Missed Connections | Review | Tucson Weekly

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

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:

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.

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. 

 

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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.

 

 

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.

***

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.

 

***

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!

Tucson: Beowulf Alley Theatre presents Shining City by Conor McPherson

Beowulf Alley Opens Their 2010-2011 Season with

Shining City  by Conor McPherson

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 South 6^th Avenue, begins 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. 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.

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

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 Big 8 in Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage Beowulf Alley Theatre, Cleopatra in Immortal Longings and Claire in the production of The Maids, both 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 of Shining City includes Lucas Gonzales, David Greenwood, Laura Lippman and Jared Stokes.

Reservations are encouraged. We recommend this play for 13 years and older.

Run Time: 90 minutes with no intermission

Performances Days, Dates:

Friday, September 10 (Preview);

Saturday, September 11 (Opening Night with reception to follow); This is also Downtown 2^nd Saturdays so arrive and park early for a little fun before and after curtain.

Sunday, September 12 (post-show discussion, Dialogues with…);

Thursdays through Sundays, September 16-September 26.

Performance Times and Box Office Information:

7:30 p.m.         -           Thursdays – Saturdays Curtain (no late seating)

2:30 p.m.         -           Sunday Curtain (note new time – no late seating)

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.

Ticket Prices:

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

$18      -           Thrifty Thursdays

$15      -           Preview Performance (Night before official opening)

$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:

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 6^th Avenue is available for our use after 5 p on weekdays and all day Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Audition Notice - Beowulf Alley Theatre's Active Imagination Theatre

Audition Notice for Beowulf Alley Theatre’s

Active Imagination Theatre

Auditions will be held at Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 South 6^th Avenue 85701, for a new program, Active Imagination Theatre, on August 21^st and 22^nd from 11a-3p with a goal of developing a company of up to 10 adult actors, using 4 to 5 per show (double casting). Please dress in comfortable clothes for physical movement. A stipend will be paid for performances and parties. For more information, please contact John Vornholt at johnvorn@aol.com.

 

Active Imagination Theatre is participatory, improvisational theater for children, ages 4-8. Each 30-40 minute story is created via improvisation by the actors and director in rehearsal then performed with children from the audience participating in some scenes under the supervision of the adult cast using only a bag of silly hats and costumes for props, allowing for the most fun, flexibility, and creativity. Portability allows the troupe to perform in schools, museums, and other off-site venues, giving us a vehicle for outreach to the community. Post-show birthday parties may be added under the supervision of the performers.

 

Auditioners must possess the following attributes:

·         Improve skills - Individual as well as pairs and ensemble work

·         Puppetry, mime, musical, story-telling

·         Physically fit

·         Expressiveness

·         Must like children

·         Seriously committed to project

·         Willing to be silly

Rehearsals:

·         Late August, early September start

·         Actual dates to be determined by selected group and space availability

Performances:

·         Starting with 2 weekends, both Sat & Sun matinees at noon

o                   – Halloween: October 23, 24, 30 & 31; call times 10:30; performances noon

o                         (Possible birthday parties following performances on October 23 & 30.)

o                   -  Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza: December 4, 5, 11 & 12; call times 10:30; performances noon

o                         (Possible birthday parties following performances on December 4 & 5.)

 

The Burrow: Clown Romeo and Juliet

The Burrow: Clown Romeo and Juliet

A wonderful review of our LNT@The Alley production by a patron.

Audition Notice - LNT@the Alley, Manticore by Anand Kapoor

Beowulf Alley’s LNT@the Alley Holds Auditions

Manticore by Anand Kapoor

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Late Night Theatre, LNT@the Alley, will hold open auditions for Manticore on Friday August 6^th at 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 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 August 8^th and will be scheduled according to the production team’s availability, usually some late nights, weekday evenings and weekends. Performance dates are Sept. 17^th, 18^th, 24^th and 25^th at 10:30 p.m. Some portions of performance will be filmed.

 

Looking for:

Female (4) - 20s to early 30s

Male (2) - 20s to early 30s

 

Email the director, Michael Fenlason, at michaelfenlason@aol.com with questions or for more information.

 

Manticore is a multi-media comic performance with music, masks and monkeyshines; Manticore  touches the edges of the emerging 21^st century with outrageous conjectures, ridiculous dancing, strange gods and grudging compassion, as Sanjiv Smith must fight waves of distractions to finish a thought. “This is a play for people who find television too slow.” The Guardian (London).

Silly Shakespeare | Review | Tucson Weekly

Silly Shakespeare | Review | Tucson Weekly

Beowulf Alley clowns around with 'Romeo and Juliet'

by Sherilyn Forrester"This production of Clown Romeo and Juliet, by Beowulf Alley's Late Night Theatre, features a young, sharp-witted group big on courage ..."The cast and crew of Clown Romeo and Juliet, from left to right: Nicole Scott, Brian Hanson, Josh Parra (pied), Evan Engle, Phillip Dixon, Ian Mortensen and Theresa Simone.
"Brian Hanson as Romeo and Teresa Simone (who actually has clown and physical-comedy training) as Juliet are promising talents, and they both handle Shakespeare's language and their clown skills admirably..."
"Fun touches abound. Juliet plays with Barbie and Ken dolls in the balcony scene. As the couple marries, her wedding veil keeps coming and coming as she enters from the wing, trailing her for the entire width of the stage; it ends up as a sort of clown-bride burqa."
"Brian Hanson as Romeo and Teresa Simone (who actually has clown and physical-comedy training) as Juliet are promising talents..."
Read the full review here: http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/silly-shakespeare/Content?oid=2109979

Die laughing at 'Romeo and Juliet'

Die laughing at 'Romeo and Juliet'

Andrea Rivera Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Friday, July 23, 2010

William Shakespeare's greatest love story becomes a laughable tale tonight as Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley presents 'Clown Romeo and Juliet.'
Vaudeville, clowning, circus and song turn Shakespeare's tragedy into a comedy.

The show is mostly family friendly, but it's not recommended for children 10 years old and younger.

Starring in the production are Brian Hanson as Romeo and Teresa Simone as Juliet. Josh Parra directs.

Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through July 31 at Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave. Tickets are $8; $5 ages 11-13. 882-0555."

NEW FUN WITH OLD TIME RADIO

NEW FUN WITH OLD TIME RADIO

by Chuck Graham

Let The Show Begin

Earlier this week, Let The Show Begin finally got to see one of the stage dramas presented by Beowulf Alley's Old Time Radio Theatre Company, directed by Sheldon Metz. Let me say, you gotta catch some of these shows. They turn radio theater into a very visual production. These shows aren't just for people who once listened to dramas on the family's console radio each evening.

Metz has all the actors wear vintage clothing reminiscent of the 1940s. Those fedora hats and suspenders are very popular with the men. The director himself also appears in costume and warms up the audience old-time-radio style, with banter about what went on in the broadcasting studios before that "On The Air" light went on.

As always, the sound effects men get lots of attention. They are in period clothing, too. The scripts are the actual scripts that were used to create the original radio broadcasts.

The shows themselves at Beowulf Alley are just plain fun and they only last an hour. So you can catch a performance and still have time left for dinner, drinks or whatever since you are already downtown. Old Time Radio shows are always "staged" every other Tuesday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 adults, $5 for the first two children ages 6-12. No reservations required. For details, 882-0555, or visit www.beowulfalley.org

Here are the programs scheduled through August 17:
Tuesday, July 20: "Baby Snooks and Daddy: Looking for a New House"; "Escape: The Time Machine"
Tuesday, Aug. 3: "Easy Aces: Betty's Marital Problems"; "Mystery Theatre: I Know Who You Are" (a new drama in the old time radio format, written by Richard Chaney)
Tuesday, Aug 17: "Fibber McGee and Molly: Fibber's Closet"; "Gunsmoke: Start of a Legend"

The Old Time Radio Theatre company of performers are directed by Sheldon Metz. The company includes Jacob Brown, Jon Benda, Warren Bodow, Janet Bruce, Joel Charles, Geri Courtney-Austein, Sydney Flynn, Vince Flynn, Audrey Ann Gambach, Barbara Glover, Bill La Point, Steve McKee, Mark McLemore, Joan O'Dwyer, Jessica Risco, Jeff Scotland, Ina Shivack, Jared Stokes, Pat Timm, John Vornholt, and Brian Wees plus occasional guest performers and the technical genius of Mike Saxon and Samuel De Jesus.

Old Time Radio Theatre July and August Performances

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company’s Old Time Radio Theatre

July and August Performances Offer Classic Radio Shows

 

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company will present classic productions from the golden days of radio, to be presented at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). Performances are at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 each for the first two children ages 6-12, cash at the door, no reservations required and general seating. For additional information, please go to our website at www.beowulfalley.org or call the box office at (520) 882-0555. Please note: There will be no Old Time Radio Theatre presentation on September 7. We will resume on September 21.

 

Tuesday, July 6

 

The Bickersons: The Honeymoon Is Over was first presented on November 30, 1945, starring Don Ameche and Frances Langford. The Bickersons began as a radio sketch comedy that ran as part of other shows until 1946, when it became its own series. After a turn on NBC, it moved to CBS and ran until 1951. John and Blanche Bickerson spent their entire time in a relentless verbal war. Their quick dialogue brought laughter to all.

 

BLANCHE: “There isn't another woman in the world who'd sacrifice her youth and her looks to live with a man who rattles himself to sleep like a lot of old bones in a bag. What do you think I'm made of, John?”

 

JOHN: “Old bones.”

 

Lights Out: Bon Voyage was first presented June 22, 1938. During the day, radio provided listeners with excitement and thrills as well as laughs. Lights Out was one of radio’s strangest, spookiest and most spine-chilling shows dedicated to horror and the supernatural. It was the radio equal of The Twilight Zone and generated a genre that included Inner Sanctum, Suspense and others. Lights Out was first broadcast on WENR in January, 1934, on Wednesday evenings, and continued until 1947. It was run on television from 1949-1952.

 

Tuesday, July 20

 

Baby Snooks and Daddy: Looking For a New House was presented on December 16, 1945. Baby Snooks and Daddy starred Fannie Brice as Baby Snooks.  The show was based upon a character created by Brice for the Ziegfeld Follies in 1912. In 1936, Baby Snooks became part of the radio version of the Follies. She started her own show in 1944 and it lasted until she died in 1951.  At heart, Snooks was a really nice kid, but her impish ways could make Daddy wince. Daddy has just received an eviction notice from their landlady. He must now look for a new place to live. Of course, with Baby Snooks along, it’s not that simple. She could always draw a smile with her,

“Oh, Daaadddiiiee...”

 

Escape: The Time Machine (H.G. Wells) was presented first presented in 1948 with Jeff Corey and again in 1950, starring John Dehner. Escape was one of radio’s great supernatural series. The Time Machine begins with the Time Traveller returning from his trip, unkempt and in disarray. He relates to his friends of what he has witnessed: wars' horrors first-hand in June, 1940 over London and a nuclear bomb in August, 1966. Travelling to 802,701 A.D., he finds world has settled into a vast garden. He meets the pacifist Eloi, who speak broken English, and have little interest in technology or the past. Their brethren from long ago, the Morlocks, however, have devolved into cannibalistic underground workers. " ... he has all the time in the world."

 

Tuesday, August 3

 

The November 30, 1939 presentation of Easy Aces: Betty’s Marital Problems  is  geared toward all age groups. One of radios’ favorite, long-running shows, this episode is sure to be a hit!

 

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. Our second presentation of the evening, is our first original and new “old time radio show.” Mystery Theatre: I Know Who You Are!,” is written for Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company by Tucson playwright, Richard Chaney. This play is the first 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. We will be presenting many more original scripts in upcoming shows. 

 

Tuesday, August 17

 

Our first presentation of the evening is the March 12, 1940 episode, Fibber McGee and Molly: Fibber’s Closet.

 

“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, starred Jim and Marion Jordan as the beloved couple. The series 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, the infamous closet plays a lead role.

 

"I gotta get that closet cleaned out one of these days."

 

One of radio’s first, great western series was Gunsmoke.  The very first episode of that long-running series, Start of a Legend was first presented on April 26, 1952. The series aired until June 18, 1961 on CBS. It played on TV from 1955 to 1975. It originally starred William Conrad as Marshall Matt Dillon and Parley Baer as Dillon's assistant Chester Proudfoot. Conrad was one of the last actors who auditioned for the role of Marshal Dillon. With a powerful, distinctive voice, Conrad was already one of radio's busiest actors. Dillon, as portrayed by Conrad, was a lonely, isolated man, toughened by a hard life. Much of the character of Matt Dillon came from Conrad himself. This episode also titled, Billy the Kid, is noticeably absent Miss Kitty.

 

Directed by Sheldon Metz, the Old Time Radio Theatre Company includes Jacob Brown, Jon Benda, Warren Bodow, Janet Bruce, Joel Charles, Geri Courtney-Austein, Sydney Flynn, Vince Flynn, Audrey Ann Gambach, Barbara Glover, Bill La Point, Steve McKee, Mark McLemore, Joan O'Dwyer, Jeff Scotland, Ina Shivack, Jared Stokes, Pat Timm, John Vornholt, and Brian Wees plus occasional guest performers and the technical genius of Mike Saxon and Samuel De Jesus.