Tolerance in Tucson - Staged Reading

Tolerance in Tucson

What does Igor the Hunchback; Flatulence Jack; a Samurai and an old Arizona cowboy have in common with a Black, Jewish and gay Mayor (the trifecta of hate) and a Hispanic Sheriff with a Greek stepfather who thinks he’s the essence of Dirty Harry and Kojak? 

These quirky, silly and lovable characters are an integral part of the ensemble cast of Tolerance; a staged reading (live theatre performance) of a short film premiering at the Beowulf Alley Theatre, Wednesday, May 25^th at 7:30 pm. The Beowulf Alley Theatre is located in Tucson at 11 South 6^th Avenue.  Admission to the performance is free but reservations are required and can be made by calling 520-360-0565 or by emailing rhellertucson@gmail.com.  

According to Randall Heller, producer and author of the film, “Tolerance is a political satire that deals with human and civil rights issues including racial and social injustice, intolerance, hate, bigotry and violence.  Ultimately, the message of the film is unity through diversity achieved by non-violent interaction and cooperation.”  

“Besides being a conduit for the compelling issues of our time,” continued Heller, “Tolerance is also a silly, sophomoric project that pays homage to the films of Mel Brooks, to Airplane, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dirty Harry and Kojak along with a little Abbot and Costello thrown in.”

Heller said he has been working on the project for more than a year. He also said he decided to produce the project as a staged reading, using more than 20 local actors in a live theatre venue, as a way of working out any potential kinks in the script as well as a way to generate some excitement and interest in the project.

“Our country, said Heller, “faces enormous challenges including the economy, jobs, education, lack of affordable health care for all and immigration reform. But instead of working together to solve these issues; certain groups and media pundits are spewing out hateful, divisive rhetoric challenging the legitimacy of our President; or adopting the attitude that ‘I’ve got mine so I don’t need to worry about yours;’ or forgetting the fact that education and affordable health care for all will allow this great country to compete in a global market, notwithstanding that it is a moral imperative and a basic tenet of the Judeo-Christian religions; or simply ignoring the fact that immigrants from all countries including Mexico helped build our great country.”

“Ultimately,” concluded Heller, “Tolerance is about love, kindness, compassion and respect.  And as the Old Cowboy says, understanding that these words and acts are gifts from God, gifts that make us stronger and provide the grit, the backbone we all need to stare down hatred, intolerance and bigotry.”

 

Some heady fun, for sure

Some heady fun, for sure

by Kathleen Allen Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Friday, May 13, 2011

"Head: The Musical," playing at Beowulf Alley Theatre

The take-off of the 1962 B film 'The Brain That Wouldn't Die' is chockfull of campy characters, ridiculous situations and over-the-top songs. How can you not love it?

SCOTT GRIESSEL / COURTESY OF BEOWULF ALLEY THEATRE

Kristina Sloan is the bodiless Jan, and Jim Klingenfus is the mad Dr. Cortner's assistant (and victim), in "Head: The Musical" at Beowulf Alley Theatre.

There are some deliciously excessive characters in this, such as Evan Werner as Seductra, one of the candidates for a body for Jan. Seductra is all glittery and sexy and male. And Werner is divine.

So is Jim Klingenfus as Dr. Cortner's assistant (and victim) in the mad doc's transplant experiments. Klingenfus hasn't been on stage in some time - it's clear he ought to pick it up again. He has a keen sense of the macabre, and the audience felt his delight in his character.

Kristina Sloan did the bodiless Jan proud - some impressive eye acting there - and the rest of the cast, Fry, Lucas Rodriguez, China Young, Scott O'Brien and Tashiana Holt, all had so much fun with the production that it was contagious.

Mickey Nugent could be a genius - the choreographer threw in some fancy footwork for the actors and made them look as though they had been hoofing it for years. And Sheldon Metz's set design of a blood-stained laboratory was downright clever.

...it'll be a campy delight to which you can't wait to introduce your friends.

Read the entire review here: Some heady fun, for sure

Thursday Specials for Head the Musical!

Thursday Specials for Head the Musical!

Beowulf Alley Theatre

 

“An ‘R’-rated riot!”

- Kathy Allen, Arizona Daily Star

 

“You will never see anything like this anywhere else in Tucson!”

- Chuck Graham, Tucson Stage

 

Now that finals are over, come see what all the fuss is about at Beowulf Alley Theatre! In only its third production ever, Head! The Musical is Tucson’s must-see comedy of the year. This Thursday, May 12^th, only you can choose between two special offers:

 

1. The Groupie Special: Groupies and Head go together like cheese and bread. On Thursday the 12^th, buy 2 tickets and get one free! ($23 discount) 

 

2. The T&A Special: You know what T&A stands for – T-shirt and Admission! On Thursday the 12^th, get a T-shirt and admission for just $30! ($13 discount) Just think – for the cost of one measly lap dance you can get 90 minutes of Head AND a sweet new shirt!

 

Bring a copy of this notice to the box office to enjoy one of these special offers.

 

Head! The Musical contains foul language and humor not suitable for children, nuns, priests, or the easily offended. But if you didn’t get that from the title, you probably don’t get out enough.

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre is located at 11 South 6^th Avenue, just off Broadway in Downtown Tucson.

 

 

Out to Lunch Theatre's back with "The Reluctant Reunion"

Out to Lunch Theatre's Back with
The Reluctant Reunion

For those of you who like to get out for a different kind of lunch, give Beowulf Alley's Out to Lunch Theatre a try. It's a 30-minute play to entertain you and your friends for a little break in your day. Bring a lunch with you, or, if you like, you can order a lunch from us at least a day ahead of time and we'll have it waiting for you when you arrive. A ticket to see the play is just $6 in advance and $8 the day of the show. Lunches ordered from us are $7 and include a bag of chips and a drink.

Performances are on Fridays, May 13, 20 and 27 at 12:15 p.m. Order your tickets and meals online at http://www.beowulfalley.org/html/tickets.html or call the box office at (520) 882-0555.

This month's story is The Reluctant Reunion. Out to Lunch Theatre is fun for all ages!

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre is located in Downtown Tucson, just off Broadway at 11 South 6^th Avenue.

 

 

Active Imagination Theatre presents COWBOYS AND FAIRIES

COWBOYS AND FAIRIES

Active Imagination Theatre at

Beowulf Alley Theatre

 

When greedy developers want to spoil a magical part of the desert, cowboys and fairies have to band together to stop them. This is the story that will be developed with the help of children ages four to eight on the stage with our Active Imagination Theatre at Beowulf Alley Theatre. There are just six more weekend performances at 12 noon through May 29, 2011. This 40-minute venture into creativity is both fun and educational for children and will bring joy to the hearts of their parents as they help to develop the story and find a resolution to save the desert. We encourage them to dress in their cowboy and fairy outfits and help our team of adult actors. Each performance is just a little different as the children who are present help to create the story through their active imaginations.

 

Saturdays and Sundays:

May 14, May 15, May 21, May 22, May 28, May 29

Online tickets: $8 adults, $5 children 4-12, children 3 and under are free when seated in parents lap. Tickets at the door or by phone are $10 for adults with children the same price as online.

There are just a few limited spaces for birthday parties so call the office today!

To purchase tickets, please go to www.beowulfalley.org, or call (520) 882-0555.

Beowulf Alley Theatre is located at 11 S. 6^th Avenue. Doors to the lobby open 30 minutes before performance.

 

Auditions - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley Holds Auditions

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

by Adam Long, David Singer and Jess Winfield

Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley will hold open auditions for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare on Saturday May 14^th 2:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. at the theatre, 11 South 6^th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). Please bring a headshot and resume, if possible. The audition will consist of a cold reading from the script.

 

Rehearsals begin on May 16^th and will be scheduled according the production team’s availability, usually some late nights, weekday evenings and weekends. Performance dates are June 17^th, 18^th, 2th, 25^th and July 2^nd.

 

Looking for:

Male (2) - 20s to 30s

 

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

LNT presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Coming Soon to Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

by Adam Long, David Singer and Jess Winfield

 

Late Night Theatre at Beowulf Alley, 11 South 6^th Avenue, downtown between Broadway and Congress, presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Adam Long, Austin Tichenor and Reed Martin. Performances are Friday and Saturday, June 17, 18, 24, 25, July 2 at 7:30 PM. For more information, please contact Michael Fenlason at michaelfenlason@aol.com.

 

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is an hilarious and madcap survey of all thirty-six of Shakespeare’s plays (and maybe some sonnets) in a frenzied and wacky one hundred minutes.

 

Tickets may be purchased, at least a day in advance, online at a discounted price of $8 at www.beowulfalley.org. By phone and at the door, the ticket price is $10.

Auditions - Page on the Stage festival

Beowulf AlleyTheatre’s

Page on the Stage

Holds Auditions

For Three Exciting New Plays!

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Page on the Stage will hold open auditions for Icon by Devin Gorman, Stephen’s Syndrome by Gavin Kayner and You Do Not Want to See This by Jonathan Northover. Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10^th  and 11^th at 7:30 PM at the theatre, 11 South 6^th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). Please bring a headshot and resume, if possible. The audition will consist of cold readings from the scripts.

 

Rehearsals begin in late May and will be scheduled according to the production team’s availability.  Performance dates are July 7^th through 24^th.

 

Looking for:

Female (8) - mid 20s to 40s

Male (7) - mid 20s to 40s

 

Email Lydia at michaelfenlason@aol.com with questions or for more information. Include in the subject line: PAGE ON THE STAGE AUDITIONS

 

Page on the Stage is a festival of new plays performed in a spare, workshop production. The goal is to maximize the relationship between text, actor and audience to further enhance the play’s development, the audience’s enjoyment and the actor’s craft. This is a rare opportunity for actors to work with the playwright in the room and help create a new and exciting piece of theatre.

 

Head the Musical

Head the Musical

THIS TALKING HEAD ALSO SINGS

by Chuck Graham
TucsonStage.com

Nobody embraces risk more enthusiastically than downtown's Beowulf Alley Theatre Company. Eschewing all interest in "regular" stage fare, this fearless band of artists has opened its arms and its theater to a co-production with Phoenix playwright Kevin Fry of "Head: The Musical!"

The word "campy" needs more vowels to make it longer in this way, way over the top romp through naughty words celebrating bad taste and impulsive desires in the spirit of that late-night cinema classic that makes no sense, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

But it is the non-stop, damn the torpedoes, full-speed-ahead energy that makes this show so much fun . For sure, you will never see anything like this anywhere else in Tucson.

Read the entire review here: Head the Musical

Beowulf stages campy 'Head'

WACKY ADAPTATION OF B MOVIE 'BRAIN' HAS MUSICAL LEGS

Beowulf stages campy 'Head'

Kathleen Allen Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Friday, May 6, 2011

You've got to admire anyone who has done a musical adaptation of the 1962 B movie "The Brain That Wouldn't Die."

And you've got to admire a theater company that would stage it.

If a recent rehearsal was any indication, this play is an R-rated riot. Fry's tunes underscore the ridiculous story, and it's near impossible not to laugh. Think "Rocky Horror Picture Show" without the costumes.

SCOTT GRIESSEL / BEOWULF ALLEYKristina Sloan and Jim Klingenfus in Beowulf Alley's "Head: The Musical." Bet you can guess who has the title role.

Read the entire preview here: Beowulf stages campy 'Head'

Active Imagination Theatre presents COWBOYS AND FAIRIES

COWBOYS AND FAIRIES

Active Imagination Theatre at

Beowulf Alley Theatre

 

When greedy developers want to spoil a magical part of the desert, cowboys and fairies have to band together to stop them. This is the story that will be developed with the help of children ages four to eight on the stage with our Active Imagination Theatre at Beowulf Alley Theatre each weekend through May 29, 2011 at 12 noon. This 40-minute venture into creativity is both fun and educational for children and will bring joy to the hearts of their parents as they help to develop the story and find a resolution to save the desert. We encourage them to dress in their cowboy and fairy outfits and help our team of adult actors. Each performance is just a little different as the children who are present help to create the story through their active imaginations.

 

Saturdays and Sundays:

April 30, May 1, May 8, May 14, May 15, May 21, May 22, May 28, May 29

There will be no performance on Saturday, May 7.

Online tickets: $8 adults, $5 children 4-12, children 3 and under are free when seated in parents lap. Tickets at the door or by phone are $10 for adults with children the same price as online.

To purchase tickets, please go to www.beowulfalley.org, or call (520) 882-0555.

Beowulf Alley Theatre is located at 11 S. 6^th Avenue. Doors to the lobby open 30 minutes before performance.

 

Additional audition for male actors, ages 25-45, "We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!"

Audition Notice

We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!

Directed by Susan Arnold

Beowulf Alley Theatre

 

Beowulf Alley Theatre is holding another audition for male actors, ages 25-45, who were not able to attend the general auditions on April 16, 2011 for our January 2012 production of We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! From 7:30 to 8:00 p.m on Tuesday, May 10. Please prepare one 1-2 minute comedic monologue. Those selected from the brief audition will be asked to stay until as late as 9:30 p.m. for callbacks.

 

Female actors who were unable to attend the general auditions may inquire regarding an audition, for this production only, at smarnold@dakotacom.net.

 

If you attended the general auditions, thank you. We have limited time and will reserve it for those  who have not been previously seen.

 

Information regarding this play can be obtained on our website, http://www.beowulfalley.org/html/current_auditions.html. For further information, please contact the director at smarnold@dakotacom.net.

 

 

Beowulf Alley Theater Proudly Presents: "Head: The Musical!"

Beowulf Alley Theater Proudly Presents:

Head: The Musical!

Written & Directed by Kevin Fry

Beowulf Alley Theatre, at 11 South 6^th Avenue and Small Fry Productions of Phoenix, present Head: The Musical!  An ‘R’-rated pop/rock adaptation of the classic 1960’s ‘B’ movie The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, Head is crazy, campy, crass, full of frights, and thoroughly hilarious.  This musical was created by an Arizona resident, Kevin Fry, and was an audience favorite at the 2009 Phoenix Fringe Festival before running for 5 months in Hollywood, where it received 3 LA Weekly Award nominations.  Head draws favorable comparisons to Little Shop of Horrors and Evil Dead: the Musical and has been called a Rocky Horror for the Family Guy generation. This Tucson premiere is a joint production between Beowulf Alley and the show’s creators, featuring brand-new material and the sensational choreography of Mickey Nugent. This is a theatrical event you can’t afford to miss!

 

Dr. Bill Cortner has been conducting illegal experiments with human transplants when his girlfriend, Jan, is decapitated in a car wreck. Not to fear, Bill keeps Jan's head alive on a table using a special serum while he goes out to search for a new (preferably voluptuous and nubile) body. Meanwhile, Jan develops psychic powers and a thirst for revenge!

 

The cast includes Kristina Sloan, Dean Johnson, China Young, Lucas Gonzales, Scott O’Brian, Tashiana Holt, Jim Klingenfus, and Evan Werner.

 

Note: For mature audiences only, this show contains strong language, sexual content and violence, and is NOT appropriate for children.

 

Performance dates, times and tickets are as follows:

 

Performances are May 5^th through May 29^th, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. There will be no performance on Saturday, May 7^th.

 

Preview Performance - May 5^th at 7:30 pm - $15

 

Pre-sale tickets available for $18 each until May 4^th for May 6^th through May 29^th performances.

Performances May 6^th – May 29^th, purchased after May 4^th – by phone or at the door $23, $21 online.

 

To purchase by phone, call (520) 882-0555

Online via PayPal or Google at http://www.beowulfalley.org/html/tickets.html

For more information, visit www.beowulfalley.org

Performances are at Beowulf Alley Theater, Downtown at 11 South 6^th Avenue, 85701

 

Approximate Run Time: 90 minutes with no intermission.

Media Contact:

Beth Dell, Managing Director

theatre@beowulfalley.org

(520) 622-4460

 

Director:          Kevin Fry

                        kevin@headthemusical.com

                        (602) 320-3176

 

 

Photos by Scott Griessel/Creatista 2011

 

#4952:  Kristina Sloan, Jim Klingenfus, Dean Johnson

 

#4774: Dean Johnson, Kristina Sloan

 

#4842: Jim Klingenfus

 

#4914: Kristina Sloan, Jim Klingenfus

 

Fronting the Order

Fronting the Order

"FRONTING THE ORDER" A LESS INNOCENT 1950s

by Chuck Graham

TucsonStage.com

"Fronting the Order" is set in the summer of 1959, in hard scrabble Orleans, New York, a tiny town way upstate on the St. Lawrence River. More specifically, in an artfully detailed Orleans diner equipped with those unforgettable Formica tabletops and red plastic chairs, all standing on shiny chrome legs.

Serving coffee is the attractive but worried waitress Evie (Denise Blum). She has been waiting a very long time for that certain man who would take her away from all this. When four nicely dressed guys come in (three of them young enough to be interesting), her future suddenly has potential. When these guys start talking about encyclopedias, she figures they must be educated.

But "Fronting the Order" isn't about the flight of Cupid's arrows in that difficult era before online dating. "Fronting the Order" is about…fronting the order. We learn this was a shady strategy common in the gritty world of encyclopedia salesmen who were always getting unreasonable sales quotas crammed down their parched throats.

Beowulf Alley Theatre is developing a strong reputation for encouraging new playwrights, and developing an audience eager to be a part of this encouragement. Deciding to join with Wellangoode Productions to showcase "Fronting the Order" adds more muscle to that reputation.

April-May shows and events

There's Still Plenty to Enjoy at Beowulf Alley Theatre!

Golf Tournament - May 4 - Play for the Arts!

The April 21st deadline is approaching and we don't want you to miss this special event. Some of the prizes include golf packages, gift baskets, restaurant gift cards, t-shirts, and theatre tickets. Forward this information to all of your golfing buddies. Make your afternoon fun while supporting Beowulf Alley Theatre. Our non-profit theatre works hard to educate and entertain our community members through its many programs for both children and adults. Please help us meet our goal of providing Tucson with an artistic outlet for performers, production artists and audiences.

Wednesday, MAY 4, 2011

El Conquistador Country Club
10555 North La Canada, Tucson, AZ 85737

REGISTRATION

Check-in begins 10:30 a.m.; Lunch - 11 a.m.- 12:15 p.m.; Texas Scramble (Shotgun) Starts 12:30 p.m.; Mulligans Available @ $5.00 each or 3 for $10.00

PLAYERS

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

$ 95.00 Per Player ($36.00 Tax Deductible) before April 21, 2011

Green Fees, Golf Cart, Range Balls, Practice Range, Luncheon, and Prizes Galore!!

HOLE SPONSORS

$50.00

MAIN PRIZES

Divisions: (1) All Men / (2) All Women /

SKILL PRIZES

Divisions: Men / Women - Longest Drive - Closest To the Pin

HOLE-IN-ONE CONTEST

Prizes TBD

MORE DETAILS:

Call: Nick Positano (520-495-4548); Roger Rikkola (520-797-3810)

Register by April 21^th with check payable to: "Beowulf Alley Theatre" and mail to: 11 South 6^th Avenue, 85701 OR Register online at www.beowulfalley.org via PayPal or Google OR call the theatre at (520) 882-0555.

Single or double players will be assigned to make a foursome.

DON'T FRET ABOUT YOUR GOLFING SKILLS

THIS WILL BE A FUN DAY FOR ALL PLAYERS!

Old Time Radio Theatre - April 19 at 7 p.m.

THE WESTERN – EPISODE 1: LAWLESS BREWSTER and

ARIZONA RANGERS, MEN OF DANGER – EPISODE 1: MOSSMAN

Back in the grand old days of radio, our own John Vornholt wrote for radio (and TV). This episode of The Mutual Radio Theatre’s The Western (Episode 1: Lawless Brewster), starred John Dehner and was narrated by Lorne Greene. Old Pueblo Playwrights’ Avylinn Pwyll wrote Arizona Ranger: Men of Danger: Episode 1: Mossman, as a radio show, especially for OTRT, and for the benefit of, and to honor, the Arizona Rangers. It was first presented at Hotel Congress in conjunction with Dillinger Days, 2011. This is the beginning of a series of radio scripts based upon true stories of the early years of the brave men who enforced the law in the Arizona Territory.

 

Directed by Sheldon Metz, the OTRT Ensemble Company includes Jon Benda, Janet Bruce, Butch Bryant, Gerri Courtney-Austein, Laura Davenport, Samuel De Jesus, Evan Engle, Sydney Flynn, Vince Flynn, Audrey Ann Gambach, Bill La Pointe, Elizabeth Leadon-Sonnenfelt, Butch Lynn, Steve McKee, Whitney Morton, Joan O'Dwyer, Shannon Brooke Rzuildo, Mike Saxon, Ina Shivack, Terry Thune, Pat Timm, Jared Stokes, Brian Wees and John Vornholt.

 

 

Old Time Radio Theatre now accepts VISA, MC & Discover at the door or by phone! $10—adults ($8 online (click here) a day before or earlier) / and always just $5 each for the first two children under 13 (additional children free).

 

May performances will be on the 3rd and the 17th. Come join in the fun!

 

 

Coming in May - Head: the Musical!

 

Head: the Musical! is an 'R'-rated pop/rock adaptation of the classic 1960's 'B' movie, The Brain That Wouldn't Die. Crazy, crass, full of frights and thoroughly hilarious, Head ran for 5 months in Hollywood where it received 3 LA Weekly Award nominations and drew favorable comparisons to Little Shop of Horrors and Evil Dead: the Musical. This Tucson premiere is a joint production between Beowulf Alley and the show's creators, featuring brand new material and the sensational choreography of Mickey Nugent! For mature audiences only. Contains very strong language.

Preview Performance-Thursday, May 5, 7:30 p.m.-$15

Opening Night with Reception-Friday, May 6, 7:30 p.m.

No Performance on Saturday, May 7

Thursday-Saturday evenings, May 12-14, 19-21, 26-28, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday matinees, May 8, 15, 22, 29, 2:30 p.m.

 

Pre-sale Ticket Price until May 4-$18 (online at ticket page or by phone)

 

After May 4-$23 (by phone or at the door)

$2 Discount when purchased online at ticket page

Box Office by phone only (520) 882-0555

 

 

Active Imagination Theatre Presents Cowboys and Fairies

 

Mark your calendars for April 30th as the start of the next event for the younger actors as they help our sketch improv team act out a new story:

COWBOYS AND FAIRIES

When greedy developers want to spoil a magical part of the desert, cowboys and fairies have to band together to stop them.

 

Saturdays and Sundays:

April 30, May 1, May 8, May 14, May 15, May 21, May 22, May 28, May 29

There will be no performance on Saturday, May 7.

 

Online tickets: $8 adults, $5 children 4-12, children 3 and under are free when seated in parents lap. Tickets at the door are $10 for adults with children the same price as online.

 

New Birthday Party Information: Birthday parties can be scheduled on performance days. $150 for up to 10 attendees of performance, including birthday child, friends of birthday child and any parents. Additional attendees are $8 each. Please call the theatre at (520) 882-0555 for more information.

          

 

Fronting the Order - Just Two Weekends Left to See This World Premiere!

 

Beowulf and Wellangoode Productions deserve praise for bringing this play to the stage for the first time ... without opportunities to be seen onstage, a writer's best work never has a chance to emerge. -- Tucson Weekly

FRONTING THE ORDER, a world premiere of a new play by Warren G. Bodow, continues until April 23.

Directed by Sheldon Metz, who won recent acclaim for his work on THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE at Beowulf Alley, FRONTING THE ORDER runs five characters through a mill of deception, sexual innuendo, and class warfare. Set in a diner in a small upstate New York town one summer evening in 1959, four encyclopedia salesmen prepare to canvass neighborhoods in Olean, New York, knocking on doors with a patently misleading pitch. The play explores the relationships among the men, with the pretty but aging waitress, and with the changing world around them. With wit and humor, the play reminds us that the '50s were far more turbulent than we remember or have been told. Five local actors including Bill Epstein and Denise Blum are featured.

Playwright Warren G. Bodow has been a Tucson winter resident for the past five years. A member of Tucson's Old Pueblo Playwrights, two of his earlier plays received staged readings in Tucson before going on to showcase productions in New York City. In between his college years at Syracuse University, he sold encyclopedias on the road and remembers those days as exciting and eye-opening.

Tickets for FRONTING THE ORDER are available on the Beowulf Alley Theatre website, www.beowulfalley.org , or by phone, 520-882-0555. Beowulf Alley Theatre is downtown, at 11 S. 6^th Avenue, near Congress.

Performance days, dates, times and prices are:

Evenings-

Friday, April 8, 7:30 p.m. - $15 - Preview

Saturday, April 9, 7:30 p.m. - $19 - Opening

Thursday - Saturday, April 14-16, 7:30 p.m. - $19

Wednesday-Saturday, April 20-23, 7:30 p.m. - $19

Matinees-

Sundays, April 10 & 17, 2:30 p.m. - $19

Run time is approximately 2 hours with one intermission.

Parking is available at street meters (no charge after 5 p.m. weekdays or any time on weekends), the County lot at the corner of Broadway and 6^th Avenue (weekdays after 5 p.m. and all day Saturdays and Sundays) or, for a small fee at the parking garage at Pennington and Scott Avenues. Please see our website for directions.

Special note: April 16 is the Tucson Weekly Club Crawl event and Sunday April 17 is DT Tucson Criterium from 11:30AM to 7PM. Please check our website before heading downtown. Plan to arrive a little early for lunch or dinner at a Downtown restaurant and stay after the play to experience the fun and vitality of our revitalized city.

The City of Tucson has provided the following information:

Saturday -

Driving Directions:

For folks coming from the Freeway, exit at 22nd St, head eastbound to 6th Ave, turn left on 6th Avenue and head north to the block of 6th Avenue between Broadway and Congress...

 

If heading eastbound on Broadway, you will be diverted onto Broadway instead of Congress. When you reach 6th Avenue, turn right on 6th Avenue ...

 

If coming from the north, go south on Granada or Stone to 14th St/Cushing and turn left to 6th Ave. Turn left on 6th Avenue for northbound access.

Park in the lot at the NW corner of 6th and Broadway if there is room. The sign says "Parking by Permit Only but the County has generously allowed us to use the lot at night and on weekends for our performances. If the lot is full, go north on 6th Avenue to Pennington Street at Scott and park in the Pennington Street garage.

Sunday -

There should be direct access to the theatre. There may be a detour heading back to the Freeway depending on the time but there should be signs directing vehicles.

Dishing at the Diner | Review | Tucson Weekly

Dishing at the Diner | Review | Tucson Weekly

Dishing at the Diner

by Nathan Christensen

Fronting the Order is a personal work, lovingly crafted and full of wonderful period details ...

Joshua Silvain, Tenoch Gomez and Denise Blum inFronting the Order.

Beowulf and Wellangoode Productions deserve praise for bringing this play to the stage for the first time. Not every new work is a masterpiece, but without opportunities to be seen onstage, a writer's best work never has a chance to emerge.

Each of the actors playing a salesman seems to possess the energy essential to his role. Colecchia is thoughtful and self-effacing; Gomez is robust and volatile. Silvain is incredibly guarded until he reveals his character's true colors with a fury, and Epstein mixes the wisdom of experience with a short fuse.

Playwright Warren Bodow has spent enough winters in Tucson to be considered a local writer. Writing is a second career for Bodow, who spent 15 years managing classical radio stations for the New York Times Company. In 2009, he won favorable reviews for his playRace Music, produced in New York by the Diverse City Theater Company....

I hope that we have the opportunity to continue watching his talent emerge onstage here in the Old Pueblo.

Read the entire review here:

Dishing at the Diner | Review | Tucson Weekly

Fronting the Order

Presented by Beowulf Alley Theatre Company and Wellangoode Productions

7:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, through Saturday, April 23, with a matinee at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, April 17, and a show at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 20

11 S. Sixth Ave.

$19

Runs two hours, with one intermission

882-0555;

www.beowulfalley.org