SING, MUSE, Vortex Repertory, August 23 - September 14, 2013

(Vortex Repertory Company, 2307 Manor Rd.) 

presents

Sing Muse

Conceived and directed by Rudy Ramirez | devised by the Ensemble
Aug.23 - Sep.14, 2013, Thursdays-Sundays 8pm

Vortex Repertory Company, 2307 Manor Rd. -- click for map 
Tickets: $30 Priority Seating, $20 General Admission, $10 Artists/Students
Limited seating. Advance Reservations available. 

---

Sing Muse - an original a cappella musical - returns to The VORTEX with an all-new production where music and dance, comedy and tragedy, poetry and science come together to retell an ancient story of human love touched by divine inspiration. The VORTEX transforms into the Theatre of Dionysus--in beautiful downtown Athens!

Few remember Thamyris, the once-legendary poet of Ancient Greece who was the first man to fall in love with another man. But the Muses remember. Thamyris claimed he could make art superior to the Muses’ and failed. After defeating him, they sentenced him to an eternity in Hell. However, eternity is a long time, and now The Muses give Thamyris one last chance to redeem himself.

This production of Sing Muse is the next phase of its artistic development. Devised last year, Sing Muse received a workshop production in August 2012. This new Sing Muse combines the best of the first production with new songs, dances, and poetry to reach divine heights.

The ensemble cast features Jonathan Itchon, Chelsea Manasseri, Melissa Vogt-Patterson, Hayley Armstrong, Laura Ray, Karen Rodriguez, Nikki Zook, Leslie Hollingsworth, Michelle Alexander, and Aisha Melhem.

Directed by Rudy Ramirez, Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon, Lighting Design by Patrick Anthony, Choreography by M’bewe Escobar. Music by Chelsea Manasseri, Rudy Ramirez, and Melissa Vogt-Patterson. Musical Arrangements by Chelsea Manasseri. 

Musical Direction by Chelsea Manserri and Jennifer Coy.

The Cast:

• Hayley Armstrong: Urania, Muse of Astronomy
• Nikki Zook: Polyhymnia, Muse of Hymns and Religious Poetry
• Aisha Melhem\: Terpsichore, Muse of Dance
• Michelle Alexander: Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry
• Chelsea Manasseri: Euterpe, Muse of Music
• Leslie Hollingsworth: Melpomene, Muse of Tragedy
• Laura Ray: Clio, Muse of History
• Karen Rodriguez: Thalia, Muse of Comedy
• Melissa Vogt-Patterson: Erato, Muse of Love Poetry
• Jonathan Itchon: Thamyris, a poet

Sing Muse is funded and supported in part by VORTEX Repertory Company, a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, and by the City of Austin through the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division, believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Photos by Andy Berkovsky: Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, City Theatre, June 13 - July 7, 2013

Photos by Andy Berkovsky for the

Nikki Zook, Kevin Gates (photo: Andy Berkovsky)

 




production of 

Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

directed by Bridget Fairas,

June 13 - July 7, 2013

Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m.

(3823 Airport Rd. at 38 1/2 St., behind the Shell station)
 

Shakespeare’s Sublime Battle of Wits and Wills.

Considered one of the most popular and charming comedies, Much Ado About Nothing features the classic couple Benedick, an arrogant and confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice, his favorite sparring partner, who would rather exchange scorching insults than sweet nothings. However, the pugnacious pair is forced to forge a partnership in order to defend house and honor, and salvage the true love of Hero and Claudio after deceptions destroy the lovers’ wedding day. Will the earnest endeavor to restore a young romance elicit an unexpected change of heart for the effort’s unlikely collaborators as well? Witty wordplay, passionate poetry and clever plot twists make this the perfect romantic evening to share love and laughter.

(photo: Andy Berkovsky)

Click to view additional, larger photos at AustinLiveTheatre.com. . . .

LITTLE MOTHER by Katie Green, FronteraFest at Salvage Vanguard Theatre, January 24 - 29, 2013

Cruel Company

proudly presents

Little Mother

a new play by Katie Green

as its inaugural production in conjunction with Frontera Fest 2013 Long Fringe. Little Mother is a harrowing fairytale of maternal love—a silent passion play, using shadow puppetry, physical acting, live musical performance, and original score by Shawn Jones (featuring members of The Eastern Sea, The Lovely Sparrows, Driver Friendly, and Dana Falconberry).

Tickets are $12 and may be purchased at
https://secure.buyplaytix.com/hpt/reserve/little_mother.html

Performances:
Thursday, January 24 9:45pm
Saturday, January 26 5:30pm
Sunday, January 27 5:45pm
Monday, January 28 8:45pm


*adult audiences only for sexuality
 

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Upcoming: SIng, Muse, Vortex Repertory, August 3 - 11

VORTEX Repertory Company

presents

Sing Muse

A devised ensemble work by VORTEX Repertory Company

Conceived and directed by Rudy Ramirez

August 3-11, 2012 Two Weeks Only!
There will be a talkback session after every performance for the audience to have a conversation with the artists who created the piece.

at The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722 (click for map) Free Parking. Bus Route.
The Butterfly Bar@The VORTEX--open nightly at 5pm

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE!
Tickets: $30-$10
Sliding Scale: $30-$25 Priority Seating,
$15-$20 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists
Available at www.vortexrep.org or call 512-478-5282.
Limited seating.

Sing Muse draws on the classical art forms of poetry, theatre, music, dance, history, and astronomy to bring a long-forgotten myth to the VORTEX stage for two weeks only.

Few remember Thamyris, the once-legendary poet of Ancient Greece who was the first man to fall in love with another man. But the Muses remember. Thamyris claimed he could make art superior to the Muses’ and failed. After defeating him, they sentenced him to an eternity in Hell. However, eternity is a long time, and now The Muses will give Thamyris one last chance to redeem himself. Together they tell a story about searching for the one thing more elusive than love: inspiration.

This production of Sing Muse is the initial phase of its artistic development. VORTEX welcomes audience response in order to assist in the future revision and production of this piece for VORTEX’s upcoming 25th season. There will be a talkback session after every performance for the audience to have a conversation with the artists who created the piece.


VORTEX Repertory Company members Jennifer Coy, Krysta Gonzales, Jonathan Itchon, Chelsea Manasseri, Betsy McCann, and Melissa Vogt-Patterson join with guest artists Hayley Armstrong, Nickclette Izuegbu, Laura Ray, and Karen Rodriguez to create a new theatre piece under the direction of Rudy Ramirez. These artists collaborated on original material all year to develop and devise Sing Muse.

Directed by Rudy Ramirez, Scenic design by Ann Marie Gordon, Lighting design by Patrick Anthony, Costume design by Haydee Antunano.

The Cast:
Hayley Armstrong: Urania, Muse of Astronomy
Jennifer Coy: Polyhymnia, Muse of Hymns and Religious Poetry
Krysta Gonzales: Terpsichore, Muse of Dance
Nickclette Izuegbu: Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry
Chelsea Manasseri: Euterpe, Muse of Music
Betsy McCann: Melpomene, Muse of Tragedy
Laura Ray: Clio, Muse of History
Karen Rodriguez: Thalia, Muse of Comedy
Melissa Vogt-Patterson: Erato, Muse of Love Poetry
Jonathan Itchon: Thamyris, a poet


Tickets and more information www.vortexrep.org

Two ALT Reviews: The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman, Different Stages at the City Theatre, January 6 - 28

By Catherine Dribb

Having attended the performance with a friend who, while a fan of theater, nevertheless believes that scripts written after 1950 that don’t take into consideration the average attention span of adults reduce their art to inconsiderate babbling, I became concerned when the greeter at the box office said, “the show runs over two hours but has two intermissions.” My pragmatic thespian friend, while relenting since The Children’s Hour was written in 1934 (before writers could be held accountable for taking into account the attention span of post-television-watching-post-Atari-playing adults), nevertheless gave me a look when I passed along the greeter’s information and pointed him toward the one-stall bathroom.

However, The Children’s Hour, produced by Different Stages, was not only well staged, but also well timed and neither of us was troubled by the length. Director Karen Jambon used Lillian Hellman’s solid script to keep the show well paced and entertaining, despite the troubling nature of its themes.

Karen Wright, played by Nikki Zook, is one of the two teachers of an all girls school, falsely accused of being a lesbian in relationship with fellow founder Martha Dobie (Bridget Farias). Zook brings to our senses the agony of harassment, unfounded and unrepentant. From her initial interaction with student and accuser Mary Tilford, darkly and acutely played by Laura Ray, to releasing her fiancé, a sincere but human Dr. Cardin (Errich Petersen), to finally resigning herself to a lonely, branded life after her best friend and alleged lover Martha takes her own life, Zook’s character is strong and compelling. These dramatic performances were accented by the school children’s caricaturistic performances (notably those of Helen Hulka and Bethany Harbaugh), which provided necessary comic relief against the evil of a conniving child’s web of lies.

Click to read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Images By Bret Brookshire: Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman, Different Stages at the City Theatre, January 6 -28

Found on-line: images by Bret Brookshire for

presentation of

The Children's Hour

by Lillian Hellman

January 6 - 28, Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.

at the City Theatre, 3823 Airport Road (behind the Shell station)(click for map)Pick your Price Tickets: $15, $20, $25, $30
** Reservations: 926-6747 **

Click to view additional images by Bret Brookshire at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

The Tempest, EmilyAnn Theatre, September 9 - October 1

In this hottest Texas summer on record you could be pardoned for suffering a touch of cognitive dissonance when you decide to drive through the beginnings of the Hill Country, 45 minutes southwest of Austin, to attend Shakespeare's last work, set upon a magical island surrounded by the Mediterranean. Wimberley, Texas, is ranch country, and these days the rolling landscape is starkly dry. Even the EmilyAnn's illustration reveals the situation: Laura Ray, portraying magician's daughter Miranda, stands in the low waters of the Blanco River. These days the water is Prospero's refuge and the ocean is the countless miles of sun-toasted ranchland.

The EmilyAnn is a special place, however, something of a magic refuge all to itself. The play begins at dusk, so my wife K. and I had plenty of time to chat with the friendly folk at the ticket window and the concession stand. One strolls through a carefully tended garden on the way to the outdoor amphitheatre. My wife stopped and listened -- one could hear the distinct cheerful trickle of water slipping from pool to pool. With that prelude it became that much easier to enter the agreed meeting place of Prospero's imaginary island.

Click to read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Lear by WIlliam Shakespeare with Jennifer Underwood, Vortex Repertory, May 20 - June 18

Found on-line:

presents

Lear

by William Shakespeare

starring Jennifer Underwood

directed by Rudy Ramirez

May 20 - June 18

Thursdays - Sundays at 8 p.m.

Vortex Repertory, 2307 Manor Rd. (click for map)

In an age when women hold more power and in a time when the media turns the private into the public a mother divides her empire among her daughters. As her world crumbles and her family turns its back on her, can she face the storm and find love, forgiveness, and peace? A Celtic legend made into a Renaissance masterpiece, The VORTEX now re-imagines William Shakespeare's King Lear as a female leader for the modern world, where globalization blurs the line between governments and corporations and names like Clinton, Palin, Thatcher, Stewart, Wintour, and Winfrey have inspired admiration, contempt and controversy. Jennifer Underwood leads a cast of Austin's finest actors in a story of gender and power, family and business, compassion and betrayal.

Produced by VORTEX Repertory Company. Adapted from Shakespeare and Directed by Rudy Ramirez. Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon, Lighting Design by Jason Amato, Video Design by Sergio R. Samayoa, Costume Design by Pam Fletcher Friday. Stage Management by Tamara L. Farley.

Starring Jennifer Underwood as Lear with Suzanne Balling as Cordelia, David Boss as France/Ensemble, Jennifer Coy as Regan, Mick D'arcy as Gloucester, Trey Deason as Oswald, Joseph Garlock as Burgundy/ Ensemble, Micah Goodding as Edmund, Shannon Grounds as The Fool, Chelsea Manasseri as The Doctor/Ensemble, Toby Minor as Albany, Mindy Rast as Curan/Ensemble, Laura Ray as Lear's Gentlewoman/ Ensemble, Andrea Smith as Goneril, Tom Truss as Cornwall, Amelia Turner as Edda, and Julianna Elizabeth Wright as Kent.

VORTEX Repertory Company is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division, by the Texas Commission on the Arts, and by a and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Upcoming: Cardigan by Trey Deason, added performances at UT, February 5 and 6

Received directly:

Purple Crayon Theatre presents

Cardigan

by Trey Deason

reprised from FronteraFest 2011

Saturday, Feb 5th and Sunday, Feb 6th at 8PM
Rm 2.112, The Winship Theater
UT Campus, corner of 23rd and San Jacinto
Suggested Donation: $10 (no one turned away!)

Edgar Cardigan is a world-renowned author and university professor: beloved by his students, courted by publishers, desired by women. Or he's a pathological liar compensating for life's disappointments by indulging in a world of fiction. As he assails his students with the story of his fateful date with Mary, a waitress with acting aspirations, the line between truth and fiction becomes blurred beyond distinction.

Click for ALT review, January 30

Cardigan by Trey Deason, Purple Crayon Theatre at FF Long Fringe, January 20 - 29

Maybe a playwright shouldn't act in his own play. Unless, of course, he's one of those comedy yuksters who speaks directly to the audience and makes smartass observations about his own life exeriences and surroundings.

Trey Deason, the playwright, plays the lead character in Cardigan, a piece expanded from a well-received 2010 Short Fringe offering. His assumption of that identity may be disconcerting to those who have run into him in so-called real life.

Deason is reticent, polite and quiet almost to a fault, at least with those whom he doesn't know well. As Edgar Cardigan, writer, arriving to lecture to us for a class in creative writing, he's emphatic, dismissive, vulgar and as hopped-up as if he were on speed. One is tempted to suppose that this is a portrait of Deason's Evil Twin, a sort of exercise in personal psychodrama. The writer is writing about a writer who is quickly revealed as a compulsive fabricator, and most of what follows is demonstration both of misogyny and misanthropy.

Perhaps director Rudy Ramirez shouldn't have allowed Cardigan to have have snarled so quickly and viciously at Angelia Davis, the actress planted in the audience to play the student. Perhaps Deason should have done breathing exercises so that his character would be less twitchy at the start. Or perhaps just have entrusted the role to another actor.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Agnes of God, City Theatre, April 29 - May 23

Agnes of God is a dark piece, in a dark place in the soul and in the universe. The three gifted actresses in this cast are glittering points of an enigmatic constellation in that darkness.

A crime has been committed in a convent. Jennifer Underwood, admant and authoritative as the mother superior, clashes with Dawn Erin's Dr. Livingston, the skeptical, chain-smoking psychiatrist appointed by the court. Laura Ray's performance as a stressed and confused young novice demonstrates impressive intensity and maturity. Taken together, these three actresses embody for us the ages and the fragilities of women in our time.

Partly a crime investigation and partly an examination of troubled souls, Pielmeier's play is a mystery in two senses. The first, almost banal, is the puzzling out of the facts of a murder, through interrogation, speculation, and, finally repeated sessions of hypnosis. The second sense of mystery in this piece is that of human motivation.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Agnes of God, City Theatre, April 29 - May 23

Click for ALT review, May 11

Update: Review by Ryan E. Johnson at examiner.com, May 6

Received directly:

Three Women In Need of a Miracle

City Theatre Presents John Pielmeier’s Hit Stage Drama

Agnes

of

God

April 29 – May 23
Thursday – Saturday 8:00 p.m. Sunday 5:30 p.m.
The City Theatre. 3823 Airport Blvd. – east corner of Airport Blvd. and 38 ½ Street.
Reservations 512-524-2870 or info@citytheatreaustin.org
Tickets $15 - $20. Front/2nd Row Center Reserved $25. Students $12. Thursday all seats $10.
Group discounts are available. Visit our website www.citytheatreaustin.org

Actors Jennifer Underwood, Dawn Erin, and Laura Ray will take the stage in May for John Pielmeier’s highly acclaimed play Agnes of God. Under the direction of Artistic Director Andy Berkovsky, the show opens April 29 and plays through May 23 at City Theatre.

“Riveting, powerful, electrifying drama…the dialogue crackles.” – N.Y. Daily News

“Unquestionably theatrical…cleverly executed evening in the theatre.” – N.Y. Post

Agnes of God is the tale of three women, all in need of a miracle, who are drawn together by the death of a child. When Dr. Martha Livingstone (Dawn Erin), a disillusioned ex-Catholic psychiatrist, is summoned to a convent and meets Sister Agnes (Laura Ray), a young novitiate accused of murdering her newborn, she is deeply moved by the young nun’s spiritual purity. Determined to circumvent the over-protective Mother Superior (Jennifer Underwood), Dr. Livingstone struggles to unearth the truth about the conception, birth and death of Agnes’s child. Both fight desperately to save Agnes forcing all three women to re-examine the meaning of faith, identity, and the power of love and to find the miracle each one of them needs.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

The Elephant Man, EmilyAnn Theatre, Wimberley, January 22 - February 14

Director Bridget Farias and the EmilyAnn Theatre crew in Wimberley are running The Elephant Man Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for four weekends in January and February, an intrepid undertaking for a community-based arts group in a town with a population of only about 4,000.

More impressive than their raw courage in taking on a tough script and slow-motion tragedy is the fact that they carry it out with grace and depth. The company creates a protected time and space in which we can muse about arbitrary fate, human connection and our responsibility for one another.

Audiences may be familiar with the story, based on historical fact as recorded by Dr. Frederick Treves, the physician who took in the disfigured young Joseph Carey Merrick. Writing many years after the events, Treves recalled his patient as "John Merrick," the name used by Bernard Pomerance for the Tony-nominated play in 1979. David Lynch made the movie in 1980 with Anthony Hopkins as Treves, John Hurt as Merrick, John Gielgud as chief physician Carr Gomm and Ann Bancroft as the actress Madge Kendal.

I haven't seen that version, though, and I encourage you simply to ignore it. Farias has assembled a capable and convincing cast for this quiet morality play, and they make the story their own.

Carl Galante as Treves and Patrick Byers as Merrick establish the key link and relationship in the story. Galante, playing the physician and man of science, is a protector and ultimately a father figure of conflicted emotions. Byers as the patiently suffering, attentive and sweet-tempered Merrick becomes a mirror to his visitors, once they learn to look past his disfigurement.

Read more and view images at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: The Elephant Man, EmilyAnn Theatre, Wimberley, January 22 - February 14

Found on-line:








The EmilyAnn Theatre presents

Elephant Man

by Bernard Pomerance
Directed by Bridget Farias
January 22-February 14
Friday and Saturday nights, Sunday Matinees
Tickets - $15.00 - Click here for purchase tickets online!
1101 FM 2325, Wimberley, Texas 78676 Map

Limited to no more than 35 seats per performance! Buy your tickets now online or by calling the EmilyAnn Theatre at 512-847-6969! Don't miss this wonderful production featuring an amazing cast!

"I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!"

A timeless, moving, and utterly astounding play that won a Tony award and every other major achievement for Best Play of 1979, later starring John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft and John Gielgud in the 1980 film version that received eight Oscar nominations. The Elephant Man is the true story of a remarkable man whose body, though hideously deformed, contains a remarkably sensitive, funny and intelligent being. 'Discovered' by a brilliant young doctor, Frederick Treves, John Merrick becomes the toast of society, patronized by lords, ladies, clergymen and celebrities who admired his gentleness, intelligence and deep faith. But Treves' and Merrick's belief that Merrick can become a man like any other is a dream never to be realized. Stunningly theatrical, this modern classic, laced with humor and pathos, explores the nature of courage, heroism, morality, and inner beauty.

The Elephant Man Cast

* Frederick Treves- Carl Galante
* John Merrick- Patrick Byers
* Carr Gomm- Ed Boyle
* Mrs. Kendal- Dana Naughton
* Ross- Heath Thompson
* Bishop How- Alex Deleon
* First Pin/ Lady Ellen- Laura Ray
* Second Pin/ Duchess/ London Policeman- Jessica Sharpe
* Third Pin/ Princess Alexandra/ Nurse Sandwich- Ariana Kahn
* Belgian Policeman/ Lord John- Derek Vandi
* Man/Snork- Matt Ludwig
* Conductor/ Porter- Cyrus Mallison

Upcoming: He-Man, Live!, City Theatre, November 13-14 (only!)

Discovered at the City Theatre:



A Special Late-Night Production:

He-Man, Live!
November 5-6 and 13-14, 10:45
(separate admission after City Theatre's Hamlet)

The idea for HE-MAN Live! came from the minds of Dario Konjicija and D. Heath Thompson as the two were sitting and reminiscing on their favorite Saturday morning cartoons.

Both fondly remembered eating cereal and sitting in their pajamas watching “The Most Powerful Man in the Universe” defeat his nemesis, Skeletor, a purple man with a skeleton head, all while defending the secrets of the powers of Castle Grayskull.

He-Man Live! takes…and takes liberties with…two of the ten best episodes from the classic Filmation cartoon He-Man and the Masters of The Universe as voted on by He-Man fans.

The original cartoon ran from 1983-1985 and then in syndicated reruns until 1990. It was based on The Masters of the Universe toy collection line introduced by Mattel. The cartoon spawned a spinoff She-Ra: Princess of Power and was also re-packaged in a failed run as The New Adventures of He-Man in 1990.

Many thanks to all who help put He-Man Live! together and we hope your our audience will enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed putting it on.

Cast:

He-Man (Prince Adam)…………...Judd Farris
Skeletor……………………………Dario Konjicija
Man-At-Arms……………………..D. Heath Thompson
Beast Man…………………………Michael Ferestenfeld
Teela………………………………Kylie Baker
Tri-Klops………………………….Derek Vandi
The Sorceress……………………..Laura Ray
Evil-Lyn…………………………..Bridget Farris
Battle Cat (Cringer)………………David Baugh
Mer-Man………………………….Matt Sigers
King Randor………………………Daniel Sawtelle
Trap-Jaw…………………………..Aaron Alexander
General Tataran…………………...Michael Ferstenfeld
Queen Marlena……………………Daniel Sawtelle
Villagers/Goblins…………………Laura Ray, Derek Vandi,
Matt Sigers, David Baugh,
Bridget Farris
And…(groan)
Orko………………………………Bobby DiPasquale


*The show runs roughly 1 hour with a short 5-10 minute intermission.

About the He-Man Characters:

Defenders of Castle Grayskull and the planet Eternia:

King Randor: Ruler of Eternia and father of Prince Adam.

Queen Marlena: Queen of Eternia and mother of Prince Adam. She is originally from Earth, and was one of the first female astronauts. She came to Eternia when she her spaceship malfunctioned and crashed. She was rescued by, and later married King Randor.

Prince Adam: Prince of Eternia, son of King Randor and Queen Marlena who rule the planet of Eternia. In order to hide his identity of He-Man, Adam acts lazy and incapable of doing even menial tasks.

He-Man: The most powerful man in the universe. He is the alter ego of Prince Adam and also the twin brother of She-Ra. He-Man and his friends defend Eternia and the secrets of Castle Grayskull.

Cringer: Overly frightened tiger pet of Prince Adam. Transforms into Battle Cat in the same manner that Prince Adam becomes He-Man

Battle Cat: Alter ego of Cringer. He-Man's faithful feline companion, a fighting armored tiger, who carries him into battle.

Man-At-Arms: Designer and builder of weapons and other technology for the royal family including ray guns that he wears on his arms.Real name: Duncan who received the nickname Man-At-Arms because he is Duncan knows Prince Adam's secret identity, and acts as mentor and teacher to the young prince. He is the adopted father of Teela.

Teela: Captain of the Royal Guard. Often assists He-Man in battle. She is the daughter of the Sorceress, though she doesn’t know it; Man-At-Arms has raised her from infancy at the Sorceress' behest. One of her duties is to teach combat skills to Prince Adam. She frequently berates him for his careless and worry-free attitude, but is fond of him nonetheless.

The Sorceress: Mystic guardian of Castle Grayskull who granted Prince Adam the power to become He-Man. The Sorceress cannot leave the castle for very long, or she will revert to her falcon form, Zoar. She is also the mother of Teela. She has the ability to communicate telepathically.

Orko: A magician from the parallel dimensional world of Trolla. His spells often backfire with humorous results. Normally travels by floating instead of walking. His face is concealed by a floppy hat and heavy scarf. According to legend, members of his people only show their visage to their one true love.

The Evil Forces of Skeletor:

Skeletor: An evil demon with a skeleton face. He was formally known as Keldor, half brother of King Randor. He-Man’s main nemesis bent on ruling Eternia.

Beast Man: A ferocious man-beast humanoid and right-hand man of Skeletor who can summon wild creatures of Eternia to aid Skeletor's schemes.

Tri-Klops: A 3-eyed hunter and swordsman who can see in any direction. His eyes, which are on a band around his head, have different abilities; such as the power to see through solid objects or shoot laser beams.

Evil-Lyn: A powerful witch. Considered to be more cunning than Skeletor, and merely in his ranks while it suits her own ends.

Mer-Man: A fish-man who controls sea life.

Trap-Jaw: A weapons expert and cyborg with a metal jaw, which can bite through anything. His right arm is actually interchangeable with different weapons of his choosing.

General Tataran: Leader of the Goblin Warriors who wish to assist Skeletor it conquering Eternia. Aside from being creative and strong, Tataran, like all Goblins has no heart…literally.

Special Thanks and Shout Outs:

Andy Berkovsky, Kate Crowley, Walter Pohlmeyer and The City Theatre,

Albert Im, and Last Gas Comedy (lastgascomedy.com)
And most importantly:

Each and every one who comes out to support us

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, City Theatre, August 20 - September 13

Director Bridget Farias and her cast have put together a jolly version of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, with loving attention to the eccentricities of Narnia creatures.

Audiences will enjoy the glim from the 2005 film version produced by Disney, which was the best selling DVD in 2006, but both that film and this script follow closely the novel for children written by C.S. Lewis in 1949.

When this production was announced through ALT, one parent, Tim, was plainly disappointed. " Wish they had kid friendly show times. After my kid's bed time is a bit late to see a play. Was looking forward to this one. Oh well...."

Another reader, Anonymous, noted that the City Theatre runs a 5:30 p.m. show on Sundays. That could solve Tim's problem, but it does raise another point: what's the target audience for this production?

Narnies, maybe, in analogy to "Trekkies"?

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, City Theatre, August 20 - September 13

Received directly:

The City Theatre
closes the 2009 summer theatre season with

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

based on C.S. Lewis’ favorite classic adventure

August 20 – September 13 Thursday – Saturday 8:00 p.m. Sunday 5:30 p.m.

NARNIA…a land frozen in eternal winter…a country waiting to be set free.

This wonderful adaptation based on the children’s novel by C. S. Lewis is the story of four children, Susan, Lucy, Edmond and Peter who escape the London blitz of World War II, when they are sent to live with their uncle in the countryside. Lucy’s discovery of a magic wardrobe in her uncle’s home, leads her and her siblings into a world where “it is always winter, but never Christmas”, the land known as Narnia.

Here the children discover strange wonders: centaurs, talking beavers, fairies, and a fawn-like creature known as Tumnus, who befriends the children.

But Narnia is a land of contrasts as well. There is evil, in the person of the ambitious and calculating White Witch who battles to rule all of Narnia, and goodness and nobility, embodied in the powerful Lion King Aslan, who opposes her and her diabolic schemes. This story of love, faith, courage and giving, with its triumph of good over evil, is a profound celebration of life and inspiration, captivating young and old for decades.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first in a seven-book series by C. S. Lewis called The Chronicles of Narnia. Clive Staples (C.S.) Lewis was born in 1898 in Belfast, Ireland. He was a professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Oxford. He wrote books on religion and philosophy, but is most famous for this remarkable series, that has captured the imagination of children and adults worldwide. Many will be familiar with the series through the recently released Walt Disney Productions and Walden Media films, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian.

The production is directed by Bridget Farias with additional staging by Andy Berkovsky and set design by Daniel LeFave and costumes by Jessi Brill. It features the company of Derek Vandi (Aslan), Samantha Brewer (White Witch), Chad Duda (Peter), Laura Ray (Susan), Raphael Jaquette (Edmund), Shannyn Rose Cowart (Lucy), Bobby DiPasquale (Mr. Beaver), Fiona Rene (Mrs. Beaver), Austin Rausch (Mr. Tunmus), Dario Konjicija (Fenris Ulf), Marques Deleeon (Dwarf), Justin McKnight (Elf), D.H. Thompson (Father Christmas/Professor), and Molly McKee, Monique Borses, Nikki Maldonado, Annabel Stephan, Matthew Haynes, and Cameron McKnight (Wood Creatures/Ensemble).

This production is recommended for all ages and fun live theatre entertainment for the entire family.

TICKETS AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Reservations 512-524-2870 or info@citytheatreaustin.org
General Seating $15 - $20. Guaranteed Reserve Seats$25. Kids under ten $10. Thursdays all seats $10. Group and senior discounts are available.


The City Theatre. 3823 Airport Blvd. – east corner of Airport Blvd. and 38 ½ Street.
Visit our website www.citytheatreaustin.org