Tuesday, March 15, 2011

World Premiere of Comedy Spoon Lake Blues Rounds Out Alliance Theatre’s Hertz Stage Series

The comedy Spoon Lake Blues makes its World Premiere on the Alliance Theatre’s Hertz Stage April 1-24, 2011 with opening night scheduled for Wednesday, April 6. Written by former Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition finalist Josh Tobiessen, this exciting new work directed by Davis McCallum is certain to cleverly stimulate both the funny bones and the minds of Atlanta audiences.

The play follows the plight of two brothers who leave no stones, stereotypes or septic tanks unturned. Thinking burglary is a solution to saving their house from the bank, the pair steal a photograph of a woman who is everything they are is not—educated, wealthy, upwardly mobile and African-American. From that, a bold and brazen new caper is born.

“This explosive new comedy challenges the male-female relationship dynamic where the female is the more successful, driven individual who accepts the less-than ambitious male for who and what he is – and doesn’t try to change him,” said Jennings Hertz Jr. Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. “It’s overtly humorous.”

In a bold new play, Josh Tobiessen returns to the Alliance Theatre with his most recent work. Tobiessen wrote this piece after his 2007-2008 Kendeda finalist script, Election Day, received glowing reviews in its New York premiere. The production of Spoon Lake Blues marks the first time a Kendeda alumni returns to the Alliance Theatre.

The cast of Spoon Lake Blues features fresh talent, all making their Alliance Stage debuts, including Veronika Duerr as Abigail, Jimi Kocina as Brady, Lakisha Michelle May as Caitlin, and Luke Robertson as Denis.

Spoon Lake Blues will be performed on the Hertz Stage with previews beginning on Friday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m. Opening night is Wednesday, April 6. Performances continue through Sunday, April 24 with Tuesday through Saturday evening performances at 8:00 p.m. Weekend matinees are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Sunday evening performances are at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets start at $25 and are available at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office by calling 404.733.5000 or online at alliancetheatre.org. Discount rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 404-733-4690. Discount rates are also available for members of the military, seniors and students. The Alliance Theatre is located at the Woodruff Arts Center, corner of Peachtree & 15th Street, in Midtown Atlanta.

About the Alliance Theatre

Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre, recipient of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award®, creates the powerful experience of shared theatre for diverse people of all ages. Under the leadership of Jennings Hertz, Jr. Artistic Director Susan V. Booth, the Alliance Theatre uses contemporary classics, field leading theatre artists and a commitment to premiere as the foundation for a national theatre with a local address. The theatre’s two stages host 200,000 adult and youth patrons each season, and the Alliance engages and educates students and teachers of all ages through its extensive training programs and commitment to providing a community forum for connection and dialogue.

The Alliance leads the national regional theatre field in the creation of significant American musicals and plays. This includes over 70 premieres that have enjoyed future lives in theatres across the country as well as Tony Award®-winning moves to Broadway: Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida and Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night of Ballyhoo. Following their Atlanta premieres, the Alliance transferred Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away to Broadway for a critically acclaimed Tony Award®-nominated run while Sister Act: the Musical will arrive on Broadway this season after its run on London’s West End. This season, the Alliance produced the World Premiere of Bring It On: The Musical. The Alliance also originated the national tours of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk.

The Alliance enjoys a national reputation for finding and developing Atlanta artists for the national stage, including New York Times bestseller Pearl Cleage whose The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years received its world premiere in the fall of 2010 at the Alliance. Further evidence of the Alliance’s commitment to new work is its nationally recognized National Graduate Playwriting Competition, a cutting-edge program introducing student playwrights to professional networks across the country while producing the world premiere of the winning student’s work here at the Alliance. Work by past Competition winners has gone on to be produced by theatres in New York, Chicago, London, San Francisco and beyond.

The Alliance continuously brings Atlanta the finest talent and finest art—proving once again that the Alliance is where great theatre lives. The Alliance Theatre is a division of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which also houses the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art and Young Audiences.


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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Summer Camps will Take the Stage at Theatre in the Square

Last fall, Theatre in the Square hired local educator and director, Susan Reid, to take on the role of Education Director. The winter acting classes for youth, teens and adults have been a huge success. Summer Camps will begin for grades 1-12 beginning in June. Each class will end in a performance on the Alley Stage. Prices for classes vary, for more information or to register, call Susan Reid at 770-422-8369 or email susan@theatreinthesquare.com.

As the new Education Director and Artistic Associate, Marietta resident, Susan Reid is already hard at work booking classes at the theatre. Susan has been a part of the Theatre in the Square family for many years as she has worked as a teaching artist and directed shows such as Rabbit Hole, crooked and A Piece of My Heart in the past. Susan most recently worked as the Education Director at Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville. “Susan brings the high caliber of experience and professionalism our patrons and students have come to expect. We have enjoyed her work as a guest artist and educator and now are thrilled that she has become a part of our team fulltime. We look forward to the innovative artistry that she will bring to T-Square's education programming as well as in her position as an artistic associate”, says Assistant Artistic Director, Jessica Phelps West.

Camp for grades 1-5 will take place July 5 – 15 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. In the Production Explosion, Jr. Camp, our youngest students will put on a production of a classic story. Each day, students will gain valuable experience as they spend time rehearsing, crafting costumes, and helping with set pieces. The 1-2 graders will perform The Little Red Hen and the 3-5 graders will perform James and the Giant Peach.

Camps for grades 6-8 will take place June 20 – July 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In our T-Square Middle School Company Camp, we introduce a wide variety of training techniques including acting, singing, dancing and improvisation.

Camps for high school students will take place July 18 – 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. T-Square High School Company Camp includes two-weeks of intense training that combines improvisation, dancing, singing and acting on stage.

All classes will take place at Theatre in the Square. Friends and family are invited to see a final performance that’s a little bit GLEE and a whole lot of FUN. There is a $25 one-time new student application fee. Families registering more than one individual at a time will have one ($25) application fee waived. A $100 non-refundable deposit is required for registration. For more information or to register for classes, call Theatre in the Square at 770-422-8369 or e-mail susan@theatreinthesquare.com. Theatre in the Square is located off of historic Marietta Square at 11 Whitlock Ave.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Main Street Players present Grace and Glorie

This Thursday, March 10th through Sunday, March 20th, 2011, for Eight Performances only
A variation on the Broadway hit The Odd Couple, Tom Ziegler’s Grace and Glorie is a bittersweet comedy about two very different women who find a common ground in an unlikely meeting. While it is remarkably funny, it also brings up some powerful emotions that keep the two characters and the audience on an emotional roller coaster.

Grace and Glorie tells the tale of Grace (Nancy Gresham), a comfortably religious, cantankerous 90-year-old mountain woman, who has checked herself out of a hospital and returned to her native Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to die.

Her volunteer, do-gooder hospice worker, Glorie (Norma Richardson), is a sophisticated New York transplant with lots of big city baggage.

From this bond between two women, whose meeting in real life would be improbable, comes a comedy with great tenderness. The two women are polar opposites. Their verbal clashes set off comic sparks. The often-witty dialogue is great fun, accentuated by impeccable comic timing between Grace and Glorie.

Grace and Glorie, directed by Marian Sorensen, is honest, hopeful, sentimental, and filled with good humor. A crowd pleaser. The Main Street Players, 115 North Hill Street, Griffin, GA, bring Grace and Glorie to the stage March 10th through March 20th: Thursdays @ 7:30PM, Fridays @ 7:30PM, Saturdays @ 7:30PM and Sundays at 3:00PM.

Reprised from the highly successful run in 2007, Grace and Glorie was last seen at Main Street Players in November of that year with the same talented cast.

Ticket prices for Main Street Players: $20 adults, $15 senior (55 and up) tickets and $10 for student tickets with ID. Groups of ten or more receive a 10% discount.

For tickets and other information, please call 770-229-9916 or visit www.mainstreetplayers.org.