Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Santa Swears! | Pick of the Week | Tucson Weekly

Santa Swears! | Pick of the Week | Tucson Weekly:


City Week » Pick of the Week
Santa Swears!
by Amanda Portillo
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Ho Ho Ho! takes place at 9:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 17-19, and Saturday, Dec. 26, at Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave. Regular tickets are $8, cash, at the door. For more information, call Michael Fenlason at 977-5218.


A little more than a year ago, the Beowulf Alley Theatre Company launched its Late Night Theatre series.

'The program started because Beowulf is downtown, and there are a lot of people around from the Rialto or (Hotel) Congress,' says Michael Fenlason, director of Late Night Theatre. 'It's another fun thing to do down here at night.'

When 3 a.m. debuted in fall 2008, Fenlason says, Tucsonan Brian Hanson caught the show and was inspired to write his own play to bring to the late-night stage. Friends of friends began participating in all aspects to bring the play to life; they eventually created a late-night committee.

The late-night committee finds scripts, puts plays together and in general offers a stage for people to present their work to audiences.

'My play was a duct-tape, grassroots effort,' says Hanson of I'm Sorry I Liked You, which was presented in April. 'Now, whenever we've got a cool idea, we just go with it.'

Fenlason says that because 3 a.m. isn't a traditional play—it mixes stand-up comedy with actual scenes—it got more people thinking that they could write plays or audition for roles, too.

'We're different, more contemporary, and that's getting the interest,' he says.

Beowulf's late-night shows are geared toward younger audiences, and they're faster-paced. Fenlason says the plays also tend to be a little more wild and crazy. They generally last about an hour to an hour and a half, leaving plenty of time for play-goers to leave and have some more fun before last call.

After presenting eight plays, the late-night crew decided to put on a sketch-comedy production. The result is Ho Ho Ho!, a play credited to the Grendel Players.

The sketches tweak traditional Christmas scenes, often using song. Fenlason says the play will be especially helpful to those who find this time of year more stressful than anything else. (Think swearing, a Santa with Tourette syndrome, and even a little pole-dancing, all with a Christmas backdrop.)

'Most of the songs use inappropriate lyrics. It's great,' says Josh Parra, one of the play's actors.

In one of the sketches, Parra says, a group of carolers are unable to get a man to come out of his home. Everyone proceeds to sing 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'—but in a threatening manner.

'It's easy to get wrapped up in everyday life, and we wanted to do a show to make each other and the audience laugh,' says Parra. 'We thought mocking Christmas would be the way to go.'

Another cast member, Tristyn Tucci, says the actors are also throwing in some improvisation.

'There's what's on the page, in the script, and then there's what someone is feeling at the moment,' says Tucci. 'It gets funny.'

Tucci says she likes how Beowulf's late-night series works.

'You really get to create with late night, and you get to have input with what's going on,' she says. 'We're all about the community and getting people involved here.'

Part of Tucci's involvement with Ho Ho Ho! includes singing a blues-style original song. Tucci describes the singing character as a drunk-ass mama, the kind of person who might drink too much and say some embarrassing things when the family is over.

However, the cast and crew aren't just mocking the season with drunk-ass mamas; they're also getting into the good holiday spirit, too. If you bring a new toy for Toys for Tots to one of the first three shows, you get in for half-price. For the final show, the day after Christmas, they're encouraging everyone to bring in the crappiest gift ever received. The person who brings the absolute crappiest gift wins a prize."

Sunday, December 06, 2009

City Week | City Week | Tucson Weekly

City Week | City Week | Tucson Weekly
Roaring 20s

Phyro-Giants!

10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, through Dec. 12

Beowulf Alley Theatre

11 S. Sixth Ave.

882-0555,

www.beowulfalley.org

Twenty-something.

Either you're approaching your 20s, in the eye of the storm, or looking back and being thankful you survived your 20s. It is a tumultuous time—a decade of working your way into the real world, dealing with college, finding a career to fit into, making money, getting married and ... oh god ... babies.

Beowulf Alley's Late Night Theatre will be offering Phyro-Giants!, a play that finds the comedy in the 20-something. A former correspondent for The Daily Show, Michael Blieden wrote the play in 2001. UA alum and playwright Michelle Sciarrone brought it to Tucson.

'It's so creative. Throughout the whole show, we're at a table, and there are people having a conversation,' says Sciarrone. 'It's almost like you're hanging out with your friends at dinner.'

Sciarrone, who is acting this time around rather than writing, says that even though there's not a lot of action or set changes—in fact, there are no set changes—the story will keep the audience hooked.

'It has dramatic moments and little surprises, but you'll laugh,' she says.

A combination of friends and strangers tell stories and disclose personal escapades at dinner—basically, it's a dinner we've all been to before.

The director of late-night shows at Beowulf Alley, Michael Fenlason, says it's better than typical late-night comedy, which generally includes crazies running around half-naked and screaming, he says. Phyro-Giants! is a little more respectable, but it still maintains some late-night antics (read: adult themes and language).

So, get a glimpse of your future, laugh at where you're at, or go to reminisce.

Tickets are $8, cash, at the door. Call 882-0555 for reservations. —A.P."

Thursday, December 03, 2009

ActingLab@the Alley presents An Evening of Scenes

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s ActingLab@the Alley Invites the Public to Enjoy

An Evening of Scenes Presented by the Acting Students

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre invited the public to An Evening of Acting Scenes by our Fall term students in the ActingLab@the Alley at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress) on December 19th at 7:30 p.m. A reception of light snacks and beverages precedes the event when the doors open at 6:45 p.m.

Admission for this culmination of the fall class term is pay-what-you-will. You'll have the opportunity to see a collection of the students' improvisational scenes and learn a bit about the method of teaching that is offered by Philip G. Bennett in his ActingLab@the Alley classes.

New classes are forming for the winter term in January 2010! For more information, please call (520) 622-4460 and leave a message for Philip G. Bennett on extension 3.

 

LNT presents Ho Ho Ho! by The Grendel Players

Beowulf Alley’s Late Night Theatre

Ho Ho Ho!  by The Grendel Players

The funniest Christmas show in Tucson

 

Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley, 11 South 6th Avenue, Downtown between Broadway and Congress, presents Ho Ho Ho by The Grendel Players. Performances are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday December 17th, 18th and 19th, 2009 and Saturday, December 26th at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 cash at the door. Half price tickets are available for the pre-Christmas shows if you bring a quality toy for Toys for Tots. Bring your worst gift to the December 26th performance for a chance to receive a gift card for dinner for two at one of the Tucson Originals restaurants. For additional information, please call (520) 977-5218.

 

Ho Ho Ho is a riotous sketch comedy show on all things Christmas and Hanukah. Irreverent takes on Christmas classics like Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Christmas Carol, the Grendel Players spoof everything from Nutcrackers to Night Before Christmas. Sketches include How the Klingons Stole Christmas, The Travels of Joseph and Mary, and Tourette’s Syndrome Santa. This play has adult themes and language.

 

Ho Ho Ho was originally performed in Phoenix, Arizona, with The Unlikely Theater Company. The Arizona Republic called Ho Ho Ho, “an outrageous treat.” Max McQueen at the Tribune Papers called Ho Ho Ho “wild irreverent fun.” While the show is adult in language and theme, the tone is hardy good fun and the Grendel Players do their best to de-stress you this Christmas. The production features Evan Engle, Josh Parra, Tristyn Tucci, Aelyn Heinrichs and Meg Clifton, directed by Michael Fenlason.

IndeFliks@the Alley screening Romance at Frisky's Bar

IndeFliks@the Alley Offers a Full Feature Film In December

Romance at Frisky's Bar

 

IndeFliks@the Alley, a partnership between the Independent Film Association of Southern Arizona (www.ifasa.net) and Beowulf Alley Theatre presents Romance at Frisky's Bar at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress) on December 13th and 20th at 7:00 p.m. The run time for this film, shot in Tucson with a local cast and crew is 81 minutes and, though unrated, contains mature themes. Admission is $8 cash at the door. The box office phone number is (520) 882-0555.

 

Everybody comes to Frisky's Bar looking for love -- or at least a warm body -- but since patrons rely on smooth moves, cagey schemes and outright lies, it can be tough to know if real romance ever stands a chance. But as the bartender spouts his impenetrable philosophies and frat boys encounter cougars on the prowl, one couple discovers the spark of something that may be the real deal. http://romanceatfriskysmovie.com/

 

Old Time Radio Theatre Offers Family Fun in December and January

Beowulf Alley’s Old Time Radio Theatre Offers

Family Fun (ages 6 and older) in December and January

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre will presents a series of live presentations of old radio shows at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). General tickets are $8 for ages 12 and older. The first two children in each family, ages 6-12 are $5 each, additional children in a family are free. To grandparents: leave your kids at home and bring your grandkids. Or bring your kids and make them buy your ticket. This is a fun holiday treat for the family! The box office phone number is (520) 882-0555.

Many of us missed the days before television when families gathered around the radio, listening to stories - soap operas, westerns, comedies and suspenseful dramas. Closing your eyes and drifting into a fantasy world, with the kids on the floor, dad in his favorite chair and mother on the sofa with her knitting, families listened to the sounds of doors opening and closing, wind blowing, stairs creaking and other sounds crafted from Foley equipment. In December and January at Beowulf Alley, our team of actors will present live presentations of some of the finest radio shows of the 30s, 40s and 50s.

Sunday, December 13 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m, join us for Little Women and Vic and Sade's Christmas Show.


At First Night 2010, on December 31st at 5:00 p.m., OTRT will present Pinocchio for the younger set, and the young at heart, and later that night, at 8:00 p.m., the suspenseful Three Skeleton Key. (Requires a First Night Button for admission.)

Wednesday, January 6 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. "The Bickersons-John's Operation" and "The Hitchhiker" (suspense).

 

Tuesday, January 19 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. "Vic and Sade: Mr. Dempsey and Mr. Tenney Meet in a Cigar Store" and "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon: The Break-up".

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Beowulf Alley Audition "16 Hamlets & an Ophelia"

Beowulf Alley’s LNT@the Alley Holds Auditions

16 Hamlets & an Ophelia

 

(Tucson, AZ – December 2, 2009) Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Late Night Theatre, LNT@the Alley will hold open auditions for 16 Hamlets & an Ophelia on Monday, December 7th from 8:00pm to 10pm. at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). Please bring a headshot and resume, if you have one. The audition will consist of readings from the script. This is a paid position.

 

Rehearsals begin December 9th and will be scheduled according to the production team’s availability, occasionally after 10p weeknights with some weekend rehearsals. Performance date is 12/31/2009 at 7:00 p.m. (call time 6:15 p.m.).

 

Looking for:

Female (2) – 18-30

Male (2) – 18-30

 

Email Michael Fenlason at unlikelytheater@aol.com (please use “Hamlet” in the subject line) or call 520-977-5218 with questions or for more information.

 

16 Hamlets & an Ophelia is an ensemble comedy piece that tells the complete story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare in sixteen different ways. Parodying the modern theater’s inclination to do updated or themed performances of Shakespeare, LNT presents this piece of sixteen such styles having gone too far.

 

Arizona Youth Chamber Ensemble and Beowulf Alley Theatre present She Loves Me

She Loves Me Presented by Tucson Youth Group

 

(Tucson, AZ – November 13, 2009)  Arizona Youth Chamber Ensemble and Beowulf Alley Theatre present the romantic musical comedy, She Loves Me. Still relevant today, this old-world, nostalgic musical comedy is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the 1949 Judy Garland-Van Johnson musical version In the Good Old Summertime.  It would surface yet again in 1998 as the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan feature film You've Got Mail. This production of She Loves Me is appropriate for ages 6 years and over.

 

Performance locations, dates, and times are:

Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue

(downtown between Broadway and Congress)

Friday, December 11, 7:30 p.m.;

Saturday, December 12, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and

ArtFare, 55 North 6th Avenue

(downtown between Congress and Pennington)

Friday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Ticket Prices and Purchase Outlets:

$12 General Admission, $10 Seniors & Students

Purchase through Arizona Youth Chamber Ensemble members, by cash or check made payable to Beowulf Alley Theatre Company; by phone at (520) 882-0555 using VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express; online with debit/credit cards via PayPal or Google at www.beowulfalley.org.

 

The plot revolves around Budapest shop employees Georg Nowack (played by Hunter Hnat) and Amalia Balash (played by Julie Sandfort). The two, despite being strongly at odds with each other at work, are unaware that each is the other's secret pen pal, having met through lonely-hearts ads.  The story ends on Christmas Eve with the endearing and uplifting sense of possibility often felt during the holiday season.

 

Directed by Steve Anderson; Music Director, Stephanie Fox; Accompanist, David Craig.  Script/Music/Lyrics: Joe Masteroff (script), Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics).

Produced by special arrangements with Music Theatre International (MTI). For more information call (520) 882-0555.

Readers Theatre presents Jean Sidden's Passing By

Beowulf Alley Theatre presents

Jean Sidden’s Passing By

 

(Tucson, AZ – December 2, 2009)  Readers Theatre will present Passing By, a collection of short adaptations by Jean Siddens, liberally based on three of Anton Chekhov's short stories. In a spirit of irony reminiscent of Chekhov's early writing the plays explore themes of love, change and moving on. Of Poetic Nature, Will 'O The Wisp and Natural Order answer the question Chekhov left to the reader's imagination: "What happened next?"

Readers Theatre is about the words. The program is designed for the public to hear the words and respond with comments and questions to help the playwright refine the script. Readers Theatre is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, as scripts are available. Admission is pay-what-you-will. For more information, please call the Box Office at (520) 882-0555.

 

LNT@the Alley Presents Phyro-Giants! by Michael Blieden

Beowulf Alley’s LNT@the Alley Presents

Phyro-Giants! by Michael Blieden

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Late Night Theatre, LNT@the Alley will presents Michael Blieden’s Phyro-Giants at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). Performance dates are Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 10:00 p.m.. Admission is $8 cash at the door. The box office phone number is (520) 882-0555.

 

Directed by Lydia Borowicz, the cast includes Lucas Gonzales, Brian Hanson. Michelle Sciarrone. Michelle Luz and Maggie Shaffer.

 

Phyro-Giants! takes on marriage, fidelity, ghosts, God, and long-distance phone services during a dizzying dinner between four friends and strangers who reveal more than they bargained for. Michael Blieden’s Phyro-Giants! explores the phenomenon of restaurant intimacy – that strange sense of comfort and honesty experienced at a dinner with acquaintances who, for one night, become a person's closest confidants. Wine flows, desserts are shared and four loosely connected individuals share their hopes, dreams, fears, fantasies and secrets in this modern day fable told in real time.