1. We begin loading in and the tech process for our upcoming production of Leslie Beatty's star turn in Theresa Rebeck's wildly funny Bad Dates. The show starts tech rehearsals this weekend, previews on Thursday March 19, opens on March 20 and runs through April 5. (for tix call the LexArts Box Office at 859-225-0370)
David Hare's new play The Vertical Hour is a thought-provoking exploration of how the political can sometimes intersect, collide with and ultimately dismantle the personal. While the play is positively brimming with cogent and fascinating arguments involving the current political situation, the production only fitfully succeeds in bringing this story to life. Hare fills The Vertical Hour with several of these ethical and philosophical quandaries that serve not only as dramatic interplay between the three main characters, but, also metaphorically as the basis for several of the arguments politicians and intellectuals are having these days concerning the role that America and the West have taken in Iraq, the Middle East and beyond.
In the delightful re-imagining of Frank Capra’s film It’s a Wonderful Life, the versatile and talented Adam Luckey plays Bedford Falls’ famous citizens in a one man tour de force. There’s family man George Bailey, miserly Mr. Potter, Clarence the dotty angel, devoted Mary and many more in this story of a broken man on a bridge who finds his way back home on Christmas Eve. Brimming with hope and humor, This Wonderful Life reminds us of the power of friendship and family just in time for the holiday season.
Directed by Bo List
Wild, risqué and ferociously playful, Joe Orton’s uproarious farce is one of the seminal works of modern comedy. When psychiatrist Dr. Prentice tries to seduce an aspiring secretary, his botched efforts lead to comic bedlam involving his insatiable wife, a randy bellhop, a befuddled police officer, and ultimately the formidable manhood of Sir Winston Churchill! Slamming doors. Flying Clothes. Mistaken identities. A typical day in the life of Dr. Prentice. Joe Orton's celebrated farce closes AGL’s 2009-2010 season.
2. We had two readings this week of our season closing production, Silas House's haunting new play Long Time Traveling. I am directing the production, which features a stellar cast of Hayley Williams, Josiah Correll, Missy Johnston, Tim X Davis and Alyssa Graves. Our friend Rich Copley from the Lexington Herald-Leader was at last night's reading. Here is a link to his blog about it.
3. Season Announcement time, which will get a more detailed blog next week, but I am pleased to announce that AGL's 2009-2010 season has been selected. It will be our 26th season and my 6th as Artistic Director:
September 10 – 27, 2009
Beguile
d Again: The Songs of Rodgers and Hart
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Conceived by J. Barry Lewis, Lynnette Barkley, and Craig D. Ames
Music Arrangements by Craig D. Ames
Directed and Choreographed by Peggy Taphorn
Actors Guild of Lexington launches their 26th season with this delightful musical review showcasing one of the great duos in the history of musical theatre. The remarkable partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart spanned twenty four years, resulting in scores for thirty musicals and 9 films. While their songs are acknowledged as among the most sophisticated and witty of their time, they could also be stunning in their simplicity and directness. Beguiled Again illuminates the astonishing breath of their output with a musical menu offering nearly fifty selections from the incomparable Rodgers and Hart songbook. Featuring such classic show tunes as “Blue Moon”, “My Funny Valentine”, “The Lady is a Tramp”, “Ten Cents a Dance”, and “With a Song in My Heart”, Beguiled Again is a guaranteed audience pleasing toe-tapping good time. Irving Berlin summed it up best with his famous maxim: "Tuneful and tasty, schmaltzy and smart -- music by Rodgers, lyrics by Hart."
October 15 – November 1, 2009
Beguile
d Again: The Songs of Rodgers and HartMusic by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Conceived by J. Barry Lewis, Lynnette Barkley, and Craig D. Ames
Music Arrangements by Craig D. Ames
Directed and Choreographed by Peggy Taphorn
Actors Guild of Lexington launches their 26th season with this delightful musical review showcasing one of the great duos in the history of musical theatre. The remarkable partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart spanned twenty four years, resulting in scores for thirty musicals and 9 films. While their songs are acknowledged as among the most sophisticated and witty of their time, they could also be stunning in their simplicity and directness. Beguiled Again illuminates the astonishing breath of their output with a musical menu offering nearly fifty selections from the incomparable Rodgers and Hart songbook. Featuring such classic show tunes as “Blue Moon”, “My Funny Valentine”, “The Lady is a Tramp”, “Ten Cents a Dance”, and “With a Song in My Heart”, Beguiled Again is a guaranteed audience pleasing toe-tapping good time. Irving Berlin summed it up best with his famous maxim: "Tuneful and tasty, schmaltzy and smart -- music by Rodgers, lyrics by Hart."
October 15 – November 1, 2009
David Hare's new play The Vertical Hour is a thought-provoking exploration of how the political can sometimes intersect, collide with and ultimately dismantle the personal. While the play is positively brimming with cogent and fascinating arguments involving the current political situation, the production only fitfully succeeds in bringing this story to life. Hare fills The Vertical Hour with several of these ethical and philosophical quandaries that serve not only as dramatic interplay between the three main characters, but, also metaphorically as the basis for several of the arguments politicians and intellectuals are having these days concerning the role that America and the West have taken in Iraq, the Middle East and beyond.
December 3 – 20, 2009
This Wonderful Life
By Steve Murray, Conceived by Mark Setlock
Directed by Bob Singleton
In the delightful re-imagining of Frank Capra’s film It’s a Wonderful Life, the versatile and talented Adam Luckey plays Bedford Falls’ famous citizens in a one man tour de force. There’s family man George Bailey, miserly Mr. Potter, Clarence the dotty angel, devoted Mary and many more in this story of a broken man on a bridge who finds his way back home on Christmas Eve. Brimming with hope and humor, This Wonderful Life reminds us of the power of friendship and family just in time for the holiday season.February 11 – 28, 2010
The New Century
Directed by Bo ListThe jokes don’t stop and the laughs land hard in this hysterical new bonbon from comic mastermind Paul Rudnick (Jeffrey, In & Out, I Hate Hamlet). Comedy sparks fly when a wealthy Jewish matron, a flamboyant public access TV host and a Midwestern scrapbooker/competitive cake decorator take on Manhattan. The New York Times raves, "The one-liners fly like rockets in The New Century, and they hit their targets smoking."
March 25 – April 11, 2010
What the Butler Saw
What the Butler Saw
Directed by Eric Seale
Wild, risqué and ferociously playful, Joe Orton’s uproarious farce is one of the seminal works of modern comedy. When psychiatrist Dr. Prentice tries to seduce an aspiring secretary, his botched efforts lead to comic bedlam involving his insatiable wife, a randy bellhop, a befuddled police officer, and ultimately the formidable manhood of Sir Winston Churchill! Slamming doors. Flying Clothes. Mistaken identities. A typical day in the life of Dr. Prentice. Joe Orton's celebrated farce closes AGL’s 2009-2010 season. 4. Finally, I am off to London tomorrow for my annual visit to Rose Bruford College, where I will spend a week teaching in their American Theatre Arts program. I am excited about this being our 3rd year, as our relationship with Rose Bruford has led some great artistic catches for AGL: Rebecca Pearcy, who starred as Thomasina in our 2008 production of Arcadia and Nicola Riggs, who designed a marvelous set for our 2008 production of The Pillowman. While I am there I am hoping to find some more students who will be interested in spending some time in the Bluegrass! I will also be seeing the controversial England People Very Nice, so I will try to find a computer while I am there and do some blogging about that.
Hopefully, I'll bring Spring back with me since it is currently warmer in London than it is in Lexington!!
Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you at the theatre!!
Peace and Love
Rick St. Peter
1 comments:
Bon Voyage, Mr. St. Peter! We look forward to hearing about your jaunt to England. And while folks are waiting, let me make a shameless pitch for my new blog, Pogue's Pages, which starts off with a three-part London Theatre Diary of Julieanne's and my trip there in January. It can be found at:
http://poguespages.blogspot.com
Between the two of us, we ought to have the London theatre situation covered for the last few months.
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