Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents CABARET June 12 – 28

Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents the Tony-Award winning musical CABARET June 12th through the 28th, 2009 at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre, Home of Atlanta Lyric Theatre (117 N. Park Sq., Marietta).

The decadent world of 1930s Berlin comes to life in this Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece. An English nightclub singer, an American writer, a German landlady and a Jewish shopkeeper find their destinies linked and their futures uncertain as the rise of the Nazis party casts a shadow over Germany during the waning days of the Weimar Republic. By turns defiant and melancholy, brazen and gleeful, CABARET sizzles with thrilling songs, evocative dance numbers and a chilling storyline. Presiding over the action is the Emcee, who acts as master of ceremonies and serves as a constant metaphor for the current state of German society.

CABARET won 8 Tony Awards in 1967, including Best Musical, and the film version featuring Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey won 8 Academy Awards.

The cast of CABARET features Claci Miller as nightclub singer Sally Bowles, Jeff Juday as American writer Cliff Bradshaw, Doyle Reynolds as the eerily grinning Emcee, Jackie Prucha as Fraulein Schneider, and Theo Harness as Herr Schultz.

Others in the cast include Jill Hames, Craig Waldrip, Brett Parker, Elizabeth Neidel, Jennifer Smiles, Natalie Barrow, Courtney Godwin, Tracey Moore, Brittany Bohn and Jason Royal.
The show is directed by Actor's Express Artistic Director Freddie Ashley, with choreography by Cindy Mora, musical direction by BJ Brown, set design by Drew Monihan, costume design by Broadway Bound Costumes, and lighting design by Joseph P. Monaghan, III.

Performances of CABARET begin June 12 and run through June 28. Performances are at 8:00PM with matinees on Sundays at 2:00PM at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre (117 N. Park Sq., Marietta). Tickets are on sale now at www.atlantalyrictheatre.com, or by calling 404-377-9948.
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Crashers Invade Georgia Shakespeare

Shakespeare Crashers offer live social networking, cheap tickets, and happy hour festivities.

Georgia Shakespeare, a professional theatre company known for its bold interpretations of classic plays, has announced a new social group geared towards Atlanta's young professionals, the Shakespeare Crashers.

Founded by associates from Alston and Bird and Homrich Berg, the Shakespeare Crashers blends exciting, affordable theatre with social networking opportunities.

"In addition to great theatre, Georgia Shakespeare offers a relaxing outdoor environment that's perfect for social events," said Chris Kowal, an associate with Homrich Berg who helped found the group. "Shakespeare Crashers will have an opportunity to enjoy a pre-show happy hour on the picnic grounds featuring complimentary beer and wine as well as discount tickets to the production. It's a unique, affordable alternative to the usual social and networking scenes."

Shakespeare Crasher happy hours for the 2009 Summer Festival are scheduled for June 17 (A Midsummer Night's Dream), July 1 (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), and July 29 (Titus Andronicus). Events begin at 6:30 p.m. and feature a beer and wine reception sponsored by Atlanta Brewing Company. All performances begin at 8:00 p.m. and take place at the Conant Performing Arts Center, 4484 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30319. Tickets are $25 and include the pre-show reception and a ticket to the performance.

For ticket information, call the Georgia Shakespeare box office at 404.264.0020 or visit www.gashakespeare.org.

Founded in 1986, Georgia Shakespeare creates thoughtful, bold and passionate interpretations of a diverse body of work rooted in Shakespeare and branching out to embrace the best writers and ideas of all eras. On the stage and through educational programming, Georgia Shakespeare strives to entertain, to ignite the imagination and to creatively explore the journey of the human spirit.

Georgia Shakespeare is the professional theatre in residence at Oglethorpe University and performs at the Conant Performing Arts Center, 4484 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30319.
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Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple Starring Fantasia

Two weeks only!
September 15-27 at the Fabulous Fox Theatre

Theater of the Stars welcomes the soulful singing sensation as she reprises her critically acclaimed role of "Celie" in the smash hit musical

The producers of THE COLOR PURPLE are proud to announce that American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino will reprise her starring role of Celie for the Atlanta engagement. Theater of the Stars will host the first North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for two weeks, September 15-27. Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com and 800-982-2787.

Fantasia made her Broadway debut in THE COLOR PURPLE on April 10, 2007. She won the 2007 Theater World Award and received across the board rave reviews, with Clive Barnes of The New York Post exclaiming “Four cheers for Fantasia! There is some elemental quality to Fantasia that is either greatness or something close to it. I feel a lot in the theater but usually I don’t cry. With this performance, I found tears running down my cheeks. If you haven’t seen THE COLOR PURPLE, see it now; if you have seen it, see it again. Something extraordinary is happening at the Broadway theatre that is not to be missed.” The Daily News’ Joe Dziemianowicz shouts out “Fantasia is a hit in THE COLOR PURPLE. Her performance is a must-see. Fantasia gives such a powerful performance it’s almost too beautiful for words!”

As a 19-year old single mother, Fantasia began her path to international stardom when she became the winner of FOX’s hugely successful audience-driven singing competition in May 2004. Now 23, Barrino has garnered critical acclaim for the release of both her debut album, Free Yourself, which marked her becoming the first artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history to debut at #1 with her debut single “I Believe,” and her second album, FANTASIA, released by J Records on December 12, 2006. To date, she has gathered more than 20 award nominations including Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Vibe Awards, Soul Train Awards and Soul Train “Lady of Soul” Awards, Billboard Music Awards and R&B & Hip Hop Awards, BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and Teen Choice Awards.

No stranger to acting, Fantasia also broke records of a different kind after authoring a New York Times best-selling autobiography Life Is Not A Fairy Tale (Simon & Schuster, September 2005) and starring in The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairytale, the Debbie Allen-directed Lifetime original movie adaptation of her truthful, outspoken, and ultimately healing memoir in August 2006. For her performance, she was nominated for a 2007 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. The biopic, also nominated as Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for the 2007 NAACP Image Awards, ranks as the channel’s second most watched movie and has been seen by 19 million viewers.

With her Broadway debut as Celie, the heart and soul of THE COLOR PURPLE, she added the distinction of being the first ever American Idol winner to star in a Broadway show.

Other featured members of the cast of THE COLOR PURPLE are Felicia P. Fields as Sofia, Angela Robinson as Shug Avery, Rufus Bonds, Jr. as Mister, Stu James as Harpo, LaToya London as Nettie, and Tiffany Daniels as Squeak.

Nominated for eleven Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, THE COLOR PURPLE opened on December 1, 2005 at the Broadway Theatre where it ran for over two record breaking years. It is based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg. It is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds the strength to triumph over adversity, and discover her unique voice in the world. With a joyous GRAMMY®-nominated score featuring gospel, jazz, pop and the blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is about hope and the healing power of love.

As on Broadway, the first North American Tour of THE COLOR PURPLE is directed by Gary Griffin. THE COLOR PURPLE features a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Grammy Award®-winning composers/lyricists Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, and choreography by Donald Byrd. The original creative team of Tony Award®-winner John Lee Beatty (sets), Paul Tazewell (costumes), Tony Award®-winner Brian MacDevitt (lighting), Jon Weston (sound), Jonathan Tunick (orchestrations) and Kevin Stites (Music Supervisor) was reunited for the tour.

The first North American Tour is produced by Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, Quincy Jones, Creative Battery, Anna Fantaci & Cheryl Lachowicz, Independent Presenters Network, Lowy Family Group, Stephanie McClelland, Gary Winnick, Jan Kallish, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Andrew Asnes & Adam Zotovich and Todd Johnson in association with AEG Live.

The original cast recording is available on EMI/Angel Records, and THE COLOR PURPLE: A Memory Book of the Broadway Musical (Avalon/Carroll & Graf) is available in bookstores now. Ariel Investments is a proud sponsor of THE COLOR PURPLE.

THE COLOR PURPLE will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from September 15-27. Performances are scheduled for Tuesday-Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale NOW at all Ticketmaster outlets, at 800-982-2787 and online at www.ticketmaster.com Ticket prices range from $29.50 to $67.50. Special group rates are available through the Fox Group Sales Dept. at 404-881-2000.

Theater of the Stars celebrates our 57th Anniversary as one of the nation’s premier regional theater companies. A civic not-for-profit cultural treasure, Theater of the Stars is dedicated to presenting and producing the best in musical theater. To learn more about our history of excellence and our upcoming season, visit www.theaterofthestars.com.
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NCTC Presents Its First One-Man Show

Most one-man shows are monologues espousing the author’s core beliefs. However, this is not what Newnan Community Theatre Company’s first one man show is. What it is is a hilarious comedy written by Becky Mode. On May 15 and 16, Trey Stephens will star in “Fully Committed.”

In its simplicity, “Fully Committed” is a side-splitting satire about people who are desperate to book a table at New York City’s hottest French restaurant, and the employee who has to deal with them all.

Actor Stephens stated the play selection was pretty easy. Although he liked the idea of being on stage on a rant, he wanted to appeal to a wider audience. “Fully Committed” is not a difficult play to understand or follow. The show follows a young, naïve, unemployed actor in New York City. He works for a restaurant reservations desk where the requests are non-stop. Sam, the main character, is taken advantage of by all the people who desire to get their own way. Throughout the course of the play Sam must try to cope with fulfilling everyone’s needs. This is an impossible task as the needs of others are in direct competition with one another. Sam eventually decides to take control. By the end of the show, Sam goes from being a boy with a dream to a man with a plan.

Stephens chose to do a one-man show because he wanted to expand what he is capable of accomplishing. He also stated he “wanted to set a good example for the artists of Newnan to try and push the envelope a little more. Do something uncomfortable and scary, because that is when the true magic happens.”

“Fully Committed” is comprised of 36 different characters (37 if you count a pre-recorded voice-over), all portrayed by Stephens. He states “Sometimes I disagree with myself, other times I am trying to make sure that I don’t feel too bad about something that I did to myself. I obviously get to talk in silly voices, and playing 10 different women is not easy!”

Trey has been volunteering at NCTC for the past three years. He directed “Noises Off!,” and “Daddy’s Dyin’,” and appeared in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “The Odd Couple.” Stephens is a regular participant in the NITWITS, NCTC’s improvisational comedy troupe. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in Drama and is proud to currently teach Mathematics at Mt. Zion High School in Carroll County.

Playwright Becky Mode developed “Fully Committed” with Mark Setlock. It premiered in New York in 1999 and was an immediate success. Mode is a former actress, waitress, and coat check girl. She was a staff writer on “The Cosby Show.”

“Fully Committed” will be performed in NCTC’s black box theatre, May 15 and 16, at 8 pm. Seating is limited. The cost is $10 per person. Tickets may be purchased from the theatre’s website, newnantheatre.com. You can make a reservation by emailing NCTC at nctc@numail.org or calling the theatre at 770-683-6282. Newnan Community Theatre Company is located in downtown Newnan at 24 1st Avenue. The non-profit organization is completely volunteer-run.
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Twilight Auditions for Oliver! Monday and Tuesday

The Twilight Theatre will hold auditions for Lionel Bart's Oliver! this Monday and Tuesday, May 4 and 5. Auditions are from 5:00-9:00 at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. Oliver! will be the first of Twilight’s 2009 Summerstock productions at the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City. Show dates are July 24, 25, 31, and August 1 at 8:00 p.m.

Based on Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, Oliver! tells the story of young orphan Oliver Twist, who runs away and winds up in London. There he meets Fagin and the Artful Dodger, who is leader of a band of pick-pockets. Some of the music from the show - "Food, Glorious Food," "I'd Do Anything," "Where is Love?," "Consider Yourself," "As Long As He Needs Me," "Who Will Buy," and "Reviewing the Situation" are musical theatre classics. The production team includes Director Alison Chambers, Music Director Barbara Zellner, Assistant Director Chelsea
Rhoades, and Choreographer Kathy Senger of Peachtree City School of Dance.

“I’m very excited about Oliver!,” says Chambers. “I grew up watching this show, and I can’t wait to introduce one of my favorites to another generation. We have an outstanding production team for what is going to be Twilight’s biggest show to date, and I plan on putting 100 people on the stage. We need a large cast of kids and adults, and we’re encouraging families to audition together. Twilight loves having a cast full of families.”

Audition requirements and a character breakdown can be found on Twilight's website. A large cast of children ages 8 and up and adults is needed, but 7 year-olds may audition if at least one parent is also auditioning. Boys and girls may audition for the lead parts and chorus of Fagin's boys. There are still a few spaces left in the small groups audition workshops on Saturday, 5/2 and for individual vocalizing/ auditioning/coaching sessions for those over 12 years of age. For more information go to http://www.thetwilighttheatre.com/
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Casting Announced for Georgia Shakespeare's 2009 Summer Festival

Local award-winning actors Daniel Thomas May and Courtney Patterson tapped to play leads in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Georgia Shakespeare's producing artistic director Richard Garner has announced that local award-winning actors Daniel Thomas May and Courtney Patterson have been tapped to play Brick and Maggie Pollitt in Tennessee Williams' sizzling Southern tale of family deception, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, June 25 to August 1 at the Conant Performing Arts Center (4484 Peachtree Rd. NE).

Recently named two of the best actors in the city by The Atlantan,, Mr. May and Ms. Patterson have been performing together with Georgia Shakespeare for over six years, playing opposite one another in A Streetcar Named Desire, Hamlet and Metamorphoses among others.

"It was very evident throughout the audition process that Daniel and Courtney have an electric on-stage chemistry and have built a rapport with one another through their many years of work together at Georgia Shakespeare," Garner said. "Maggie and Brick are one of the great couples of the American stage and Courtney and Daniel are at the perfect point in their careers to tackle them head on. We'll be seeing fireworks when these two take the stage."

In addition to Mr. May and Ms. Patterson, the cast for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof includes the return of Associate Artist Tim McDonough in the powerhouse role of Big Daddy. This role marks Mr. McDonough's return to Georgia Shakespeare after a five-year hiatus. Previous Georgia Shakespeare roles include King Lear and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. Playing opposite Mr. McDonough is Megan McFarland, last seen at Georgia Shakespeare in Antigone, as Big Mama. The cast also includes Tess Malis Kincaid as Mae and Associate Artist Brad Sherrill as Gooper. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is directed by Jasson Minadakis, Artistic Director of Marin Theatre Company and former Artistic Director of Actor's Express.

In addition to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Georgia Shakespeare's 2009 Summer Festival includes Shakespeare's romantic comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream and his rarely produced Titus Andronicus.

When the Fairy King Oberon (Brad Sherrill) decides to meddle in the affairs of the foolish mortals - and immortals - that inhabit a moonlit forest, the magical potion of one little flower causes an awful lot of mayhem in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, June 10 - July 31.

Directed by John Dillon (Coriolanus, Julius Caesar), A Midsummer Night's Dream features Tess Malis Kincaid as Titania, Daniel Thomas May as Demetrius, Joe Knezevich as Lysander, Allison Leigh Corke as Helena, Sarah M. Johnson as Hermia, and Michael Bradley Cohen as Puck. Long-time Georgia Shakespeare favorite Chris Kayser plays Nick Bottom and is joined by a band of rude mechanicals portrayed by Neal A. Ghant (Frances Flute), Brian Harrison (Snug the Joiner), Tim McDonough (Snout) and Chris Ensweiler (Quince).

Vengeance is in the air when Georgia Shakespeare presents Titus Andronicus, an epic story of a Roman general who returns home in triumph with a perilous war trophy - Goth Queen Tamora - which sets in motion a vicious cycle of revenge and retribution. Titus Andronicus runs July 9 - August 2 and promises to be an explosive blend of Pulp Fiction meets the Bard as director Richard Garner brings Shakespeare's most outrageous play to Atlanta audiences.

Leading the cast is Tess Malis Kincaid as Goth Queen Tamora. Joe Knezevich plays Roman Emperor Saturninus, the husband who helps Tamora get her revenge on Titus Andronicus (Chris Kayser) and his daughter Lavinia (Sarah M. Johnson). The cast also includes Michael Bradley Cohen, Allison Leigh Corke, Chris Ensweiler, Neal A. Ghant, Brian Harrison, Daniel Thomas May, Tim McDonough, Megan McFarland, Courtney Patterson and Brad Sherrill.

In addition to the productions mentioned above, Georgia Shakespeare's 2009 season includes the Family Classic Series production of Alice in Wonderland (July 18 - August 1), a one-week special engagement of Rick Miller's MacHomer (August 26 - 30) and Shakespeare's political drama Julius Caesar (October 10 - November 1). More details may be found below.

Subscriptions to Georgia Shakespeare's 2009 Season (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Titus Andronicus and Julius Caesar) are currently available for as low as $60 each. Single tickets range from $15 to $45 each and are on sale now. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. MacHomer tickets go on sale June 1, however subscribers may order tickets in advance. For more information, visit www.gashakepeare.org or call 404.264.0020.

In addition to award-winning theatre, Georgia Shakespeare offers an experience like none other in Atlanta. Guests are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy al fresco dining on the theatre's furnished picnic grounds. Guests may bring their own meals or have their dinners waiting when they order in advance from Terra Terroir, Georgia Shakespeare's official 2009 caterer. Visit www.gashakespeare.org for more information.

Thirty minutes prior to every performance, guests are invited to attend Terrace Talks, a free pre-show orientation with members of Georgia Shakespeare's artistic staff. Terrace Talks take place on the picnic grounds.
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Georgia Shakespeare's 2009 Season At a Glance

A Midsummer Night's Dream By William Shakespeare
Directed by John DillonJune 10 - July 31, 2009
Tickets: $15 - $45
Preview performances: June 10 & 11 at 8:00 p.m. (tickets $12)
Opening Night: June 12 at 8:00 p.m.
About the play: When the Fairy King Oberon decides to meddle in the affairs of the foolish mortals - and immortals - that inhabit a moonlit forest, the magical potion of one little flower causes an awful lot of mayhem in Shakespeare's beloved romantic comedy.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by Jasson Minadakis
June 25 - August 1
Tickets: $15 - $45
Preview performance: June 25 at 8:00 p.m. (tickets $12)
Opening Night: June 26 at 8:00 p.m.
About the play: A family gathering to celebrate "Big Daddy" Pollitt's birthday unveils long-kept secrets and schemes to gain a share of Big Daddy's wealthy Southern estate. Tennessee Williams' story of a Southern family in crisis has become a true American classic. Parental discression is advised.

Titus Andronicus
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Richard Garner
July 9 - August 2
Tickets: $15 - $45
Preview performance: July 9 at 8:00 p.m. (tickets $12)
Opening Night: July 10 at 8:00 p.m.
About the Play: Shakespeare's most outrageous play, Titus Andronicus is the epic story of a Roman general who returns home in triumph with a perilous war trophy - Goth Queen Tamora - which sets in motion a vicious cycle of revenge and retribution. Titus Andronicus is intended for mature audiences. Parental discression is strongly advised.

Alice in Wonderland
Adapted and directed by Tim Conley and Allen O'Reilly
Based on the book by Lewis Carroll
July 18 - August 1Tuesday - Saturday at 10:00 a.m.July 21 and 28 at 7:00 p.m.Tickets: $10 - $13
Family 4-Pack: $50
Preview performances: July 18 and 21 at 10:00 a.m. (no preview discounts offered)
Opening Night: July 21 at 7:00 p.m.
About the Play: Things get "curiouser and curiouser" for young Alice as she journeys down the rabbit-hole and into a magical world where rabbits talk, Mad Hatters throw tea parties, and the Red Queen is serious about her croquet. Lewis Carroll's classic tale is an adventure for the entire family.

MacHomer
Created and performed by Rick Miller
August 26 - 30
One Week Only!
Tickets: $15 - $45
About the Play: This one-man multi-media vocal spectacular features impressions of over 50 voices from TV's The Simpsons in a hilarious performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth! With a script that remains 85% Shakespeare, MacHomer will leave you "exhausted with laughter" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Julius Caesar
By William Shakespeare
October 9 - November 1
Tickets: $15 - $45
Preview performance: October 9 at 8:00 p.m. (tickets $12)
Opening Night: October 10 at 8:00 p.m.
About the Play: A tale of political conspiracy, deceit, and vengeance pulled straight from Rome's rich history. After Brutus and Cassius plot to assassinate the emperor, Julius Caesar, the conspirators are pursued across Italy, climaxing in one final battle.

Visit Georgia Shakespeare's website for a complete calendar of the 2009 season.
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Georgia Shakespeare Receives $25,000 Grant from National Endowment for the Arts

Theatre will participate in Shakespeare for a New Generation Initiative

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded Atlanta's Georgia Shakespeare with a $25,000 grant to participate in Shakespeare for a New Generation for 2009 - 2010. The grant will allow Georgia Shakespeare to expand its professional tour production of Macbeth to 15 schools in underserved areas of Georgia, western North Carolina, and southeastern Alabama. Additional activities will include workshops for students and professional development for teachers. Georgia Shakespeare is one of 37 arts organizations from around the country to be selected for this year's program.

"We are honored to once again be selected to participate in this important initiative," said Georgia Shakespeare producing artistic director Richard Garner. "Shakespeare for a New Generation allows us to bring our professional school tour to areas of the southeast that might not otherwise have exposure to classic literature performed live on stage. By bringing Shakespeare's work to life, offering interactive workshops and working directly with teachers, we hope to ignite a life-long love for literature and Shakespeare that will have lasting effects on the students we reach through this program." The 2009 - 2010 grant cycle marks Georgia Shakespeare's fourth year of being selected for the competitive program.

Macbeth will be performed as part of Georgia Shakespeare's expanded Will on Wheels program, in which five classic-themed plays tour the southeast from September, 2009 through April, 2010. In addition to Macbeth, 2009/2010 titles include Alice in Wonderland, American Tall Tales: Stories from Edgar Allen Poe, Bard's Best: Lovers, Poets & Madmen, and Global Celebrations: Holidays of Light. All productions are performed by the Will Power Ensemble, Georgia Shakespeare's cast of professional actors/teaching artists and meet Georgia State Education Performance Standards. For more information, visit www.gashakespeare.org/education.

Part of the NEA's Shakespeare in American Communities initiative, Shakespeare for a New Generation targets middle and high school students, introducing young people to the power of live theater and the masterpieces of William Shakespeare. Managed by Arts Midwest, the program already has benefited more than one million students and their teachers with live performances and educational activities. The program also has provided employment to more than 1,200 theater artists, including actors, directors, stage managers, and scenic designers.

Including the newly selected companies, more than 80 of the nation's theater companies have taken part in the NEA's Shakespeare program since its inception. By June 2009, participating theater companies will have presented performances at 3,600 schools in 2,300 communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

To enhance the educational impact of Shakespeare for a New Generation, the NEA also has developed free, multimedia educational resource kits. To date, more than 65,000 toolkits have been distributed to classroom teachers. Included in the kits are a teacher's guide with lesson plans, a recitation contest guide, Fun with Shakespeare brochure with word games and trivia, a timeline poster, a CD, and two educational DVDs. These resources can be ordered free of charge from www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org.
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Jungle Comes to Life at Newnan Community Theatre

A book comes to life this April with Newnan Community Theatre Company's next show in their 2009 Season, The Jungle Book.

The adapatation by Joseph Robinette includes the introduction of author Rudyard Kipling. Young Kipling (portrayed by Jaylon Person) is sent from his Bombay home to a British boarding school. At the school, he encounters his own jungle of people. They parallel the animal jungle in his book, one of literature's most enduring classics.

The play includes all of the beloved characters - Mowgli the Indian boy (Reven Hutzelman) and his friends Bagheera (Wyatt Gentry) and Baloo (Sam Wall). Plus of course there is Shere Kahn, the evil tiger (Kain Rieger).

Filled with excitement and humor, the play highlights the struggle of good versus evil, friendship, and loyalty.

Other main cast members are Chandler Mayo (Baby Mowgli), Jake Azarowic (Price/Akela), Sean Owens (Hanley/Tabaqui), Casey Brown (Mother Wolf), James Chappell and Taylor Marshall (Wolf Cubs), Katie Ruttinger (Kaa), Tobie Otte (Rann), Alex Naughton and Davis McCondichie (Hathi the Elephant), Ivanna Osma (Indian Mother), and Savani Rieger (Indian Daughter).

Rounding out the cast as wolves, monkeys, other animals and children are Jonathan Phillips, Christian Pullen, Joey Mathis, Andy Callaway, Cody hammock, Lyndon Marshall, Jason Abranham, Danielle Madison, Annabelle Shiver, Hailey Thomas, Katie Kemp, Allison Abraham, and McKenna Schmidt.

The play is being directed by Laurel Alford, NCTC's Director of Youth Activities. It is rated G. Show dates are April 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26. On Fridays and Saturdays, the show begins at 8 pm. On Sundays it begins at 2:30.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors (55+), and $10 for children (12 and under). Reservations are recommended. They can be made by calling the theatre at (770) 683-6282 or emailing nctc@numail.org. Seating is limited and this show is being performed in the black box.

NCTC is located at 24 1st Avenue in downtown Newnan. For more information on the theatre, visit their website at newnantheatre.com.
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Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre Proudly Announces Its 2009-10 Season

September 2009 – May 2010

Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre, recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award®, and Artistic Director Susan V. Booth are proud to announce the 2009–10 Season for the Alliance Stage, the decidedly underground Hertz Stage and the Alliance Children’s Theatre. The 41st season celebrates music, dance and comedy in a fashion only live theatre can deliver. The 2009-10 Season boasts four world premieres and four wildly unique musicals. These incredible productions speak to the reputation the Alliance has built and lived for more than four decades. (Current production dates are shown in parenthesis.)

Alliance Stage Productions

· Remember that song… that dance… that special someone – that moment when you fell in love and fell in love again. Wrap yourself in romance as Twyla Tharp makes the music of America’s greatest singer dance off the stage. Come Fly With Me opens the season with the voice of singing legend Frank Sinatra, set to the Broadway genius of Twyla Tharp’s breathtaking choreography (last seen in Broadway’s Movin’ Out). This World Premiere theatre-dance celebration features music that makes us swoon to such memorable hits as “Pick Yourself Up,” “Witchcraft” and “My Way.” Gorgeous vocals. A big band. A great night out. The musical is conceived, directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp. This will be a rare, not-to-be-missed event. Come fly with us! (Sept. 16 – Oct. 11, 2009)

· Broadway legend André De Shields debuts at the Alliance in the fall, starring in David Mamet’s A Life in the Theatre. This ode to the art form delves into the lives of two actors: the veteran and the bright-eyed up-and-comer. Directed by critically acclaimed
writer/director Robert O’Hara (In the Continuum, off-Broadway and internationally), the play gives the audience access to the performers' lives both onstage and off. (Oct. 28 – Nov. 15, 2009)

· One Alliance Theatre production on the main stage is still to be determined. It will be a musical. Is it a beloved classic or a World Premiere? Stay tuned… (January – February 2010)

· The final production on the main stage for the 2009-10 Season defies logic – and gravity – in a topsy-turvy, timeless tale of a little girl who journeys through the looking glass to become a queen. Lookingglass Alice is based on Lewis Carroll's popular “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and will keep both adults and kids spellbound. Audiences will marvel as Alice floats, falls and flies overhead in this gymnastic production adapted and directed by Lookingglass Theatre Company Artistic Director David Catlin. The show, produced on a radically reconfigured Alliance Stage, is filled with high flying acrobatics that put the wonder back in Wonderland. (Mar. 31 – May 2, 2010)

Hertz Stage Productions

· The Second City is back at the Alliance! Just in time for the holiday season, the hit comedy team from Chicago will once again transform the Hertz Stage into an underground comedy club for a World Premiere revue. The Second City: Peach Drop, Stop and Roll is an original comedy ready to take on all things Atlanta. The hilarious revue is created in partnership with Chicago’s fabled The Second City, renown for producing the most accomplished comedians and writers in contemporary America (i.e., Steve Carell, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers and Tina Fey). A great gift of laughter for Atlanta’s holiday season. (Nov. 6 – Dec. 13, 2009)

· Tennis in Nablus is the sixth winner of the nationally recognized Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition. Written by emerging playwright Ismail Khalidi, this World Premiere provides an unexpected view of Palestine, circa 1939. Tennis in Nablus looks at Palestine’s embattled status through the eyes of a lifelong rebel, his wife (a writer of anti-colonial tracts) and his enterprising young nephew. It is a play about allegiance, struggle and crisis, where events and people are not what they seem. (Jan. 29 – Feb. 21, 2010)

· The Alliance Theatre is thrilled to welcome master storyteller and nationally acclaimed solo performer Mike Daisey with his latest monologue, The Last Cargo Cult. In it, he tells the true-life unbelievable tale of a religion created by Pacific Islanders around abandoned American military bases. Daisey traveled to the South Pacific to meet and live with these islanders, and he weaves their stories of trust, belief and sympathetic magic against our own culture’s version of the cargo cult: the story of our current international financial crisis. The Last Cargo Cult uses both worlds to tell a darkly hilarious and shockingly true story that examines our universal desire to accumulate goods and power. The monologue is created and performed by Mike Daisey, and directed by his longtime collaborator, Jean-Michele Gregory. (Mar. 19 – Apr. 11, 2010)

Family Series

· Rosemary Newcott, The Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth, once again demonstrates her talent for understanding the rhythms and energy of Disney classics by staging Mulan in the theatrically inventive style of Aladdin and Seussical the Musical. Based on the 1998 Disney film “Mulan” and the story “Fa Mulan” by Robert D. San Souci, Mulan is the tale of a heroic young girl in China posing as a man in order to serve the Emperor. An adventure of a lifetime provides a lesson in overcoming adversity in a tale that will entertain and empower. (Feb. 24 – Mar. 21, 2010)

Special Holiday Show

· Scrooge is back! A Christmas Carol, our holiday gift to Atlanta, is back for its 20th smash year. This Broadway-scale musical features the best singers and actors Atlanta has to offer. Full of beloved songs of the holiday season, it is an Atlanta tradition. Rosemary Newcott will transform this heartwarming classic into a lavish feast for the eyes, ears, heart and soul. (Nov. 27 – Dec. 24, 2009)

Subscriptions to the Alliance Theatre 2009-10 Season are on sale now and may be purchased by calling 404.733.4600 (Mon. – Fri. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.). Single tickets go on sale later this summer.

Visit www.alliancetheatre.org for more information about the next season.
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