Tag Archives: Ft. Lauderdale Theatre

The Vanguard presents Amy & David Sedaris’ THE BOOK OF LIZ – June 12 – 28

19 Tuesday May 2015

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The Vanguard presents Book of Liz - image1The Book of Liz by The Talent Family – Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris June 12 – 28

“[a] delightfully off-key, off-color hymn to clichés we all live by, whether we know it or not.” —NY Times.

May 19, 2015 LAUDERDALE, FL: Amy and David Sedaris individually are two of America’s premier comic geniuses. Together, as The Talent Family, they are responsible for such witty, clever, and often downright hilarious productions as Stitches, One Woman Shoe, Stump the Host, Incident at Cobbler’s Knob and The Book of Liz. Fresh off their critically acclaimed production of Vita and Virginia, The Vanguard, Fort Lauderdale’s exciting new cultural venue, will present The Talent Family’s The Book of Liz from June 12th through June 28th at The Vanguard. The Book of Liz chronicles the plight of Sister Elizabeth Donderstock (of the Squeamish Order) renowned for her delicious cheese balls (traditional and smoky) that sustain the existence of her entire religious community. However, upon the arrival the sanctimonious Brother Brightbee, and feeling decidedly unappreciated, Donderstock flees from her home in Clusterhaven to try her luck in the real world. Her adventures lead her to an array of distinctly Sedaris-esque characters, from a Ukrainian immigrant dressed as a giant peanut to the alcoholic staff of a local diner, as she struggles to figure out where she belongs.

Mark Duncan

Mark Duncan

“The Book of Liz is a fun romp that asks serious questions about identity, self worth, and status,” says the production’s director, Mark Duncan.  “Audiences can identify with Liz’s search for recognition, approval, and respect as they “sweat” through life.” Duncan has assembled a talented, award-winning cast to portray Liz and the various characters she encounters on her journey of self-discovery: Christina Groom will play Sister Elizabeth Donderstock, and she, along with Elena Maria Garcia, Matt Stabile, and Scott Douglas Wilson will take on multiple roles throughout the play.

ChristinaGroom

Christina Groom

“I love offbeat, totally irreverent humor, and The Book of Liz has that in spades, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this production,” Groom explains.

Elena Maria Garcia

Elena Maria Garcia

“I saw the play at the Orlando Fringe Festival in 2000,” says Garcia. “I was very pregnant at the time, and I laughed so hard I thought my water would break! I truly enjoy morphing from character to character,” she continues, “and this is the perfect vehicle to play and create in…” Matt Stabile“I’ve been hoping to work with Thinking Cap for quite a while now,” Matt Stabile explains. “So…I probably would’ve taken any show they offered! But the deal was sweetened when I read this wacky comedy, heard about this “probably more funny than should be allowed together in a room” cast, and found out that Mark Duncan was captaining this ship.  I love that this show is just silly fun.  I think there is a place for that in the theatre – and a way to help possibly connect some new audiences to the art form I love so much.”

SWilson_Headshot

Scott Douglas Wilson

Scott Douglas Wilson is equally enthusiastic: “A couple years back I discovered the script at a used bookstore in Ohio,” he says. “And being a big fan of the Sedaris family, I purchased it. I read it on the flight back to South Florida, laughing myself silly and thinking ‘I’ve gotta see this someday!’ Fast forward to 2015, and here I am – fortunate enough to actually BE in the show, with this amazingly hilarious and talented team! That’s what I call Gouda Luck!” The Vanguard, which officially opened its doors on March 13th, has been enthusiastically received by local artists, theatergoers, and nearby businesses. The new venue is located at 1501 S. Andrews Avenue in what was formerly a church when the building was first erected in 1939. The Book of Liz will run from June 12 – June 28 at The Vanguard.  There will be a special opening night reception at the theatre on June 12th from 7 pm – 8 pm. Tickets for the evening are $40 and include wine and cheese(cake), automatic entry into a raffle for books by David Sedaris, and a silent auction with prizes such as a ‘Wine Night for 2’ at The Naked Grape, a private wine tasting for up to 20 people donated by Total Wine, and valued at $500, and rare Israeli wines, donated by the Madonna Family.  Sponsors for the evening include The Cheesecake Factory, Bob’s News, Total Wine & More, Naked Grape, Enchantment Flowers, and the Madonna Family. Tickets for The Book of Liz are $35, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at www.vanguardarts.org , or by phone at 813-220-1546. Performances are on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm, and on Sundays at 5 pm. There will be a matinee performance on Saturday, June 13th at 2 pm. The venue is located at 1501 S. Andrews Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, 33316. For more information, production shots, head shots, or to set up interviews, please contact Nicole Stodard at 813-220-1546 / nicole@thinkingcaptheatre.com or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / ckassie@gmail.com or visit www.vanguardarts.org. Photographs and graphics available on request. The Book of Liz By Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris June 12 – 28 Tickets: $35 ($37.22 with s/c) For Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1475445 www.vanguardarts.org 813-220-1546 Performances: Friday, June 12th – Opening Night Thursdays – Saturdasy at 8 pm Sundays at 5 pm Saturday, June 13 at 2 pm

The Vanguard 1501 S. Andrews Avenue Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 www.vanguardarts.org Like us on Facebook!

[The Book Of Liz] may well be the world’s first Amish picaresque…hilarious…” —Village Voice. “…acidic laughs…linguistic delight…” —Variety. “Good-natured, goofy and frequently hilarious…” —NY Newsday. “…laugh-out-loud funny…” —Broadway.com.

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Pigs Do Fly Productions presents NO FEAR OF FLYING! May 7 – 24

14 Tuesday Apr 2015

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Website - Flying - PDF

 A Collection of Seven BRAND NEW Humorous Short Plays featuring works by
Michael McKeever and Michael Leeds

April 15, 2015

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL: Pigs Do Fly Productions will present No Fear of Flying! – seven brand new humorous short plays – to kick off its second season. The production will run from May 7th through May 24th at Andrews Living Arts in Ft. Lauderdale.

Chosen to highlight ‘vibrant, healthy people over the age of 50 doing interesting things with their lives’, the plays were selected with all audiences in mind – their first two productions proved to Pigs Do Fly Production beyond a shadow of a doubt that humor is an ageless commodity!   Six of the seven plays are world premieres, including pieces by well-known local playwrights Michael McKeever and Michael Leeds. Other playwrights include John Kane, Marj O’Neill-Butler, Marv Seigel, Jeffrey Strausser, and Charles West.

Michael McKeever’s and Michael Leeds’ plays were commissioned by Pigs Do Fly Productions; the remaining five were chosen from almost 300 submissions – all read by a committee of six. The top 12 pieces were presented at two consecutive ‘cold readings’ at Books & Books in Coral Gables in August, and audience members were asked to vote for their favorites. Those top five vote-getters along with the two commissioned plays comprise No Fear of Flying!

Ellen Wacher“I am so excited about this production,” says Pigs Do Fly Productions Executive Producer Ellen Wacher. “We have seven very diverse plays. All different topics. We’ve got seven terrific actors, and two talented directors. And we’ve proved that there’s a market for, and an interest in what we’re doing. Yes…definitely…no fear of flying!”

Wacher and Pigs Do Fly Productions were recently awarded a prestigious Silver Palm Award for ‘for developing works for actors over the age of 50.’

Beverly Blanchette, Todd Caster, Harry Marsh, Michael H. Small, Elissa Solomon, Carol Sussman, and Donna Warfield have been cast in the production. Elena Maria Garcia will direct three of the plays, and Marj O’Neill-Butler will direct four.

“The funnier and more loving aspects of life after fifty is an area of play production that has been neglected in the past,” says O’Neill-Butler, Pigs Do Fly Productions’ artistic director.

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

The European Plan by Charles West
Long Story by John Kane
There’s Still Time by Jeffrey Strausser
The Lie by Michael Leeds
Mitzi Has A Meltdown by Michael McKeever
They Called It Teasing by Marj O’Neill-Butler
Signals by Marv Siegel

Tickets for No Fear of Flying! are $25 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 Andrews Living Arts, 23 NW 5th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, 33301.

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
No Fear of Flying!
By Various Playwrights
May 7 – 24, 2015
Tickets: $25
Tickets: 866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 2 pm
All performances will take place at
Andrews Living Arts
23 NW 5th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

No Fear of Flying! – Playwright Bios:

John Kane (Long Story) is the author of the short plays Are You David Mamet? (Fusion Theatre, 2013, Audience Award) and A Thief in the Night (The Puzzle Play Festival, 2014) and the full length play The Eleven O’Clock Number (world premiere, Rising Action Theatre, Ft. Lauderdale).  He is also the author of the comic mysteries Best Actress (Ballantine Books) and Somebody is Killing the Trophy Wives of Beverly Hills (Books for a Buck).  He lives in Los Angeles and can be reached at JohnKaneLA@aol.com.

Michael Leeds (The Lie) wrote and directed Swinging On A Star (Tony Award nomination-Best Musical). Other plays include The First Step, Who Killed Joan Crawford, The Gift, Starmaker, Mira, Mating Habits of the Urban Mammal and numerous 10 minute plays.  For Film: co-wrote The Simian Line (starring William Hurt & Lynn Redgrave) and The Last Film Festival (starring Dennis Hopper & Jacqueline Bisset). As a director, his South Florida productions have earned numerous Carbonell nominations and Awards. As Associate Artistic Director of Island City Stage his production of The Timekeepers garnered six Carbonell Awards including Best Production of a Play and Best Director. Michael teaches a weekly acting class in Fort Lauderdale and Delray Beach (www.LeedsWorkshop.com).

Michael McKeever’s (Mitzi Has a Meltdown) plays have been produced throughout the United States, Europe and Russia. He is the recipient of numerous Carbonell Awards, Silver Palm Awards and Florida Individual Artist Fellowships. He is also a Carbonell award-winning actor and designer. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Marj O’Neill-Butler (They Called it Teasing), a member of the Dramatists Guild, has had the following plays produced: True Blue, Special Delivery, Flight Fright, Life Imitates Art, At The Bus Stop, Spartan Woman, Leaving Home, What If?, Scavenger Hunt, Missed Connections, Elf Yourself, Chairs, One Less And a Reader’s Theatre Script The Women Of The Beat Generation.   Marj is a proud member of Equity and SAG-AFTRA. Visit her online at www.marjorieoneill-butler.com.

Marv Siegel (Signals) is a prolific playwright and member of the Dramatists Guild. Full-length plays include Generations Apart, The Autobiography Of God As Told To Mel Schneider, Taking Secrets To The Grave, Like Marshmallow Chicks In A Box, Moses Of The New Millenium, Powerballs, Mickey And Anthony, The Hospital Room, and The Biography Of Margaret Dawson. Short plays include This Is Not A Test, Standing Tall, and No Returns. His new full-length comedy Jack Benny Isn’t 39 Any More! has just been published.

Jeffrey Strausser’s (There’s Still Time) latest high school and community theatre productions include Somewhere Else Dreams, The Decorator, The Last Prejudice, Family Matters, The Promise, and Peaks and Valleys. Smith & Kraus included The Promise in its anthology, Best One-Act Plays, 2013. Peaks and Valleys was highly acclaimed by Broadway World last year.

Charles West (The European Plan) recently retired after 37 years of teaching. He has published poetry and fiction, and his novel, The Sacred Disc, was published in 2000. His play, Hamlet’s: It’s a Wonderful Life, was produced by the Camino Real Playhouse in Southern California. As a part of the Woodward Shakespeare Festival, in Fresno, CA, he will appear in Two Gentlemen of Verona this summer.

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Thinking Cap theatre at The Vanguard Presents VITA & VIRGINIA by Eileen Atkins April 17th – May 3rd

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

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Thinking Cap theatre at The Vanguard Presents
vita & virginia 4x6 shemagby Eileen Atkins
April 17th – May 3rd
“A masterful dance of two women” ~ Laurie Winer, Los Angeles Times

April 1, 2015
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL: Patsy Cline and Louise Seger might be thought by some to be a hard act to follow. But Nicole Stodard, Thinking Cap Theatre’s producing artistic director has found two women whom she knows can more than fill the bill. The fascinating relationship between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West will be examined in Eileen Atkins’ Vita & Virginia which will run at The Vanguard, Broward County’s newest performing arts space, from April 17th through May 3rd.

Atkins’s epistolary play deftly weaves the letters and diaries of essayist and novelist Virginia Woolf and poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West into a conversation between two passionate, intelligent, and intensely literate women. Woof was 40, and Sackville-West was 30 when they met in 1922, and their correspondence began shortly thereafter, ending only with Woolf’s suicide in 1941. Their affair was as much literary as physical; although each had husbands, and in Sackville-West’s case, numerous lovers of both genders. Woolf’s son Nigel once referred to her 1927 novel Orlando, which was inspired by her relationship with Sackville-West, as “the longest and most charming love letter in literature.”

Barbara Sloan will play Virginia Woolf in the production, and Niki Fridh will take on the role of Vita Sackville-West.

Barbara HS

Barbara Sloan

“I’m excited to be playing Virginia Woolf,” says Sloan. “It’s always a challenge to take on historical figures because people often have preconceived ideas about who they were. This play is based on letters between these two women over a 20 year period, so you are hearing their own voices rather than the playwright’s, allowing us to get a rare and intimate glimpse into their world. And I’ve always wanted to work with Niki Fridh. She’s an interesting actress with great instincts!

“It’s also an honor to work with the courageous visionary Nicole Stodard,” she continues. “She not only produces challenging and thought provoking work, but also took a risk and opened a theatre!”

Niki HS

Niki Fridh

“I’ve known Barbara Sloan for a number of years and have wanted to work with her on a project for a long time,” says Fridh. “This piece will be quite the challenge for both of us….challenging I think, because  there is no dialogue between Vita and Virginia – the entire play is only letter correspondence between the two women. However, I know that Nicole wants the piece to be magical, erotic, and whimsical. Vita Sackville-West was very intelligent, eccentric, adventurous woman who lived life to its fullest. I can only hope that I do justice to her free spirit and open heart.”

Nicole Stodard

Nicole Stodard

“Thinking Cap Theatre is known for staging more experimental plays, so I was very excited to discover Atkins’ play about Virginia Woolf, one of my favorite experimental fiction writers,” says Stodard. “The play is witty and sensual and poignant in its depiction of same-sex desire in an age that still lacked the language to name it and the legal freedoms to allow it. I’m thrilled to be working with two of South Florida’s finest actresses to bring these iconic women of the modern era to life on stage.”

eileena

Eileen Atkins

Eileen Atkins has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. She has won several major acting awards, including a BAFTA, an Emmy and three Olivier’s. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1990 and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2001. Although she is best known as one of the co-creators (along with Jean Marsh) of the British series Upstairs,Downstairs, she has played numerous roles in film, on stage, and television.

A post-show talkback with gender & literary experts will follow the Sunday April 19th, 5 pm performance. Tea, scones, and other treats will be provided by various sponsors including Eat the Tea, Starbucks, and Croissan’ Time.

The Vanguard, which officially opened its doors on March 13th, has been enthusiastically received by local artists, theatergoers, and nearby businesses. The new venue is located at 1501 S. Andrews Avenue in what was formerly a church when the building was first erected in 1939.

Vita & Virginia will run from April 17th through May 3rd at The Vanguard.
Tickets are $35, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at www.vanguardarts.org , http://thinkingcaptheatre.com or by phone at 813-220-1546. Performances are on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm, and on Sundays at 5 pm. The venue is located at 1501 S. Andrews Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, 33316.

For more information, production shots, head shots, or to set up interviews, please contact Nicole Stodard at 813-220-1546 / nicole@thinkingcaptheatre.com or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / ckassie@gmail.com or visit www.vanguardarts.org or http://thinkingcaptheatre.com

Vita & Virginia
By Eileen Atkins
April 17 – May 3
Tickets: $35 ($37.22 with s/c)
For Tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1339884
www.vanguardarts.org
http://thinkingcaptheatre.com
813-220-1546
Performances:
Friday, April 17th is Opening Night
Double Feature, Saturday, April 18th, matinee at 3pm; evening performance, 8pm
Thursday – Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
The Vanguard
1501 S. Andrews Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
www.vanguardarts.org
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Primal Forces Productions presents Landford Wilson’s REDWOOD CURTAIN – April 17 – May 3

26 Thursday Mar 2015

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Primal Forces Productions
production of Lanford Wilson’s
Redwood Curtain
To benefit South Broward Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8195
Facebook Cover - infoApril 17 – May 3

“… a little gem that has a pretty satisfying mystery at its center…you get to absorb Lanford Wilson’s terrific dialogue, and appreciate how and when he reveals precisely what we need to know in the natural flow of the narrative.” – MichiganLive

March 26, 2015

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL: Landford Wilson’s Redwood Curtain is a thought-provoking exploration of memories – of families, of secrets, and of war – set in the towering redwood forests of Northern California. The play stunned 1992 Broadway audiences with its unique spin on a Vietnam veteran and the mysterious young Asian woman who tracks him down.

Primal Forces Productions will present this powerful commentary on the effects of war and remembrance from April 17th through May 3rd at Andrews Living Arts in Fort Lauderdale. And in keeping with the play’s theme, a percentage of the production’s revenue will be donated to Broward County’s VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 8195.

“With Redwood Curtain Primal Forces concludes its three-play series on the effects of the counterculture on today’s generation,” says producer Keith Garsson. “The play was written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lanford Wilson, who was an early force in the off-Broadway theatre of the 1960s and 70s. This being the last of our trilogy, we are finishing on a lighter and more hopeful tone than was presented in both The Anarchist and Sunset Baby.

“Wilson’s characters are usually lost or forgotten Americans, left high and dry by events beyond their control,” Garsson continues, “However his characters eschew preaching and sermonizing and have accepted their fate – presented as headstrong forces within the ensuing drama. Redwood Curtain  adds a new touch: the character of Geri, a young woman who endures a lonely and mysterious journey into the Redwood Forest to seek answers to her own past, but learns some shattering truths along the way.”

“Redwood Curtain was Wilson’s last show produced for Broadway, however, as in our prior productions we felt the intimacy of the drama would be enhanced by the up-close-and-personal setting of Andrews Living Arts,” Garsson explains. “And we’re fortunate to have a South Florida legend, set designer Tim Bennett, who has recreated one of the most beautiful areas of the country on stage.”

The production will star Ethan Henry, Laura Turnbull, and newcomer Amarie Lee.
Redwood---trioHenry who received rave reviews in Primal Forces’ recent production of Sunset Baby, is fascinated by his character, and the play: “This is one of the most challenging plays I’ve ever read,” he says. “My character, Lyman Fellers, has chosen to seclude himself in the woods, and he wants to be left alone; but he’s forced to look inside himself when he’s confronted by someone else.”

The Florida Veterans of Foreign Wars has a rich tradition of serving veterans, military families and their local communities. Twenty-three members of Post 8195, under the guidance of Post Commander Bobby White, recently collaborated on a book titled Post 8195: Black Soldiers Tell Their Vietnam Stories. The entire proceeds from the play’s opening night performance and reception as well as a percentage of the funds generated by all Redwood Curtain ticket sales will be donated to Post 8195; the book will be available for sale at Andrews Living Arts during the run of the play.

Tickets for Redwood Curtain are $25 ($12.50 for veterans) and can be purchased on line at www.primalforcesproductions.com, or by phone at 866-811-4111. Andrews Living Arts Studio is located at 23 NW Fifth Street in Fort Lauderdale.

For more information about Primal Forces Productions, interviews, or photos, please contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com/561-445-9244.
For more information about Post 8195 visit: http://myvfw.org/fl/post8195 .

Redwood Curtain
By Lanford Wilson
Performances:
April 17 – May 3
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8pm,
Sun at 2pm
Sat May 2nd at 2pm
Please note:  There will be no 8 pm performance on April 25th
Tickets $25
For Tickets: 866-811-4111
Performances: Thursday – Saturday at 8:00 pm
Sunday at 2 pm
All performances will take place at Andrews Living Arts
23 NW 5th St
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301
www.primalforcesproductions.com
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Post 8195: Black Soldiers Tell Their Vietnam Stories, by Bobby White
VFW Post 8195 in West Park, Florida, through the Stone of Hope Program, organized services and programs to help Vietnam and other military veterans and their families who had special needs. “The Vietnam War was physically, spiritually and emotionally exhausting for us,” says Post Commander Bobby White. In this unique collection, he has brought together the words of 23 veterans who witnessed the war’s cruelty and brutality. Through their testimonies, White reminds us that the war’s impact has been long-lasting, with both negative and positive results. Readers will be riveted by their narratives of racism, hostile battlefields, ambush zones, fire fights, land mines, flashbacks, search-and-destroy missions, military police operations, working with K-9s, and finally addressing and putting the PTSD issues at ease.
Available at Amazon.com.

Critical Praise for Redwood Curtain:

“Redwood Curtain” is … a state-of-the-nation piece for the early 1990’s. Its disturbing subject is the self-destructive American habit of practicing amnesia about all its past nightmares, not just those of Vietnam. Standing in rootless contrast to the trees around them, the people in this play, and by implication their country, cannot find their way out of the woods until they figure out how they got stranded there in the first place.” – NY Times

“Redwood Curtain is equal parts fairy tale, mystery and comedy. Wilson skillfully blends fantastic, magical, suspenseful, and human elements to produce an intimate human drama.” – Variety

“A journey into the American psyche . . . The gritty and/or down home realism of Wilson’s best plays has been combined with magical qualities that make the work a kind of folk/fairy mystery tale.” – Seattle Times

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(Brand New Venue!) THE VANGUARD’s Inaugural Production, ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE to open March 13th!

20 Friday Feb 2015

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A Brand New Venue!
The Vanguard
 will open its doors with
Always…Patsy Cline
by Ted Swindley
March 13 – March 29
vanguard logoThe Vanguard in association with Thinking Cap Theatre will present
Always…Patsy Cline as the venue’s inaugural production

For Immediate Release
Contact: Nicole Stodard
nicole@thinkingcaptheatre.com /(813) 220-1546
Contact: Carol Kassie
ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244

February 20, 2015
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL: Artists and Patrons of the Arts in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida have a good reason to be excited. This March a new performing arts space will open its doors in the South Andrews corridor of downtown Fort Lauderdale. The venue, The Vanguard, is located at 1501 S. Andrews Avenue in what was formerly a church when the building was first erected in 1939.

Special opening night festivities will take place on March 13th, starting at 7pm, with complimentary ‘Southern fixins’ provided by Tap 42 and other local sponsors, including Croissan’Time, Wine Watch, and Starbucks Coffee. Sculptor Glen Mayo will be displaying a piece entitled “Windows” in the lobby of The Vanguard for the month of March.

The creative team behind The Vanguard has given the space a remodel – with the emphasis on “mod” – because the building’s décor has a definite mid-century flair. The intimate, black box space boasts beautiful, original Dade County pine ceilings that reach 30 feet high. The venue will seat 100 people.

Dubbed a ‘sanctuary for the arts’ – a nod to the building’s history and an indicator of the venue’s mission, The Vanguard will be a creative refuge for artists and arts lovers. Founding Executive Director, Nicole Stodard hopes the unique setting will be a fresh beacon of hope for the arts, particularly theatre, in Broward County:

“For too long Broward has been viewed as the inferior county in between two artistically richer counties, Miami Dade and Palm Beach,” she explains. “I am passionate about helping to change that perception. There is great work being done in our county, and The Vanguard will strive to draw attention to this work by providing it a home.”

The Vanguard will function as a venue as well as a producing entity in its own right. In addition to Vanguard productions, programming will include work by its resident theatre company, Thinking Cap Theatre, along with work by other local and distant theatre practitioners; dance events; film screenings; stand up comedy; art installations; and live music. For more information about The Vanguard, visit www.vanguardarts.org.

Nicole Headshot

Nicole Stodard

The Vanguard has chosen Always Patsy Cline as their inaugural production at The Vanguard. Stodard says the choice was an easy one:

“I grew up listening to my mother and older sister singing Patsy Cline’s songs and came to love her music myself,” she says. “The Vanguard has an air of nostalgia to its atmosphere, so a work that tapped into that nostalgic spirit seemed like a great way to open the venue, not to mention the fact that Cline was a strong woman and a talented artist, and I’m always happy to put talented actresses on stage to tell the stories of other women, real and fictional.”

Ann Marie Olson & Sally Bondi

Ann Marie Olson & Sally Bondi

Always…Patsy Cline is a tribute to the legendary country singer who died tragically at age 30 in a plane crash in 1963. The play is based on a true story about Cline’s friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk in l961, and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death.  The Vanguard’s production will star Ann Marie Olson as Cline, and Sally Bondi as Seger. Stodard will direct the production, and Andy Gilbert will provide musical direction.

Always…Patsy Cline will run from March 13th through March 29th at The Vanguard.  Tickets are $35, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.vanguardarts.org or by phone at 813-220-1546. Performances are on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm, and on Sundays at 5 pm. There is an 8 pm performance on Wednesday, March 25. The Vanguard is located at 1501 S. Andrews Avenue in Ft. Lauderdale (33316).

For more information, production shots, head shots, or to set up interviews, please contact Nicole Stodard at 813-220-1546 / nicole@thinkingcaptheatre.com or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / ckassie@gmail.com or visit www.vanguardarts.org .

Always…Patsy Cline
By Ted Swindley
March 13 – 29
Tickets: $35 ($37.22 with s/c)
For Tickets: www.vanguardarts.org / 813-220-1546
Performances:
Thursday – Saturday at 8 pm
Wednesday, March 25 at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
The Vanguard
1501 S. Andrews Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
www.vanguardarts.org
Like Us on Facebook!

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WAITING FOR WAITING FOR GODOT – Thinking Cap Theatre’s Premiere Production at the Vanguard

05 Thursday Feb 2015

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ThinkingCap - strokeThinking Cap Theatre
presents the South Eastern Premiere of
Waiting for Waiting for Godot
by Dave Hanson
WFWFG - Logo ck“…Waiting for Waiting for Godot is a perfectly executed trip into
metatheatrical purgatory…” TimeOut New York

February 5, 2015
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL: What better way to inaugurate a brand new theatrical space than with a play that masterfully and humorously takes on a theatrical classic. Thinking Cap Theatre moves into the Vanguard on February 19th with Dave Hanson’s critically acclaimed Waiting for Waiting for Godot. The production will run through March 1st.

Hanson’s comedy about two understudies who are waiting to ‘go on’ in a production of Samuel Beckett’s classic Waiting for Godot – itself a play about two men who wait for a man they’ve never met, who never arrives – is not in any way an adaptation or interpretation of Beckett’s work, but rather a brand new play that examines theatre, acting, and art in a unique, clever, and extremely funny way.

A winner of the Overall Excellence Award for Overall Play at the 2013 New York Fringe Festival, Waiting for Waiting for Godot was described as ‘gleefully absurd’ by TimeOut New York, ‘delectable’ by the New York Times, and ‘damn near perfect’ by Theatre is Easy.

Nicole Headshot

Nicole Stodard

Thinking Cap Theatre’s artistic director Nicole Stodard is directing the production:
“It’s not all that often that you read a script and laugh out loud,” she says “But that was the case with Waiting for Waiting for Godot.  Combine that with its smart, reverential winking at Beckett, one of the greatest experimental authors of all time, and of course the added irony of how long TCT has been ‘waiting’ to go on at The Vanguard, and I knew that the play would be a fun way to kick off TCT’s 5th season.”

The production will star Scott Douglas Wilson, Mark Duncan, and Christina Groom.

Thinking Cap Theatre’s new home, The Vanguard is an intimate, versatile, 99-seat black box performance space located in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale.  Formerly a church when first erected in 1939, the freshly remodeled venue will be a modern sanctuary for the arts. Founding Executive Director, Nicole Stodard, and her creative team have given the space a mid-century flair with a mod color palette, Sputnik chandeliers and pop art reminiscent of Warhol adorning the lobby lounge.  However, they have preserved the original 30-feet Dade County pine ceiling in the central room that is now the performance area. The Vanguard will serve as the permanent residence for Thinking Cap Theatre, and as a creative hub to showcase a range of artistic offerings, including the work of other local and visiting theatre companies, stand-up comedy, dance, film screenings, art installations, and live music. The venue’s soft opening will take place the weekend of February 20th; its grand opening will follow in the spring upon completion of the building’s facade by Glavovic Studios, the firm that designed the Young at Art Museum. vanguardarts.org
vanguard logoTickets for Waiting for Waiting for Godot are $30 ($20 for students with ID) and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by calling 813-220-1546 or on line at http://wfwfg.brownpapertickets.com The Vanguard is located at 1501 S. Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, 33301.  There is free street parking surrounding the building and a metered municipal lot just south of The Vanguard on Andrews Ave.

For more information about Thinking Cap Theatre/The Vanguard visit www.vanguardarts.org or contact Nicole Stodard at nicole@thinkingcaptheatre.com / 813-220-1546 or Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com /561-445-9244.

Waiting for Waiting for Godot
By Dave Hanson
February 19 – March 1
Thursday 2/19 8pm (Preview)
Friday 2/20 8pm (Opening Night)
Saturday 2/21 8pm
Sunday 2/22 5pm
Wednesday 2/25 8pm
Thursday 2/26 8pm
Friday 2/27 8pm
Saturday 2/28 8pm
Sunday 3/1 (2 Shows) 5pm & 8pm
Tickets: $30 /$20 for students with ID
To purchase tickets: 813-220-1546 / http://wfwfg.brownpapertickets.com
The Vanguard
1501 S. Andrews Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
vanguardarts.org

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Primal Forces Productions presents SUNSET BABY – Nov 29 – Dec 21

12 Wednesday Nov 2014

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Primal Forces Productions
to present
Dominque Morisseau’s
Sunset Baby
November 29 – December 21
SunsetPostcardFreeAdA searing and dramatic examination of two generations of urban outlaws struggling to stay afloat in the lower depths.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL, November 11, 2014:

East New York, Brooklyn: Nina’s estranged father, a former black revolutionary, reappears after many years to obtain a piece of her deceased mother’s legacy. A powerful story of one woman’s journey from a brutal existence to her own liberation, Sunset Baby is an energetic, daring look at the point where the personal and political collide.

Primal Forces Productions, the new edgy and innovative production company, will present the southeastern premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s Sunset Baby. The production will run from November 29th through December 21st at the Andrew’s Living Arts Studio in Fort Lauderdale.

Sunset Baby “…explores the gaps between generations, movements, and the effect that absent fathers have on their young daughters,” says playwright Morisseau. “That dynamic is so rarely examined on the stage: we usually talk about the effect it has on young black boys, but what about our girls?”

“In continuing our mission to present new works about the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s, we have found this powder keg of a play that premiered off-Broadway last December,” says Primal Forces producer Keith Garsson. “In Sunset Baby, a former black activist returns to Brooklyn to search for his daughter…but learns a hard lesson about the ‘Sins of the Father’. We have three of the most talented actors in South Florida playing ‘urban outlaws’ whose explosive confrontations lead to some intriguing secrets revealed while also offering a very entertaining ride through America’s haunted past.

Garsson has assembled an award winning cast to interpret these complicated and compelling characters. John Archie, Makeba Pace, and Ethan Henry will take on the roles of Kenyatta Shakur, his daughter Nina, and her partner Damon.

makeba

“I was told (the play) is derived from one of 2Pac’s poems which I thought was so stimulating,” says Pace. “The message of this play is survival by any means necessary. A woman who was born to revolutionize ends up on a struggling path… trying to survive on the streets while selling drugs and robbing people. Yet somewhere in spite of all that, she still has a dream.”   Pace was recently seen in The M Ensemble production of Knock me a Kiss and in the Fort Myers Repertory Company’s production of Clybourne Park.

ethan

Silver Palm winner and two-time Carbonell nominee Ethan Henry was recently named Best Supporting Actor by the Miami New Times for his performance in the Adrienne Arsht Center/University of Miami Theatre Department’s production of Metamorphoses.

John ArchieJohn Archie is a member of Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA, whose credits include film, TV, commercials, voice-overs, and print ads. His theatre credits include Driving Miss Daisy, The Whipping Man, Permanent Collection, Topdog/Underdog, Lobby Hero, Buffalo Soldier, The Meeting, and A Lesson Before Dying. John is the recipient of Carbonell, Curtain Up, and Silver Palm Awards.
Dominique MorrisseauWriter and actress Dominique Morisseau is an alumnus of the Public Theater Emerging Writer’s Group, the Women’s Project Playwrights Lab, and Lark Playwrights’ Workshop. Among her playwriting credits are: Detroit ’67, for which she was awarded the 2014 Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired By American History. She is a Jane Chambers Playwriting Award honoree, a two-time NAACP Image Award recipient, a runner-up for the Princess Grace Award, a recipient of the Elizabeth George commission from South Coast Rep, a commendation honoree for the Primus Prize by the American Theatre Critics Association, winner of the Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwriting Award, the Weissberger Award for Playwriting, the U of M – Detroit Center Emerging Leader Award, and a Lark/PoNY (Playwrights of New York) Fellow.

Tickets for Sunset Baby are $25 ($20 for preview performances ) and can be purchased on line at http://www.primalforcesproductions.com , or by phone at 866-811-4111. Andrews Living Arts Studio is located at 23 NW Fifth Street in Fort Lauderdale.

Primal Forces Productions is offering complimentary tickets to Sunset Baby for members of Theatre League, Actor’s Equity, SAG, AFTRA and students and their guests.

For more information, interviews, or photos, please contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com/561-445-9244.
Sunset Baby
By Dominique Morisseau
Previews: November 29 – December 4
Runs: December 5 – December 21
Tickets: $25 ($20 for preview performances)
For Tickets: 866-811-4111
Performances:
Thursday – Saturday at 8:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm
All performances will take place at Andrews Living Arts
23 NW 5th St
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301
http://www.primalforcesproductions.com/

 

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Primal Forces 2nd Season Promises 2 Thought-Provoking Productions

23 Thursday Oct 2014

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Primal Forces
Second Season promises
Two Entertaining & Thought-Provoking Productions

Sunset Baby: “[A] smart and bracing new play about two generations of urban outlaws struggling to stay afloat in the lower depths.” – New York Times

Redwood Curtain: “… a little gem that has a pretty satisfying mystery at its center…you get to absorb Lanford Wilson’s terrific dialogue, and appreciate how and when he reveals precisely what we need to know in the natural flow of the narrative.” – MichiganLive

Ft. Lauderdale, FL , October 21, 2014:

Primal Forces Productions has chosen two entertaining and thought provoking pieces for its second season. The young company’s successful production of David Mamet’s The Anarchist in March of 2014 has encouraged producer Keith Garsson to continue its mission to “explore the impact of the tumultuous 1960s on today’s generation.” Both plays will be presented at Andrews Living Arts in Ft. Lauderdale.

SunsetWebSiteDominique Morisseau’s Sunset Baby, which premiered Off-Broadway in November 2013 will begin previews on November 29th, open on December 5th, and run through December 21st. John Archie will star as a former revolutionary looking to connect with his daughter (Makeba Pace) in present-day Brooklyn. “He finds that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” explains Garsson.

Redwood_WebsiteLanford Wilson’s Redwood Curtain stunned Broadway audiences in 1992 with its unique spin on a Vietnam veteran (Ethan Henry) and the mysterious young Asian woman (Amarie Lee) who tracks him down in the forests of Northern California exasperating her guardian (Jacqueline Laggy.) Redwood Curtain will begin previews on April 4th, 2015, open on April 10th, and runs through April 26th.

“The turbulent 60s provides a wealth of nostalgia and entertainment value to audiences looking for drama with a lot of meat. However, even if you weren’t there, you will be fascinated and enthralled by how different a country we were less than 50 years ago,” says Garsson.

Tickets for Sunset Baby and Redwood Curtain are $25 (tickets for preview performances are $20) and can be purchased on line at www.primalforcesproductions.com, or by phone at 866-811-4111. Andrews Living Arts Studio is located at 23 NW Fifth Street in Fort Lauderdale.

Primal Forces Productions is offering complimentary tickets to both Sunset Baby and Redwood Curtain to members of Actors Equity, SAG, AFTRA, the South Florida Theatre League, and students with valid ID. (Limit of four tickets per order). For more information about this offer, contact primalforcesproductions@gmail.com .

~*~

Sunset Baby
By Dominique Morisseau
Previews: November 29 – December 4
Runs: December 5 – December 21
Tickets: $25 (Previews – $20)
For Tickets: 866-811-4111
Performances:
Thursday – Saturday at 8:00 pm
Sunday at 2 pm
All performances will take place at Andrews Living Arts
23 NW 5th St
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301
http://www.primalforcesproductions.com

A tough, suspenseful urban drama about a former 1960s revolutionary whose deceased wife has taken too many secrets to her grave. In his last-minute search for the truth, he hooks up with his estranged daughter only to learn that her story is darker and more complex than even he could have imagined. Acclaimed South Florida actors John Archie, Makeba Pace and Ethan Henry star in this shattering confrontation between father and daughter and past and present.

~*~

Redwood Curtain
By Lanford Wilson
Previews: April 4 – April 9, 2015
Runs: April 10 – April 26
Tickets: $25 (Previews: $20)
For Tickets: 866-811-4111
Performances: Thursday – Saturday at 8:00 pm
Sunday at 2 pm
All performances will take place at Andrews Living Arts
23 NW 5th St.
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301
http://www.primalforcesproductions.com

A teenager searches for her real father amongst the Vietnam veterans living in the Redwood Forest. “A play by a master storyteller… with a satisfying…mousetrap of a plot, a search for truth through the twisted paths of unhinged psyches, paternity and scandal.” – New York Times
With Ethan Henry, Jacqueline Laggy and Amarie Lee.

 

 

Broward Stage Door Theatre presents Joe DiPietro’s THE LAST ROMANCE – October 10 – November 23

23 Tuesday Sep 2014

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        openingpage-2-1The-Last-Romance-logo                                            October 10 – November 23
September 24, 2014

Playwright Joe DiPietro has become increasingly adept at illustrating the fascinating dynamics of love and family. From his first Off-Broadway success, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, through his Tony Award-winning hit Memphis, DiPietro has examined many aspects of the human connection. In the Broward Stage Door Theatre’s upcoming production of The Last Romance, DiPietro explores a relationship between a man and a woman who just happen to be over the age of 65, and the family ties that bind, and pull. The play is a gentle and tender comedy that mixes a lot of humor with a little bit of heartbreak… and opera!

Director Arthur Whitelaw and Stage Door’s Artistic Director Derelle Bunn have cast Larry Bramble, Phyllis Spear, Sally Bondi, and James Parks in the production, which will open on October 10th, and run through November 23rd.

“The Last Romance is a warm, funny and insightful play about love after 65,” says Whitelaw. “I hope our audiences will leave the theatre with a smile on their faces and a tear in their eyes. I know that after I read it, I did. Joe DiPietro is a talented young writer, who knows his characters and their territory.”

Larry Kent Bramble Headshot croppedLarry Bramble agrees. “When I first read this play I knew I had to play the role of Ralph. It seemed like it was written for me. Stage Door has allowed that dream to come true. I just directed Over the River and Through the Woods for Stage Door, and I have become a big fan of Joe DiPietro’s plays. He has an innate sense of what touches our souls and what makes us human.”

Joe DiPietro wrote the book and lyrics to the musical comedy hit I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, (composer: Jimmy Roberts), the longest running musical revue in off-Broadway history, with productions staged in over 150 cities around the world. He is also the author of the plays Over The River And Through The Woods, The Kiss At City Hall, The Virgin Weeps, and the comic thriller The Art Of Murder (winner of the 2000 Edgar Award). He wrote the book to the “new” Gershwin musical Nice Work If You Can Get It (world premiere: Goodspeed Opera House, 2001), a new adaptation of Rodgers & Hart’s Babes In Arms (world premiere: Goodspeed Opera House, 2002) and a new adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Allegro (world premiere: Signature Theatre, 2004). In addition to his book and lyrics for the recent off-Broadway musical The Thing About Men (composer: Jimmy Roberts), DiPietro’s other projects include book and lyrics for the rock & roll musical Memphis (composer: David Bryan, premiered regionally in late 2003), and the book for All Shook Up, an original musical comedy featuring the songs of Elvis Presley which opened on Broadway in 2005. Joe is the recipient of the William Inge Theater Festival New Voices In American Theater Award, and has won the O’Neill National Playwright’s Conference MacArthur Award for comic writing.

Arthur Whitelaw

Arthur Whitelaw

Arthur Whitelaw has been producing, directing, writing and acting for the past 61 years. His productions have won every major industry award including the Tony, Oscar, Emmy, Olivier, Evening Standard, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, etc.  He has discovered many future stars starting with his first production, Best Foot Forward which introduced Liza Minnelli and Christopher Walken to the New York stage. Others include: Marvin Hamlich, Stephen Schwartz, Gary Burgoff, Blyth Danner, Paul Michael Glaser, Christen Chenowyth to name only a few. His productions have played all over the world in and in many languages. Some of his many television credits include: You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (NBC) Emmy Nom., Celebrating Gershwin (PBS/BBC) EMMY WIN and for HBO,  Camelot, The Rainmaker, The Deadly Game, and Groucho. His film credits include: Butterflies Are Free, and Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn with Jodie Foster. A few Seasons ago Mr. Whitelaw acted in Full Circle (a play he wrote about his long career) and directed A Taffeta Wedding (a sequel to The Taffetas) both for the Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs. He has also just finished his autobiography Working For Peanuts.  Last year Mr. Whitelaw donated his vast theatre files to the Library of Congress.

The Last Romance will run from October 10th – November 23rd at The Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Coral Springs.

Tickets for The Last Romance are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at www.stagedoorfl.org.

The Last Romance
By Joe DiPietro
Directed by Arthur Whitelaw
Dates: October 10 – November 23
Tickets: $38 – $42 (Students $16)
For Tickets: 954-344-7765 / www.stagedoortheatre.com
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00 pm,
Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm
Sunday at 7:00 pm
The Broward Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Coral Springs, Fl 3306

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Pigs Do Fly Productions Takes off at Empire Stage May 1st – May 11th

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Working in association with Empire Stage,
Pigs Do Fly Productions will produce
Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It
A Collection of Seven Humorous Short Plays
logo-pigsdoflyprod-vertical

The plays have been chosen and casting is complete for Pigs Do Fly Productions’ very first production – Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It. Producer Ellen Wacher, along with directors Marjorie O’Neill-Butler and Beverly Blanchette and a committee made up of members of the South Florida theatrical community, spent several months weeding through the 353 short plays they received in response to their call for submissions. The final seven were selected at a marathon read through at Empire Stage on March 3rd.

Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It will run at Empire Stage from May 1st through May 11th.

Ellen WacherWacher was extremely specific in her search for just the right plays: “We looked for scripts that resonated with us; for situations that will strike a chord with our audiences; and of course, for humor,” she explains. “I’m really excited to be flying (pun intended!) this concept for the first time in South Florida. It’s definitely an idea whose time has come.”

Pigs Do Fly Productions’ mission is to produce plays that highlight the actor over 50 as a viable, fully involved, full of life character; the company’s goal is to tap into the 100 million plus Americans who are over age 50 and are under recognized by the marketers of products and entertainment – with theatre that reflects their world and resonates with them.

“Ellen told me she wanted to produce plays, and we agreed that she should produce plays about people over 50 since she is always discussing the lack of work for more mature actors,” says Marjorie O’Neill-Butler.  “I suggested the short play format; she came up with the idea of making the plays about people who are fit and happy.” O’Neill-Butler will direct four of the seven plays, Beverly Blanchette will direct three.

Todd Caster, Mark Kroczynski , Kitt Marsh, Troy J. Stanley, Carol Sussman, and Janet Weakly will all be featured in the production. Several of the actors, all of whom fall within the demographic Wacher hopes to attract, had signed on even before the plays were chosen. “However,” she stresses, “I have absolutely no doubt these plays will appeal to everyone. They’re funny, and witty, and touching, and will resonate with anyone who sees them.”

The seven 10-minute plays selected will be mounted in the following order (see below for playwright bios):
Flight Fright by Marjorie O’Neill-Butler
Kiss Her Goodbye by Mike Vogel
Theater In the Red byJoan Broadman
Mrs. Jensen Isn’t Here Now by Steve Korbar
Spice by David Susman
Poison Control by Rebecca  Gorman O’Neill
How Nice of You to Ask by Rich Rubin

Tickets for Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know it are $25 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com, or by calling 866-811-4111.

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
Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It
Dates:  May 1 – May 11, 2014
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
Tickets: $25
Tickets: 866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
All performances will take place at Empire Stage.
1140 North Flagler Drive.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Pigs Do Fly Production Team:
Producer/Artistic Director:        Ellen Wacher
Director:                               Marjorie O’Neill-Butler
Director:                               Beverly Blanchette
Stage Manager:                    Jeffrey Ostrow
Set Designer:                        Preston Bircher
Marketing & Public Relations:  Carol Kassie

Playwright Bios:

Joan Broadman (Theatre in the Red) has written twelve short plays, three full-length plays, and three feature-length screenplays. Her plays have been performed in twelve states, Australia, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Her many playwriting awards include “Excellence in Playwriting” from the Theatre Association of New York State. In June 2013, Broadman completed UCLA’s Professional Program in Screenwriting.

Steven Korbar’s (Mrs. Jensen Isn’t Here Now) full-length and one-act plays have been produced throughout the United States and Canada. Productions include I Understand Your Frustration at the Turtleshell Theatre NYC, Let Go at Future Ten in Pittsburgh, Hard at Elephant Stageworks in LA, Circles at Shelterbelt Theatre in Omaha.  His comedy What Are You Going to Be was recently published as part of Smith and Kraus’ “Best Short Plays of 2013”.

Rebecca Gorman O’Neill (Poison Control) was born in Akron, Ohio.  She escaped at age 17 to attend Dartmouth College, and she went on to earn her M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University.  Rebecca’s original plays have been produced across the country, and her plays Tell-Tale and The Greater Good are available from Eldridge Publishing and Next Stage Press, respectively.  Rebecca is an Associate Professor of English at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she reaches playwriting, screenwriting, cinema studies, and the graphic novel.

Marj O’Neill-Butler, (Flight Fright) a member of the Dramatists Guild and the International Center for Women Playwrights, is a produced playwright of True Blue, eight Theatre for Children scripts, short plays Stalwart Woman, At The Bus Stop, Life Imitates Art, Leaving Home, What If?, Scavenger Hunt, Missed Connections, Elf Yourself, Chairs, One Less, and a reader’s theatre script The Women Of The Beat Generation.   She is proud member of Equity and SAG-AFTRA. Visit her online at http://www.marjorieoneill-butler.com.

Rich Rubin’s (How Nice of You to Ask) plays have been produced throughout the U. S., including theaters in New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles. Internationally, his work has been staged in London, Berlin, Sydney, Singapore, Mexico and Canada. Rich is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild as well as Portland’s Nameless Playwrights and P-Town Playwrights.

David Susman’s (Spice) short plays have been staged at the Boston Theater Marathon, the Maine Playwrights Festival, the Playwrights’ Platform Festival of New Plays in Boston, the Company Theatre’s Winter Shorts Festival in Norwell, MA, and the 0-60 Ten Minute Play Competition at Longwood University in Virginia. He lives and teaches in southern Maine.

Mike Vogel’s (Kiss Her Goodbye) full-length comedy March Madness was successfully produced off-Broadway in Fall 2012 at NYC’s Abingdon Theatre. He has had numerous one act plays produced nationwide and also writes a weekly column for a NYC newspaper.

 

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