Arizona Theatre Company Announces 2014-15 Season

 

From: scarr51@gmail.com [mailto:scarr51@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Steve Carr
Sent: Friday, June 6, 2014 12:01 PM
Subject: Arizona Theatre Company Announces 2014-15 Season 

Media Contact: Steve Carr, 602-317-3040, scarr@fastq.com 

ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY 2014-15 SEASON RANGES FROM WORLD PREMIERES, TO BROADWAY HITS, A MUSICAL, PABLO PICASSO AND MORE

 

Season Includes Tony Award Winner "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike," "Wait Until Dark," Off-Broadway musical hit "Murder for Two," World Premiere of "Five Presidents", ATC's 1^st-Ever Production of "Romeo & Juliet" and "A Weekend with Pablo Picasso"

 

TUCSON/PHOENIX (June 5, 2014):  Arizona Theatre Company's 2014-15 season will offer a taste of Shakespeare, a peek at Picasso, a chilling thriller, a murder mystery – one with musical accompaniment – five Presidents in a room and Anton Chekhov as comedy fodder. It's a season with something for everyone.

            "The new season promises to be one of the most entertaining and varied in ATC's long history," said Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein in announcing details of the new season. "Arizona Theatre Company has a sterling national reputation for producing theatre at the highest professional level, and the artists who are coming to create for our community next season continue a long tradition of presenting our audiences with the best in contemporary and classic theatre. All of these productions will be surrounded by a wide array of opportunities for audience engagement and involvement, and supported by community outreach, education and learning opportunities for all ages."

Goldstein continued, "I couldn't be more thrilled to announce a season that includes our first-ever production of Shakepeare's Romeo and Juliet, the hilarious musical mystery Murder for Two fresh off its New York run, a world premiere of Five Presidents by the Emmy-winning playwright Rick Cleveland, the most recent Tony Award-winning Best Play in Christopher Durang's comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Frederick Knott's classic thriller Wait Until Dark in a new adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher, and Herbert Siguenza's tour-de-force A Weekend With Pablo Picasso performed in both English and Spanish language performances."

The 2014-15 season, which is sponsored by I. Michael and Beth Kasser, includes:

• Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

By Christopher Durang

Directed by Joel Sass

The hilarious winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. In rural Bucks County, PA, Vanya and Sonia have frittered their lives away in their family's farmhouse full of regret, angst and the alarmingly ambiguous prophecies of their housekeeper Cassandra. Enter their sister, self-absorbed movie star Masha, with her prized 20-something boy toy Spike, and the stage is set for an absurd weekend of hilarity and global warming. This Broadway sensation, delights audiences with abundant comic twists while paying loving homage to Chekhov's classic themes of loss and longing. Directed by Joel Sass, who brought us the hilarious The 39 Steps. "The theater erupts in booming gusts of laughter that practically shake the seats." – New York Times.  Contains Mature Language. 

Tucson: Sept. 13 to Oct. 4, 2014

Phoenix: Oct. 9 to Oct. 26, 2014

• Wait Until Dark

By Frederick Knott

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher

Directed by David Ira Goldstein

A gripping mystery from the author of "Dial M for Murder." Don't let Susan Hendrix' quaint Greenwich Village basement apartment fool you; hidden within is a treasure for which thieves and conmen would kill. Susan, tragically blinded in an automobile accident, unwittingly becomes the key player in a dangerous game threatening all she holds dear. Employing disguise and deception, two crooks become increasingly desperate and depraved, but must wait until dark to play out this classic thriller's chilling conclusion. A co-production with Geva Theatre Center. "…a roller-coaster ride, one that leaves the audience giddy from terror." – TheatreMania

Tucson: Oct. 18 to Nov. 8, 2014

Phoenix: Nov. 13 to Nov. 30, 2014

• Murder for Two

By Joe Kinosian (book and music) and Kellen Blair (book and lyrics)

Directed by Scott Schwartz

The perfect blend of music, mayhem and murder! Multi-millionaire Arthur Whitney has been murdered at his own birthday party, and his killer could be any one of the guests. But this is no ordinary murder mystery. In this hilarious 90-minute musical tour-de-force, two performers play 13 roles – not to mention the piano – in a witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries. Nominated for 2014 Drama Desk, Drama League, Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards, Murder for Two opened Off-Broadway to critical raves and is still playing to packed houses.  The New York Times calls it "Ingenious! A snazzy double-act that spins out a comic mystery animated by funny, deftly turned songs." and NY1 dubbed it "a must-see 90-minute jolt of caffeinated creativity!"

Tucson: Nov. 29 to Dec. 20, 2014

Phoenix: Dec. 31, 2014 to Jan. 18, 2015

• Five Presidents

By Rick Cleveland

Directed by Mark Clements

The eagerly anticipated world premiere by the Emmy Award-winning writer of The West Wing, Six Feet Under, Mad Men and House of Cards. It's April 27, 1994. In Yorba Linda, California, the five living Presidents -- Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton -- gather in a room to wait for the start of Richard Nixon's funeral. A loving, witty, and touching speculation on what may have happened at this true-life event, Five Presidents wrestles with life, getting older and, of course, politics.  A humanizing and unforgettable look at five great men trying to find relevance in the world's most exclusive club after being the most powerful people in the world. A co-production with Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Contains Mature Language.

Tucson: Jan. 10 to Jan. 31, 2015

Phoenix: Feb. 5 to Feb. 22, 2015

• Romeo and Juliet

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Kirsten Brandt

ATC's first-ever production of Shakespeare's poetic masterpiece. Jealousy. Prejudice. Betrayal. And the chance that true love could actually conquer all. This breathtaking telling of the timeless tale of the famous young lovers who will stop at nothing to be together will leave you transfixed.  Romeo and Juliet comes to vibrant life through the inventive talents of award-winning director Kirsten Brandt and designer David Lee Cuthbert, whose state-of-the-art sets, lights and projections bring new life to the warring world of the Capulets and Montagues. Romeo and Juliet like you've never seen before. "Bold, ambitious, and stirring…Brandt has become a disciplined and inventive theatrical storyteller." – San Diego Union-Tribune

Tucson: Feb 28 to March 21, 2015

Phoenix: March 26 to April 12, 2015

• A Weekend With Pablo Picasso

By Herbert Siguenza, based on the writings of Pablo Picasso

Directed by Todd Salovey

The work of Pablo Picasso forever changed the way that the world looks at art. This one-man show, written by and starring the astonishing actor and artist Herbert Siguenza, will forever change the way that you think about Picasso. A founding member of Culture Clash, Siguenza's performance explodes with color that explores the passion, complexity and youthful vigor characterizing a genius responsible for some of history's most original paintings. Through the poetry of his own words, Picasso's most intimate thoughts and experiences rip through the air with each thundering brushstroke as Siguenza creates six new masterpieces live on stage in this Arizona premiere. Siguenza will also perform the play in Spanish (Un Fin de Semana con Pablo Picasso) on selected dates in both Tucson and Phoenix.  "He rages, dances, takes a bath, admonishes, philosophizes, scolds – and paints, right in front of you... an utterly engaging portrait of an artist at work. Don't miss it!" - SDGLN

Tucson: April 4 to April 26, 2015 (Spanish performances on April 19 and 21, 2015)

Phoenix: April 30 to May 17, 2015 (Spanish performances on May 6 and 17, 2015)

Season-ticket packages range from $87 to $372 depending upon the package and seat selection.  Pick-Your-Play packages of three, four or five plays also are available as is the Flexpass that includes four tickets to any play in the regular season on any day, in any combination.

Season subscriber benefits include discounts on additional tickets, priority seating and up to 50 percent off regular box office prices, among others.

For more information in Tucson, call (520) 622-2823 and in Phoenix call (602) 256-6995.  For complete information, visit www.arizonatheatre.org.

About Arizona Theatre Company:

Touching lives through the power of theatre, Arizona Theatre Company (ATC), is the preeminent fully professional theatre in the state of Arizona. Boasting the largest seasonal subscriber base in the performing arts in Arizona, ATC is the only resident company in the US that is fully based in two cities providing its wide array of programming and community outreach across the region. Now in its 47th season, more than 130,000 people a year attend our performances at the historic Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, and the elegant Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. Each season of home-grown productions reflects the rich variety of world drama—from classics to contemporary plays, from musicals to new works—along with a wide array of community outreach programs, educational opportunities, access initiatives.  David Ira Goldstein is the Artistic Director and Jessica Andrews is the Managing Director. For information, visit www.arizonatheatre.org.

 

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