals, enamels, and more. Abbey’s influence, deeply shaped by the desert Southwest, continues to resonate. In 2024, she was inducted posthumously into the UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame. 

As for being a part of The Asylum Theatre, “Before my life as a grateful Nevadan, I earned my Master's degree in Directing in the United Kingdom before working on original opera at American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Opportunities in the Entertainment Lighting industry spurred my partner and me to relocate our company, Axislights Inc., from the Bay Area to Las Vegas in 2002. I intended to found a theatre company to continue my work in international new play development when I learned about The Asylum and its mission at a grant-writing workshop from another attendee. I volunteered to assist with their next staged reading starring the company's founder, Maggie Winn-Jones. Six months later, she and her husband, famed director Davey Marlin-Jones, asked me to assume the role of Artistic Director,” explained Sarah.

Sarah also emphasizes the value of gathering for an afternoon centered on music, poetry, and monologues that reflect beauty, hope, and resilience. The festival connects audiences locally and internationally, celebrating artistic expression in challenging times.

A reception and sparkling toast will follow the performance. Tickets are $25 and must be reserved in advance by clicking here.

The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum is located at 5850 N. Park Street in northwest Las Vegas and is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available by appointment and may be purchased online. For more information, follow the museum on Instagram or Facebook and visit www.ritadeaninabbeymuseum.org.