Tag Archives: Empire Stage

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents HELEN ON WHEELS – March 5 – 29, 2020

11 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents
Helen on Wheels
March 5 – 29, 2020

“‘Helen on Wheels’ is a lovely play about real people, and its gentle humor provides the structure for a very funny lesson on living your life, and no one else’s, no matter how old you are.” ~ Mary Ann Johnson, MD Theatre Guide

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

February 11, 2020
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  A feisty, bingo-playing, gun-toting, ruckus raising, independent woman!  That’s Helen Wheeler, the title character in Pigs Do Fly Productions next outing – Cricket Daniel’s comedy Helen on Wheels.  The show will run from March 6th through March 29th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  There will be a preview performance on March 5th.

Ellen Wacher

“We had such a great response to our recent production of Cricket Daniel’s The Lost Virginity Tour that I was pumped to look at this play too,” says Ellen Wacher, Pigs Do Fly’s founder and Executive Producer.   “Helen on Wheels is totally enjoyable, far out, very funny, and perfect for us, and for the times.”

Elizabeth Price, who recently received glowing reviews in Primal Forces Productions’ Villainous Company will direct Helen on Wheels: 

“Nostalgia for the past, good times. Pushing boundaries, living out loud. Seeing what’s really important, not buying into what people think we should be and do, missed chances, new opportunities… these are things that everyone, no matter what their age, can relate to.”  Price says.

Elizabeth Price

“The play is about a woman who has lost the man she spent her whole happy life with, and now she’s acting out in crazy but hilarious ways as she looks for who she is on her own,” she says. “Another chance for love comes along and she has to decide which way to go. Essentially, we get to see how the sweetness of the past doesn’t end when something new begins.

“This company has a great mission,” Price continues. “I want to see and tell stories that reflect what the whole of life looks like, not just life’s early phases.”

Price has cast Beverly Blanchette as Helen, and Carol Sussman as her best friend and partner in crime Zona. Rounding out the troupe are David Hyland as Seth, Todd Bruno as Nelson, and Dave Corey as Elmer.

“I am thrilled to have Helen on Wheels produced by Pigs Do Fly Productions,” playwright Cricket Daniel says.  “This play is very personal to me because it was inspired by my own mother, who loved two things… my Dad and Bingo!  I had an absolute blast creating these characters.  I think the heart of Helen on Wheels is the friendship between Helen and Zona.  Everyone needs a best friend that will wipe your tears… and help you break out of jail.  Everyone needs a Zona!”

Cricket Daniel

Cricket Daniel holds a theater degree from UC Santa Barbara and studied Shakespeare in Cambridge, England. She has an extensive background in improv, stand-up and theater. Cricket was a member of the national improv troupe Comedy Sportz and has performed stand-up at The Ice House and The Improv and has performed regularly in local community theatre productions. Her short play Break Dreams has been staged in New York City, Miami, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Oregon, and in Austin, TX. Her full-length play Love, Laughter & Lucci took home Best Production, Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2012 Golden Gravel Awards. Her full-length play Helen On Wheels was a finalist in the 2015 New Play Development Workshop through Route 66 Theatre in Chicago. Cricket is a 2012 recipient of an Arts, Beautification, and Culture Award for her contribution to local theater and is a member of The Dramatist Guild of America. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

There will be a preview performance of Helen on Wheels’ on March 5th; the production will open on March 6th and run through March 29th.  Tickets are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, or to arrange to see the production, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Funding for this project is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

~*~

Helen on Wheels
Preview Performance: Thursday, March 5, 2020
Runs from March 6 – March 29, 2020
By Cricket Daniel
Tickets: $39
Tickets:  866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
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Pigs Do Fly Productions Presents THE LOST VIRGINITY TOUR – October 31 – November 24

07 Monday Oct 2019

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

The Lost Virginity Tour
October 31 – November 24

“When liquor laced cookies are the highlight of our week, then it’s time for us to shake things up.”– The Lost Virginity Tour

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

October 8, 2019
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Four women ‘of a certain age’ will take to the road and revisit the locales where each lost her virginity in Pigs Do Fly Productions’ The Lost Virginity Tour by Cricket Daniel.  There will be a preview performance on October 31st and the production will run from November 1st through November 24th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  

The Lost Virginity Tour is a funny, profound, and provocative play about four women in their golden years – not talking about their grandkids or their knitting circles, but talking about sex and love, and recalling their ‘first time’ with often hilarious but sometimes harrowing detail.   This humorous and adventurous road trip through memories conjures up the choices we make that shape our lives forever, and the friendships that hold us up when we can’t walk on our own.

Deborah Kondelik

Deborah Kondelik, who directed Pigs Do Fly’s recent sold out production of 2 Across, will helm The Lost Virginity Tour: “Old folks ain’t what they used to be! And Pigs Do Fly Productions has a noteworthy mission – to do productions that feature characters over 50 years of age, and oftentimes much older,” she says.  “The plays we present are populated with vibrant, intriguing characters who make “getting older” much more fun than the typical older characters we saw in plays of bygone eras.  This play by Cricket Daniel is a perfect fit for Pigs Do Fly because it features four unique women taking an inimitable, one-of-a-kind road trip. Everyone should come along for the ride because it promises to be filled with tons of raucous laughter and also a few poignant tears.”

Ellen Wacher

Pigs Do Fly founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher agrees: “Pigs Do Fly stands for people over 50 living interesting, active lives,” she says.  “And…WOW!  The Lost Virginity Tour fits our mission to a “T”. It has humor, some serious moments, and always strong characters who reflect our lives and who we are today.  We have assembled an amazing cast and I totally believe that those who come will be affected by this play – I know it will inspire laughter, introspection, reflection, and even a few tears.”

Kondelik and Wacher have assembled an impressive cast to travel together on The Lost Virginity Tour: Leigh Bennett, Barbara Bradshaw, Diana D’Ambrosio, and Barbara Sloan will, as Sloan’s character Rita says “…Make like dough and roll”!

“As a playwright, it is very gratifying to give female actresses of a certain age a great vehicle to shine on stage,” playwright Cricket Daniel said recently. “Having a play with one leading role for the older actress is rare, let alone four.  It was fun to create these characters who get to laugh, cry, and play together on stage.  As a former actress, I would have killed to play one of these roles!”

Cricket Daniel

Cricket Daniel holds a theater degree from UC Santa Barbara and studied Shakespeare in Cambridge, England. She has an extensive background in improv, stand-up and theater. Cricket was a member of the national improv troupe Comedy Sportz and has performed stand-up at The Ice House and The Improv and has performed regularly in local community theatre productions. Her short play Break Dreams has been staged in New York City, Miami, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Oregon, and in Austin, TX. Her full-length play Love, Laughter & Lucci took home Best Production, Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2012 Golden Gravel Awards. Her full-length play Helen On Wheels was a finalist in the 2015 New Play Development Workshop through Route 66 Theatre in Chicago. Cricket is a 2012 recipient of an Arts, Beautification, and Culture Award for her contribution to local theater and is a member of The Dramatist Guild of America. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

The Lost Virginity Tour will run from October 31st (preview performance) through November 24th.  Tickets for The Lost Virginity Tour are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Funding for this project is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

~*~

The Lost Virginity Tour
Preview Performance: Thursday, October 31
Runs from November 1 – November 24, 2019
By Cricket Daniel
Tickets: $39
Tickets:  866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
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Empire Stage Presents CLEMENZA & TESSIO ARE DEAD – August 15 – September 8

12 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by in Shari Upbin

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Direct from The New York City Fringe Festival
Empire Stage Theater Presents the South Florida Premiere of
Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead
August 15 – September 8

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

August 12, 2019

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  Empire Stage will present a limited 13 performance run of Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead by Gregg Greenberg from August 15 – September 8. The play – a clever and humorous parody of the classic 1972 movie “The Godfather” (based on the novel by Mario Puzo), was originally produced as part of the 2009 New York City Fringe Festival.

Shari Upbin

Shari Upbin will direct the production, which will star Troy Stanley, Christopher Dreeson, and Aaron Bravo.

Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead takes a look at two little-noticed cogs in the Mafia machine and shows how those wise guys who are often overlooked can actually have the most fascinating stories of all.

Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio are two longtime foot soldiers of the Corleone crime family, but after more than 40 years of service, upper management changes in the organization, and a perceived lack of respect from the incoming generation leads them to wonder if they’re being put out to pasture (or under it). But with the handwriting already on the wall, is it possible to change what fate has already decreed? Well, yes – but only if someone is cunning enough to radically change the script.

Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead will run at Empire Stage Theater form August 15 – September 8. Empire Stage Theater is located at 1140 North Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $35 ($20 for Aug 15 preview performance). Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased on line at www.empirestage.com or by calling 954-678-1496.

For more information about this production, please contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Clemenza & Tessio are Dead
August 15 – September 8
By Gregg Greenberg
Based on the movie The Godfather (1972), screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel by Mario Puzo
Tickets: $35 ($20 for August 15 preview)
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
To purchase tickets:
www.empirestage.com or 954-678-1496
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 North Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

 

Romance, Comedy & Crosswords! Pigs Do Fly Productions Presents 2 ACROSS – March 7 – 24

12 Tuesday Feb 2019

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents
2 Across

March 7 – 24

“A charming, character driven comedy” ~ Los Angeles Times”

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

February 12, 2019

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Rehearsals have begun for 2 Across, Pigs Do Fly Productions’ upcoming production of Jerry Mayer’s ‘comedy of crosswords and romance’. The show will run from March 7th through March 24th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

2 Across finds two strangers, a man and a woman, on board a San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. Alone in the car, the only thing they have in common is that they are both doing the New York Times crossword puzzle.  Soon the puzzles they unravel are more intriguing than any crossword puzzle could ever be.

Ellen Wacher

“This is our first play that focuses on a relationship between two people,” says Pigs Do Fly Productions’ founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher. “It also totally meets with our company’s mission – to show people over the age of 50 living interesting and active and real lives. I was captivated by these characters’ development, and I believe our audience will be too.”

Deborah Kondelik

Deborah Kondelik, who starred in both of Pigs Do Fly’s recent successful productions of The Ladies Foursome, will direct 2 Across: “It has been said that opposites attract,” Kondelik said recently.  “Whether or not that rings true remains to be seen in Jerry Mayer’s hilarious yet poignant, romantic comedy.  One thing that is guaranteed though, is a delightful very early morning romp by two strangers on San Francisco’s BART train.  The tie that binds is that both of them are hard at work on the Saturday New York Times crossword puzzle.  Although they tackle the puzzle with very different approaches, they soon discover commonalities that cannot be ignored. The stumbling block is that both are married . . . to someone else.”

Barbara Sloan and David R. Gordon will star in 2 Across, and both are excited at the prospect of exploring their diametrically opposite characters: Sloan’s Janet is a responsible, honest, rule-abiding psychologist, and Gordon’s Josh is part-free spirit, part executive, part dreamer, and part Peter Pan.

Playwright Jerry Mayer has written scripts for All in the Family, M*A*S*H*, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the Bob Newhart Show (where he served as story editor).  His first play, Almost Perfect ran for a year and a half at the Santa Monica Playhouse.  Other plays include the musical You Haven’t Changed a Bit, and Other Lies and Dietrich and Chevalier, The Musical.

Tickets for 2 Across are $39 and are available on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

2 Across
By Jerry Mayer
Directed by Deborah Kondelik
March 7 – 24
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 866-811-4111
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
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Pigs Do Fly’s THE LADIES FOURSOME Returns to Empire Stage – October 4 – 21

11 Tuesday Sep 2018

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Back by Popular Demand!

Pigs Do Fly Productions
The Ladies Foursome
Will hit the links again!

“Norm Foster’s hit comedy The Ladies Foursome is a fun-filled romp from beginning to end” ~ Joe Belanger ~ The London Free Press

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

September 11, 2019

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Pigs Do Fly Productions’ production of The Ladies Foursome played to consistently full houses when it ran at Empire Stage last March.  The show was such a success that the company’s founder and Executive Producer, Ellen Wacher decided to bring ‘the ladies’ back onto the golf course and let them swing their way through another round!   The show will run from October 4th through October 21st – once again at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

“Why not?” Wacher said recently.  “I kept hearing from people saying their friends heard great things about the show and were sorry they’d missed it. Or that they hadn’t laughed so much in the theatre for ages and wanted to see it again.  The play – and the dialogue – is thoughtful, clever, realistic, and very, very funny, and it really resonated with our audiences – both men and women.   So this is truly a case of ‘back by popular demand’!”  

The show’s premise is simple: It’s the day after the funeral, and three women gather for a round of golf in honor of their recently departed play partner.  A mysterious fourth joins them, and so begins a raucous and rowdy 18 holes filled with secrets, surprises, confessions… and sex

The production will once again be directed by Genie Croft and all four original cast members – Janice Hamilton, Deborah Kondelik, Jacquie Laggy, and Elissa Solomon are back on board for this round.

“I am delighted we have the opportunity to be on the links once more, with this production,” Croft says. “Having done the show with this talented cast before, this time around they are able to expand in a more significant, and deeper way to their friendships, and pursuits of their own dreams, while achieving a higher level of humor.

“These four women have played golf together every week for 14 years, and they believe this is the perfect way to honor their friend,” Croft explained when she spoke about the play last March. “Each one of the foursome has her secrets – some have been taken to the grave, and others are revealed in moments of anger, jealously, drunkenness, and guilt.  As they play the links, confessions about men, sex, love, children, and careers come to the fore as they challenge each other’s views.  The Ladies Foursome is a tribute to the pitfalls and pleasures of friendships and their lasting significance in our lives.”

Norm Foster is considered to be Canada’s most produced playwright. He discovered his talents as a playwright in Fredericton, New Brunswick, while he was working as host of a popular morning radio show. He accompanied a friend to an audition, and landed his first acting job, as Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, without ever having even seeing a play. Intrigued with the theatre, he set his pen to paper and wrote his first play titled Sinners.

An extremely prolific writer, Foster has had more than fifty plays produced on professional stages around the world. Other well-known plays include The Love List, The Long Weekend; Bedtime Stories; Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun; Storm Warning; Skin Flick; Outlaw; Hilda’s Yard; On A First Name Basis; Old Love; Mending Fences and Here on the Flight Path. Frequently compared to American playwright Neil Simon, Foster pens plays that are known for their humor, accessibility, and insight into the everyday tribulations of life.

Tickets for The Ladies Foursome are $39 and are available on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flager Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

The Ladies Foursome
By Norm Foster
Directed by Genie Croft
October 4 – 21
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 866-811-4111
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
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Pigs Do Fly Productions presents the Southeastern Premiere of THE LADIES FOURSOME

05 Monday Mar 2018

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
Presents
The Southeastern Premiere of
The Ladies Foursome
March 22 – April 8
(Preview performance March 21)

“Norm Foster’s hit comedy The Ladies Foursome is a fun-filled romp from beginning to end…”  Joe Belanger ~ The London Free Press

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

March 5, 2018
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   It’s the day after the funeral, and three women gather for a round of golf in honor of their recently departed play partner.  A mysterious fourth joins them, and so begins a raucous and rowdy 18 holes filled with secrets, surprises, confessions… and sex.  Pigs Do Fly Productions will present award-winning Canadian playwright Norm Foster’s The Ladies Foursome from March 22nd – April 8th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  There will be a preview performance at 8 pm on March 21st.

The production will be directed by Genie Croft: “Welcome to the Southeastern premiere of The Ladies Foursome, a witty insightful comedy following four women as they navigate the ups and downs of life on the links,” she enthuses.  The fun starts at the first tee when golfer Tate starts stretching to “loosen up” and Margot does the same by cracking open a beer! 

“These four women have played golf together every week for 14 years, and they believe this is the perfect way to honor their friend,” she explains. “Each one of the foursome has her secrets – some have been taken to the grave, and others are revealed in moments of anger, jealously, drunkenness, and guilt.  As they play the links, confessions about men, sex, love, children, and careers come to the fore as they challenge each other’s views.  The Ladies Foursome is a tribute to the pitfalls and pleasures of friendships and their lasting significance in our lives.”

Croft has cast Janice Hamilton, Deborah Kondelik, Jacquie Laggy, and Elissa Solomon to portray her swinging foursome.

“The Ladies Foursome is so fascinating that I can hardly wait to see the production open myself!” says Pigs Do Fly Productions founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher.  “It shows exactly what Pigs Do Fly stands for – people over 50 doing interesting things with their lives.  And our director Genie Croft has created a fabulous show with this foursome.”

Norm Foster is considered to be Canada’s most produced playwright. He discovered his talents as a playwright in Fredericton, New Brunswick, while he was working as host of a popular morning radio show. He accompanied a friend to an audition, and landed his first acting job, as Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, without ever having even seeing a play. Intrigued with the theatre, he set his pen to paper and wrote his first play titled Sinners.

An extremely prolific writer, Foster has had more than fifty plays produced on professional stages around the world. Other well-known plays include The Love List, The Long Weekend; Bedtime Stories; Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun; Storm Warning; Skin Flick; Outlaw; Hilda’s Yard; On A First Name Basis; Old Love; Mending Fences and Here on the Flight Path. Frequently compared to American playwright Neil Simon, Foster pens plays that are known for their humor, accessibility, and insight into the everyday tribulations of life.

Tickets for The Ladies Foursome are $39 and are available on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

The Ladies Foursome
By Norm Foster
March 22 – April 8
(Preview performance March 21 at 8 pm)
Performance times:
Wednesday, March 21, at 8 pm (preview)
Thursday, March 22, at 8 pm
Friday, March 23, at 8 pm
Saturday, March 24, at 8 pm
Sunday, March 25 at 5 pm
Wednesday, March 28 at 8 pm
Thursday, March 29 at 8 pm
Friday, March 30 at 8 pm
Saturday, March 31 at 8 pm
Thursday, April 5 at 8 pm
Friday, April 6 at 8 pm
Saturday, April 7 at 8 pm
Sunday, April 8 at 7 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 866-811-4111

All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

 

 

 

 

 

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents CURLY TALES ~ March 11-27 at Empire Stage

09 Tuesday Feb 2016

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

CurlyTales_logo

Seven Short Plays
at Empire Stage March 11th – 27th
(Preview performance March 10th)

A collection of Seven BRAND NEW Short Plays chosen to appeal to audiences of all ages

February 9, 2016
LAUDERDALE, FL – Pigs do Fly Productions will return to Ft. Lauderdale’s Empire Stage with Curly Tales the first production of their third season, from March 11th through March 27th. There will be a preview performance on March 10th.

Curly Tales will once again feature seven short plays chosen from numerous submissions the company received after putting out a call for works specific to their mission: To highlight vibrant healthy people over the age of fifty doing interesting things with their lives.

Ellen 2“When we began Pigs Do Fly with the idea of highlighting, positively, the many of us over 50,  I had no idea of what to expect,” says Ellen Wacher, the company’s founder and Executive Producer. “I’m thrilled the subject has resonated with so many theater-goers. I think we’ve selected a good balance of comedies and dramas for this production – we look to keep getting better and better and happily move forward. Our audience is growing, and so are we!”

Directing duties for Curly Tales will once again be shared by Elena Maria Garcia and Gail S. Garrisan, both of whom wholeheartedly share Wacher’s vision:

“This time the plays are more personal with attention to life’s details,” Garcia says. “And I’m excited to work with former Pigs cast members as well as new ones. Let’s see where this new journey will take us.”

“It’s both a pleasure and a challenge to find new works that exemplify the mission of Pigs Do Fly,” Garrisan explains. “Working on this affords me the opportunity become acquainted with a number of talented playwrights with whose work I was not familiar.” This will be Garrisan’s second Pigs Do Fly production.

Local actors Brenda Aulbach, Lynn Simmons Chvotkin, Harry Marsh, Stanley Ross, Kerry Sensenbach, Elissa D. Solomon, and Carol Sussman have been cast in Curly Tales.

“Entertaining an audience with a variety of short plays is great,” says Brenda Aulbach. “But entertaining an audience with short plays about people over the age of 50 is even greater because it’s relevant. And performing in this production by Pigs do Fly that clearly values and showcases the talent and artistry of actors over the age of 50 is nothing short of an honor.”

The seven 10-minute plays are (see below for playwright bios):
Yours and Mine – by Glenn Alterman
Flowers – by Sheila Cowley
The Dove – by Joshua Fardon
Land of the Music – by E.M. Garcia
The Nude – by W.L. Newkirk
Politically Correct Police – by Larry Parr
The Mating Season of Flying Monkeys – by Ann R. Wuehler

Tickets for Curly Tales are $35 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com, or by calling 866-811-4111. Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place at Empire Stage, 1140 North Flagler Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com. To set up interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents
Curly Tales
By Various Playwrights March 11 – 27
(Preview Performance – March 10)
Tickets: $35 Tickets: 866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances: Thursday, Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 North Flagler Drive
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33304

Curly Tales – Playwright Bios:

Glenn Alterman (Yours and Mine) is the author of 29 theater related book, including 10 books of original monologues. He’s listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and RecordSetter.com for “The Most Published Original Monologues For Actors”. His plays and monologues have appeared in over 30 “Best of the Year” anthologies. He’s won The Arts and Letters Award In Drama, The Julio T. Nunez Arts Grant, The Bloomington Playwrights Project (Reva Shiner Award) and over 60 playwriting competitions. Glenn’s work’s been performed at Primary Stages, Playwrights Horizons, LaMama, Beverly Hills Rep, Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Circle Rep., and at many theaters in the U.S. and in Europe. 

Sheila Cowley’s (Flowers) plays have been developed in Chicago at Chicago Dramatists and The Equity Library Theatre, in New York with Athena Theatre, March Forth and Reverie Productions, in London through American Actors UK and in Florida at American Stage, The Gorilla Theatre, Stageworks and the University of South Florida. There have been productions of her work from New York to Florida and Texas, with Ohio coming up. Sheila recently completed two commissions, one using live sound effects for a show in New York, and a work drawn from a painting for a local arts performance. www.sdcowley.com 

Joshua Fardon’s (The Dove) play A Painting of a Dog is a semifinalist for the 2016 Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. The Annoyance Theatre, Chicago: The Condition. Theatre of NOTE, Los Angeles: Do Not Disturb – An Evening of Plays by JoshuaFardon, Shake, This Contract Limits our Liability – Read It! Brand Studio Theatre: Julia Arbuck. Short plays for The Naked Angels, EST, Sacred Fools, The Secret Rose, Slap n’ Tickle, the Yale Cabaret, the Yo! Yo! Theatre Company. A graduate of Northwestern University and the acting department of the Yale School of Drama, he is thrilled that Pigs Do Fly.www.joshuafardon.com

Elena Maria Garcia (Land the Music) is a co-founder of Underdog Productions where she has adapted numerous children’s books and stories into plays for young audiences.  Her adaptation of Give A Boy A Gun was produced twice in South Florida to rave reviews from students, teacher, and parents. She was also the co-founder of the all female improv troupe Big Purse and Matching Shoes as well as Separate Checks Improv Troupe, where she learned quickly how to write sketch comedy about current political and social issues.  Through Underdog Productions, Elena has been able to direct, act, write, and produce her one-person show, Do You Speak Mexican? at the Fillmore Miami Beach.  She is currently writing her new one person show titled, Teacher Conference: A True Story.

W.L. Newkirk (The Nude) is best known as a playwright. His recently-written, award-winning stage plays include East Lansing (Winner, Best Play, 2014 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival), 5 to 4 (Winner, Best Play, 2015 4 X 6 Fest), and In Me (Winner, 2015 Vigoda Award, Best Dramedy).  He has degrees from the Ohio State University (Medicine) and Harvard University (Government), where he was a John Harvard Scholar and Lecturer.  He has received numerous awards for his contributions to the arts and sciences, including Recognition from the Daniel Hanley Trust for “Courage, Leadership and Innovation.” He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Larry Parr (Politically Correct Police) Hundreds of regional productions. Hi-Hat Hattie Kansas City’s Drama Desk Best Musical, Florida Individual Artist Recipient, American Cinema Foundation; My Castle’s Rockin’ Sart ScriptFest, National Black Theatre Festival; Invasion Of Privacy 1999 Gold Coast Players best-play award, Playwrights First Award in Manhattan, Ashland New Play Festival, Theatre Conspiracy’s New Play Competition, Florida Individual Artist Recipient, Dezart Performs Audience Favorite; Sundew Sart Scriptfest; His Eye Is On The Sparrow Florida Individual Artist Recipient, Sarasota County Arts Council’s Fellowship, Dayton Best Overall Production; Shunned Sart’s ScriptFest, Utah Shakespeare Festival, New American Playwrights Project. 2000, 2010 Barbara Anton Playwriting Award. http://www.larryparr.info

Ann R. Wuehler (Mating Season of Flying Monkeys) is a native Oregonian who has traveled to China, Europe and Honduras. Oregon Gothic, a collection of her short stories published by Kensington Gore, came out last year. She is currently working on a new novel that just went into editing. City Theatre, Miami, awarded her play, the Mating Season of Flying Monkeys, Short Playwriting Finalist, 2015. Her Traces of Memory has been made into several short films by Joseph Culp, Jody Jaress  and Jason Figgis, to name a few. She also holds a BA in Theatre, from Eastern Oregon University and an MFA from UNLV in Playwriting.

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BOTH SIDES OF A FAMOUS LOVE AFFAIR – THE JACKIE MASON MUSICAL – At Empire Stage – January 7 – 24, 2016

08 Tuesday Dec 2015

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Triton Talent
presents
LOGO DaveBoth Sides of a Famous Love Affair –
The Jackie Mason Musical
January 7 – 24, 2016

“….an astonishing show that was touching, yet hilarious. I would recommend
it to anyone who wants a good laugh, terrific musical numbers,
and an entertaining show!  Rating: 5 Stars”
Daniel Yusum – The Examiner

December 9, 2015
LAUDERDALE, FL: In 1988 in Florida’s Dade County, Ginger Reiter sued comedian Jackie Mason for paternity, claiming he was the father of her daughter Sheba. She won. Reiter went on to become a high school English teacher in South Florida, and raised her daughter on her own (Mason did pay child support until Sheba turned 18). But she also had a story to tell, and a unique one at that.   Both Sides of a Famous Love Affair – The Jackie Mason Musical is Reiter’s light-hearted, laughter-filled musical recounting of her relationship with Mason, starring the result of that much contested union – her daughter Sheba Mason.

Both Sides of a Famous Love Affair: The Jackie Mason Musical will run at Empire Stage in Ft. Lauderdale from January 7th through January 24th. The production had an extremely successful three year run Off Broadway.

Reiter’s tale begins at The Rascal House Deli on Miami’s Collins Avenue in 1977, where Mason – a renowned 46 year old comedian (David R. Gordon), spots a pretty young college girl, Ginger (Sheba Mason). Along for the ride is her overbearing mother, Mrs. Olivier (Meredith Cariski), who engineers the entire affair – even down to a black negligee. Romance does bloom, and Mason woos Ginger each time he visits South Florida. The problem is that Jackie is pursuing several other women at the same time, including a ravishing young Latina waitress Trixie (Cristina Blanco) and Rosa (Vicki Klein), a senior citizen waitress with attitude. Ginger becomes pregnant, Jackie denies his paternity, and a complicated relationship ensues.

The musical’s original score, written by Ginger Reiter, the woman in the eye of this comedic storm includes “Ode to the Early Bird Special” and “I Never Met This Yenta. The seven member cast also includes New York actor Charles Baran as Wooley the Schlepalong, Joseph Long as Nelson Zee ‘the Enraged Fan’, and Elaine Budnick as Sophie. Musical direction will be by Kelley Olson, and Reiter, who also wrote the script, will direct the production.

Sheba Mason

Sheba Mason

Sheba Mason’s first stage role at the age of two was as a prop in one of her mother’s plays. Raised in Boca Raton, she is a stand-up comic. Her home base is in the New York comedy clubs, including The Broadway Comedy Club, The New York Comedy Club, and The Comic Strip; she also appears throughout the country, including Las Vegas and California. Sheba is often a guest on the Artie Lang Show, and recently starred in a Rearview Films web series debuting in March 2016 called “Non-Disclosure”. Sheba has been performing as her mother Ginger in the Off Broadway version of The Jackie Mason Musical since 2013.

Ginger Reiter

Ginger Reiter

Ginger Reiter is a former Wellington High School English teacher who quit teaching to focus full-time on managing the musicals and comedies she writes. Other plays include 700 Wives The Musical – Solomon’s Saga (Off Off Broadway), and Mel Schwartz Sleeps with Mae West, which will open in New York in 2016. She performs a one-woman show “Schtick with The Matriarchs” throughout the Florida Condo Circuit and is married to Manny Silver – the world’s only Cantor/Celebrity-Impressionist.  She claims that Jackie Mason was more than a love – he was “an experience and an education” – and riotously funny off stage.

Tickets for Both Sides Of A Famous Love Affair – The Jackie Mason Musical are $39.99 and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased on line at www.thejackiemasonmusical.com or by phone at 866-811-4111.

For more information about Both Sides Of A Famous Love Affair – The Jackie Mason Musical visit www.thejackiemasonmusical.com; to arrange to speak with anyone involved in the production or for further information, contact Carol Kassie at ckasssie@gmail.com/561-445-9244.
Photographs and graphics available on request.

Both Sides Of A Famous Love Affair – The Jackie Mason Musical
By Ginger Reiter
January 7 – 24, 2016
Tickets: $39.99 (Use discount code EBLAST to purchase tickets at $24.50)
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
For tickets:  866-811-4111
To purchase tickets on line: http://tinyurl.com/q3slnxk
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304

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Pigs Do Fly Productions to present FLYING HIGH! Seven Brand New Short Plays – at Empire Stage October 8 – 25

14 Monday Sep 2015

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

Flying High - Goldstar

Seven Brand New Short Plays – at Empire Stage
October 9 – 25
(Preview performance October 8)

A collection of Seven BRAND NEW Humorous Short Plays
chosen to appeal to audiences of all ages

September 10, 2015
LAUDERDALE, FL – Pigs do Fly Productions will return to Ft. Lauderdale’s Empire Stage with Flying High!, the second production of their second season, from October 8th through October 25th.  There will be a preview performance on October 8th.

Flying High! will once again feature seven short plays chosen from numerous submissions the company received after putting out a call for works specific to their mission: To highlight vibrant healthy people over the age of fifty doing interesting things with their lives.

Ellen Wacher

Ellen Wacher

“I’m so pleased and proud to be into our second season,” says the company’s founder and Executive Producer, Ellen Wacher. Wacher and Pigs Do Fly Productions were recently awarded the prestigious Silver Palm Award for ‘for developing works for actors over the age of fifty’.

“Our audiences’ response has been incredibly positive from day one, and we seem to have found a niche for ourselves,” she continues. “But what really pleases me is that our patrons aren’t limited to a certain age range – we seem to be appealing to everyone. And consider this,” she says: “And it’s just my own observation(!): Of our current presidential candidates Hillary Clinton is 68, Bernie Sanders is 73, Joe Biden is 71, Donald Trump is 69, and Jeb Bush, the ‘baby of the bunch’, is 63. And then there’s Patrick Stewart, whose new television program just debuted on HBO, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin who are getting rave reviews in Netflix’ Grace & Frankie, not to mention Meryl Streep, Dame Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Robert Redford, just to name a few in our profession who are currently working. NOT one time have I heard any of these people referred to as “senior citizens!”

Directing duties for Flying High! will be shared by Elena Maria Garcia and Gail S. Garrisan, both of whom wholeheartedly share Wacher’s vision:

Elena Maria Garcia

Elena Maria Garcia

“I’m very excited about the line-up of works we have selected – and about our talented team,” says Garcia. “The plays are sharp, witty, concise, and relevant to our audience. I read some of them again and still laugh out loud! I’m very thankful that our team is enthusiastic about taking the crazy flight again!”

Gail S. Garrisan

Gail S. Garrisan

This will be Garrisan’s first Pigs Do Fly production: “I am happy to be part of the Pigs Do Fly Team,” she says.

Todd Caster, Steven Chambers, Jim Gibbons, Elissa D. Solomon, Carol Sussman, and Donna Warfield have been cast in the production.

The seven 10-minute plays are (see below for playwright bios):

Coming Through – by Pamela Schueler
Dream a Little Dream of Me – by Todd Caster
Exchange, No Returns – by Elena Maria Garcia
Hail Kale – by Carol White
Standing Tall – by Marv Siegel
Stuck – by David Susman
The Rock – by Miriam Kulick

Donna Warfield, who will act in three of the seven plays, has given each of them a great deal of thought:

Donna Warfield

Donna Warfield

“The Rock – What to do when being “stuck” is no longer an option?” she asks.  “The longer we live, the more we realize that things can and will change, but we’re not always ready to move forward.  Sometimes it takes tough love to get someone to take that first step; Dream A Little Dream of Me – No matter what age, we all want to be found desirable.  Even if it’s your best friend…and it’s only a dream;  and
Hail Kale – Dating is hard and the older you get, the harder it is.  Keeping an open mind despite obvious incompatibilities is important,” Warfield says… “And life can be full of surprises!”

Tickets for Flying High! are $30 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com, or by calling 866-811-4111.
All performances will take place at Empire Stage, 1140 North Flagler Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com. To set up interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents
Flying High!
By Various Playwrights
October 9-25, 2015
(Preview performance October 8)
Tickets: $30
Tickets: 866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 North Flagler Drive
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33304
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No Fear of Flying! – Playwright Bios:

Todd Caster (Dream a Little Dream of Me) is co-founder of Theatre Arts Group in New York’s Hudson Valley and The Palm Beach PlayMakers in Delray Beach, Florida. His most notable full-length works include Broken Angels, Riddle of Three, Little Piggies and Stranded on the Isle of Few. He has had over 30 short plays produced by a myriad of Regional and National theatres and has had two monologues published by Meriwether Publishing and are included in Audition Monologues for Young Women and The Theatre Audition Book 2.

Elena Maria Garcia (Exchange, No Returns) is a co-founder of Underdog Productions where she has adapted numerous children’s books and stories into plays for young audiences.  Her adaptation of Give A Boy A Gun was produced twice in South Florida to rave reviews from students, teacher, and parents. She was also the co-founder of the all female improv troupe Big Purse and Matching Shoes as well as Separate Checks Improv Troupe, where she learned quickly how to write sketch comedy about current political and social issues.  Through Underdog Productions, Elena has been able to direct, act, write, and produce her one-person show, Do You Speak Mexican? at the Fillmore Miami Beach.  She is currently writing her new one person show titled, Teacher Conference; a True Story.

Miriam Kulick, (The Rock) is delighted to have Pigs Do Fly present her newest play.
Miriam has spent the past several decades acting and teaching. She rekindled her passion for writing and has had her works performed by Fly Away Balloon, wrote and performed Almost Tamed-Tales of Mayhem, Motion, & Malarky, and most recently presented her solo show, Open Hearts, directed by Obie winner Gretchen Cryer, at Theatre Row-Off-Broadway, Cherry Lane Theatre, and the DC and Fort Lauderdale Fringe Festivals. A member of the Dramatists Guild, she’s currently working on a new script, and teaches at the Terry Schreiber Studio in NYC, and at the Acting School of South Florida.

Pamela Schueler (Coming Through)Born in NYC, Pamela holds university degrees in Visual Arts, English and Education.  She has lived in six countries and speaks three languages. An accomplished painter, teacher, photographer and writer, she has had art gallery and museum showings, written a book about Bangkok’s waterways (Klongs: Thai Waterways and Reflections of Her People ),  and written a comedy about Expat life – which was produced in Brussels by the American Theater Company.  Pamela thinks the Ten Minute play is the perfect challenge for any writer.

Marv Siegel (Standing Tall) is a prolific playwright and member of the Dramatists Guild. Recently completed plays include The Biography Of Margaret Dawson, a generational clash between an aging movie star and the actress cast to play her as a youth in her screen biography, Mickey And Anthony, the story of a 22 year old African-American petty criminal who finds himself in the position of having to care for a 22 year old Caucasian with a severe brain disorder, The Hospital Room, and Chronic Diseases. His short plays include This Is Not A Test, Signals (mounted by Pigs Do Fly Productions in their May 2015 production), and No Returns. His new full-length comedy Jack Benny Isn’t 39 Any More! was recently published by ArtAge, the leading senior theatre resource center in the country.

David Susman (Stuck) David lives and teaches in Maine. His short plays have been staged at the Boston Theater Marathon; Thespian Production’s “Whistling With Slush in My Shoes” one-act play festival at Joria Mainstage Theater in New York; Theatre Roulette at MadLab Theatre and Gallery in Columbus, Ohio; the New Works Festival at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, Massachusetts; the Maine Playwrights Festival; Fast and Furious II at Stage Left Theatre in Spokane, Washington; the Salem Theater Company’s Moments of Play Ten-Minute Play Festival in Salem, Massachusetts; the 0-60 Ten Minute Play Competition at Longwood University in Virginia; and elsewhere.

Carol White (Hail Kale) of Boca Raton is an award-winning novelist and playwright. Her plays have been produced in over twenty theatres throughout the country, including Off and Off-Off Broadway.  Two of her full-length plays were included in the 2013 and 2015 South Florida Theatre League’s Summer Reading Series. Programs of seven of her short plays were produced in Boca Raton and Plantation in 2013 and 2014. She currently leads a drama workshop for teens at the Milagro Center in Delray Beach. Visit her website: www.carolwhitefiction.com or email her at polowhite@aol.com.

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The South Florida Theatre League Announces Summer Theatre Fest Activities

14 Thursday May 2015

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New Theatre League Logo - Use thisThe South Florida Theatre League
Invites patrons to
‘Step Onto Our Stage’
And  Experience a Free Night of Theatre
as part of the 2015 Summer Theatre Fest

May 14, 2015
2015 Summer Theatre Fest LogoMIAMI, FL:  The Theatre League’s Summer Theatre Fest has become an integral part of South Florida’s cultural landscape, and this year, South Florida audiences will once again have the opportunity to see theatre for free, check out new plays in development by South Florida playwrights, and tell the world what the arts – and theatre – mean to them.  The success of last summer’s Come Under Our Umbrella program and play reading series indicated to the League that theatre patrons are ready and willing to try new theatrical experiences, and even cross county lines to do it.

The theme governing this year’s Summer Theatre Fest activities is Step Onto Our Stage.  A unique ‘step and repeat’ has been created especially for the program, featuring theatrical curtains in front of a wall imprinted with the League’s logo.  Patrons will be invited to Step Onto Our Stage to be photographed or videoed ‘on stage’ as they are interviewed about their theatrical experiences, and the significance of the arts in their lives.  The step and repeat, which made its ‘debut’ at the South Florida Theatre League sponsored Carbonell Awards ‘after party’, will travel to participating theatres throughout the summer.

Summer Theatre Fest:  Each Monday from June 1 to August 31, a South Florida Theatre League member theatre will host a reading of a new play by a local playwright. Playwrights range from established local favorites, including Carbonell Award-winners and nominees, to emerging talents, with plays vastly ranging in subject matter and style. For more details, including a synopsis of each reading, please visit www.southfloridatheatre.com.

Step Onto Our Stage – Reading Schedule:

June 1 – Stages of the Sun: Readings by South Florida Theatre League Playwrights at  Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theatre
June 8 – A Girl’s Guide to Saving the Universe by Andie Arthur at Lost Girls Theatre at the Deering Estate
June 15 – Fortuna’s Ire by Guillermo Ramon at Storycrafter Studio at the Luna Star Cafe
June 22 – Text M for Murder by Carol White at Arts Garage/Bailey Contemporary Arts June 29 – Women Who Hate Their Jobs by Leah Roth Barsanti at Evening Star Productions
July 6 – Life and Death by Bob Bowersox at TheatreXP
July 6 – Stages of the Sun Student Edition: Readings of Short Plays by Local Student Playwrights at Area Stage
July 13 – Thirteen is Murder at Mystery on the Menu at Empire Stage
July 20 – Shift of Fortune by Thomas McLaughlin at Delray Beach Playhouse
July 20 – Summer Flights by Local Playwrights at Pigs Do Fly at Empire Stage
July 27 – Wrongful Death by Christopher Demos-Brown at Maltz Jupiter Theatre
July 27 – The Prey by Gina Montet at Mangrove Creative Collective
August 3 – Stung & Wounded by Patricia Wakely Wolf at Main Street Players
August 3 – Grace, Sponsored by Monteverde by Vanessa Garcia at Thinking Cap Theatre at the Vanguard
August 10 – Summer Shorts Tryout Plays at City Theatre at Empire Stage
August 17 – A Brand New Musical at GableStage
August 17 – Summer Play Reading at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts August 24 – Party Girls by Jessica Farr at Mad Cat Theatre Company at the Sandbox
August 31 – The Dana Plays: Raising Money for the Humane Society***

Free Night of Theater is an audience development program that has proved to be immensely popular since the League first introduced it in 2008. Free Night offers patrons an excellent opportunity to visit a venue they’ve never been to before, or sample a type of theatre they might not otherwise ever consider. Developed by the Theatre Communications Group (the national organization for American Theatre) about a decade ago to increase audiences, subsequent studies found that approximately 42% of patrons who attend a Free Night of Theatre return to that theatre and purchase tickets.  So far, participating theatres include Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks, and Evening Star Productions, however several more theatres are expected to participate.

Patrons can sign up for tickets at summerfestfreenight.southfloridatheatre.com starting on June 10 for performances during the month of July. The window to enter the lottery will close on June 24, and patrons will find out if they have won tickets on June 29.

The South Florida Theatre League is “an alliance of theatrical organizations and professionals dedicated to nurturing, promoting, and advocating for the growth and prestige of the South Florida theatre industry”.  To date, the League is the umbrella organization for close to 80 theatres between Key West and Jupiter.
For more information about the South Florida Theatre League, including a list of member theatres and their current and upcoming productions, visit www.southfloridatheatre.com/ or contact Andie Arthur at:  andie@southfloridatheatre.com

Dana Castellano

Dana Castellano

***The Dana Plays:   Dana Castellano was a treasured supporter of the South Florida Theatre Community who passed away from cancer in November 2014. Last year, during Summer Theatre Fest, Naked Stage Artistic Producer Antonio Amadeo coordinated the first Dana Plays – an evening of short plays about hope.  The event raised over $2,000. This year’s proceeds will be donated to one of Dana’s favorite charities, the Humane Society.