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Front Row Center
The Official E-Newsletter of Georgia Shakespeare SEPTEMBER 2011
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Mr. O'Reilly Goes to London
and Stratford, and Oxford...
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Education Director and Associate Artist Allen O'Reilly just returned from a 10-day tour of Shakespeare's England with a group of Oglethorpe University students and faculty.
 The trip was in conjunction with Oglethorpe University's "Shakespeare at Oxford experience." Students who have completed the school's English Department Shakespeare courses were provided the opportunity to participate in this extraordinary opportunity. Part of their studies included attending shows here at Georgia Shakespeare and meeting with our actors and artistic staff. Allen was asked to join the group this year as a representative of Georgia Shakespeare.
While the re, the group visited Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, Glastonbury and even Stonehenge. To complement their coursework while in England, the group also took in numerous shows including the Royal Shakespeare Company's productions of Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and As you Like It at Shakespeare's Globe.
Performances of War Horse and The Cherry Orchard on the West End and at the National Theatre respectively were also on Allen's itinerary. Allen even took a little time out to visit another historic London site - Abbey Road studios. (Pictured at top)
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Official Picnic Partners
of the 2011 Season. Order your pre-show dinner
and have it waiting for you at
Georgia Shakespeare. |
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Henry VIII in cinemas Thursday, September 15.
Catch the series at these Atlanta-area theaters:
REGAL Perimeter Pointe 10
REGAL Hollywood 24 @ North I-85
REGAL Augusta Exchange 20 (AUGUSTA)
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Georgia Shakespeare wishes
to thank our 2011 sponsors
 
The Tempest Sponsor
The Tempest Media Sponsors
  The Jungle Book Sponsors
with additional
support from the official optometrist of Georgia Shakespeare Dr. Alan L. Hymowitz at 
Sponsor of the Georgia Shakespeare/Oglethorpe University Shakespeare Scholars 
The Georgia Shakespeare
Summer Acting Intern Program
is made possible through the generous support of Jennifer Garner
and Benjamin Affleck
The Will Power Ensemble
is made possible
through the generous support of The Goizueta Foundation
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Greetings!
We are bidding the summer a fond farewell, and as the college campus on which Georgia Shakespeare resides comes back to life, we warmly welcome the beginning of Fall Semester. School is in session, and so is our fall season!
Rehearsals for The Glass Menagerie are just around the corner, while rehearsals for our fall school tour are already up and running. Our flagship Summer Festival may be over, but Georgia Shakespeare is still moving right along.
In this issue of Front Row Center, we will introduce you to the cast of The Glass Menagerie, as well as tell you about our very special cast for our fall tour; we'll regale you with tales of Education Director Allen O'Reilly's trip to Shakespeare's England with Oglethorpe University, and provide the details on what some of your favorite Associate Artists have going on around town - as well as around the country. As always, thank you for being a part of Georgia Shakespeare. |
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Season Spotlight: Meet the cast of
The Glass Menagerie
Georgia Shakespeare continues its tradition of presenting thoughtful, bold and passionate interpretations of the works of the world's best writers of all eras, and celebrates the 100th birthday of an American great with Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie.
Opening October 6, Williams' beloved memory play makes its Georgia Shakespeare debut. The show stars Associate Artist Joe Knezevich as the story's semi-autobiographical Tom Wingfield, as well as some newer faces.
With his performance in The Glass Menagerie, Joe will have been featured in all four Georgia Shakespeare's 2011 mainstage productions. This summer, Joe portrayed Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, took a comedic fall down the stairs as Garry in Noises Off, and explored his villainous side in The Tempest.
The play's matriarch Amanda Wingfield is played by Mary Lynn Owen. Mary Lynn recently appeared in Theatre in the Square's acclaimed production of The Little Foxes. While this is Mary Lynn's first time on the Conant stage with Georgia Shakespeare, she has been a member of the family for many years - she is married to Associate Artist Rob Cleveland.
Laura Wingfield, Tom's sister with the gentle disposition and the collection of figurines that lends the play it's title, is portrayed by Bethany Anne Lind. Bethany Anne was featured along with Joe and director Richard Garner in the Alliance Theatre's spring production of August: Osage County. She is making a return to the Conant stage; she was also an member of the ensemble for Georgia Shakespeare's 2007 production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses.
Travis Smith, who is also an accomplished musician, plays Jim, the story's famous "gentleman caller." This is Travis' first venture on the Georgia Shakespeare mainstage, but is a familiar face around Atlanta's other Bard-centric playhouse, the Shakespeare Tavern.
The Glass Menagerie is on the Conant stage Thursdays through Sundays October 6 -30. Visit gashakespeare.org or call the Box Office at 404.504.1473 to purchase or for more information.
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 GS and OU join forces to present
Bard's Best featuring the OU Players
Public Performances September 22-24
Georgia Shakespeare and our host institution Oglethorpe University are teaming up yet again. Kicking off this month, we go on the road together as Georgia Shakespeare presents the Oglethorpe Players in Bard's Best!
Part of our Will on Wheels educational tour, this fall's Bard's Best! will feature members of the University's student theater program, some of whom are recipients of the Georgia Shakespeare scholarship. Among the performers are Seth Langer, Kristin Butler, Elizabeth Beesley, Weston Manders, and Katie Huntington. The tour marks our first performance cast entirely of OU students.
A unique collaboration between Georgia Shakespeare and the OU Theatre Program, Bard's Best! features a versatile company of six actors performing Shakespeare's greatest hits. Favorite selections from the Bard's most beloved plays will leap from the page onto the Oglethorpe stage including Hamlet, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing-just to name a few!
Bard's Best!'s inaugural performance takes place right here at home in a weekend of public performances at the Conant Performing Arts Center beginning Thursday, September 22. Alongside the weekend's regular evening performances - which are primarily at 8:00 p.m. - there is also a special FREE 10:00 a.m. show for students and homeschool groups.
Tickets are free for the 10:00 a.m. performance on September 23 and just $7 for all other performances. They will be available through the Oglethorpe University Box Office at the door only for each performance. Seating is general admission.
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Associate Artists' Corner
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Robinson
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Associate Artist and college professor Karen Robinson was awarded the 2011 Kennesaw State University Distinguished Professor Award, the KSU Foundation's highest award for excellence in teaching, research, creativity and professional service. Congratulations, Karen!
For KSU, she will be directing the regional premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney's Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet (the third play in his Brother/Sister trilogy) in February, and coordinating a KSU residency of one of the top Peruvian collective theatre groups Cuatrotablas.
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 | | Garner in August: Osage County (Greg Mooney) |
The first annual Atlanta Theater Fan Awards recently announces its winners. Among them, our very own Producing Artistic Director Richard Garner was honored as Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Charlie Aiken in August: Osage County at the Alliance Theatre. Congratulations, Richard!
Atlanta Theater Fans is a new website community that offers theater information, news, feature articles and a message board. The fan awards were created to allow audiences the chance to voice their opinion about outstanding professional Atlanta theatre each year.
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 | Tortorici
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Vincenzo Tortorici performs and teaches at schools and festivals all over the world, and will be appearing locally on September 3 in The WowShow (wherein he tells the story of a Witch, a Prince, and a Princess who loves Broccoli) at the Decatur Book Festival. Next up, he'll travel to New York City, to appear in the Amuse Bouche clown cabaret on September 14 at The Brick Theater.
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 Associate Artist Park Krausen is currently working on a new play, The Kid Thing by Sarah Gubbins at Chicago Dramatists. It is a co-production between Chicago Dramatists and About Face Theatre. It runs September 1 through October 16. It's a witty new play. Check it out the Chicago Dramatists website.
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 Associate Artist and novelist Andrew Hartley's novel Will Power goes into paperback edition this week. His most recent work, a novelization of Shakespeare's Scottish play, Macbeth: A Novel, co-authored by David Hewson, is also currently available as an audiobook narrated by Alan Cumming at audible.com. Check out ajhartley.net for more information.
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On stage around town: Catch Associate Artists Neal A. Ghant and Rob Cleveland in Theatrical Outfit's acclaimed production of The Green Book. The show has just been extended through September 25.
The Hertz Stage at the Alliance Theatre opens its season with Janece Shaffer's Broke, running September 23 -October 23 and featuring Associate Artist Tess Malis Kincaid.
Beginning September 28, you can catch Associate Artist Elisa Carlson performing in Theatre in the Square's production of Ghost-Writer.
Fresh off the 2011 Summer Festival, actresses Ann Marie Gideon and Elizabeth Lanier will both be featured in Pinch 'N' Ouch Theatre's Bachelorette, running October 1-18 in the 7 Stages Backstage space.
 | | Spring Awakening (Jen Hofstetter Photography) |
You can also see summer intern Jordan Craig heading up the cast of Spring Awakeningat Actor's Express through October 1.
Associate Artist Tim McDonough will appear in Theater Emory's production of Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore, beginning September 29. The show will also feature actor Mark Cabus from Georgia Shakespeare's most recent summer season.
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Education Spotlight:
Fall Classes for Students
Beginning next month, Georgia Shakespeare offers an array of classes for the young theatre-lover, from Elementary to High Schoolers. Registration is open and space is still available for all classes.
Intro to Shakespeare (Grades 3-5)
This fun new offering will give students a glimpse at Shakespeare's life in Elizabethan England and explore select plays of his through scenes-work, puppetry, music and theatre games. The class culminates with a performance for friends and family on the last day!
When: Saturdays, October 8-December 10  (NO CLASS November 26)
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Cost: $175
Middle School Conservatory (Grades 6-8)
This new offering geared for the middle school actor will offer conservatory-style training in the areas of acting, voice, movement, stage combat, audition technique for stage and film and improvisation. The conservatory will culminate with a presentation for friends and family on the final day.
When: Saturdays, October 8-December 10 (NO CLASS November 26)
Time: 2:00p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Cost: $200.00
Audition Technique for the High School Actor (Grades 9-12)
This class is geared for the serious teen actor preparing for auditions for both college theatre programs as well as local film and television opportunities. All aspects of the audition process will be covered in the class: cold reading, scene-study, monologues, commercials, and film auditions. The session culminates with a presentation for friends and family.
When: Saturdays, October 8-December 10 (NO CLASS November 26)
Time: 2:00p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Cost: $200.00
For more information, contact Education Director Allen O'Reilly at 404.504.3401 or send an email.
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From our friends at Alliance Theatre
Into the Woods
Alliance Theatre
August 31 - October 2
Experience the Tony AwardŽ-winning musical where magic beans create a ladder to the sky, Prince Charming is one golden slipper away, and wishes still come true. With soaring melodies by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, Into the Woods is a spellbinding musical filled with romance, magic and the unexpected consequences of dreams that come true. Members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's student musician programs will be onstage as both players and witnesses to the story. These young musicians provide a visible underscoring of the show's central message - "Careful what you say...children will listen." Georgia Shakespeare patrons receive 25% off tickets, August 31 - September 18 with promo code SHAKESPEARE25.**Not valid on previously purchased tickets. Learn More
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