Saturday, September 25, 2010

Tucson Weekly | Best Of Tucson® 2010 | Arts & Culture | Best Budget Stage Design

Best Budget Stage Design

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company

Staff Pick

All you really need to create theater is an actor and an audience. The rest is just frosting ... but who wants cake without frosting? Over the past year, Beowulf Alley Theatre Company has—without the big budget of a major regional theater—repeatedly served up productions with some of the most mouth-watering stage designs in town, taking full advantage of their unusually broad playing space. Especially sweet were the sets for this season's Seascape and The Last of the Boys. Jared Strickland created the former's titular seascape, complete with rocky crags framing a sandy cliff-top under a wind-swept sky. For the latter, Richard Talley created a trash-strewn, rusted-out trailer park on a desert plain with astonishing attention to detail.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

October's Old Time Radio Theatre Events

October’s Old Time Radio Theatre

At Beowulf Alley Theatre

On Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 7:00 p.m., Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company will present a classic production from the golden days of radio, as well as an original radio play written for us by a member of Old Pueblo Playwrights. (Please note that there will not be a presentation on Tuesday October 19 to prepare for the upcoming main stage production, The Transylvanian Clockworks). Geared to all age groups is one of radio’s favorite, long-running serials, Fibber McGee and Molly. This episode, The Census Enumerator was first aired on April 4, 1950 and will be followed by the premiere of Time Travel, Inc., by OPP’s Kelly Hardesty.

“T’ain’t funny, McGee!!” Fibber McGee and Molly, starring Jim and Marion Jordan as the beloved couple. premiered in 1935 and ran until 1959, long after radio’s golden days had passed. It is considered by many to be the origin of situation comedy itself. In this episode, Fibber becomes an official census taker, enjoying his position as a “Government Official.” Fibber is afraid it may be awfully dull, but Molly reassures him...

FIBBER:

Yeah, and I'm gonna have a circus with it, too. I may switch the questions around a little of course, when I get the hang of it. Liable to sound pretty dull, askin' the same questions all day long.

MOLLY:

Oh, you can handle it, dearie - you've had experience.

FIBBER:

Askin' questions?

MOLLY:

Sounding dull...

During the day, radio provided listeners with excitement and thrills as well as laughs. One of radio’s strangest, spookiest and spine-chilling shows was Lights Out, dedicated to horror and the supernatural. Time Travel, Inc., written for Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company by Tucson playwright, Kelly Hardesty, is part of a new collaboration between BATC and Old Pueblo Playwrights in the new/old radio format. It will entertain and intrigue the audience in the way shows like Lights Out of the 1930’s and 1940’s once did. It’s a romantic science fiction play, set in the future as time travel becomes a way of life. We will be presenting many more scripts that are original in upcoming shows.

Beowulf Alley Theatre is located at 11 South 6^th Avenue, just off-Broadway in Downtown Tucson, Admission is cash at the door, $8 for ages 13 and older and $5 for the first two children in a family, ages 6-12 years. Reservations are not needed. The box office phone number is (520) 882-0555. An evening of Old Time Radio Theatre runs approximately one hour.

Directed by Sheldon Metz, the OTRT’s ensemble includes Jon Benda, Jacob Brown, Janet Bruce, Butch Bryant, Joel Charles, Samantha Cormier, Gerri Courtney-Austein, Laura Davenport, Sydney Flynn, Vince Flynn, Audrey Ann Gambach, Barbara Glover, Bill La Pointe, Elizabeth Leadon, Steve McKee, Mark McLemore, Bruce Morganti, Joan O'Dwyer, Mike Saxon, Ina Shivack, Pat Timm, Jeff Scotland, Jared Stokes, Brian Wees, John Vornholt, and supported by the sound wizardry of Samuel De Jesus.

Final Weekend for "You Are Not Special" - Beowulf Alley's Late Night Theatre

Final Weekend for You Are Not Special by Brian Hanson

Beowulf Alley’s Late Night Theatre

Depression, Unrequited Love and An Embarrassing Narrator

Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley, 11 South 6^th Avenue, Downtown between Broadway and Congress, presents the final two performances of You Are Not Special by Brian Hanson. Performances are on Friday and Saturday September 24 and 25 at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 cash at the door. For additional information, please call (520) 977-5218.

You Are Not Special is the story of Jeremy and Ann and Ann’s her boyfriend that keeps them apart. Add the devious Narrator who delights in sharing all of their private, innermost thoughts with the universe. Funny, touching and occasionally both profane and sacred, Hanson’s play is a smart phone snapshot of the lives of twenty-something gamers, poets and baristas.

Tucson critic Chuck Graham writes of Hanson’s last play, I’m Sorry I Liked You,

“What makes I'm Sorry I Liked You special is the dialogue. Hanson's future is as a playwright. Although the language he gives these characters is filled with profanity, it also contains masterful psychology. Whether he is writing with a gift for intuition or the wisdom of masterful insight, Hanson nails it."

You Are Not Special features Mike Miller, Nicole Scott, Scott O’Brien and Theresa Simone. The play is directed by the author.

Active Imagination Theatre presents A Weenie Halloween

Active Imagination Theatre

Improvisational Theatre Ideal for Children 4-8 Years Old

A Weenie Halloween

In the Kingdom of Niceness, Fairy Princess Sweetie Poo has outlawed Halloween because it’s scary, and she only likes pretty things and white dresses. Her bewitched subjects don’t remember Halloween or candy, but one little girl remembers that she had a black cat who was banished from the kingdom along with all things black or scary. When our heroine goes on a quest to find her beloved kitty, she faces adventure and rediscovers the fun of Halloween.

Beowulf Alley Theatre, just off-Broadway in Downtown Tucson, announces its newest program, Active Imagination Theatre. Under the supervision of adult actors, children 4-8 years old from the audience will be invited to participate in stories created to inspire imagination and story-telling skills. Children and their parents are invited to share this exciting performance and be a part of the action.

For this Halloween event, children are encouraged to come to the theatre in costumes that don’t hinder vision or movement. Birthday party events at the theatre are also available.

Beowulf Alley Theatre is located at 11 South 6^th Avenue, 85701. For more information or to make reservations, call (520) 882-0555.

Time: 12:00 noon, Saturdays and Sundays, October 23, 24, 30 & 31, 2010

$5 for children 4-12 and $10 for ages 13 and older

Children 3 and under, seated in parents’ laps, are free.

Estimated Run Time: 40 minutes

We can accommodate a maximum of 3 wheelchairs per performance with advance notice.

Final Four Performances, Shining City by Conor McPherson

Final Four Performances

Shining City by Conor McPherson

Beowulf Alley Theatre

Beowulf Alley will present the final four performances of Shining City, by Conor McPherson, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 26 at 2:30 p.m.

…it's easy to see that something magical is happening on stage. – Arizona Daily Star

McPherson's play, and Beowulf Alley's production, offers not so much a story as an experience. – Tucson Weekly

…a serious theater-lover’s piece of work … Beowulf Alley’s production of “Shining City” is a clear and forthright study of human nature, with balanced casting and an appreciation for giving substance to art. The bumper sticker description would be ”watch learn talk”. – Let the Show Begin, tucsonstage.com

Set in a therapist's office in Dublin, the play grapples with faith, guilt and redemption, underscoring the failures of language to communicate the truth. John, who has recently seen the ghost of his deceased wife seeks professional help from Ian, a priest-turned-therapist.

Conor McPherson, called “the finest dramatist of his generation” by the Daily Telegraph, has won vast acclaim for his insightful, meditative plays, which focus with a quiet, unblinking eye on themes of the crisis of modern masculinity, spirituality, frailty, solitude and – of course – death. Directed by Susan Arnold, the cast of Shining City includes Lucas Gonzales, David Greenwood, Laura Lippman and Jared Stokes.

Box Office Information:

Box office volunteers are available by phone Tuesday – Friday, noon to 4 p.m. and in person 45 minutes prior to each performance at the box office when the lobby doors open.

All tickets are held at will call. All sales are final. Reservations are encouraged. We recommend this play for 13 years and older. Run Time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

Ticket Prices:

$23 - At door/by phone, VISA, MC, Discover, local check, cash

$18 - Thrifty Thursdays

$12 - Student/Military/Senior 60+ Rush Ticket (cash at-door, ID Proof of Status required,

15 min. before curtain)

ONLINE ONLY DISCOUNTED SINGLE TICKET FOR EVERYONE at www.beowulfalley.org. Use any credit/debit card accepted by PayPal and Google.

Parking:

Park at the secure Pennington and Scott Parkwise Garage for just $2 for the evening on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and FREE on Thursdays. After 5p weekdays and all day Saturdays and Sundays, meters are free. The lot at Broadway and 6th Avenue is available for our use after 5 p on weekdays and all day Saturdays and Sundays.

Old Time Radio Theatre November, 2010 Events

Beowulf Alley’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company

November, 2010 Events

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company announces their November stories to be presented at the theatre, 11 South 6^th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress) on November 2 and 16, 2010. Performances are at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $8 for ages 13 to adult and $5 for the first two children ages 6-12, cash at the door, first come-first serve seating. The box office phone number is (520) 882-0555.

November 2:

To honor Halloween and Dia de los Meurtos, we offer two suspenseful dramas:

QUIET, PLEASE: Don’t Tell Me About Halloween (Oct. 27, 1947) tells the story of a man married to a witch. He has to see her once a year: Halloween. Each year he dreads the day, because he knows she'll find out about what he's been doing the rest of the year. When he's unfaithful, she uses her powers to punish him and his lovers. One of the benefits he receives is immortality. Yet, is it worth it, even when he only has to spend one day a year with her?

QUIET, PLEASE aired from June 8th of 1947 through June 20th of 1949. It is considered by many to be among the most uniquely creative series in history. The series sought to chill the listener through a completely immersed personal experience. The titles and introductory sequences of each series indicated the desired immersion -- the listener was expected to shut off distracting outside stimuli, such as light and sound, in order to fully concentrate on the unfolding story.

ESCAPE: The Fall of the House of Usher was first performed on October 22, 1947. The famous opening of the show, often worded to suit the events of the moment or season, warns the intrepid radio listener of adventure that is anything but... everyday. Like its sister show on the radio, SUSPENCE, it is considered one of the top shows ever performed on radio. ESCAPE takes you on a ride into a world where danger comes in many forms, and you are on the edge of life and death, perhaps being pushed! When ESCAPE says “romantic,” we're not talking kissing. Perhaps those kisses might be from teeming piranha! ESCAPE is more Devil's Island than Fantasy Island. And it is wonderful adventure radio for the whole family, especially Dad. Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher revolves around this realm of fear, and reveals the importance of facing and overcoming our fears. “Tired of the everyday grind? Ever dream of a life of … romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you … ESCAPE!”

November 16:

Join us for two rousing radio pieces - the November 29, 1947 story THE LIFE OF RILEY: Thanksgiving With the Gillises and one of radio’s great mystery series, SUSPENCE and the episode, On a Country Road, first presented November 16, 1950.

In this episode, THE LIFE OF RILEY: Thanksgiving With the Gillises (Nov. 29, 1947), Chester invites the Boss to Thanksgiving dinner, and then is forced into inviting the Gillises as well. “What a revoltin’ development this turns out to be!” THE LIFE OF RILEY radio program, starring William Bendix, initially aired on the Blue Network, later known as ABC, from January 16, 1944 to June 8, 1945. Then it moved to NBC, where it was broadcast from September 8, 1945, 1945 to June 29, 1951. The supporting cast featured John Brown, who portrayed not only undertaker Digger O'Dell but also Riley's co-worker Jim Gillis. Whereas Gillis gave Riley bad information that got him into trouble, Digger gave him good information that "helped him out of a hole," as he might have put it. Brown's lines as the undertaker were often repetitive, including puns based on his profession ("Cheerio, I'd better be... shoveling off"; "Business is a little dead tonight"); but, thanks to Brown's delivery, the audience loved him.

SUSPENCE, the radio series, can be summed up in one episode, On a Country Road. It was a mixture of urban legend and cautionary tale like no other. In this episode, the audience is pulled into a dangerous situation and then is kept trapped, while the suspense mounts and the characters become increasingly hysterical. It was the kind of nightmare "that could happen to anyone." On a Country Road (Nov. 16, 1950) is regarded as one of the classic tales of SUSPENCE because it embodies all of the things at which the radio program excelled. So now, ignore the traffic, the rain, the nearly empty gas tank, as well as those news bulletins about the escaped crazy woman on the loose, and come take a drive down a lonely side road.

Friday, September 17, 2010

AZ Night Buzz, Arizona Star

AZ Night Buzz

Kathleen Allen Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010

... this production was beautifully served by McPherson's writing and some solid acting.

David Greenwood, who is on stage far too rarely these days, took on the mammoth job of John, who, once he starts talking, can't seem to stop. ... Greenwood embraced it and let it spill out like a master storyteller.

... it's easy to see that something magical is happening on stage.

Read the entire review at AZ Night Buzz

THE DRAMA OF LONELINESS IN "SHINING CITY"

THE DRAMA OF LONELINESS IN "SHINING CITY"

By Chuck Graham

Let the Show Begin

TucsonStage.com

Beowulf Alley’s production of “Shining City” is a clear and forthright study of human nature, with balanced casting and an appreciation for giving substance to art. The bumper sticker description would be “watch learn talk.”

... the stage is always full of emotion in a series of duets played out by a cast of four in true ensemble fashion.

David Greenwood makes a welcome return to the city’s theater scene playing John, a troubled man who keeps seeing the ghost of his wife, who was recently killed in a torturous car accident.

Jared Stokes makes a convincing debut at Beowulf Alley as Ian, a fallen away priest who is trying out the more secular side of counseling as a therapist.

The set design of Ian’s shabby office by Bill Galbreath and Kate Natale contains a remarkable reproduction of a window view of the city stretching out below for blocks. As the play progresses, the city itself does acquire more heft as a place that shapes people’s lives.

Read the entire review at Let the Show Begin

Missed Connections | Review | Tucson Weekly

by Sherilyn Forrester

There are moments that engage and attract, and others that exasperate and repulse. Yet, for all its oddities and irritations, Shining City is curiously affecting.

Greenwood gives a solid performance. He is earnest and sad, and his struggles seem enough like ours to allow us both to embrace him and want to keep him at a distance.

Music and sound have been carefully chosen by Arnold and David Krasner to add a deeper dimension of mystery to this already mysterious piece. Bill Galbreath and Kate Natale have created a very well-crafted set, complete with some skilled scenic painting by Galbreath.

Read the entire review at: Missed Connections | Review | Tucson Weekly

Monday, September 13, 2010

Beowulf Alley Theatre presents Shining City by Conor McPherson

Shining City by Conor McPherson at Beowulf Alley Theatre

Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue, opened the new season with the Tony Award-nominated, Arizona Premiere of Shining City by Conor McPherson. Shining City has been described as a "modern day ghost story about human contact." Set in a therapist's office in Dublin, the play grapples with faith, guilt and redemption, underscoring the failures of language to communicate the truth. John, who has recently seen the ghost of his deceased wife seeks professional help from Ian, a priest-turned-therapist.

Audience members during the opening weekend events declared:

What a powerful story presented with fine acting! This is a very brave undertaking! The music was moving and powerful, the lighting gave a sense of time elapsing and the set was like another character!

Conor McPherson, called “the finest dramatist of his generation” by the Daily Telegraph, has won vast acclaim for his insightful, meditative plays, which focus with a quiet, unblinking eye on themes of the crisis of modern masculinity, spirituality, frailty, solitude and – of course – death. Awards for his theatre work include the Laurence Olivier Award, Evening Standard Award, Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, George Devine Award, Meyer-Whitworth Award and the Stewart Parker Award.

Susan Arnold, Director, works in theatre and film as an actor, director, writer and producer. Her directorial credits include Last of the Boys, Dinner with Friends, and Stones in His Pockets with Beowulf Alley, where she contributes to the Artistic Development Committee. Susan served as Artistic Director for the Attic Theatre in Detroit, MI and is the recipient of several theatre excellence awards for acting and directing. She is a member of Screen Actors’ Guild and Actors’ Equity Association and currently serves as Artistic Director for C.A.S.T. Clean and Sober Theatre in Tucson.

The cast of Shining City includes Lucas Gonzales, David Greenwood, Laura Lippman and Jared Stokes.

Remaining Performance Days, Times, Dates and Box Office Information:

Thursdays through Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m.; September 16-September 26;

Box office volunteers are available by phone Tuesday – Friday, noon to 4 p.m. and in person 45 minutes prior to each performance at the box office when the lobby doors open.

All tickets are held at will call. All sales are final. Reservations are encouraged. We recommend this play for 13 years and older. Run Time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

Ticket Prices:

$23 - At door/by phone, VISA, MC, Discover, local check, cash

$18 - Thrifty Thursdays

$12 - Student/Military/Senior 60+ Rush Ticket (cash at-door, ID Proof of Status required, 5 min. before curtain)

ONLINE ONLY DISCOUNTED SINGLE TICKET FOR EVERYONE at www.beowulfalley.org. Use any credit/debit card accepted by PayPal and Google.

Parking:

Accepting Directors' Submittals for 2011-2012 Main Stage Season

Accepting Directors’ Submittals

2011-2012 Main Stage Season

Beowulf Alley Theatre

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, 11 South 6th Ave., is seeking theatre directors with play proposals for the 2011-2012 Main Stage Season. Complete instructions and applications are available online at http://www.beowulfalley.org/html/directors_submissions.html or by referring to our website at www.beowulfalley.org, then to “Cast & Crew,” “Directors & Playwrights,” and “Directors.” Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. on October 15, 2010.

Throughout each year, guided by its Artistic Development Committee, Beowulf Alley Theatre offers a selection of thought-provoking plays and programs to Tucsonans and visitors to Tucson. We invite you to explore the many creative possibilities available at Beowulf Alley.

A non-profit arts organization, Beowulf Alley was founded based on dialogues with local actors who wanted a permanent home for theatre artists from the Tucson community. Today, its intimate 95-seat theatre provides a facility that meets professional standards where performing artists, educators, and technicians can develop and present their skills. Beowulf Alley engages a talent pool that calls Tucson “home” for its productions and is committed to helping grow that talent through education and mentoring. If you have skills to share, please contact us.

After reviewing the submittal criteria online, please call the theatre at (520) 622-4460 for any remaining questions.

October's Old Time Radio Theatre At Beowulf Alley Theatre

October’s Old Time Radio Theatre

At Beowulf Alley Theatre

On Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 7:00 p.m., Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company will present a classic production from the golden days of radio, as well as an original radio play written for us by a member of Old Pueblo Playwrights. (Please note that there will not be a presentation on Tuesday October 19 to prepare for the upcoming main stage production, The Transylvanian Clockworks. The first play to be presented, geared to all age groups, is one of radio’s favorite, long-running serials, Fibber McGee and Molly. This episode, The Census Enumerator was first aired on April 4, 1950 and will be followed by the premiere of Time Travel, Inc., by OPP’s Kelly Hardesty.

“T’ain’t funny, McGee!!” One of radio’s greatest hits and one of the longest running shows in radio history, Fibber McGee and Molly, starring Jim and Marion Jordan as the beloved couple. premiered in 1935 and ran until 1959, long after radio’s golden days had passed. It is considered by many to be the origin of situation comedy itself. In this episode, Fibber becomes an official census taker, enjoying his position as a “Government Official.” Fibber is afraid it may be awfully dull, but Molly reassures him...

FIBBER:

Yeah, and I'm gonna have a circus with it, too. I may switch the questions around a little of course, when I get the hang of it. Liable to sound pretty dull, askin' the same questions all day long.

MOLLY:

Oh, you can handle it, dearie - you've had experience.

FIBBER:

Askin' questions?

MOLLY:

Sounding dull...

During the day, radio provided listeners with excitement and thrills as well as laughs. One of radio’s strangest, spookiest and spine-chilling shows was Lights Out, dedicated to horror and the supernatural. This show, Time Travel, Inc., written for Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company by Tucson playwright, Kelly Hardesty, as part of a new collaboration between BATC and Old Pueblo Playwright’s in the new/old radio format. It will entertain and intrigue the audience in the way shows of the 1930’s and 1940’s once did. It’s a romantic science fiction play, set in the future as time travel becomes a way of life. We will be presenting many more scripts that are original in upcoming shows.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Late Night Theatre presents You Are Not Special by Brian Hanson

Beowulf Alley’s Late Night Theatre

You Are Not Special by Brian Hanson

Depression, Unrequited Love and An Embarrassing Narrator

Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley, 11 South 6^th Avenue, Downtown between Broadway and Congress, presents You Are Not Special by Brian Hanson. Performances are on Friday and Saturday September 17, 18, 24 and 26 at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 cash at the door. For additional information, please call (520) 977-5218.

Tucson critic Chuck Graham writes of Hanson’s last play, I’m Sorry I Liked You,

You Are Not Special features Mike Miller, Nicole Scott, Scott O’Brien and Theresa Simone. The play is directed by the author.

Audition for Out to Lunch Theatre

Beowulf Alley’s Out to Lunch Theatre Holds Auditions

Happy Hour by Mike Howard

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Out to Lunch Theatre will hold open auditions for Happy Hour on Wednesday September 15th from 10:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. at the theatre, 11 South 6^th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). Please bring a headshot and resume. The audition will consist of a cold reading from the script.

Rehearsals begin September 22, 2010 and will be scheduled according to the production team’s availability, usually some mornings and weekends. Performance dates are Nov. 3, 10, 17, and 24 at 12:15 p.m. Plays are no longer than 25 minutes in length.

Looking for:

Female (2) - mid 20s to 40’s

Male (2) - mid 20s to 40s

Email Michael at michaelfenlason@aol.com with questions or for more information.

Happy Hour:

Scott Gallagher stops in for a margarita with co-workers and confesses all. Office romance never went this far, this fast and this funny. Mike Howard’s comedy is a hilarious mini-epic over a margarita and chips about love, longing, romance and advertising.

Old Time Radio Theatre Company Presents ...

Beowulf Alley’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company Presents

Maxwell House Coffee Time (Burns and Allen): The Sam Spade Episode and Sam Spade: The Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail Caper

September 21, 2010

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company will present two classic productions from the golden days of radio on Tuesday, September 21 at the theatre. Beowulf Alley Theatre is located at 11 South 6^th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). The first show is one of radio’s favorite, long-running series, “Maxwell House Coffee Time (Burns and Allen).” This episode, “The Sam Spade Episode,” was first presented on February 10, 1949, followed by Dashiell Hammett’s famous detective, Sam Spade and The Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail Episode, first presented August 28, 1949.

The performance is at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $8 cash at the door. The first two children in a family, ages 6-12 are $5 each with remaining children free. We do not take reservations for this fun event. The box office phone number is (520) 882-0555.

Directed by Sheldon Metz, the cast includes Jon Benda, Jacob Brown, Janet Bruce, Butch Bryant, Joel Charles, Samantha Cormier, Gerri Courtney-Austein, Laura Davenport, Samuel De Jesus, Sydney Flynn, Vince Flynn, Audrey Ann Gambach, Barbara Glover, Bill La Pointe, Elixabeth Leadon, Steve McKee, Mark McLemore, Bruce Morganti, Joan O'Dwyer, Mike Saxon, Ina Shivack, Pat Timm, Jeff Scotland, Jared Stokes, Brian Wees, and John Vornholt.

Burns and Allen, was one of America’s greatest comedy teams. George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen worked together as a comedy team in vaudeville films, radio and television. They met and first worked together in 1922 in small town vaudeville theatres and married in 1926. Burns was the straight man and Allen played a silly, addle-headed woman, a role often attributed to the "Dumb Dora" stereotype common in early 20th-century vaudeville comedy. At the beginning of their career, their roles were reversed, but it didn’t work as well. Audiences would laugh at the straight lines rather than the punch. They made their first radio appearance in London, on the BBC after failing at an NBC audition in 1930. They were regulars on the Guy Lombardo Show on CBS and took over the slot when he switched to NBC. The show’s name changed several times over the years - The Adventures of Gracie, Gracie For President, The Burns and Allen Show and, finally, Maxwell House Coffee Time. The premise always mixed reality with sketch comedy, variety and music. It was almost 10 years before they incorporated their marriage into the show. Every famous performer of the day worked their wiles to get on the Burns and Allen show, if only for one line, “Say good-night, Gracie.” The Sam Spade Episode starred Howard Duff, who portrayed the detective on radio.

Sam Spade was a fictional character who was the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett’s novel The Maltese Falcon. Spade combined several features of previous detectives, most notably his cold detachment, keen eye for detail, and unflinching determination to achieve his own justice. He is the man who has seen the wretched, the corrupt, the tawdry side of life but still retains his "tarnished idealism."

"The show was loved in its time and still is. The plots were often run-of-the-mill fare, obviously hacked out in the heat of the deadline. No one cared if holes were patched in an obvious and sometimes careless way. This show had a style and class that the others all envied. Duff made the writing part of his own unique character. The wit and charm of the show has weathered four decades, and The Adventures of Sam Spade remains today the pinnacle of radio private eye broadcasts."

“It all began Thursday afternoon when I entered my office and discovered a tall, wild young man sitting in my chair with his feet up on my desk and sampling my office bottle. The pose was so familiar, for a minute I thought it was me.” – Sam Spade.

Monday, September 06, 2010

Beowulf Alley Theatre 2010-2011 Season Opens with Shining City

Beowulf Alley Theatre Presents
Shining City
by Conor McPherson

I was blown away...Conor McPherson's ... play is haunting, inspired and glorious. - NY Times

... a "modern day ghost story about human contact."

Set in a therapist's office in Dublin, the play grapples with faith, guilt and redemption, underscoring the failures of language to communicate the truth. A middle-aged man (John) who has recently seen the ghost of his deceased wife seeks professional help from a priest-turned-therapist (Ian). The travails of the guilt-ridden John offer more than professional fodder for Ian and the routine visits become a gripping struggle to survive.

One of Ireland's most prominent contemporary playwrights, Conor McPherson has won overwhelming acclaim for his insightful, meditative plays, which focus with a quiet, unblinking eye on the big themes: the crisis of modern masculinity, spirituality, frailty, solitude and - of course - death. In a review of his twice Tony award-nominated 2004 play Shining City, the Daily Telegraph called McPherson ''the finest dramatist of his generation''. Awards for his theatre work include the Laurence Olivier Award, Evening Standard Award, Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, George Devine Award, Meyer-Whitworth Award and the Stewart Parker Award.

Susan Arnold, Director, works in theatre and film as an actor, director, writer and producer. Her directorial credits include Last of the Boys, Dinner with Friends, and Stones in His Pockets with Beowulf Alley, where she contributes to the Artistic Development Committee. Susan served as Artistic Director for the Attic Theatre in Detroit, MI and is the recipient of several theatre excellence awards for acting and directing. She has appeared on stage in a number of productions including most recently at Beowulf Alley Theatre's Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage as Big 8, Cleopatra in Immortal Longings and Claire in the production of The Maids at The Rogue Theatre. She is a member of Screen Actors' Guild and Actors' Equity Association and currently serves as Artistic Director for C.A.S.T. Clean and Sober Theatre in Tucson.

The cast includes: Lucas Gonzales, David Greenwood, Laura Lippman, and Jared Stokes.

May be inappropriate for persons under 13 years old.

Presented by special arrangements with Dramatists Play Service Inc.

Performance Dates, Times:

Preview Performance: Friday, September 10, 7:30 p.m. only -
Preview Tickets:
$15 by phone or at the door the night of performance or
$13 advance purchase online only.

Opening Night with reception following performance: Saturday, September 11, 7:30 p.m.
Dialogues with... post show discussion: Sunday, September 12, 2:30 p.m.
Thursdays - Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. September 16, 17, 18 and September 23, 24, 25.
Sundays, 2:30 p.m. (please note new time), September 19 and 26.

Ticket Prices, September 11-26:
General, by phone or at the door - $23 (VISA, MasterCard, Discover)
Online only discount - $21 via PayPal or Google (any credit card they accept)
Student/Military/Senior 60+ Rush ticket- $12 (cash only, ID required, 15 minutes prior to curtain, based on seating availability)

Purchase tickets online

Subscribers can reserve dates online

Front Doors and Box Office open 45 minutes before curtain.

Box Office Phone Number and Reservations: (520) 882-0555. The box office is staffed for phone reservations by volunteers from noon until 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. If you receive the voicemail message, please leave your name and phone number and we will return your call. Messages are checked frequently, especially on weekends.

Season Subscribers and Flex Pass Holders may make online reservations by referring to our online Season Subcriber Reservation Form here or by calling the box office. Reminder: To guarantee subcribers dates, we request reservations at least two weeks in advance of opening.

All other reservations for single tickets must be accompanied by payment. Reservations must be made at least 3 hours prior to curtain. Those with accessibility needs are are encouraged to advise us of seating needs at least 48 hours in advance of performance as our accessible seating is limited.

Run Time: 1-3/4 hours. There is no intermission.

Parking: There is no charge for parking on the street or at meters after 5 p.m. weekdays, all day on weekends and holidays! The Pennington Street (at Scott Avenue) garage is $2 after 6 p.m. on weekdays and just $2 for the weekend all day. The lot across from the theatre at 6^th Avenue and Broadway is available after 5 p.m. weekdays and all day Saturdays and Sundays.

Special Downtown Event Note: Opening night, September 11 is also 2nd Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Plan additional time for parking. Come early, enjoy some of the activities, see the plays then finish the evening in a club, restaurant, shop or just wandering the Downtown outdoor activities!

Photo by Creatista/Scott Griessel.

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Don't Miss the Arizona Premiere of this Tony Award Nominee, Shining City!

Graphic Design by Kate Natale.

This is just the beginning of our 2010-2011 season. There's more to see and do beyond our main stage productions. Single ticket purchases can be converted to season subscriptions until the close of Shining City.

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Where in the world is our new facade? It's coming. We are experiencing construction delays but plan to get a start on things within the next few weeks! Please keep cheering us on!