'Muertos' at Beowulf | www.azstarnet.com ®

'Muertos' at Beowulf www.azstarnet.com ®

Published: 10.31.2008
'Muertos' at Beowulf
New play, set in Mexico, about battle between church and state
By Kathleen Allen
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

It all started with St. Francis. "I had written a short story about the lifting of St. Francis' head by pilgrims," said playwright Gavin Kayner. "The idea is, if you can lift his head, you are right with God. I thought that was a powerful idea, and I filed it away."
Years later, he revived the idea and it became the inspiration for his play "Noche de los Muertos," which will premiere at Beowulf Alley Theatre. Performances start with a preview tonight.
The St. Francis story turned out to be a small part of the play, which tells a powerful story about the battle between church and state.

"The underlying premise is, who will determine our fate, the church or the state?" says Kayner, a retired teacher from Amphitheater Public Schools.

It takes place in 1927 in the village of Magdalena, just south of Nogales. There, the Catholic Church has a strong hold on the people's hearts, souls and education. A young, idealistic schoolteacher comes to town. The government has tapped her to take the school away from the church and to teach the students.
The play is heavy with conflicts that are spiritual, physical, sexual and internal. Written in English, it's also a tight, suspenseful story with a healthy dose of drama and action.

Kayner did extensive research on Mexico's history for the play and even based his schoolteacher on a historical figure.

He started the play in 2004 and ended up rewriting it completely three times.
"I think it's very, very close to being what I want it to be," said Kayner.

The script was strong enough to persuade director Sheldon Metz to break a promise to his wife that he wouldn't direct a play until the spring.

Metz has worked as a director for 47 years. He just moved to Tucson from Los Angeles and was unpacking when Beowulf Alley called and asked him to consider directing "Noche."
He read it and knew that promise had to be put aside.

"The play has power and emotion," said Metz. "I felt it was a powerful, important piece."
Once his wife attended a reading of it, she agreed, and Metz came onboard.
Guilt and innocence both drip over the script. But it never becomes didactic, nor does it point fingers.
Metz liked that.

"There is more than one side to every story. I want to leave the audience with the decision of who's right and wrong.

"When you see the play, you can forge your own conclusion as to who is guilty."
Metz, who has directed nearly 100 plays, says that "Noche" fits with his concept of what theater should be.

"Theater is meant to make people think," he said.

"When the audience leaves, I want them to discuss the play. I want them to linger over a piece of pie and talk about the play for another hour.

"The show is full of opportunities for the audience to think. I think it's a powerful, powerful play."

Preview
• "Noche de los Muertos"
• By: Gavin Kayner.
• Director: Sheldon Metz.
• When: Preview is 7:30 p.m. today; regular performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 1:30 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 16.
• Where: Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave.
• Tickets: $20, with discounts available online.
• Reservations/information: www. beowulfalley.org or 882-0555.
• Cast: Anthony Auriemma, Caroline Latron, Sydney and Vince Flynn, Jordana Franco, Tenoch Gomez, Alex Greengaard, Janet Henderson, Rene Lopez, Esteban Oropeza and Angelica Rodenbeck.
• Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes, with one intermission.

● Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.

Tucson: Auditions for Readers' Theatre - Beowulf Alley Theatre

 

From: theatre [mailto:theatre@beowulfalley.org]
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 9:05 PM

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company

11 South 6th Avenue

Tucson, AZ 85701

 

Contact: Gavin Kayner

brit4@mindspring.com

(520) 297-3317

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Call for Auditions for Readers’ Theatre

 

 

(Tucson, AZ – Oct. 28, 2008) Beowulf Alley Theatre is seeking actors for the first play reading in our inaugural evening of Readers’ Theatre on November 10. The play, Fruited Plain by John Cooper takes place in Colorado Springs, CO and explores the town's cultural, commercial and military life as it was in 1972, during the Viet Nam War and as it is today during the Iraq War.

 

There will be one rehearsal and one evening of performance. We are seeking both male and female characters. In the script, they are middle-aged.

 

Others who may be interested in auditioning for future readings are also welcome to call. Please contact Gavin at (520) 297-3317.

  

 

Beth Dell

Theatre Manager 

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre

11 South 6th Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701
(520) 622-4460 (office)
www.beowulfalley.org

theatre@beowulfalley.org
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, a 501 (c)(3) organization, is committed to enriching the community and enhancing appreciation of the arts through the production of innovative, invigorating theatre and theatrical education with the highest standards for acting and production. Beowulf Alley has received critical acclaim for its productions, including two Mac Awards and seven MAC nominations. The company has presented over 200 performances to Tucson audiences since 2002 and has served hundreds of artists through its productions. The theater also provides performance and rehearsal space for other Tucson theater companies. For more information, log on to www.beowulfalley.org. Equal and fair treatment will be provided to all participants regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status and/or marital status. We thank the National Endowment for the Arts, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the Tucson Pima Arts Council and the Janet S. Brunel Residuary Trust for their support.

 

The Explorer - 'Night of the Dead'

The Explorer - The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson > El Sol > 'Night of the Dead'

'Night of the Dead'

Retired teacher's Southwest play hits Beowulf stage
By Laura Marble, The Explorer
Published:
October-22-2008

Many people know Gavin Kayner as the guy who taught with a puppet on his hand, spoke with theatrical flair and wore funny hats.

In 27 years as an educator for Amphitheater Public Schools, Kayner often used theater to interest energetic children in learning. A government lesson became an excuse to hold a school election. Lessons about civil rights inspired Kayner to write plays such as “Civil Wrong Righted” and “Drum Major for Freedom.”

These days, the retired teacher enjoys a less-raucous type of theater — the theater of the mind. He’s spent large portions of the past six years in quiet repose, writing plays for adults.

“It’s pure heaven,” he said. “I am obsessed by writing.”

Kayner’s handful of plays have achieved notable success. “Noche de los Muertos” was a semi-finalist for the Ashland New Play Festival, a Top 10 finalist for the Reva Shiner Award and third-place winner of the Chicano-Latino Literary Prize at the University of California in Irvine.

And on Saturday, Nov. 1, the play will debut at Beowulf Alley Theatre, where it will run through Sunday, Nov. 16.

“Noche de los Muertos,” which is in English despite its Spanish title, incorporates recognizable elements of Southwestern culture. Its theme came to Kayner during a trip to Mexico.

The retired teacher and his wife often travel to Magdalena de Kino, a town in Sonora, on vacation. One year, they arrived during a festival.

Each October, the festival of St. Francis Xavier draws people from Mexico and Southern Arizona, alike, who seek healing from a reclining statue of the saint. Kayner watched as people cupped their hands under the statue’s head solemnly, trying to lift it. According to lore, those who succeed are right with God.

The experience gave the playwright an idea.

“That thing with confronting your relationship with God in such a dynamic way got to me in a big way,” he said.

The result was a short story set during the Cristero War — a 1920s uprising in Mexico so named because the revolutionaries believed they were fighting for Christ. The war was one dark chapter in Mexico’s history of trying to sort out the roles of church and government.

In Kayner’s story, a school teacher named Magdalena shows up at a school to take a teaching post away from a priest. The resulting drama raises questions about the roles of the church and government, and the ritual of lifting the statue’s head plays a dramatic role at the end.

Kayner said he has ideas about the roles of the church and government, but he woudn’t share them.

“The play doesn’t answer any questions,” he said. “I put out the story and leave it to you.”

Kayner has attended rehearsals of Beowulf Alley Theatre’s production of “Noche de los Muertos.” He said part of him finds it challenging to write a play but not direct it — something he didn’t have to worry about during his days of teaching at Holoway Elementary School, working with the district’s Career Ladder program and serving as assistant principal at Keeling and Prince elementary schools.

But he said it’s also fun to see other people interpret his script. Tucson’s production of “Noche de los Muertos” will include a guitar player and a skeleton mime that he didn’t create, for example.

“You write it, and others are adding their own layer onto it,” Kayner said. “It’s magic when that happens.”

If you go

What: “Noche de los Muertos”

When: 7 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 1:30 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 1-16

Where: Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave.

Cost: $20 for general admission, $18 if paid online

Phone: 882-0555

Online: www.beowulfalley.org

Deadline - Beowulf Alley Theatre Company Seeks Directors for 2009-2010 Season

 

 Beowulf Alley Theatre Company Seeks Directors for 2009-2010 Season

Deadline Reminder

 

Contact: Beth Dell

(520) 622-4460

email: theatre@beowulfalley.org

 

(Tucson, AZ - October 15, 2008) — Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, 11 S. Sixth Ave., is seeking directors and play proposals for the 2009-2010 season. Complete instructions and applications are available online at http://www.beowulfalley.org/html/directors_submissions.html.

Submissions are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 15, 2008 and may be submitted online, via mail or delivered in person. Supporting materials including a copy of the proposed script, one copy of the libretto for musicals and one copy of the musical recording are also required. For online applicants, supporting materials must be received by 5 p.m., Friday, October 17, 2008 to qualify for consideration.

For more information, call the theatre office at (520) 622-4460, or visit the web site at www.beowulfalley.org.

 

Throughout each year, guided by its Artistic Development Committee, Beowulf Alley Theatre will offer a selection of thought-provoking plays to Tucsonans and visitors to Tucson. Writers who cover the Tucson arts scene say the Theatre provides its audiences with “the best total package”—plays, performances, and productions that are high in artistic and technical quality.

 

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. Because Beowulf Alley engages a talent pool that calls Tucson “home” for its productions, the Theatre is committed to helping grow a new generation of Tucson talent with its education programs for young people. And true to its roots, the Theatre maintains ongoing dialogues with the community, including Dialogues with theatre-goers after the first Sunday matinee performance of each of its season plays – an opportunity for theatre-goers to discuss the plays with the director and the performing artists.

 

 

Call to Playwrights, Beowulf Alley's Readers' Theatre

 Media Contact: Beth Dell

(520) 622-4460

theatre@beowulfalley.org

 

 

 

Playwrights are invited to submit scripts to Beowulf Alley's Readers' Theatre Program

READERS’ THEATRE AT BEOWULF ALLEY THEATRE COMPANY

 

(Tucson, AZ – October 14, 2008) Playwrights are invited to submit scripts to Beowulf Alley’s Readers’ Theatre Program. Information about the Readers’ Theatre Program is on the website at http://www.beowulfalley.org/html/playwrights_submissions.html. QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES REGARDING PARTICIPATION IN THE READERS' THEATRE PROJECT MAY BE MADE VIA E-MAIL AT theatre@beowulfalley.org. Submissions may be mailed to:

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company

Readers’ Theatre Program

11 S. 6^th Avenue

Tucson, Arizona 85701

 

 Please do not submit e-mailed scripts. Script submissions are ongoing.

 Dates for the 2008-2009 Monday night readings are:

Nov 10 & Dec 1, 2008; Jan 12, Feb 16, April 13 and May 18, 2009.

 

Playwright’s Responsibilities and Guidelines –

*One securely bound script in an accessible format

*Arrange for actors (Beowulf will help by holding auditions onsite if necessary)

*Arrange and manage one rehearsal at Beowulf

*Supply the required number of scripts for the reading

*Coordinate their efforts with and through Readers’ Theatre committee members

 

Beowulf will provide –

*An audition space and time (if required)

*Rehearsal space and time

*One Monday night reading on the Baron Stage

*Public announcements (This will be a pay as you will event)

*A committee member liaison to manage and coordinate the reading

 

PARTICIPANTS WHO PREFER TO HAVE THEIR SCRIPTS RETURNED VIA MAIL MUST INCLUDE A SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE. SCRIPTS WILL BE HELD FOR PICKUP AT THE THEATRE OFFICE FOR THREE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE CLOSE OF THE READERS' THEATRE SEASON SERIES AFTER WHICH TIME THEY WILL BE DISCARDED.

 

PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO THOSE WHO HAVE THEIR OWN LOCAL HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION AND CAN BE AVAILABLE AT ALL PRE-ARRANGED TIMES.

Tucson: Beowulf Alley Theatre - Auditions and Crew Calls for Readers' Theatre and Late Night Theatre

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre Hosts Auditions and Crew Calls for

Readers’ Theatre and Late Night Theatre

 

 

 

Tucson, Ariz. (October 4, 2008) — Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, 11 S. Sixth Ave., will hold auditions for two new activities: Readers’ Theatre and Late Night Theatre. The times and dates are as follows:

 

Late Night Theatre       Benjamin Hill by Wat Tom, directed by Michael Fenlason

A comedy with serious bits, that runs about fifty-five minutes.

 

Audition times:                  Wed., October 8, 2008, 7-9 p.m. and

Sat., October 11, 2008, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (sides will be provided)

 

Looking for:                       Man: 25-35; Woman 25-35; (2) Women 18-28

Stage Manager, Board Ops/Crew, and Anyone interested in helping

 

Time Commitments:           Rehearsal times will be largely dependent on availability of cast beginning

the week following auditions. 5 performances will be November 6, 7, 8 and

November 14, 15 at 10:30 p.m.

 

 

Readers’ Theatre         Fruited Plain by John Cooper (a staged reading)

 

Audition time:                    Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 6:30-8:00 p.m. (sides will be provided)

 

Looking for:                       (2) men; (2) women; (1) man or woman for smaller bits

Volunteers to assist with front of house and some technical tasks.

 

Time Commitments:           Rehearsal times will be one evening prior to the staged reading and one

                                    staged reading on November 10, 2008.

 

 

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. Because Beowulf Alley engages a talent pool that calls Tucson “home” for its productions, the Theatre is committed to helping grow a new generation of Tucson talent with its education programs for young people. And true to its roots, the Theatre maintains ongoing dialogues with the community, including Dialogues with theatregoers after the first Sunday matinee performance of each of its season plays – an opportunity for theatregoers to discuss the plays with the director and the performing artists. Writers who cover the Tucson arts scene say the Theatre provides its audiences with “the best total package”—plays, performances, and productions that are high in artistic and technical quality.

 

Arizona Daily Star

Wait Until Dark review excerpts
By Kathleen Allen
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 10.03.2008

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/260431:


"There are some shining moments, to be sure. Most notably Dallas Thomas as the blind housewife, Susy. She never broke character, always had the halting, feel-your-way stance of the sightless. And she was believable — both as a smart woman who could take on thugs and as a frightened woman who wasn't sure she was going to make it but would fight until the end.

Steve McKee's turn as a con man was at times gentle, others on the edge of sinister. He did a convincing job.

Chuck Rankin was strong in the smaller role of Susy's husband, Sam, and 14-year-old Molly Howard shows real promise as an actress.

Serving the story well is Joel F. Charles' set of an apartment that looks lived-in and seems to suit Susy and her husband. And Franklin Calsbeek Jr.'s creative lighting underscored the action. "

Tucson Weekly : Arts

Review excerpts
PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 2, 2008
By JAMES REEL

Dallas Thomas' performance as Susy is the best reason to see this show. She very precisely presents to us a formerly plucky woman who has now gone fragile; she's full of frustration and self-doubt, yet making a valiant effort to get by, even if she does occasionally give in to bitterness and self-pity. In the end, when she knows her life is in danger, her fear is palpable, but although she may tremble, she never falls apart. There are many contradictory aspects to this Susy Hendrix, but Thomas strings them together into a coherent whole.

Steve McKee is also good as the bad guy who goes by the name of Mike Talman. He's no angel, but he's too soft for this sort of business, and McKee starts revealing this softness (which is not to be confused with niceness) from his very first scene.

Roat, the ringleader, is played by Gary McGaha, who has wisely decided not to imitate Alan Arkin's spectacularly creepy film performance, which somehow melded Maynard G. Krebs with Fu Manchu. If McGaha, with his steady malevolent gaze, is channeling any screen actor, it's Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith in The Matrix; he's just a few sibilants away from hissing "Misssssss-es Hendrix." While McGaha scores points for consistency, he doesn't suggest the pleasure that Roat derives from manipulating and intimidating people, including his own henchmen.

Roat's other henchman, who impersonates a police officer, doesn't fare very well in the hands of Benjamin C. Dygert. On opening night, in the early scenes, Dygert's timing was a bit off, and later on, he resorted to a one-note characterization, even though the script leaves room for at least the sketch of a personalized melody.

As Susy's husband, Chuck Rankin isn't on stage long enough to show what he's capable of, but it's amusing to see this tall, somewhat bearish actor embrace the very petite Thomas; in Rankin's arms, Thomas looks about 12 years old, which is the most graphic representation of her character's vulnerability you can imagine. Speaking of 12-year-olds, let's not forget Susy's feisty upstairs neighbor Gloria, an angry and unreliable little girl played exceptionally well by Molly Howard.

Joel Charles has contributed a fine set design, and Lori Franklin-Garcia's costumes anchor the characters in the 1960s without resorting to silly fashion shorthand. And these characters must remain in the '60s--so much of the action hinges on telephone technology made obsolete by cell phones, 911 and the demise of phone booths.

If you have a taste for this sort of old-fashioned stage thriller, itself made obsolete by the rise of murder-mystery TV shows, you may well be satisfied by this production's overall pacing--and especially Thomas' performance. Other elements of Wait Until Dark, though, are needlessly murky.

Don't wait to see 'Wait Until Dark' - WildLife

Don't wait to see 'Wait Until Dark' - WildLife

Review excerpts

Don't wait to see 'Wait Until Dark'
By: Adam Daley
Posted: 10/1/08

The victim becomes the aggressor in "Wait Until Dark," a thrilling crime drama directed by Dave Sewell at the Beowulf Alley Theatre.

Susy Hendrix, performed brilliantly by Dallas Thomas, is a blind woman who becomes entangled in a desperate ploy to steal a doll filled with heroin.

The story starts slow but picks up quickly as the crime takes shape.

The animated Steve McKee plays Mike Talman, an expert con artist who steals Susy's trust in order to find the doll.

Benjamin Dygert acts as Talman's bumbling partner-in-crime, and they both answer to the evil head Harry Roat, performed by Gary McGaha.

An unlikely hero, Hendrix foils the meticulous plan when she cuts power to her apartment, plunging the theatre into dizzying darkness.

Thomas' performance in a challenging role is more than convincing.

The stage script, written by Frederick Knott, was adapted to film in 1968, and Audrey Hepburn first played Susy on the big screen. UA graduate Beth Dell manages Beowulf Alley, the small theater "Wait Until Dark" plays in through Oct. 12.

Beowulf Alley Theatre is located at 11 S. Sixth Avenue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2008 Arizona Daily Wildcat

Still scary 40 years later | www.azstarnet.com ®

Still scary 40 years later www.azstarnet.com ®


Published: 09.26.2008
Still scary 40 years later
Beowulf staging the thriller 'Wait Until Dark'
By Kathleen Allen
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Dave Sewell was a gutsy kid.
He was just 12 when he saw the 1967 movie "Wait Until Dark."
He saw it alone.
Alone.

Now if anyone remembers that Audrey Hepburn thriller (and if you saw it, you remember it), you know how tense and terrifying the movie got. That didn't bother Sewell.
"I found it compelling," he said.
With the memory of the movie still with him, Sewell jumped at the chance earlier this year to direct Beowulf Alley Theatre's production of the Frederick Knott thriller, which opens tonight.
"I came across the script a few years ago," Sewell said in a phone interview. "When I looked at the play, I realized it was better written than many plays in that genre."
While the movie may be in the minds of many when they see the play, Sewell isn't worried .
"The play really stands on its own," he said. "There's always the danger people will compare it to the film, but it's been over 40 years since it came out. A lot of folks will come new to this."
The story centers around Susy, who has been blind about a year. Three creeps come into her apartment in hopes of retrieving a doll stuffed with heroin that Suzy's husband had innocently brought home from Canada as a favor to a woman. Suzy's not going to give up that doll.
These three guys are desperate, and they'll do anything they have to to get it. Even kill.
"There's a lot going on," said Sewell. "That's what's attractive about the play. I think people will be surprised by it, surprised by what's going on. I wouldn't say it's a towering work, but the depth it does have is surprising."
And it's a bit of a roller coaster, too, he added.
"There are some funny parts, and some that are scary and suspenseful," Sewell said.
"That tension and release can be very effective."
If you prefer being frightened with friends, have we got a treat for you:
Four tickets to the performance of your choice (depending on availability) of Beowulf Alley Theatre's season opener, "Wait Until Dark."
To be eligible to win the tickets, log on to azstarnet.com/contests, click on the "Wait Until Dark" icon, and tell us what other play Frederick Knott wrote. Think Alfred Hitchcock and Grace Kelly. And scary.
We'll throw all the correct answers into a pile and pick a winner.
The contest ends Monday morning at 9. We'll contact the winner by the end of that day.

Preview
• "Wait Until Dark"
• Presented by: Beowulf Alley Theatre.
• Playwright: Frederick Knott.
• Director: Dave Sewell.
• When: Preview is 7:30 p.m. today; opening is 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Regular performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 1:30 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 12.
• Tickets: $10 preview; $20 regular performances; online discounts at www.beowulfalley.org.
• Information: 882-0555.
• Cast: Ben Dygert, Molly Howard, Gary McGaha, Steve McKee, Chuck Rankin, Mike Saxon, Dallas Thomas, B.J. Watkins.
• Running time: 21/2 hours, with one intermission.
● Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@ azstarnet.com or 573-4128.

Playwrights are invited to submit scripts to Beowulf Alley's Readers' Theatre Program

READERS’ THEATRE AT BEOWULF ALLEY THEATRE COMPANY

 

Playwrights are invited to submit scripts to Beowulf Alley’s Readers’ Theatre Program. Submissions may be mailed to:

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company

Readers’ Theatre Program

11 S. 6^th Avenue

Tucson, Arizona 85701

 

Script submissions are ongoing.

 

Dates for the 2009-2010 Monday night readings are:

Oct 6, Nov 10, Dec 1, Jan 12, Feb 16, April 13 and May 18.

 

Playwright’s Responsibilities and Guidelines –

 

*One securely bound script in an accessible format

*Arrange for actors (Beowulf will help by holding auditions onsite if necessary)

*Arrange and manage one rehearsal at Beowulf

*Supply the required number of scripts for the reading

*Coordinate their efforts with and through Readers’ Theatre committee members

 

Beowulf will provide –

 

*An audition space and time (if required)

*Rehearsal space and time

*One Monday night reading on the Baron Stage

*Public announcements (This will be a pay as you will event)

*A committee member liaison to manage and coordinate the reading

 

INQUIRIES REGARDING PARTICIPATION IN THE READERS' THEATRE PROJECT MAY BE MADE VIA E-MAIL AT theatre@beowulfalley.org.

 

PARTICIPANTS WHO PREFER TO HAVE THEIR SCRIPTS RETURNED VIA MAIL MUST INCLUDE A SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE. SCRIPTS WILL BE HELP FOR PICKUP AT THE THEATRE OFFICE FOR THREE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE CLOSE OF THE READERS' THEATRE SEASON SERIES AFTER WHICH TIME THEY WILL BE DISCARDED.

 

PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO THOSE WHO HAVE THEIR OWN LOCAL HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION AND CAN BE AVAILABLE AT ALL PRE-ARRANGED TIMES.

 

---------------------------------
Tucson Theatre Announcements List
Archive and subscription information on http://tucsonstage.com

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre call for Casts and Crews

 

 

From: theatre@beowulfalley.org
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 5:43 PM
Subject: Beowulf Alley Notice for Casts and Crews

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company - Auditions and Crew Notice

 

We are seeking local Tucson actors, designers, technicians and crew.

 

Noche de los Muertos - Rehearsals begin Sept 20, Tech begins about Oct 15 and performances run Nov 1 - 16, 2008 

(Thurs-Sat eve, Sun mat)

 

Seeking the following PERFORMERS:

 

    Boneman - this is a vital, non-speaking performer with some graceful, dance-like movement

    Three non-speaking "shadow" characters - vital to the story

    Guitarist - accompanying the performance, creating the original, acoustic, Latin sound

 

Seeking the following PRODUCTION TEAM:

 

    Stage Manager who will run light or sound board

    Props Master

    Sound Designer (sound effects)

    Lighting Designer

    Sound or light board operator

 

Please contact the Noche de los Muertos Director, Sheldon Metz at theDrektor@gmail.com or by phone at 520-722-9553.

 

 

 

Dinner with Friends - Rehearsals begin after Thanksgiving, Tech begins the last week in Dec and performances run Jan 10-25, 2009

(Thurs-Sat eve, Sun mat)

 

Seeking the following PERFORMERS:

 

    Male actor - late 30s to mid-40s.

        Prepare a 1-2 contemporary monologue. There may also be a cold read from the script

 

Seeking the following PRODUCTION TEAM

   

    Costume Designer

    Props Master

    Sound Designer

    Lighting Designer

    Sound or light board operator

   

Please contact the Dinner with Friends Director, Susan Arnold at 520-241-4604.

   

 

 

Proof - Rehearsals begin begin around the end of Feb, 2009, Tech begins about last week of March and performances run April 11-16, 2009

(Thurs-Sat eve, Sun mat)

 

Seeking the following PERFORMERS:

 

    Hal - a college math whiz, slight to medium build

 

Seeking the following PRODUCTION TEAM:

 

    Stage Manager who will run light or sound board

    Costume Designer

    Props Master

    Sound Designer

    Lighting Designer

    Sound or light board operator

 

Please contact the Proof  Director, Sheldon Metz at theDrektor@gmail.com or by phone at 520-722-9553.

 

 

If you have little experience but are interested in learning, please contact us. We can train you, beginning with the production/backstage work.

 

 

Beth Dell

Theatre Manager 

 

 

 

 

Tucson: BEOWULF ALLEY THEATRE presents "Wait Until Dark"

From: theatre [mailto:theatre@beowulfalley.org]
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 3:18 PM
Subject: Press Release - Wait Until Dark

 

BEOWULF ALLEY THEATRE COMPANY

11 South 6^th Avenue · Tucson, AZ   85701

Administration 622-4460 · Reservations 882-0555

www.beowulfalley.org

theatre@beowulfalley.org

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

BEOWULF ALLEY THEATRE COMPANY TO PRESENT WAIT UNTIL DARK, A CLASSIC THRILLER

 

Tucson, AZ - September 4, 2008 - Beowulf Alley Theatre Company today announced that Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott will open on Saturday, September 27 and run through October 12. Performances will be Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased on line at www.beowulfalley.org. The single ticket general price is $20 with an on line only discount. There will be one Preview performance on Friday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. Preview tickets are $10.

 

WAIT UNTIL DARK is a story of empowerment and discovery. Director Dave Sewell explains, “A ring of sinister con men meet their match in a blind housewife who must rely solely on her wits to survive terror and deception. This richly crafted thriller never bogs down in showy gimmicks or needless plot twists. It’s a battle of wits where character always reigns supreme. It's not of story of a handicapped woman overcoming her disability, it's the story of an intelligent, able woman who keeps her cool and reasons her way out of danger.” The cast includes Ben Dygert, Molly Howard, Gary McGaha, Steve McKee, Chuck Rankin, Mike Saxon, Dallas Thomas, and B.J. Watkins.

 

From September through April, guided by its Artistic Development Committee, Beowulf Alley Theatre will offer Tucsonans and visitors to Tucson plays that are award-winners, an original play by a Tucson playwright, and a light-hearted look at a contemporary issue – drama, suspense, and comedy. Writers who cover the Tucson arts scene say the Theatre provides its audiences with “the best total package”—plays, performances, and productions that are high in artistic and technical quality.

 

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. Because Beowulf Alley uses a home-grown talent pool for its productions, the Theatre is committed to helping grow a new generation of Tucson talent with its education programs for young people. And true to its roots, the Theatre maintains ongoing dialogues with the community, including Dialogues with theatre-goers after the first Sunday matinee performance of each of its season plays – an opportunity for theatre-goers to discuss the plays with the director and the performing artists.

 

In addition to helping maintain a strong arts community in Tucson and a vibrant Downtown area, the Theatre is committed to shining a spotlight on other worthy Tucson non-profit organizations. On Thursday, October 9, Beowulf Alley and Elle Restaurant, 3048 E Broadway Blvd., www.ellerestaurant.com, will host a benefit performance for Sun Sounds of Arizona, www.sunsounds.org. Sun Sounds bridges the information gap between current print media and people who cannot use it because of a disability. Tickets for this worthy benefit are $30 by phone or mail in advance or $28 online at www.beowulfalley.org. $10 of every ticket is a tax deductible contribution to Sun Sounds, a 501(c) (3), non-profit organization. For more information, call Beowulf Alley Theatre Company at 882-0555 or Sun Sounds of Arizona at 520-296-2400.

 

 

---------------------------------
Tucson Theatre Announcements List
Archive and subscription information on http://tucsonstage.com

 

Tucson Weekly : Arts : Desiring Dynamic

Tucson Weekly : Arts : Desiring Dynamic



PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 28, 2008:

Desiring Dynamic

Beowulf Alley mixes known fare, an 'alternative' romp and a brand-new play as it overcomes financial problems

By JAMES REEL


Jordana Franco and Tenoch Gomez in "Noche de los Muertos."

Last week, a half-dozen black-clad Hispanic actors stood on the Beowulf Alley stage, giving a reading of Gavin Kayner's Noche de los Muertos.
It was a departure for Beowulf Alley in many ways: opening a workshop to the public in preparation for a premiere, later this season, of a local play requiring a Latino cast, something otherwise found almost exclusively at Borderlands Theater. Every element of that sentence represents something new for Beowulf Alley Theatre.

It's a house that nearly closed in the summer of 2007 during a financial crisis that shed the company of its artistic director. To cope, the board started some serious brainstorming about fundraising and audience development, and assigned artistic direction to a committee that solicited production proposals from directors in the community.

Beowulf Alley is still operating with an undisclosed deficit; the tax form it filed late last year shows that, for the season ending in June 2007, the company spent nearly $38,000 more than it took in, a serious but not necessarily fatal figure for an organization with annual expenses approaching $200,000.

"We had a choice last year: Close the doors, or continue," says board member Mike Sultzbach, who heads Beowulf Alley's artistic committee. The closure would have been temporary while the company tried to get its finances in order, but the board decided that going dark would lead audiences and potential donors to assume that the company had permanently folded. So it proceeded with a season cobbled together mainly from proposals by local directors.

"The process worked, but it wasn't as efficient as it could be," Sultzbach admits. "We learned pretty quickly some things we could do better."

Lessons learned, the company is continuing with that system through this season, and by January, it will already have assembled a schedule for 2009-10. After that, says Sultzbach, the company may be able to hire an artistic director again.

"The advantage to the way we're doing it now is that directors submit plays they're passionate about directing," Sultzbach says. "The hard part for the theater is, out of these submissions, how do we make a season out of them? It's easier to control the theater's artistic vision if you have an artistic director who selects the plays and then finds the directors and casts."

The board's big concern right now, Sultzbach says, is to build the company's audience, so the coming season offers more well-known plays than in the past. Noche de los Muertos, the new play by Tucsonan Gavin Kayner, will run in November, but before that, opening Sept. 27, comes an old chestnut, Wait Until Dark, which enjoyed a popular film adaptation 40 years ago, with Audrey Hepburn playing a blind woman fending off a home invasion led by a memorably creepy Alan Arkin.

Director Dave Sewell pitched Wait Until Dark, because he felt it had popular appeal, yet was one of the better examples of the stage thriller, with truly three-dimensional characters. Noche de los Muertos, on the other hand, is something that the artistic committee decided to mount as part of its mission to present more daring and unusual material; for this, the group recruited director Sheldon Metz, a recent transplant from Los Angeles who had already sold them on a production of the Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Proof for April.

Both Sewell and Metz, who have run their own companies, seem relieved to be able to direct plays they believe in without having to micromanage every element of the show and the theater's administration.

Metz, for example, threw himself into 96 Los Angeles productions through the course of 47 years, while also producing events in Las Vegas. "I directed plays, designed and built sets, even stepped into some roles for a weekend," he says. "Here, most of that is pretty much done for me. I'm designing the set for Proof, but I don't have to build it and do the lights and worry about the politics of the theater and fundraising. Here, I just get to direct a show."

Sewell adds, "It's nice not having to worry about all those other elements, like I did when I was working with the Tucson Theatre Ensemble. Now, I can just be excited about being entrusted with a chunk of the Beowulf season."

It's Sultzbach's committee that has to piece together the total season and assemble a design team, while building the audience and donor base. To that end, the theater is relying more heavily than usual on known quantities: Wait Until Dark, Proof and, in January, another Pulitzer winner, Dinner With Friends. "They're all solid plays," says Sultzbach. "They've all been on Broadway, and all three had movies made out of them. We knew we were dealing with good, solid material."

The other two productions, in contrast, are efforts to reach out to different audiences. Kayner's Noche de los Muertos focuses on an intense church-versus-state conflict toward the end of the Mexican revolutionary period in the town of Magdalena, not too far south of the border. It's a rare opportunity to showcase Hispanic performers (including the remarkable Angelica Rodenbeck, who isn't cast nearly as often as she deserves simply because her Spanish accent is a bit too strong) and demonstrates a commitment to new work amid the more familiar fare. In February will come 3 Guys in Drag Selling Their Stuff, for which nobody involved makes any great intellectual claims. Sultzbach says it's "come in, have a good time and leave," but also the sort of thing that could attract an alternative (unspoken word: gay) audience, some of which might be inspired to check out other Beowulf productions.

Additionally, the company is developing acting and technical workshops, a readers' theater series and a youth-oriented late-night series, plus, next summer, classes for kids.

"The mission is to open this place up to the artistic community of Tucson," Sultzbach says. "We don't want it to be this little ensemble of the same actors and directors all the time; we want to make the Tucson community of artists feel like this is the place they want to come to. Whether we'll be 100 percent on all of these projects this year remains to be seen. As our programs generate revenue for us, and our fundraising increases, which will give us more flexibility, we'll be able to enhance those programs.

"As excited as I am when I look back and see what we've accomplished in the past year, I'm even more excited as we move forward. In another year or two, this place will really be dynamic."

Tucson: Stage Crew/ Police Officer walk-on roles, Beowulf Alley Theatre

 

 

From: theatre [mailto:theatre@beowulfalley.org]
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 6:15 PM

 

Wait Until Dark at Beowulf Alley Theatre – Stage Crew/ Police Officers

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, www.beowulfalley.org, at 11 South 6^th Avenue, Tucson has an immediate need for a 2 stage crew positions that will also serve as two police officers. The policemen are walk-ons but they do have about five lines apiece of basic "police talk" that must be rendered convincingly. Some stage experience (i.e., acting) would be beneficial, but it would also be a good opportunity for newbies with a willingness to learn. The backstage work will most likely consist of helping with off-stage sound effects, prop management, and fire safety protocols. Both should look as if they were at least old enough to graduate high school and the police academy. Rehearsals will be a few nights per week for approximately 3 hours with an occasional 5^th rehearsal some weeks. Tech rehearsals will be approximately the two weeks leading up to opening night, September 27. Performances are Thurs-Sat at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. through October 12. A stipend will be paid. If you can commit to the schedule, want to learn and have some fun, please call the director, Dave Sewell at (520) 888-5815 or call the theatre at (520) 622-4460.

 

We also have an immediate need for a Stage Manager/Light board Operator and Sound Board Operator.

 

Please contact the director, Dave Sewell at (520) 888-5815 or call the theatre at (520) 622-4460. We are willing to train. A stipend will be paid.

 

This is our most immediate need but we have technical positions open for each of the productions following Wait Until Dark. Give us a call if you are available for other productions!

 

---------------------------------
Tucson Theatre Announcements List
Archive and subscription information on http://tucsonstage.com

 

Stage Manager, Sound Board Op and Stage Crew needed

Wait Until Dark at Beowulf Alley Theatre – Stage Manager, Sound Board Op and Stage Crew

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, www.beowulfalley.org, at 11 South 6^th Avenue, Tucson has an immediate need for a Stage Manager. Rehearsals have began and most weeks will be 4 nights per week for approximately 3 hours with an occasional 5^th rehearsal some weeks. Tech rehearsals will be approximately the two weeks leading up to opening night, September 27. Performances are Thurs-Sat at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. through October 12. A stipend will be paid. If you can commit to the schedule, want to learn and have some fun, please call the director, Dave Sewell at (520) 888-5815 or call the theatre at (520) 622-4460.

 

We also need a Sound Board Operator and Stage Crew. Please contact the director, Dave Sewell at (520) 888-5815 or call the theatre at (520) 622-4460. We are willing to train. A stipend will be paid.

 

This is our most immediate need but we have technical positions open for each of the productions following Wait Until Dark. Give us a call if you are available for other productions!

Participants of the public workshop of "Noche de los Muertos"

Participants of the public workshop of "Noche de los Muertos" a new play by local award-winning playwright, Gavin Kayner.

 

"Noche de los Muertos" is a highly theatrical, classically based, culturally appropriate drama. Set in a provincial village in the Sonoran Desert in the 1920's, Noche explores the power of rites and rituals that influence thought to the point of irrationality and how passionate individuals deal with devastating conflicts.

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre, through grants from Tucson Pima Arts Council and Arizona Commission on the Arts, conducted the workshop to allow the characters of the play to come to life. When a play is written, its voices are inside the head of a playwright. By giving the characters the voices of actors, new discoveries are made and this allows the playwright to make refinements and further develop its richness. We are proud to be the theatre in Tucson that was given the opportunity to share these homegrown talents with our community in the month of August and look forward to having everyone come to see this marvelous piece fully mounted as our second production of the season, November 1-16, 2008.

 

The photo was taken by Bill Dell

 

Back Row L-R:

                Tenoch Gomez, Renaldo; Jordana Franco, Catalina; Alex Samaniego, Priest; Bardo Padilla, Tomas;

                Jan Henderson, Pelancha; Esteban Oropeza, Narrator

               

                Front Row L-R: Mike Sultzbach, Director; Angelica Rodenbeck, Irma; Gavin Kayner, Playwright