Tag Archives: Seth Trucks

Norman Shabel’s ‘Dysfunctional Comedy’ MARTY’S BACK IN TOWN! in Aventura and Boca Raton in March

07 Tuesday Feb 2023

Posted by in Clients, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Ebenezer’s Entertainment
to present
Norman Shabel’s ‘Dysfunctional Comedy’
Marty’s Back in Town
In Two South Florida Venues

Shake many a family tree and you’ll likely find the same nuts!

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

February 7, 2023

AVENTURA & BOCA RATON, FL:  Marty’s Back in Town!, Playwright Norman Shabel’s comedic drama about the ups and downs of a dysfunctional family and their relationships with each other and with the “black sheep” who is returning home after 10 years, will run at the Alan and Diane Lieberman Theatre at the Michael-Ann Russel JCC in Miami from March 9 – 19, and at The Studio at Mizner Park in Boca Raton from March 24 – April 2nd.

Shabel, whose well-received courtroom drama A Class Act had a successful run in Boca Raton in 2022, admits to drawing on his own “true life’ experiences to fashion this story:

Norman Shabel

“Marty’s really done things the family didn’t like over the years,” Shabel explains.  And now he thinks he’s dying so he arrives ‘home’ with his wife… and it’s how the family reacts.  That’s the fire under this play – his return.

“Those things could have happened over many, many years, or many, many months, or many, many days,” Shabel continues.  “And what I’ve done is, I’ve compressed these characters – their actions and their issues, their attributes, their good things, their bad things, their hatreds, their fears – into an hour and a half or two hours, so the playgoer will know, this is the character, this is what he’s all about, this isTh his life.  And the difficult part, of course, is putting a lifetime into an hour and a half or two hours.  And I think that’s what I’ve done in Marty’s Back in Town!

Shabel has tasked Seth Trucks with directing the production, and Trucks has convened a stellar cast to bring Marty and his family to life:

James A. Skiba will play Marty, Ben Prayz will play his brother Ronald, Francine Silvers will play his sister, Susan, and Christine Chavers will play the family matriarch.  Also cast are Leslie Kandel, Blaine DeBerry, Emma Mcavoy, and Peter Galman who will play the family patriarch, Sam.  Galman will also take on the role of Assistant Director for the Production, along with Chris Cooper.  Harold Petion is the production’s Stage Manager.

Brooklyn-born, successful New Jersey class-action attorney turned author Norman Shabel has been driven to write ever since he can remember. By the time he was in his twenties he had written several novels that ended up stuffed in drawers as he launched his legal career, married and had a family. To date Shabel has written 7 plays and 8 novels, some written in long-hand, hunched over his desk while waiting for a jury verdict to come in, and all dealing with either crime, relatable family dynamics or both.  Three of his plays have been produced Off-Broadway in New York, Philadelphia, and in several theaters in South Florida.

Marty’s Back in Town! will run at the Michael-Ann Russell JCC from March 9 – March 19, and at the Studio at Mizner Park from March 24 – April 2. Ticket prices range from $25 to $45.

The Alan and Diane Lieberman Theatre at the Michael-Ann Russel JCC is located at 18900 NE 25th Street in Miami (33180). The Studio at Mizner Park is located at 201 Plaza Real, in Boca Raton (33432).

For more information about Marty’s Back in Town!, or to arrange to see the production, pleasecontact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Marty’s Back in Town!
By Norman Shabel
March 9 – 19
Performances:
Thursday, March 9 & 16 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 11 & 18 at 8 pm
Sunday, March 12 & 19 at 5 pm
For tickets: https://www.ticketplate.com/martysbackintown
Performances at:
The Alan and Diane Lieberman Theatre at the Michael-Ann Russel JCC
18900 NE 25th Street
Miami, FL 33180

March 24 – April 2
Performances:Friday & Saturday at 7:30 pm
Sunday at 3:00 pm
For tickets: https://tinyurl.com/28as53yp
Performances at:
The Studio at Mizner Park
201 Plaza Real, 2nd Floor
Boca Raton, FL 33432

  • Norman Shabel
  • Seth Trucks
  • Ben Prayz, Christine Chavers, Francine Birns, Christian Cooper, Leslie Kandel
  • Ben Prayz, Emma McAvoy
  • Ben Prayz, James Skiba & Cast
  • James Skiba


Riveting Legal Drama! A CLASS ACT – November 11 – 20, 2022 at Sandrell Rivers Theater

20 Thursday Oct 2022

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


A Riveting Legal Drama
A Class Act
at Sandrell Rivers Theater
November 11 – 20, 2022

“…always absorbing, always unpredictable.”
~ TheaterScene.net

“…contamination is really a national crisis, and the real scale of contamination is staggering. The more we test, the more we find it.”
~ Melanie Benesh, Legislative Attorney at the Environmental Working Group, Washington

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

October 20, 2022

MIAMI, FL:   A major chemical company pours cancer-causing waste into the water supply, and a high-powered law firm brings a class action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of “the little people” – who might die from the poisonous water. Who wins?  Who loses?  A Class Act, Norman Shabel’s intriguing and timely look at the inner workings of our justice system will ask and possibly answer these, and other questions when the play runs from November 11th through November 20th at the Sandrell Rivers Theater in Miami.  

As the lawyers wheel and deal and decide whether to take a settlement or go to trial, it becomes increasingly unclear who is really winning. Who makes millions whether they win or lose? Which lawyers battle the best… or the worst? Who gets justice in the end? A Class Act is a sophisticated thrill ride that has been described as “engrossing and gripping”. It examines a world in which greed pervades, the loyal suffer, and morality is always relative.

Norman Shabel

“When I originally wrote the play, we were all probably peripherally aware that there was poison being dumped in the worlds’ drinking waters by non-caring corporations whose only consideration was saving expenses in the production of their products,” Shabel said recently.  “But of late there have been numerous articles and exposés – nationally and locally – that have brought the issue to the forefront. 

“In fact, this past June, the Environmental Protection Agency warned that ‘forever chemicals’ found in our nations’ drinking water are more dangerous than previously thought, and by some estimates, these toxic family of chemicals can be found in the blood of nearly every person on our planet.

“The issue of polluted drinking water is now in the headlines regarding Camp Lejeune, where millions of soldiers housed there were poisoned by deadly drinking water.  A Class Act involves the deadly drinking water in the fifty states of the US and the litigation that evolved from that awful water poisoning, etc.

“Courts are inherently dramatic places, and I guess I saw that connection between law and theater before I even realized it,” he continued. “A Class Act depicts the dramatically war-like negotiations between those corporate non-caring pollution perpetrators and the lawyers who represent the dying public.”

Attorney turned author and playwright Norman Shabel spent close to 50 years as a trial and class action lawyer.  He has drawn upon his experience to fashion a ‘pulled from the headlines’ look at what goes on in corporate America, in courtrooms, and behind the scenes.  A Class Act received excellent reviews when it played Off-Broadway in 2016.

A Class Act director Seth Trucks’ cast includes Lito Becerra, Adam Crain, Christopher Dreeson, Carey Hart, Harold Petion, and Nick Valdes.  Sara Grant will serve as the production’s Stage Manager.

A Class Act will run at Sandrell Rivers Theater from November 11 – 20. Ticket prices range from $25 to $40 and can be purchased online at https://normanshabel.net/plays/a-class-act-performance  or by phone at 305-284-8872.

Sandrell Rivers Theater is located at 6103 MW 7th Avenue, in Miami (33127).

For more information about A Class Act, or to arrange to see the production, pleasecontact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.
~

A Class Act
By Norman Schabel
November 11 – 20, 2022
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm
Tickets: $25 (veterans, seniors, students with ID)/$35 (advance sale)/$40 (at the door)
For tickets: https://normanshabel.net/plays/a-class-act-performance
Or call 305-284-8872
Sandrell Rivers Theater
6103 NW 7th Avenue
Miami, FL 33127

  • Seth Trucks
  • Lito Becerra
  • Adam Crain
  • Christopher Dreeson
  • Carey Hart
  • Harold Petion
  • Nick Valdes
  • Kent Wilson
  • Sara Grant
  • Norman Shabel
  • R. Kent Wilson, Nick Valdes, Carey Brianna Hart, Christopher Dreeson
  • Lito Becerra, Adam D. Crain, Harold Petion
  • Bottom: Harold Petion, Carey Brianna Hart, Nick Valdes Top: Adam D. Crain, R. Kent Wilson, Christopher Dreeson, Lito Becerra

World Premiere: EDUCATING ASHER Debuts at Empire Stage July 29 – August 14

18 Monday Jul 2022

Posted by in Clients, Empire Stage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

A World Premiere at Empire Stage

Eytan Deray’s  
Educating Asher
Debuts July 29 – August 14, 2022

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

July 18, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  Multi-talented South Florida actor and cabaret artist Eytan Deray has added playwright to the list of his accomplishments.  His new play, Educating Asher, will have its world premiere at Empire Stage.  The production will open at July 29th and run through August 14th at the popular Fort Lauderdale venue.  

Eytan Deray

“I started writing Educating Asher 5 years ago as personal therapy after finding out about a beloved teacher’s passing,” Deray explains. “Now it’s a fully realized portrait of grief, friendships between generational gaps, and the importance of teachers/mentors in our life. This play is for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, and my hope is that audiences will leave the theatre not just moved, but ready to start a much-needed conversation.”

Hiding in the kitchen at a reception for a funeral, Asher is not quite sure how to process his grief over the loss of his former middle school teacher, Elliott Weiss, who he hasn’t spoken to or seen in five years. His boyfriend Mark tries to encourage him to talk to Mr. Weiss’s widower, Nick, but to no avail. Soon enough, Asher is forced to confront his grief when Elliott’s ghost appears in the kitchen with him. It’s only now that Elliott is gone that Asher can finally say everything he ever wanted to the teacher that changed his life.

Seth Trucks

“Eytan’s play is deeply personal, somewhat autobiographical, and he has brought in a team of his close friends to help him tell this story,” says Educating Asher’s director Seth Trucks. “It’s been a very powerful experience, the cast is amazing, are all working beautifully together, and I cannot wait to share his play with everyone.”

Trucks has cast Murphy Hayes as Elliott, Michael Harper as Mark, and Noah Levine as Nick.  Eytan Deray will play Asher.

Harold Petion will serve as the production’s Stage Manager.  Lighting Design is by Preston Bircher, Set Design is by Johnbarry Green and Jordon Armstrong, and Sound Design is by Seth Trucks.

Tickets for Educating Asher are $25 and are available online at www.empirestage.com or by calling 954-678-1496.  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 Educating Asher, to arrange to see a performance, or for interviews or photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Educating Asher
July 29 – August 14, 2022By Eytan Deray
Directed by Seth Trucks
Tickets: $25
For tickets:
www.empirestage.com / 954-678-1496
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
All performances take place at 
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

  • Eytan Deray
  • Michael Harper
  • Murphy Hayes
  • Noah Levine
  • Seth Trucks
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray, Noah Levine
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray
  • Michael Harper, Eytan Deray
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray
  • Eytan Deray
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray, Noah Levine

Shakespeare Troupe of South Florida to present Twelfth Night in Boca Raton & Delray Beach August 14th & 15th

21 Wednesday Jul 2021

Posted by in Clients, Shakespeare Troupe of South Florida

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

“Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit” ~ William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244
or
Peter W. Galman
Shakespeare Troupe of South Florida
anon@shakestroupe.org / 718-813-7383“Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.”
― William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

July 22, 2021

BOCA RATON & DELRAY BEACH, FL:  The Shakespeare Troupe of South Florida will present their production of Twelfth Night for two performances only – at the Mizner Park Cultural Center in Boca Raton on August 14th, and at the Delray Beach Playhouse on August 15th.

One of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays, Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy of love and ambition, and centers on twins Viola and Sebastian. Separated in a shipwreck, each believes the other has been lost.  Viola disguises herself as a young man named Cesario, and the now identical sister and brother separately seek their fortunes in the sea-coast country of Illyria.   Viola/Cesario unwittingly captures the heart of the wealthy countess Olivia and romantic and comedic complications ensue. 

The play is believed to have been written between 1601 and 1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season, and features several of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters, including Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, the fool Feste, and Malvolio the pompous steward of Countess Olivia’s household.

Peter Galman

Founded by noted South Florida Actor/Director/Producer Peter Galman, the Shakespeare Troupe of South Florida’s mission is to cultivate an appreciation of Shakespeare among new audiences through the employment of professional actors trained to give the most authentic performance culled from the cues and clues found in the 1623 First Folio.  The company has performed the Bard’s plays and conducted workshops in multiple venues and schools throughout the state.  

Galman has assembled an impressive cast for this production, including Sara Elizabeth Grant as Viola, Seth Trucks as Malvolio, Johnbarry Green as Sir Toby Belch, Michael Font as Feste, and Laurie Tanner as Maria.  Galman will take on the role Sir Andrew Aguecheek.  

General Admission tickets for Twelfth Night are available online and are Free.  There are also VIP tickets available for each performance.

For more information about the Shakespeare Troupe of South Florida please visit https://shakestroupe.org or contact Peter W. Galman at anon@shakestroupe.org / 718-813-7383 or Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Twelfth Night performance dates and times:

August 14 at 7:30 pm
Tickets:  General Admission – Free
VIP Tickets: $25
Mizner Park Cultural Center
201 Plaza Real,
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Box Office:  844-672-2849
Tickets online: https://miznerparkculturalcenter.com/events/twelfth-night-or-what-you-will August 15 at 2:00 pm
Tickets:  General Admission – Free
VIP Tickets: $25
Delray Beach Playhouse
950 NW 9th Street
Delray Beach, FL  33444
Box Office:  561-272-1281
Tickets online:  https://delraybeachplayhouse.com/performance/twelfth-night-or-what-you-will

  • Seth Trucks
  • Sarah Elizabeth Grant
  • Johnbarry Green

MNM Theatre Company Partners with King of Cats Theatre Company to Bring Live Theatre to Schools and Families in Three Counties

16 Wednesday Jun 2021

Posted by in Clients, MNM Theatre Company

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

June 16, 2021

BOCA RATON, FL: MNM Theatre Company will partner with King of Cats Theatre Company to bring Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) to the area. TYA’s purpose is to bring arts education and arts exposure to communities that are often overlooked and underserved within the South Florida community.  King of Cats Artistic Director Devin Tupler, along with the MNM Theatre Company team, have created a program that will be available to audiences who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience live theatre. The company’s pricing and business model are predicated on the premise that schools and families should be able to afford to experience theatre regardless of their socio-economic circumstances.

Marcie Gorman

“We are so pleased to be partnering with King of Cats,” MNM’s Producing Artistic Director and CEO said recently. “MNM has always been about community – we cast and hire within our South Florida community, and this is one project that fits our mission statement to a tee.”

“Theatre has given me my passion, my work ethic, my love of reading, my love for my fellow man, and almost every other trait I consider positive within myself,” Tupler says. “And I am not an anomaly. Almost every person I’ve met who was exposed to theater as a child (and I don’t mean just those working professionally in the field now) are some of the kindest, warmest, and hardest working people I know. So, when I heard from teacher friends that schools’ arts and theatre budgets kept getting cut, I knew I had to do something.  TYA is focused on inspiring the next generation through the arts, and that mission truly resonates with me.”

When asked about the origin of the name of her company, Tupler explains “I picked King of Cats because it refers to the character Tybalt in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, one of the plays we’ll be doing in 2022.  He’s the big brother everyone wishes they had (he’s a cousin in the play but still!). He’s protective, he loves his family with all of his heart, and his headstrong and fiery nature only show itself when he feels his family being slandered.” 

King of Cats will mount a four-show season beginning next fall, based on the current public school English curriculum, and will travel to three venues in three counties – Pinecrest Gardens in Miami/Dade, Miramar Cultural Center in Broward County, and FAU’s Barry Kaye Auditorium in Palm Beach County, during the 2021-2022 school year.

The company’s season will open with the world premiere of Robin Hood: How a Hero Came to Be, by local playwright/actor Robyn Eli Brenner. A devised work that is zany, quirky, fun, and full of heart, Robin Hood will be directed by Seth Trucks, and will run from late October through November.

King of Cats’ Devin Tupler will helm the January production, the world premiere of Treasure Island, by South Florida and New York based playwright Luis Roberto Herrera. The play is a swashbuckling, heart-stopping pirate adventure designed for middle schoolers, but has been approved for advanced elementary and 9th and10th grade students.

A new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, directed by Samantha Kaufman, will be King of Cats’ third production of their season.  This newly adapted version will retain Shakespeare’s classic language, but will add modern music, anachronistic costuming, stunt work, and the innovative use of multimedia. This show is designed for high school students. Romeo and Juliet will run from early February through the first week of April.

Awaken! is an adaptation of the Sleeping Beauty story by David and Paul Rigano, the award-winning cabaret and musical theatre song-writing team known as the Rigano Songbook. The multi-talented brothers will direct and musical direct the production –TYA’s only musical of the season.  Awaken! is designed for elementary school students and will run in April and May.

To learn more about King of Cats Theatre Company visit www.kingofcatstheatreco.org/.  MNM Theatre Company’s website can be found at www.mnmtheatre.org/. For more information about reservations, ticketing, pricing, specific dates, and availability, please contact Devin Tupler at  kingofcatstheatre@gmail.com / 954-850-0464

Jordon Armstrong and Devin Tupler as Romeo and Juliet

Sol Children Theatre presents PETER AND THE STARCATCHER & ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL

02 Tuesday Jul 2019

Posted by in Clients, Sol Children Theatre

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Summertime Magic at Sol
Sol Children Theatre
presents
Peter and the Starcatcher &
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

“To enter a theatre for a performance is to be inducted into a magical space, to be ushered into the sacred arena of the imagination.”  Simon Callow

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

July 2, 2019
BOCA RATON, FL:  If you’re looking for magical, imaginative, family-friendly theatre this summer, look no farther than Boca Raton! Sol Children Theatre will present Peter and the Starcatcher and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical in repertory style from July 12th through August 4th.  Both productions will star the talented young actors who are participating in the company’s Summer Repertory Theatre program.

“It started out as an exciting notion, doing Summer Repertory, and then it developed into feasible programming,” Sol Producer Sara Elizabeth Grant explains. “Two shows sharing a black box theatre isn’t easy, but it certainly presents an incredible opportunity for theatre magic to take place. And what better shows than to choose ones that revolve around magic! We’re so fortunate to have the directing and production team that we have on board, not to mention our exceptional two casts of young theatre artists. Watching these shows evolve is truly magical.”

The Tony Award-winning Peter and the Starcatcher upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan).  From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair, and the bonds of duty, friendship, and love.

Starcatcher’s cast includes Andrew Salmore, Austin Stein, Ava Cavasos, Calvin Zanetti, Hartlynn Ackerman, Kayla Asuoty, Megan Mascaro, Samantha Mascaro, and Tyler Wartmann. The production will be directed by Seth Trucks.

“I am beyond thrilled to be returning to Sol Children as a director for the third time,” Trucks says.  “Given that we are presenting Peter and the Starcatcher I am especially excited to be working with such a talented and experienced cast of young actors. The open-ended nature of the stage directions in this play have allowed us to use their considerable imaginations to build the images and stage magic. The result is an original and authentic version of this beautiful play.”

Inspired by the genius of Roald Dahl, the multiple award-winning Matilda the Musical is a captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination, and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life.

Angela Thomas will direct Angelique Petersen, Brayden Wartmann, Eden Wexler, Hadrian Schrag, Jailee Dejean, Kimmy Wilkinson, Kylie Lawrence, Maureen Tracy, Maleah Dejean, Mia Salerno, Nisa Guvenilir, Saheli Khan, Samantha Mascaro, and Sofia Soleil Zontini in Matilda.

“As a director I have always enjoyed bringing stories to life onstage,” Thomas says.  “And with Matilda The Musical – a story about children, their perception of the world and circumstances around them, and the power of imagination and kindness, I am presented with the beautiful opportunity to bring Roald Dahl’s book, turned movie, turned stage musical to life with the young performers of Sol Children Theatre.”

Boca Raton’s Sol Children Theatre is a not-for-profit theatre organization founded by veteran director and actor Rosalie Grant seventeen years ago.  The company’s mission is to provide children with a safe, secure, and highly professional theatre experience.  Those children in then in turn provide quality theatre experiences for audiences.

Tickets for both productions are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.solchildren.org or by calling 561-447-8829.  Tickets are $20; $15 for children aged 11 or younger. Sol Children Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).

For more information about Sol Children Theatre, visit www.solchildren.org, or contact Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / carol@carolkassie.com

~

Peter and the Starcatcher
July 12 – 14; July 26 – 28
By Rick Elice
Based on  the Novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Music by Wayne Barker
Directed by Seth Trucks
Performances:
Fridays & Saturdays at 7 pm
Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm
For tickets: www.solchildren.org or call 561-447-8829
Tickets:  $20 (Adults) & $15 (Juniors – 11 and under)
All performances will take place at
Sol Theatre
3333 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33431

Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
July 19 – 21; August 2 – 4
Book by Dennis Kelly
Based on the book by Roald Dahl
Music and lyrics by Tim Minchin
Directed by Angela Thomas
Performances:
Fridays & Saturdays at 7 pm
Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm
For tickets: www.solchildren.org or call 561-447-8829
Tickets:  $20 (Adults) & $15 (Juniors – 11 and under)
All performances will take place at
Sol Theatre
3333 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33431

www.solchildren.org
Like Us on Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Evening Star Productions’ ‘Sol After Dark’ presents MACBETH – October 26th – 28th Only!

13 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Evening Star Productions
presents
Sol After Dark’s
Premiere Production:
Macbeth
October 26 – 28

 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rosalie Grant
info@eveningstarproductions.org / 561-447-8829
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

October 13, 2017

BOCA RATON, FL: Evening Star Productions will kick off their newest project, Sol After Dark, with a one-act adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.  The production, which will run for just three days – from October 26th to 28th – is the first of what Evening Star’s Artistic Director Rosalie Grant says will be “something a little off the beaten theatre path for those hungry for a different bite of theatre.”

“Our lineup of productions will feature an all-inclusive evening in one ticket price,” she explained recently.  “A “bite” of theatre, refreshments, and talk backs after the shows which will include (along with the upcoming Shakespearean selection), absurdism, science fiction, and more.”

Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, thought to have first been performed in 1606, and often called “The Scottish Play”, Macbeth explores the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. Of all the plays Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, who was patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright’s relationship with his sovereign.

Seth Trucks and Sara Elizabeth Grant are collaborating to create the one-act adaptation consisting of a cast of four.  Audience members will be immersed in all that is terrifying about power and the repercussions that follow.

“As Evening Star continues to explore Shakespeare, we thought Macbeth would be the perfect fit for the intimacy that Sol Theatre provides.” Seth Trucks says.  “Having the actors right in the audience’s faces will allow them to track every devious thought in the characters’ eyes.  Already Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, we have cut it down even more so they the audience never gets a break from the tension.”

Sara Elizabeth Grant will direct the production.  The cast of four includes Trucks as Macbeth, and Amada Ortega, Courtney Poston, and Kimberly Bernzky as Witches One, Two, and Three.  The evening will be hosted by Natalie Herman.

“It’s no secret we live in a world controlled by status, which leaves us the option to either dominate or submit,” says director Grant.  “What’s not so clear is what choices to make when one obtains power, and what hidden forces are behind it.  The story of Macbeth embodies this very struggle, containing degrees of political and magical.  Our adaptation reveals that manipulation can be overlooked by the need for power.

“As we approach Samhain, it is only appropriate to turn our attention to the roles the 3 Witches play in Macbeth… that magic has the ability to alter someone’s fate,” she continues.  “The Witches create a world of hallucination by taking on each pivotal character that Macbeth encounters.  This leaves him the choice to either harness his power for good or allow it to let him fall.”

Macbeth will run for three performances only – October 26 – 28 at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton. Tickets are $20 (including refreshments and talk back) and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased  by calling 561-447-8829 or online at www.eveningstarproductions.org.

For more information about Evening Star Productions and Sol After Dark, visit www.eveningstarproductions.org or contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 /info@eveningstarproductions.com ; for more information about this production, contact Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 /carol@carolkassie.com.

This press release along with head shots and graphics can be viewed on line at:  TBA

Macbeth
By William Shakespeare
Adapted by Seth Trucks and Sara Elizabeth Grant
October 26 – 28, 2017
Tickets:  $20
Tickets:  561-447-8829 / www.eveningstarproductions.org
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8 pm
Sol Theatre
3333 N. Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL  33431
www.eveningstarproductions.org
Like Us on Facebook! 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Sol Children Theatre Presents ALICE IN WONDERLAND – August 10 – 20

28 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by in Clients, Sol Children Theatre

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Sol Children Theatre
Presents
Alice in Wonderland
August 10 – 20

Especially adapted for Sol Children Theatre by Seth Trucks

July 28, 2017
BOCA RATON, FL:  Sol Theatre will play host to The Mad Hatter, The Queen of Hearts, Tweedledum, Tweedledee, and of course The White Rabbit, when Sol Children Theatre presents Seth Trucks’ adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s magical classic, Alice in Wonderland.  The production will open on August 10th, and run through August 20th at the popular Boca Raton venue.  Alice and her friends will then move to the Delray Beach Children’s Garden for three special sunset performances on August 24th, 25th, and 26th.

“This is an original adaptation written specifically for Sol Theatre the actors involved in the production,” explains the show’s director, Seth Trucks.   “Our co-director, Savannah Rootes, is a recent graduate of Sol Children’s Troupe and she has returned to pass on her knowledge and passion to our newer members.

“We have enough enthusiasm to power Boca for a year!” Trucks continues. “Our production will balance a faithful approach to Carroll’s language, with a ton of new twists and takes on Wonderland and its strange inhabitants.”

Alice in Wonderland – originally titled Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – was first published in 1865 and immediately became a publishing sensation, beloved by children and adults alike.  The book has never been out of print, and has been translated into close to 180 languages.  In Trucks’ adaptation, Alice finds a glove belonging to a White Rabbit, and wanting to return it, she follows him down a rabbit hole, into a fantastical Wonderland, where the Queen of Hearts rules over a peculiar assortment of creatures, and Alice’s adventures become ‘curiouser and curiouser’.

Alice in Wonderland’s Alice will be played by three actors:  Eden Wexler, Mandy Feuerman and Zoe Alarcon; Noah Fineman has been cast as The White Rabbit, Ava Cavasos as The Mad Hatter, and Brooke Hall as The Queen of Hearts.  Other cast members include Jamie Feuerman, Zoe Wexler, Addison Wexler, Zoe Alarcon, Sami Mascaro, Kimberly Wilkinson, Faith Alfieri, Isabella Welch, Natalie Macadar, Emma and Kylie Lawrence, Alan and Amalia Hasselman, Violet Zeiders, Olivia Shiver, Celia Roberts, and Rylee Siegel.

Seth Trucks studied experimental theatre at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and classical theatre at the British American Drama Academy and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.  In New York, Seth performed with Fractured Atlas, Synaesthetic Theatre, and worked as a freelance fight choreographer.  He also spent five years as a writer/performer with the New York based comedy troupe, The Six Characters.  In Florida, Seth has performed with the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival, Outré Theatre Company and Entr’Acte Theatrix.  He recently received glowing reviews in Evening Star Productions’ Waiting for Godot, and is currently starring in Outré Theatre Company’s 1984.

Boca Raton’s Sol Children Theatre is a not-for-profit theatre organization founded by veteran director and actor Rosalie Grant sixteen years ago.  The company’s mission is to provide children with a safe, secure, and highly professional theatre experience.  Those children in then in turn provide quality theatre experiences for audiences.

Tickets for Alice in Wonderland are on sale now and can be purchased on line at www.solchildren.org or by calling 561-447-8829.  Tickets are $20; $15 for children aged 11 or younger.  Sol Children Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).  The Delray Beach Children’s Garden is located at 137 SW 2nd Avenue in Delray Beach (33444).

For more information about Sol Children Theatre, visit www.solchildren.org, or contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 / solchildtroupe@aol.com or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / carol@carolkassie.com

Alice in Wonderland
August 10 – 20 at Sol Theatre
August 24 – 26 at Delray Beach Children’s Garden
Adapted and Directed by Seth Trucks
From the novel by Lewis Carroll
Tickets: $20 (Juniors – 11 & under $15)
Phone: 561-447-8829
Online: www.solchildren.org
Showtimes:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm

Sol Theatre
3333 N. Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL  33431
www.solchildren.org
Like Us on Facebook!

Delray Beach Children’s Garden
137 SW 2nd Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
www.delraybeachchildrensgarden.org


This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida” (Section 286.25, Florida Statutes).

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Evening Star Productions & Sol Children Theatre Announce Their 2017-2018 Season

09 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Clients, Sol Children Theatre

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Shakespeare to Cinderella:
Two popular Boca Raton theatre companies will offer audiences and actors of all ages an exciting mix of theatre

 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rosalie Grant
info@eveningstarproductions.org / 561-447-8829
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

May 10, 2017:
BOCA RATON, FL:  Although Evening Star Productions and Sol Children Theatre are not yet through their fourth and fifteenth seasons, both companies – under the direction of founder and Artistic Director Rosalie Grant – are deep into preparation for next year’s productions.

Evening Star Productions 2017-2018 season will begin with David Mamet’s Oleanna (September 21 – October 8, 2017), continue with Shakespeare’s Macbeth (October 26 – 28), and conclude with Peter Gordon’s Secondary Cause of Death (April 20 – May 6, 2018).

Sol Children Theatre will present Around the World in 80 Days (a musical, adapted from the Jules Verne classic by Chris Blackwood, with music by Piers Chater Robinson) (December 8 – 23, 2017), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (March 1 – 18, 2018), and a musical version of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach (August 24 – September 2, 2018).

Sol Theatre’s final production of the 2016-2017 season, Alice in Wonderland, adapted and directed by Seth Trucks, will run from August 10 through August 20.

Rosalie Grant

“Sol Theatre’s 2017-2018 Season needs to be a big party!” Rosalie Grant explains.  “All season long we’ll be celebrating Sol Children Theatre turning sweet sixteen!  With the exception of Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, which will feature all children and teen actors, we will be casting the Sol Children shows age appropriately, giving local actors more chances to get on stage, and our patrons the chance to enjoy professional actors in great children’s musicals!

Evening Star Productions’ recent production of Samuel Beckett’s existential masterpiece Waiting for Godot garnered rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, along with the honor of a Carbonell recommendation, and the young company’s 2017-18 season will once again offer audiences an eclectic – and exciting – menu to choose from.  “Following the extraordinary success of Godot we’re pleased to kick off Evening Star’s fourth season with the still-relevant Oleanna, by David Mamet, followed by Peter Gordon’s Secondary Cause of Death,” Grant reveals. “Secondary Cause of Death is the sequel to Murdered to Death – which proved to be wildly popular when we produced it in April 2016.  And we’re delighted to announce that Seth Trucks will be back as the inept Inspector Pratt, and Murphy Hayes will return as Colonel Craddock.

“We will be announcing additions to the Evening Star season through our newest endeavor, Sol After Dark, which will kick off in October with a one-act adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth,” Grant continues. “This lineup of productions will feature an all-inclusive evening in one ticket price:  a “bite” of theatre, refreshments and talk backs after the shows which will include Shakespeare, absurdism, science fiction etc… something a little off the beaten theatre path for those hungry for a different bite of theatre.  All of us at Sol are very excited for 2017 – 18.”

All Evening Star Productions and Sol Children Theatre performances will take place at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton.  Ticket prices for all 2017-2018 productions are listed below; group rates are available for all shows. Tickets to all Evening Star Productions and Sol Children Theatre 2017-2018 productions will be on sale soon; tickets for both companies’ remaining 2016-2017 productions are on sale now and can be purchased at the Sol Theatre box office at 561-447-8829 or on line at www.eveningstarproductions.org or www.solchildren.org  Sol Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).

For more information about Evening Star Productions and Sol Children Theatre, please contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 / info@eveningstarproductions.com or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / carol@carolkassie.com .

EVENING STAR PRODUCTIONS
2018-2018 Season

Oleanna
September 21 – October 8, 2017
By David Mamet
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Featuring Todd Bruno and Sara Grant
Tickets:  $30 / $20 for students
A seething investigation of “political correctness” in a time when the nation’s morality has been tested by increased incidents of sexual harassment. “Oleanna is likely to provoke more arguments than any play this year.” —NY Times. “One of the ten best plays of 1992…reason enough to cheer for the future of the theatre.” —Time Magazine.

Macbeth
October 26 – 28, 2017
By William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by Seth Trucks and Sara Grant
Tickets:  $20
Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, thought to have first been performed in 1606, “The Scottish Play” explores the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. Of all the plays Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, who was patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright’s relationship with his sovereign.
The premiere production of ‘Sol After Dark’.

Secondary Cause of Death
April 20 – May 6, 2018
By Peter Gordon
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Tickets:  $30 / $20 students
The hilarious sequel to the author’s hit comedy thriller Murdered to Death: It’s now 1939, and storm clouds are gathering over Europe. Having inherited Bagshot House, Colonel Charles Craddock has converted the property into a hotel for the discerning visitor. Soon Inspector Pratt arrives once again at Bagshot House, bearing grim news for Colonel Craddock. But that’s just the beginning—who is the strange Polish Count? Is Henrietta really an army captain? And where does the flamboyant thespian Cardew Longfellow fit into the picture? When Joan Maple’s sister Cynthia arrives to stage a murder mystery evening, it’s not long before Pratt’s visit turns into a chaotic nightmare as the bodies pile higher than ever!

SOL CHILDREN THEATRE
2017-2018 Season

Around the World in 80 Days
December 8 – 23, 2017
Book and Lyrics by Chris Blackwood
Music by Piers Chater Robinson
Based on the book by Jules Verne
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Tickets:  $20 / $15 juniors (11 and under)
Based on Jules Verne’s classic novel, the musical recounts the journey of Phileas Fogg who has made a bet with the members of his gentlemen’s club that he can travel around the world in 80 days. Accompanied by his servant Passepartout the plot revolves around the adventures Fogg faces in his attempt.

Cinderella  
March 1 – 18, 2018
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Richard Rodgers
Directed by Seth Trucks
Tickets:  $20 / $15 juniors (11 and under)
The timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm, and elegance. Adapted for the stage with great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, the hearts of children and adults alike still soar when
the slipper fits!

James and the Giant Peach
August 24 – September 2, 2018
Book by Timothy Allen McDonald
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Based on the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Tickets:  $20 / $15 juniors (11 and under)
When James is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree, he discovers a magic potion that results in a tremendous peach… and launches a journey of enormous proportions. Suddenly, James finds himself in the center of the gigantic peach, among human-sized insects with equally oversized personalities, but after it falls from the tree and rolls into the ocean, the group faces hunger, sharks and plenty of disagreements. Thanks to James’ quick wit and creative thinking, the residents learn to live and work together as a family.  Featuring a wickedly tuneful score and a curiously quirky book.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Evening Star Productions presents Samuel Beckett’s WAITING FOR GODOT – April 21 – May 7

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Evening Star Productions
presents
Samuel Beckett’s
Waiting for Godot
April 21 – May 7

“Waiting for Godot is all feeling. Perhaps that is why it is puzzling and convincing at the same time. Theatregoers can rail at it, but they cannot ignore it.”
~ Brooks Atkinson, NY Times

“…a witty and poetic conundrum” ~ Philip Hope-Wallace, The Guardian

March 28, 2017

BOCA RATON, FL:  Evening Star Productions will present Samuel Beckett’s existential masterpiece, Waiting for Godot, at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton, from April 21 – May 7, 2017. (There will be a preview performance on April 20.)

On a barren stretch of road, near a single nondescript tree, two vagabond men wait for someone or something named Godot.  Their hope seems to be that the mysterious Godot will change their lives for the better.  Two strangers arrive, one man at the end of another’s rope. A boy also appears and disappears.

The simplicity of the play’s description belies its depth and complexity. Critics, scholars, and audiences have read numerous interpretations into Beckett’s work – philosophical, religious, political, and social references have been cited and discussed since the play’s world premiere in Paris in 1953 – it was Beckett’s first professionally produced play – and its North American premiere at Florida’s Coconut Grove Playhouse in 1956.  In a poll conducted by the British Royal National Theatre in 1990, Waiting for Godot was voted the ‘most significant English language play of the 20th century.’

Evening Star Productions’ Artistic Director Rosalie Grant will direct the production, with Sara Grant as assistant director, Waiting for Godot will feature Lito Beccera as Vladimir, Seth Trucks as Estragon, Skye Whitcomb as Pozzo, Christopher Mitchell as Lucky, and Carsten Kjaerulff as a boy.

Scenic Art for Waiting for Godot is by Kate McVay, Lighting Design, Set Design and Construction is by Ardean Landhuis, Costume Design is by Briana Earhart and MJ Baum, and Sound Design is by Christian Cooper.

“There are so many reasons I chose Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece Waiting for Godot for Evening Star’s fourth season … and why I chose to direct it,” she explains.  “The primary reason is that Beckett’s genius lay in creating a work that still speaks to audiences, particularly in troubled times.  Waiting for Godot seems to have a unique resonance during times of social and political crisis. As a modernist existential meditation it can at first appear bleak: “They give birth astride of a grave,” Pozzo says. “The light gleams an instant, then it’s night once more.”  It is funny yet poetic, and reveals humanity’s talents for stoicism, companionship, and keeping going.  There is no drama more stripped down and essential than Godot, whose mysteries Beckett refused to elucidate beyond “the laughter and the tears”.  I love the notion that after our Godot closes in another hundred years Vladimir and Estragon will still be on a stage somewhere – still waiting for Godot.”

“Since first discovering Waiting for Godot as a high school sophomore, I’ve been fascinated by the simple and profound message behind both what is said and what is left unsaid in this unsettling and timely work,” says Skye Whitcomb.  “Its examination of the human experience, and its fierce critique of the mental and spiritual chains which bind us, make this work one that needs to be seen and read by anyone wishing to step beyond the banal and mundane.”

Waiting for Godot will run from April 21 – May 7 at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton. (There will be a preview performance on April 20 at 8 pm.) Tickets are $30 and $20 for students and seniors. Group rates are also available. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased  by calling 561-447-8829 or on line at www.eveningstarproductions.org.

For more information about Evening Star Productions visit www.eveningstarproductions.org or contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 /info@eveningstarproductions.com ; for more information about this production, contact Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 /carol@carolkassie.com.

Waiting for Godot
April 21 – May 7, 2017
(Preview performance April 20)
By Samuel Beckett
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Tickets:  $30 / $20 students
For Tickets:  561-447-8829 / www.eveningstarproductions.org
3333 N. Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL  33431
www.eveningstarproductions.org
Like Us on Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.