Curio Theatre is excited to be entering its fourth season, the first to be fully staged in its newly renovated Sanctuary space, which opened last April.

The company has spent the last four years staging shows at Calvary Center for Culture and Community, while making repairs to the 1906 Sanctuary space which was the main worship area for the the 1906 Calvary Methodist Church building. The repairs to the roof have been made, and a dedicated stage is now in place, but co-artistic director Jared Reed is quick to point out that restoration will be ongoing through future seasons.

Curio's 2008-2009 season kicks off an exciting mix of world-premiere adaptations based on classics along with Jim Cartwright's breakthrough-play, Road.

Curio Theatre's mission is "to illuminate classic works and styles selected from a wide variety of sources (novels, dramas, poetry, art, epic, history)." Plays were chosen for the season "to showcase the company's skills," said co-artistic director Jared Reed. "We are interested in developing a company, and working as an ensemble. So we looked for works which would allow our company members to play many parts. We looked for plays to adapt with that in mind," said Reed.

Curio's season begins with a world-premiere adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Trial by Jared Reed October 10 to November 1, 2008. Josef K. wakes up one morning and is arrested and prosecuted for an unspecified crime, never knowing why. From this most simple premise, Kafka spins a nightmare like no other. Six actors will portray all the novel's characters in this surreal and maddening tragicomedy which spotlights bureaucracy and paranoia.

Next is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, December 11, 2008 to January 4, 2009. Notorious miser Ebenezer Scrooge sees nothing merry in "Merry Christmas." Can three visiting spirits convince him of the error of his ways? Curio co-artistic director Jared Reed breathes life into all of Dickens' colorful characters, from Scrooge himself to Tiny Tim, in a one-man performance, inspired by research into the public performances Dickens himself gave of his own novella.

The new year bring Curiosities 1 - 3 Plays in 3 Weeks. These three weeks will showcase plays Curio is considering staging as fully mounted works in future seasons. The plays include: Man to Man by Manfred Karge January 29 at 7pm, January 30 at 8pm, January 31 at 8pm, and February 1 at 2 pm; Don Quixote, adapted by Timothy Martin from the novel by Cervantes, February 5 at 7pm, February 6 at 8pm, February 7 at 8pm, February 8 at 2 pm and a yet-to-be announced production. Performances of that production will be February 12 at 7pm, February 13 at 8 pm, February 14 at 8pm, and February 15 at 2 pm

Jim Cartwright's Road, is next, March 12 to April 5, 2009. This timely remounting of Cartwright's signature play illuminates a world where jobs are few and hardships many and citizens have little hope, little future and little money.

The season concludes with another world premiere comedy, A Funeral Farce by Curio Theatre Company. When mistakes are made in some businesses, you hear the phrase "heads will roll!" But when mistakes happen at a funeral parlor, entire bodies start rolling! And you'll be rolling in the aisles with laughter! Who's telling the truth? Can three men keep a secret when one of them is dead. and the other two are trying to kill each other?

Performances will be staged at the Sanctuary, 4740 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia. For ticket information and showtimes, visit www.curiotheatre.org or call 215-525-1350.