Beowulf Alley Theatre presents the 2007 Olivier Award-winner, Blackbird

Beowulf Alley Theatre  presents the 2007 Olivier Award-winner, Blackbird by David Harrower, Performance will be held at the theatre, 11 South 6^th Avenue, for three weekends only, December 3-19, 2010. Performance times are 7:30 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Directed by Laura Lippman, the cast includes Art Almquist, Elizabeth Leadon-Sonnenfelt and Chrissie Peterson.

 

From the time of Adam and Eve, we have been fascinated by that which is forbidden – and nothing more so than forbidden love. David Harrower's electrifying and explosive play, Blackbird, has Ray confronting his past when Una arrives unannounced at his office. Guilt and raw emotions run high as they recollect the passionate love affair they had fifteen years earlier. As tensions rise, we are left to question: When is love abuse? And can we ever break free from the shackles of the past? A hit of the Edinburgh Festival, and a critically acclaimed hit in New York and London, Blackbird is a provocative, no-holds-barred drama that both chills and thrills.

A fascinating and unnerving ninety-minute cat-and-mouse tale of revenge and sexual intrigue, with genuine theatricality and undeniable shock value. —Associated Press

Scottish playwright, David Harrower's plays include Knives in Hens; Kill the Old, Torture Their Young; Presence; and Dark Earth. Blackbird was shortlisted for the Saltire Society Book of the Year Award and won the 2007 Lawrence Olivier Award for Best New Play.

Laura Lippman, recently relocated to Tucson from Orlando, Florida. Recent Orlando directing credits include Rockaby and Endgame for Empty Spaces Theatre Company’s Beckett Festival and movement director for Equus at Rollins College. In addition, Laura has directed and developed new plays for over a decade, including recent works such as Charm and Letters to Sala at Orlando PlayFest, The Toymaker’s War for the National New Play Network Showcase, Upright Position, Destination: Reality and Transference with the Women Playwrights’ Initiative and Songs My Brother Sang for the GLBT New Works Series. She also adapted and directed Euripides’ Cyclops for the 2008 American Philological Association’s Annual Conference in Chicago along with her husband Mike. Laura studied acting at Bennington College and The Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales. She received her MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University.

Box Office Information:

-       Box office volunteers are available by phone, (520) 882-0555, 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.

-       Reservations by phone are confirmed with payment using a VISA, MC or Discover card

-       All tickets are held at will call. All sales are final. Reservations are encouraged.

-       Due to mature themes, no one under 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.

-       Run time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission

 

Ticket Prices and Discounts:

-       Preview Performance: December 3 (Friday)

$15      -           At door/by phone, VISA, MC, Discover, local check, cash (Reserved Ticket)

$13      -           Online Discount for anyone at www.beowulfalley.org up to 3 hours before

                        performance (Reserved Ticket)

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

15 min. before curtain, First Come-First Served, no advance reservation)

 

-       Full Run:        December 4, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

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

            $21      -           Online Discount for anyone at www.beowulfalley.org up to 3 hours before

                        performance (Reserved Ticket)

 

December 9, 16 (Thrifty Thursdays), 11 and 18 (Saturdays, 2^nd Saturday and Parade of Lights Events, both starting at 6 p.m.)

$18      -           At door/by phone, VISA, MC, Discover, local check, cash or online up to 3 hours before performance at www.beowulfalley.org

 

-       Special Discount - All Performances

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

15 min. before curtain, First Come-First Served, no advance reservation)

 

Parking:

Park at the secure Pennington and Scott Parkwise Garage for just $2. 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. For a Downtown Parking Map, go to http://parkwise.tucsonaz.gov/sites/default/files/parkwise/DT%20Parking%20Map.jpg or to our website at www.beowulfalley.org.

 

On event nights, we suggest that you leave home early to allow for traffic and parking as there may be road closures or traffic pattern adjustments. Come early to have fun or enjoy a pre-show meal.

 

Shel Silverstein: Adult Style | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch

Shel Silverstein: Adult Style | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch

DO THIS! Shel Silverstein: Adult Style
POSTED BY MARI HERRERAS ON THU, NOV 11, 2010

You can never go wrong with Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, a tale about a tree who loves a boy so much that she gives him everything he needs—even if it means she's left a stump. It's a sad story, but one I always loved, as well as Silverstein's children's poetry.

However, Silverstein is more than a kiddy author, even if that's what most of us love about the late poet and illustrator. He had an adult side, too (which has nothing to do with the cartoons he did forPlayboy in the late 1950s).

An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein opens Friday, Nov. 12 at Beowulf Alley's Late Night Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave., 8 p.m. The show continues Nov. 20. Tickets are $8 (cash only). For more info, call the theater at 882-0555.

The show is this series of shorts (full disclosure, my husband is in a couple, and is the guy at the end of the video touching his chi-chis. Hmm. But I've heard good things, really, I have.):

"One Tennis Shoe" — Harvey claims his wife is becoming a bag lady.
"Bus Stop" — Irwin stands on a corner with a "bust stop" sign.
"Going Once" — A woman auctions herself.
"The Best Daddy" — Lisa's daddy shot the pony he got for her birthday.
"The Lifeboat is Sinking" — Jen and Sherwin play a game of Who-Would-You-Save-If—the family was drowning.
"Smile" — Bender plans to punish the man responsible for the phrase "Have a nice day".
"Watch and Dry" — Marianne discovers her laundry hasn't been cleaned.
"Thinking Up a New Name for the Act" — Pete thinks "meat and potatoes" is the perfect name for a vaudeville act.
"Buy One, Get One Free" — Hookers offer a golden opportunity.
"Blind Willie and the Talking Dog" — Blind Willie's talking dog argues they could profit from his talent.

LNT Presents "An Adult Evening Of Shel Silverstein"

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Late Night Presents

An Adult Evening Of Shel Silverstein

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Late Night Theatre presents An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, by the author, to be performed at the theatre at 11 South 6^th Avenue. Performances are at 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, November 12, 13, 19 and 20, 2010. Tickets are $8 at the door, cash only, with no advance reservations.

 

Beloved children's author Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Giving Tree) was also quick with a parable, a funny rhyme and amusing song for grown-ups. Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley performs these weird, wacky and madcap sketches, playlets and naughty punch lines from Silverstein's long and amazing career. Funny, subtle and visual like his cartoons, An Adult Evening Of Shel Silverstein gives the grownups a turn to laugh. This show is not recommended for children under sixteen.

 

For additional information, please call the theatre at (520) 882-0555.

 

'Transylvanian Clockworks' breathes new life into undead

'Transylvanian Clockworks' breathes new life into undead:

Dave IrwinTucsonSentinel.com

"Even with the world already overstocked with vampires, there are good reasons to check out "The Transylvanian Clockworks." It's an interesting alternative view of an increasingly shopworn legend, More importantly, it entertains well enough and makes you think at least a little.

"Director Dave Sewell moves his actors around effectively, following the exacting stipulations of Nigro's stage directions. The set, designated into various sectors, functions effectively. The costumes are very well done; the women's dresses in particular look stunning.

"Among the actors, Danielle Shirar steals the show with her sexy, amoral vampish Lucy. Elizabeth Leadon-Sonnenfelt as Mina is wonderfully icy. Local favorite Bill Epstein plays Van Helsing with his usual finely-detailed skills, and is only slightly less commanding on stage than Shirar."

Read the entire review here: http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/102910_transylvaniareview

Not your granddad's 'Dracula,' but fun

Not your granddad's 'Dracula,' but fun

Kathleen Allen

Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Friday, October 29

"smoothly directed by Dave Sewell" ... "this Beowulf production makes sure the fun is passed on to the audience."

Evan Engle, Danielle Shirar and Elizabeth Leadon-Sonnenfeldt are in the cast of Beowulf Alley Theatre's production.

"David Michael Swisher's Dracula was sexy, dignified, and restrained, but pulled tightly. We weren't sure if he was going to fly into a blood-sucking rage or produce a bouquet of daisies."

"Bill Epstein's Van Helsing oozed warmth in his voice, which made his cruel threats to Harker all the more chilling. Danielle Shirar as the flirtatious Lucy was almost amoral, and thus much more interesting than the Victorian norm. John Mussack's Harker slipped effortlessly from coherent to not so coherent. Evan Engle made his Seward appropriately sleazy. Elizabeth Leadon-Sonnenfelt's Mina was alternately cold and tender, and it was hard to tell which side of her was going to emerge, making Mina a lot more compelling than the goody-two-shoes who succumbs to Dracula's bite in the original. Laura Davenport's Peg, the maid, had a sweet disposition to go with her loose morals."

Read the entire review here: http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/article_e27cabed-b339-584c-a194-8f30c333fc1b.html

Theatre1

“TRANSYLVANIAN CLOCKWORKS” GETS INSIDE THE VAMPIRE MYTH

by Chuck Graham

Let The Show Begin

www.tucsonstage.com

Psychiatrists, psychoanalysists and philosophers of every stripe should see the new play at Beowulf Alley Theater, 11 S. Sixth Ave., “The Transylvanian Clockworks” by Don Nigro.

That title is not just a gimmicky trick to catch your attention. Nigro does nothing less than turn the “Dracula” mythology around 180 degrees so we can see behind the face, understand how the clockworks of vampire popularity function.

The free-thinking boomer generation must be feeling a little guilty coming to realize they have raised a new generation of kids with a lot of uptight feelings about sex. Is is just a coincidence vampires are so popular in teen culture these days?

Irony is dripping from the argument that our nation’s newest generation has much in common with those much-maligned Victorians. The ones who refused to admit they had sex even as they built powerful empires that brought new technology to many countries that had been living with latent scientific awareness.

This awareness makes “The Transylvanian Clockworks” even more timely. Freud would have loved it, too.

Nigro changes the structure of Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula” a little bit. The playwright eliminates the nutty, insect-obsessed Renfield and adds a third lovely female in the family of distressed lovely females who live at the spooky estate of the proudly Christian gentleman Dr. Van Helsing.

The play opens with Jonathan Harker (John Mussack) pretty much a basket case of nervous noises and ticks after returning to London from a business trip in Romania. He is, basically, the Renfield character but this Harker is obsessed with eating blood pudding and raw flesh.

Eventually we learn Jonathan is unhappily married to Mina Harker (Elizabeth Leadon-Sonnenfelt). She is one of three ladies in mental distress, sharing a bedroom with Lucy Westenra (Danielle Shirar) and the housemaid Peg (Laura Davenport).

All three females are taken with the nightly sight of a distinguished-looking gentleman in the garden. He is always exceptionally polite, though he refuses to be deterred from his vigil.

Adding his own complications is the young Dr. John Seward (Evan Engle). He receives the flirtatious attention of Mina, while he also tells tales of a rumored ghost ship, the menacing and mysterious serial killer nicknamed Jack the Ripper, and wondering exactly what sort of business the sleepless Dracula (David Michael Swisher) is conducting when he isn’t standing outside in their garden. He does seem to be shipping and receiving an exceptional number of very large boxes.

Though the dialogue is what we think of as proper Victorian speech, the words are packed with double entendre. While watching, we can theorize how a society that is stewing in its own sexual frustration needs the vampire myth in order to explain all the fainting women in the grip of some mysterious hysteria.

Science was beginning to push Christianity off center stage, so instead of saying “The Devil made me do it,” men and women alike could answer “The vampire made me do it.”

While the women succumb to Dracula’s charms, the men with their phallic wooden stakes and heavy hammers run about destroying the competition…that is, the vampires.

Thus it has been necessary over the centuries to keep the vampire myth alive not only to satisfy the female desire for fantasy lovers but also to satisfy the male desire for taking action.

Nigro the playwright lays it all out in poetic fashion with theatrical flair. Dave Sewell as director of the Beowulf Alley production takes an understated approach. He wants the clockwork mechanisms in all this shadowy behavior to be clearly revealed at a calm pace.

Once you have looked into “The Transylvanian Clockworks,” Dracula will never have the same impact. Once you start applying this explanation to the younger generation’s fascination with teen vampires, well….

Halloween events

Halloween events: "Old Time Radio Theatre - Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave. Old Time Radio Theatre presents classic spooky stories in honor of Dia de los Muertos and Halloween with staged 'radio' performances. 7-8:45 p.m. Nov. 2. $8; $5 age 12 and under. 882-0555."

Beowulf presents twist on 'Dracula'

Beowulf presents twist on 'Dracula'

Kathleen Allen Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Friday, October 22, 2010

Had enough of vampires?

Beowulf Alley Theatre is hoping not - the company previews Don Nigro's "The Transylvanian Clockworks" tonight and opens it Saturday.

This isn't your typical adaptation of the Bram Stoker Dracula tale, said Dave Sewell, director of the production.

"It's an amazing little play," Sewell said in a phone interview this week.

"It's a psychological thriller wrapped in a dark comedy. . . . It's less about fangs and blood, and more about fear of intimacy."

The story takes place in 1888 London. Shenanigans courtesy of Jack the Ripper and Dracula are making it clear that evil exists. Fear - of death, violence and women who seem to burst their bodices and embrace their sexuality - is pervasive.

Evan Engle, left, and Bill Epstein appear in Don Nigro's "The Transylvanian Clockworks"

Nigro has used the vampire tale as a launching point to examine our own dual natures, Sewell said.

"It's interesting, challenging, provocative theater, but there are very funny moments," he added.

"What you don't get is a camp version of 'Dracula.' "

The play "upends assumptions about iconic heroes and villains, and explores the psychological underpinnings of familiar characters," the Seattle Times said about the 1977 play.

Sewell loves the unexpectedness of this version of the Dracula story.

And he loves that there is more than a thriller to keep the audience hooked - particularly, the play's ability to make us look at ourselves and our own dark sides.

...

Read the entire article here: http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/article_fad7faae-957c-5311-8af1-c268b2ee775f.html

Director/Play Submittals extended

DEADLINE EXTENDED

 

Director/Play 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.”

 

The deadline for submittals has been extended one week to

3:00 p.m., Friday, October 22, 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.

 

New Facade Update - AZ Daily Star

Beowulf Alley Theatre presents The Transylvanian Clockworks

Beowulf Alley Theatre presents

The Transylvanian Clockworks by Don Nigro

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre, just off-Broadway at 11 South 6th Avenue, 85701, will present Don Nigro’s investigation of the Dracula myth in a powerful, complex, darkly funny and utterly terrifying vampire play unlike any you have ever experienced, The Transylvanian Clockworks. Performances will be held for three weekends only, October 22-November 7, 2010, Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.

 

Set in London and Transylvania in 1888 (the year of Jack the Ripper), it captures the erotic power and poetry of Stoker's novel while looking more deeply into the characters' souls to examine the sensual and frightening undercurrents of this captivating Victorian tale. Jonathan Harker has returned from Transylvania so profoundly disturbed that he is confined to Dr. Seward's mental hospital and Van Helsing has been called in to help unravel the mystery of Jonathan's dementia. Jonathan's version of events at Castle Dracula leads them into a waking nightmare involving the mysterious foreign gentleman who seems to be seducing the women in Jonathan's life. Or is this mysterious gentleman simply opening their eyes to a new reality? In the surprising conclusion the real souls and motivations of both Count Dracula and Van Helsing are laid bare for all to see.

 

...sharp, probing and intensely erotic. This is a "Dracula" that teases shadowy intimacy and obsession from the myth, turns everything on its head and reveals a surprising new world.

--Seattle Times

Prolific American-born playwright, Don Nigro, is the author of challenging and indefinable plays that deal with madness, sex, obsession, history and love. He is considered the most published American playwright with over 200 scripts.

 

Dave Sewell, Director, directed Wait Until Dark and Arcadia for Beowulf Alley. He is the Chair  of the Artistic Development Committee and currently serves as the Youth Education Director for BATC’s YoungActors@the Alley. A native of Southern California, Dave has directed over thirty productions and participated in countless others as an actor, set designer, or technician. Since moving to Tucson in 1995, He has worked with Catalina Players, Desert Players, Old Pueblo Playwrights, Stark Naked Productions, and Tucson Theatre Ensemble. He has directed plays in a wide variety of genres, including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, ‘night, Mother, Measure for Measure, Galileo, and Deathtrap. Dave holds a degree in Theatre from the University of California, Riverside.

 

The cast includes Laura Davenport, Evan Engle, Bill Epstein, Elizabeth Leadon, John Mussack, Danielle Shirar, and David Swisher.

 

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 2 hours and 20 minutes with a 15 minute 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 presents ....

Beowulf Alley’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company

November and December, 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, SUSPENSE 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.

  

SUSPENSE, 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 SUSPENSE 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.

 

December 7

 

MY FRIEND IRMA: Irma Wants Money For Christmas (December 16, 1952), followed by ACADEMY AWARD THEATRE: Brief Encounter (November 20, 1946).

 

My Friend Irma continues to be our most requested show. One of radio’s funniest comedies, it starred Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn, John Lund and a host of radio and TV greats. Most notably, it was the kick off for two of comedy’s greats, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. My Friend Irma, and it’s popularity and wacky ensemble of misfits, allowed it to go on to two movies, comic books and a huge TV success. There is a laugh every 4.5 seconds.

 

Academy Award Theatre was a CBS radio anthology series which presented 30-minute adaptations of plays, novels or films, from March 30, 1946 through December 18, 1946. Rather than adaptations of Oscar-winning films, as the title implied, the series offered "Hollywood's finest, the great picture plays, the great actors and actresses, techniques and skills, chosen from the honor roll of those who have won or been nominated for the famous golden Oscar of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.”

 

Based on Noel Coward’s play Still Life, Brief Encounter is a romantic, bittersweet drama about two married people who meet by chance in a London railway station and carry on an intense love affair. Sentimental yet down-to-earth and set in pre-World War II England, the film follows British housewife Laura Jesson, who is on her way home, but catches a cinder in her eye. By chance, she meets Dr. Alec Harvey, who removes it for her. The two talk for a few minutes and strike immediate sparks, but they end up catching different trains. However, both return to the station once a week to meet and they grow closer, sharing stories, hopes, and fears about their lives, marriages, and children. Brief Encounter was adapted as a radio play on the November 20, 1946 episode of Academy Award Theatre, starring Greer Garson.

 

December 21

 

Two wonderful holiday stories, The Great Gildersleeve Christmas Show (December 22, 1948) and A Christmas Carol (December 24, 1934), will be presented for a family holiday treat.

 

The Great Gildersleeve ran on radio from 1941–1957 and was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. Built around Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, a character who had been a staple on the classic radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest success in the 1940s. Actor Harold Perry played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in a quartet of feature films released at the height of the show's popularity.

On Fibber McGee and Molly, Peary's Gildersleeve was a pompous windbag who became a consistent McGee nemesis. "You're a haa-aa-aa-aard man, McGee!" became a Gildersleeve catch phrase. The character was given several conflicting first names on Fibber McGee and Molly, and on one episode his middle name was originally revealed. Gildy admits as much at the end of "Gildersleeve's Diary" on the Fibber McGee and Molly series. In this episode, Gildy invites the Judge to Christmas dinner, and a simple dinner turns into the party of the year.  

 

Back before television, a holiday season tradition in America was listening to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as performed on radio by Lionel Barrymore and narrated by Orson Welles with the Mercury Theatre group. The music was composed and conducted by the legendary Bernard Herrmann. Few actors ever gave more meaning to the character of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge than Lionel Barrymore who first took on the radio role in 1934.

Originally aired live on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1934, this radio broadcast will live in the memories of those that heard it for a lifetime. If you remember listening, and want to recapture those magical days of your childhood Christmas, or have never heard it, but want to experience the magic of live radio theatre and create new memories for you and your family, Beowulf Alley Theatre presents this special holiday treat and allows you and your family to use your imagination in recreating one of classic literature’s most read pieces.  “God bless us, everyone.”

Main Stage Season Directors' Submittals Due October 15, 2010

Directors’ Submittals Due October 15, 2010

2011-2012 Main Stage Season

Beowulf Alley Theatre

Final Reminder

 

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 “beowulfalley  dot  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.

Late Night Theatre Presents "An Adult Evening Of Shel Silverstein"

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Late Night Presents

An Adult Evening Of Shel Silverstein

 

 

(Tucson, AZ) Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Late Night Theatre presents An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, by the author, to be performed at the theatre at 11 South 6^th Avenue. Performances are at 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, November 12, 13, 19 and 20, 2010. Tickets are $8 at the door, cash only, with no advance reservations.

 

Beloved children's author Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Giving Tree) was also quick with a parable, a funny rhyme and amusing song for grown-ups. Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley performs these weird, wacky and madcap sketches, playlets and naughty punch lines from Silverstein's long and amazing career. Funny, subtle and visual like his cartoons, An Adult Evening Of Shel Silverstein gives the grownups a turn to laugh. This show is not recommended for children under sixteen.

 

For additional information, please call the theatre at (520) 882-0555.