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

09 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions, Uncategorized

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Ann R. Wuehler, Elena Maria Garcia, Ellen Wacher, Empire Stage, Ft. Lauderdale Theatre, Gail S. Garrisan, Glenn Alterman, Joshua Fardon, Larry Parr, Pigs Do Fly Productions, Sheila Cowley, short plays, W.L. Newkirk

Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~*~

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

Curly Tales – Playwright Bios:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

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Carol White, David Susman, Elena Maria Garcia, Ellen Wacher, Empire Stage, Fifty Plus, Ft. Lauderdale Theatre, Gail S. Garrisan, Marve Siegel, Miriam Kulick, Over 50, Pamela Schueler, Pigs Do Fly Produc, short plays, Todd Caster

Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

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

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

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

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

Ellen Wacher

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

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

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

Elena Maria Garcia

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

Gail S. Garrisan

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

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

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

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

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

Donna Warfield

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

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

~*~

Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents
Flying High!
By Various Playwrights
October 9-25, 2015
(Preview performance October 8)
Tickets: $30
Tickets: 866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 North Flagler Drive
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33304
Like us on Facebook!

No Fear of Flying! – Playwright Bios:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

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Andrews Living Arts, Beverly Blanchette, Carol Sussman, Charles West, Donna Warfield, Elena Maria Garcia, Elissa Solomon, Ellen Wacher, Ft. Lauderdale Theatre, Harry Marsh, Jeffrey Strausser, John Kane, Marj O'Neill-Butler, Marv Siegel, Michael H. Small, Michael Leeds, Michael McKeever, Pigs Do Fly Productions, short plays, Todd Caster

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 7^th through May 24^th 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!

“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 5^th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, 33301.

~*~

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 5^th 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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Pigs Do Fly Productions to hold 2 Readings of 12 Brand New Short Plays

12 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

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Books & Books, Karen Stephens, Marj O'Neill-Butler, Michael Leeds, Michael McKeever, Pigs Do Fly Productions, Play Readings, short plays, Todd Caster

Pigs Do Fly Productions
to present
2 Readings of 12 Brand New 10 Minute Humorous Plays
January 25^th & February 1^st
at Books & Books Coral Gables

January 13, 2015,

CORAL GABLES, FL – Pigs Do Fly Productions will hold two readings of short humorous plays at Coral Gables’ Books & Books on January 25^th and February 1^st.

Several months ago Pigs Do Fly Productions put out an on-line call to playwrights from around the world for submissions of 10-minute contemporary comedies written to highlight “vibrant, healthy people over 50 who are doing interesting things with their lives”. Approximately 200 plays were submitted from as far away as Canada, Australia, and Israel, and a committee of 6 took on the task of reading and rating each one. The plays that will be read were rated the highest of the lot, and audiences will be asked for their opinions at the end of each reading. The top four selections, along with plays by Michael McKeever, Michael Leeds, and Marj O’Neill-Butler will form Pigs Do Fly’s next production, scheduled to take place in May.

“Our mission – to produce plays about people over 50 who are doing different things with their lives and living it to the fullest has found its wings and keeps “flying along”,” says Pigs Do Fly Productions’ founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher. “And our intention is to keep improving our product, the plays,” she continues. “One way is to pick some of the plays we like and have folks hear them – and then listen to the audience’s reaction – that can make a huge and important difference for our productions.”

Karen Stephens

Beverly Blanchette, will direct the January 25^th readings. She will also read, along with Todd Caster, Michael DeGrotta, and Ellen Wacher.

Carbonell Award-winning actress Karen Stephens will direct the February 1^st production. Actors participating that reading are Carol Sussman, Bonnie Robinson, Jerry Weinberg and Michael DeGrotta.

The six plays selected for the January 25^th readings are:
Never on Sunday by Shirley King
Rose in a Room at the Hotel Roma by Jayne Hannah
Signals by Marv Siegel
Standing Tall by Marv Siegel
There’s Still Time by Jeffrey Strausser
Winds of Change by Hortense Gerado

The six plays selected for the February 1^st readings are:
Bard Beyond Belief by Tony Pelham
Dream a Little Dream of Me by Todd Caster
Long Story by John Kane
The European Plan by Charles West
The Keys by Greg Waters
They Called It Teasing by Marj O’Neill-Butler

Books and Books is a locally owned, independently-minded neighborhood bookstore with three locations in South Florida – Coral Gables, Miami Beach, and Bal Harbour Shops. They have affiliate stores in Grand Cayman, Westhampton Beach, and at the Miami International Airport. They serve as a community center for writers and readers, hosting approximately 60 author events a month and featuring a carefully curated selection of books, magazines, and gift items.

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

Admission to both Pigs Do Fly Productions readings is FREE. Books & Books is located at 265 Aragon Avenue in Coral Gables (33134). For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com / 564-445-9244.

Pigs Do Fly Productions Readings
January 25th & February 1^st2 pm
Admission: Free
Books & Books
265 Aragon Avenue
Coral Gables, FL 33134-5008
Books & Books phone: 305-442-4408

Pigs Do Fly Productions Encores in Boca Raton August 14-24

21 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

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Boca Raton Theatre, comedy, Fifty Plus, Pigs Do Fly Productions, short plays, Showtime Performing Arts Theatre

Pigs Do Fly Productions
Encores in Boca Raton
August 14-24

Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It
A Collection of Seven Humorous Short Plays

Pigs Do Fly Productions’ Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It sold out almost every performance when it played at Empire Stage in May. The good ‘word of mouth’ and positive reviews intrigued Showtime Performing Arts Theatre’s Marilyn Perry; she attended a performance and liked what she saw – so much so that she issued an invitation to Pigs Do Fly producer Ellen Wacher to reprise the production at Perry’s own theatre in Boca Raton.

Ellen Wacher

Wacher quickly contacted directors Beverly Blanchette and Marj O’Neill-Butler, as well as actors Todd Caster, Mark Kroczynski, Kitt Marsh, Troy J. Stanley, Carol Sussman, and Janet Weakley, along with the technical crew associated with the Empire Stage production, all of whom came on board immediately.

The ‘encore’ edition of Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It! will run from August 14^th through August 24^th at Showtime Performing Arts Theatre in Boca Raton.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to reach a brand new audience – people who would otherwise not have an opportunity to see what we’re doing,” says Wacher. “And we now know for sure, from the reaction to our May production, that there is definitely an audience ‘out there’ looking for exactly the type of theatre we want to produce.”

Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It! consists of seven short plays reflecting Pigs Do Fly Productions’ mission to produce plays that highlight the actor over 50 as a viable, fully involved, full of life character. The scripts were selected from over 350 submissions. And Wacher was extremely specific in her search for just the right plays: “We looked for scripts that resonated with us; for situations that strike a chord with our audiences; and of course, for humor,” she explains. “I’m really excited that this concept is flying (pun intended!). It’s definitely an idea whose time has come. These plays appeal to everyone no matter how old they are! They’re funny, and witty, and touching, and resonate with anyone who sees them.”

The seven 10-minute plays will be mounted in the following order (see below for playwright bios):

Flight Fright by Marj 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 $30 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com, or by calling 866-811-4111.
All performances will take place at Showtime Performing Arts Theatre, 503 SE Mizner Boulevard, #73, in Boca Raton (33432).

~*~

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents
Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It
Dates: August 14 – 24
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 3 pm
Tickets: $30
Tickets: 866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Showtime Performing Arts Theatre
503 SE Mizner Boulevard, #73
Boca Raton, Florida 33432

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 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.

Photos from the May 2014 Production of Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It!

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

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

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aging gracefully, Beverly Blanchette, Carol Sussman, comedy, Ellen Wacher, Empire Stage, Ft. Lauderdale Theatre, humor, Kitt Marsh, Marjorie O'Neill-Butler, Mark Kroczynksi, Pigs Do Fly Productions, short plays, theatre, Todd Caster, Troy Stanley

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

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 1^st through May 11^th.

Wacher 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.

~*~

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:

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Carol Kassie

~ Theatrical Marketing & Public Relations

Tag Archives: short plays

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

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

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

Pigs Do Fly Productions to hold 2 Readings of 12 Brand New Short Plays

Pigs Do Fly Productions Encores in Boca Raton August 14-24

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