T2 News

Walton Arts Center and TheatreSquared announce three-year partnership agreement

2010-07-23T22:01:52Z

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS—July 26, 2010—Walton Arts Center is pleased to announce a new and extended partnership with TheatreSquared (T2), Northwest Arkansas’ premiere professional theater company. Under the terms of the agreement, T2 has become an official resident company of the arts center, performing their annual season in Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios.

“We are excited for this enhanced relationship and the opportunity to work in partnership with TheatreSquared,” said Peter B. Lane, Walton Arts Center President/CEO. “As our region grows, we want professional arts organizations like T2 to succeed and grow and provide high quality arts experiences to our region. Walton Arts Center is pleased to help support this emerging theatrical company that is producing thoughtful, entertaining and interesting work.”

“TheatreSquared exists to serve our artists and audiences,” said Martin Miller, TheatreSquared Managing Director. “This new partnership will benefit both. We will be able to focus more time and resources on bringing great artists from the across the region and nation to Northwest Arkansas, and creating imaginative worlds on stage. Our audiences will benefit from top-notch ticketing services and the intimate, flexible venue we’ve come to call home.”

TheatreSquared presents a four-play subscription series and the Arkansas New Play Fest each year, totaling more than 65 annual performances for a growing regional audience. Under the new agreement, T2 will continue its residency in the 150-seat Studio Theatre at Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios, and T2 education staff will create study guides and provide in-school workshops for Walton Arts Center’s arts-in-education programming. Walton Arts Center will provide a full range of box office services for TheatreSquared productions, as well as assist in cross-promotion and marketing to help introduce broader audiences to T2’s work.

The new partnership formalizes and extends a relationship that began with TheatreSquared’s founding in 2005. “TheatreSquared provides the kind of high quality, locally produced shows that complement Walton Arts Center’s programming,” said Jodi Beznoska, VP of Communications for WAC and a longtime member of T2’s Board of Directors. “I’m hopeful that this relationship, which has been strong ever since TheatreSquared’s debut, will continue to grow and improve in the next three years.”

Walton Arts Center is Arkansas' premier center for the performing arts and entertainment. Each year more than 140,000 people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and beyond attend over 350 public events at Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, graduations and more. Approximately 20,000 students and teachers from 30 school districts participate annually in arts learning programs at Walton Arts Center, and over 300 volunteers donate more than 15,000 hours of time each year to its operations. Walton Arts Center presents entertainers and artists from around the world including Broadway musicals, renowned dance companies, international artists, up-and-coming jazz musicians and more. As a non-profit organization, Walton Arts Center enjoys the generous support of public sector funding, corporate sponsorship and private donors, allowing audience members to pay on average only 50% of the cost of programs offered. To learn more about Walton Arts Center, visit www.waltonartscenter.org.

Founded in 2005, TheatreSquared (T2) is Northwest Arkansas’s regional theatre, producing professional work that is challenging and heartfelt, intimate and entertaining. The company strives to ensure that audiences of all backgrounds have access to its artistic and educational programs. The Theatre’s professional productions include family programs, classics, new plays and world premieres. Sixty-five annual performances and the Arkansas New Play Fest attract a growing audience of patrons from throughout Northwest Arkansas, including more than 1,000 students and teachers. Performances are presented in the intimate, 150-seat Studio Theatre at Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios in downtown Fayetteville. Together with its theatrical season, T2’s educational offerings are a core focus in the company’s service. T2 for Education, the Theatre’s program for students and teachers, offers deeply discounted student performances, professional development for educators, and a variety of in-school programs focused on engaging students in learning and literacy through theatre. For more information, visit theatre2.org.

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Announcing a New Resource for Northwest Arkansas Teachers

2010-07-20T16:48:41Z

THEATRESQUARED LAUNCHES
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
T2’s Free, Year-Long Workshop Series Begins Today

FAYETTEVILLE, AR—July 19, 2010—TheatreSquared (T2) launched today a free, yearlong workshop series for Arkansas educators, starting with a one-week immersion seminar for educators from throughout Northwest Arkansas. Educators hailing from Little Rock, Jonesboro, Mena, Mountain Home, El Dorado, Morrilton and throughout Northwest Arkansas arrived in Fayetteville today to take part in the Institute’s “freshman class,” beginning with thirty hours of collaborative workshops this week and continuing with full-day Saturday master classes throughout the school year. Participating teachers will bring new theatre-based techniques back to their classrooms, directly impacting more than 2,000 students in the coming year alone. The T2 Professional Development Institute is being offered free of charge in partnership with the University of Arkansas Brown Chair in English Literacy, and funded by leadership support from the Arkansas Arts Council and Land O’Frost, Inc.

“When an actor steps into a role, she uses techniques that any student or educator can apply,” said Morgan Hicks, director of education for TheatreSquared. “She breaks down language, scans for story clues, visualizes scenes, and forms opinions. These abilities are mirrored in the work of strong readers and learners. Working with educators, we can equip students with theatre-based tools that will help them to be confident and curious in the classroom and in life.”

TheatreSquared’s outreach program, T2 for Education, is expanding quickly as the Theatre enters its Fifth Anniversary Season. In addition to designating Ms. Hicks the full-time Director of Education in 2009, the Theatre recently created the new part-time staff position of Learning Programs Manager and hired Kris Stoker, a two-year veteran of Cincinnati Shakespeare’s leading educational outreach programs, to fill the role. New arts-in-education offerings in the 2010/11 Season will include a series of free in-school workshops beginning in August 2010; a continuing residency with Fayetteville High School’s Keystone and Capstone literacy program, culminating in public readings of student ten-minute plays in May 2011; the T2 Artist’s Forum series for lifelong learners, presented in partnership with Fayetteville Public Library and KUAF; and designated student performances for area schools offering a 75% discount on standard ticket prices.

TheatreSquared’s 2010 T2 Professional Development Institute is being developed in partnership with Dr. David Jolliffe, Brown Chair in English Literacy at the University of Arkansas and former coordinator of the writing-in-the-disciplines initiative at DePaul University in Chicago. He is co-author of ten books on writing, literacy, and other curricular subjects, and a frequent presenter at national conferences on language and communication. Dr. Jolliffe will join a group of distinguished experts and teaching artists in leading master classes and workshops for educators as part of the Professional Development Institute.

“The potential impact of this new offering is dramatic,” said Jolliffe, who is also a Board member at TheatreSquared. “One teacher can reach one hundred students over the course of a year. With comparable arts-in-education programs from coast to coast reporting measurable advances in classroom literacy, student engagement, attendance, test scores, and with the opportunity for arts educators to respond to the state’s new Common Core standards—it’s simply a terrific resource to have here in Northwest Arkansas.”

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas’s professional theatre company, dedicated to creating exceptional theatre and innovative educational programs. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatre2.org.

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TheatreSquared’s 2010/11 education programs are funded in part by Land O’Frost, Inc.

Support for the T2 Professional Development Institute is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts.

TheatreSquared Announces 2010/11 Lineup

2010-05-18T15:44:54Z

THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
Suspense, Thrills, Romance, Holiday Laughter and a World Premiere
Four-Play Subscription Series Goes On Sale May 21

FAYETTEVILLE, AR—May 18, 2010—TheatreSquared (T2) announced today its 2010/11 Fifth Anniversary Season, beginning September 2010. “Without a doubt, this is a landmark year,” said T2 Artistic Director Robert Ford, “with a thrilling new suspense comedy, a hilarious holiday satire for all ages, the World Premiere of a rich new work by an Arkansas playwright, and one of the most wrenching love stories I’ve ever seen on stage.” Each play will be newly envisioned by professional artists in the intimate Studio Theatre at Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios, where the farthest seat from the stage is within fifteen feet of the performers. Subscriptions can be purchased beginning May 21, 2010 by calling the Walton Arts Center Box Office at 479.443.5600.

“We’re continuing our tradition of high quality at an accessible price for audiences from all walks of life,” said Martin Miller, Managing Director for TheatreSquared. “On May 21, subscriptions to the four-play season will go on sale starting at $74—less than $19 per play. We’re opening up one preview performance of each production on a ‘Pay What You Can’ basis. And for the second year, the sponsored 30 Under 30 program will set aside thirty $10 tickets at every performance for patrons under thirty years of age.”

The season kicks off with THE 39 STEPS, adapted by Patrick Barlow from John Buchan’s spy novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s cinematic thriller. Michael Landman (Rabbit Hole, 2009), returns to TheatreSquared to direct this fast-paced Broadway hit. When a femme fatale is murdered in the home of a wealthy Britishman, he escapes being framed only to find a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” hot on his trail. This fast-paced comic thriller combines hilarity and thrills with an on-stage plane crash, desperate romance, and a death-defying finale. A two-time 2008 Tony and Drama Desk Award-winner. September 3—19, 2010. For all ages.

For the holiday season, TheatreSquared presents EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald, and John K. Alvarez. T2 co-founder Morgan Hicks (The Mystery of Irma Vep—2008; The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged—2009) directs this hilarious and ambitious holiday comedy for all ages. Tired of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved yuletide classic, three actors rebel and set out to perform every Christmas story ever told—from Frosty to the Grinch, Charlie Brown to George Bailey. For good measure, this ridiculously talented trio throws in topical humor, some ancient history, and every Christmas carol ever sung. A madcap romp through the holiday season. December 10—26, 2010. For all ages.

In the new year, TheatreSquared presents the World Premiere of SUNDOWN TOWN by Kevin Cohea, featuring more than a dozen bluegrass and gospel songs. Commissioned by TheatreSquared and developed over two years at the Arkansas New Play Fest, Sundown Town is a significant new addition to the American stage. When an African American drifter wanders into a rural North Arkansas town in the summer of 1918, a law prohibiting “strangers” after dark threatens to tear the tight-knit community apart. Sundown Town is an uncommon theatrical story of prejudice and redemption, persecution and hope. This T2 World Premiere will be presented in collaboration with Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. February 4—20, 2011. Recommended for ages 13+.

Closing out the season, TheatreSquared presents REASONS TO BE PRETTY by Neil LaBute. Nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best New Play, Reasons to Be Pretty is a hopelessly romantic drama about the hopelessness of romance. Penned by acclaimed provocateur Neil LaBute (The Shape of Things, In the Company of Men), the play is the story of Greg and his girlfriend Steph—and the fallout when a friend relays Greg's offhand remark that she has a “regular” face. “A real love story ... with the freshest, most illuminating dialogue anywhere.” — The New York Times. April 15—May 1, 2011. Mature language and themes.

TheatreSquared will present its third annual Arkansas New Play Fest in May of 2011, with dates and titles for the celebration of new works still to be finalized. The Festival will again unite promising voices in American playwriting in a three-day celebration of dramatic storytelling. Tickets for this year’s 2010 Arkansas New Play Fest, running May 21-23, 2010, are still available at theatre2.org and by calling the T2 Box Office at (479) 571-2728.

Subscriptions, including The 39 Steps, Every Christmas Story Ever Told, Sundown Town and Reasons to be Pretty, begin at $74. Subscribers receive a number of benefits, with prime seats at a 15% discount over single ticket prices, as well as free ticket exchanges and priority customer service. Subscribers also receive significant discounts on performance evenings of up to 30% off at Bordinos, Brick House Kitchen, Ella’s, Greenhouse Grille and The Wine Cellar. Subscriptions can be purchased beginning May 21, 2010 by calling the Walton Arts Center Box Office at 479.443.5600.

Each production is scheduled for a three-week run, with performances Thursdays at 7:30pm, Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:00pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday at 2:00. Subscription packages are available for each performance time.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas’s regional theatre, dedicated to creating exceptional theatrical works and innovative educational programs. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatre2.org.

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TheatreSquared’s 2010/11 education programs are funded in part by Land O’Frost.

Marketing support for The 39 Steps is provided by the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotions Commission.

Support for TheatreSquared is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts.

TheatreSquared Presents Groundbreaking New Works

2010-04-20T15:43:00Z

THE 2010 ARKANSAS NEW PLAY FEST
Featuring Four New Plays, the Young Playwrights Showcase,
And The 24-Hour Play-Off — May 21–23, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE, AR—April 20, 2010—TheatreSquared announced today the lineup for the second annual Arkansas New Play Fest, a celebration of new works by emerging playwrights. The festival will feature staged reading performances of new plays and, in its fourth year, the Northwest Arkansas 24-Hour Play-Off, a marathon competition awarding a $1,000 Jury Prize. The new play lineup includes: The Fall of the House by Robert Ford; Dream Date by Dan Borengasser; Tell Martha Not to Moan by Clinnesha D. Sibley; and, in a new revision, Sundown Town, a play with music in two acts by Kevin D. Cohea. The festival will also feature the Arkansas Young Playwrights Showcase, with readings of five student short plays integrating sustainable themes as part of Walton Arts Center’s Artosphere Festival. Tickets are $7 (one staged reading performance), $10 (24 Hour Play-Off), and $25 (Festival Pass), and are available at theatresquared.org. All events take place at Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios:

Friday, May 21

5:15pm – Opening Reception
6:00pm – Dream Date by Dan Borengasser
8:00pm – The Fall of the House by Robert Ford

Saturday, May 22

2:00pm – Arkansas Young Playwrights Showcase
6:00pm – Tell Martha Not to Moan by Clinnesha Dillon Sibley
8:00pm – Sundown Town by Kevin D. Cohea

Sunday, May 23

6:00pm – The 24 Hour Play-Off (Performances & Judging)

“For the second year, we’re thrilled to bring new works, in raw theatrical form, to Northwest Arkansas,” said TheatreSquared Artistic Director Robert Ford. “Each script is rehearsed by professional artists and performed, script in hand, for the public and playwright. At each performance, an open discussion with audience, author and cast profoundly shapes the future development of the script.”

Dream Date, by Dan Borengasser, begins with a man and a woman at a table on an empty stage—but who are they, what do they want, and what’s their relationship? In this clever and delightfully confusing new comedy, the characters know just as much about their given circumstances as the audience. Directed by T2 co-founder Morgan Hicks and performed Friday, May 21 at 6:00pm.

The Fall of the House, an unpublished work by Robert Ford, has been in development for over a decade and was recently produced by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. This time- and mind-bending play brings together magic, betrayal, forbidden love, tragic accidents, secret documents and familial bonds spanning from the last years of Edgar Allan Poe to the present. Directed by T2 Associate Artistic Director Amy Herzberg and performed Friday, May 21, at 8:00pm.

Tell Martha Not to Moan, by Clinnesha D. Sibley, takes place in a family home in Detroit, 2007. As the presidential election campaign plays out on the national stage and the 40th Commemoration of the Detroit Riot is marked, a series of flashbacks brings us back to a different era. With compelling dialogue and complex relationships, Tell Martha Not to Moan is a glimpse into the changing world as viewed from one African American home. Directed by Janet Cleveland, winner of the Detroit Free Press Best Director Award, and performed Saturday, May 22 at 6:00pm.

Sundown Town, by Kevin D. Cohea, returns to the Arkansas New Play Fest for a second year of continued development. Commissioned by TheatreSquared, the play is the story of a small town in Arkansas in 1918 where tourists and churchgoers are welcome, but African Americans must leave before dark. An involving and energetic theatrical fable, Sundown Town interweaves more than a dozen traditional gospel and bluegrass songs with rich storytelling. Directed by Kevin Christopher Fox (“Sterling” in TheatreSquared’s Mauritius, 2010) and performed Saturday, May 22 at 8:00pm.

TheatreSquared is partnering with Fayetteville-based Ceramic Cow Productions to present the fourth Northwest Arkansas 24-Hour Play-Off, a perennial favorite for artists and audiences alike. In competition for the $1,000 Jury Prize, teams of five artists will write, rehearse, and perform a new ten-minute play—all within the space of 24 hours. Artists from throughout the region are invited to participate by completing an application at theatresquared.org. The public performance and judging will take place on Sunday, May 23 at 6:00pm.

As part of Walton Arts Center’s Artosphere Festival and in partnership with the University of Arkansas Brown Chair of Literacy, TheatreSquared is proud to present, for the second year, the Arkansas Young Playwrights Showcase. Students from across the region have been invited to submit scripts exploring the importance of the natural world and sustainability in our daily lives. Five will be selected for public readings at the Arkansas New Play Fest. Public readings will take place Saturday, May 22, at 2:00pm.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas’s professional theatre company, dedicated to creating exceptional theatre and innovative educational programs. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org.

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Marketing support for the Arkansas New Play Fest is provided by Fayetteville A&P Commission.
The 24-Hour Play-Off Jury Prize is sponsored by C&C Services, LLC.

TheatreSquared Presents a Darkly Comic Thriller

2010-02-15T16:42:00Z

MAURITIUS
By Theresa Rebeck | Directed by Kimberly Senior
March 26–April 11, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE, AR—February 15, 2010—On March 26, TheatreSquared will debut a new production of Theresa Rebeck’s Mauritius, the darkly comic thriller which had its Broadway premiere in 2007. When two sisters discover what may be the “crown jewel” of stamp collecting in their attic, they are thrust into a violent and deceptive battle between three rival collectors and soon find that more than money is at stake. Theresa Rebeck, who won the Peabody Award for her writing on Law and Order: Criminal Intent and NYPD Blue, is also the author of Bad Dates, TheatreSquared’s inaugural production. The play will be directed by Kimberly Senior, whose production of The Overwhelming at Next Theatre in Chicago was named one of the Ten Best Shows of 2009 by The Chicago Tribune. Performances are scheduled Friday, March 26 through Sunday, April 11, 2010 in the Studio Theater at Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios (505 W. Spring St, Fayetteville). Tickets are $22 ($18/seniors, $10/ under 30) and can be purchased by visiting the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org or calling the Box Office at 479.571.2728.

"The New York Times called Mauritius a ‘corkscrew-twist drama of suspense,'" said T2 Artistic Director Robert Ford, "and we agree. We’ve got an all-star team of artists from across the country bringing it to the stage here in Northwest Arkansas, and we’re thrilled to welcome them to TheatreSquared."

The cast for Mauritius includes: Kevin Christopher Fox (Sterling); Rebecca Harris (Mary), who appeared in TheatreSquared’s Bad Dates and Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol; Kathy Logelin (Jackie); Bradford Lund (Dennis); and John T. Smith (Philip), whose TheatreSquared credits include Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol and the 2009 Arkansas New Play Fest.

The production team for Mauritius includes: Jeff Award-winner Jack Magaw (scenic and lighting design); Morgan Hicks (costume designer); Emily Jones (stage manager); Richard Rew (sound designer); and Steve Wilhelm (technical director); and Ashleigh Burns (properties wrangler).

During its three-week run from March 26—April 11, performances are scheduled Thursdays at 7:30; Fridays at 7:30; Saturdays at 2:00 and 7:30; and Sundays at 2:00. Tickets for Mauritius are $22 for adults ($18/seniors, $10/under 30), and can be purchased by calling the T2 Box Office at 479.571.2728 or by visiting the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org. Special prices are available for groups.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas’s professional theatre company, dedicated to creating exceptional theatre and innovative educational programs. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org.

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TheatreSquared Presents a One-Man Mystery

2010-01-28T16:14:36Z

UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL
By Glen Berger | Directed by Shana Gold
with Craig MacDonald as “The Librarian”
February 26–March 14, 2010

Fayetteville, AR—January 27, 2010—TheatreSquared announced today the final casting and creative team for Underneath the Lintel, the theatrical one-man mystery making its Northwest Arkansas debut at T2 on February 26. The production will be directed by Shana Gold, a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab whose past directing credits include performances at The Kennedy Center and The Public Theatre in New York. Craig MacDonald, a veteran of more than 150 productions in his native New York and on stages around the country, will interpret the role of "The Librarian." Underneath the Lintel, by Glen Berger, traces the story of a librarian who sets out on an international quest to find the culprit who has returned a book to the overnight slot 113 years late. Performances are scheduled Friday, February 26 through Sunday, March 14, 2010 in the Studio Theater at Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios (505 W. Spring St, Fayetteville). Tickets are $22 ($18/seniors, $10/ under 30) and can be purchased by visiting the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org or calling the Box Office at 479.571.2728.

Underneath the Lintel has been hailed by critics and audiences at theatres nationwide. "[It’s] Dewey Decimal meets DaVinci Code,” observed The New York Times review, while Seattle Times called the play "one of a handful of great plays written in the last five years… an astonishingly beautiful piece of writing."

"It’s the kind of brilliant comic-mystery that any playwright would aspire to create—intimate, mind-bending and richly satisfying," said T2 Artistic Director Robert Ford. "And we are delighted to be able to showcase, here in Northwest Arkansas, the work of such incredibly talented artists. Our region is quickly becoming not only a home, but a destination for artists of all persuasions."

The production team for Underneath the Lintel includes: Ashleigh Burns (props); Morgan Hicks (costume designer); Shawn Irish (scenic and lighting designer); Kathy Mellinger (stage manager); Richard Rew (sound designer); and Steve Wilhelm (technical director).

During its three-week run from February 26—March 14, performances are scheduled Thursdays at 7:30; Fridays at 7:30; Saturdays at 2:00 and 7:30; and Sundays at 2:00. Tickets for Underneath the Lintel are $22 for adults ($18/seniors, $10/under 30), and can be purchased by calling the T2 Box Office at 479.571.2728 or by visiting the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org. Special prices are available for groups.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas’s professional theatre company, dedicated to creating exceptional theatre and innovative educational programs. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org.

PRINCIPAL ARTISTS

Shana Gold (Director) Directing credits include: The Storyteller by Nathalie Handal (The Kennedy Center), Lameece Isaaq’s Food and Fadwa (New York Theatre Workshop’s ASWAT/UNHEARD VOICES Series), Stanton Wood’s At the Pole (Urban Stages), Twelfth Night (Long Island University), and In the Crossing by Leila Buck (The Public Theatre). Her production of Circumference of a Squirrel received the Austin Critics Table Award for Best New Play and Best Director. Her work in new play development has also been seen at: Vassar College/New York Stage and Film, Dartmouth University, Soho Rep, Woolly Mammoth, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Theatre J, Silk Road Theatre Project, and Manhattan Theatre Club’s Sloane Series. Shana is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, the Lark’s Playground, NYU’s MFA Playwrights’ Resident Company, the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, and a New Georges Affiliated Artist.

Craig MacDonald (The Librarian) has worked as an actor, director and theater artist for 35 years and currently teaches in the Syracuse University BFA Acting Program. He has performed on stages from Off-Broadway to regional theaters to tours, as well as on camera for both television and film. He recently performed the roles of Gaston in Picasso at the Lapin Agile and the Constable in Fiddler on the Roof for Syracuse Stage. Other recent roles include Horace in Hello, Dolly! for the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, and Pa Joad in the Cornell URTA production of The Grapes of Wrath. He also sings, plays drums and guitar, and records with the group “Old Scots.” He has directed and produced theater as well, most recently directing Karl Gregory in his Syracuse Salt Award-winning performance in Fully Committed for the Kitchen Theater in Ithaca.

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TheatreSquared Announces Spring 2010 Adult and Youth Training Programs

2010-01-28T16:13:49Z

Comedy Improvisation, Beginning Acting Workshops for Adults
Spring Break Professional Training Academy for Youth
Registration Number: (479) 571-2728

Fayetteville, AR—January 20, 2010—TheatreSquared (T2) announced today three courses for adults and youth in Northwest Arkansas to develop essential creative techniques. Adult workshops (ages 17+) include Comedy Improvisation, Tuesdays from February 2–March 9, 6-8pm as well as Beginning Acting, Mondays from February 1–March 8, 6-8pm. For youth (ages 10-17), T2 will offer its annual Spring Break Professional Training Academy, March 22-26 from 9am-3pm. The programs will be taught by working theatre professionals. Space is limited.

"These workshops are immersive, invigorating and a lot of fun," said Morgan Hicks, T2 Director of Education and Program Development. "They're perfect for beginners or returning performers, and for a professional resume. The creative skills participants will learn are equally applicable on stage, in the classroom and at the workplace."

Adults who participate in Comedy Improvisation will explore short-form comedy improvisation games, focusing on exercises in team-building, trust, spontaneity, scene-building, accepting offers and conquering fears. The class is designed for aspiring actors, comedians and for mid-career professionals seeking to more fully express creativity in their field. Tuition for this course is $180. The class will be held at Nadine Baum Studios.

Beginning Acting, also targeted to adults, will allow participants to explore the basics of acting, including objectives, obstacles, tactics, environment, teamwork, and stage presence. In addition to serving as a foundation for continued theatrical training, this course will help to develop public speaking skills and encourage workplace creativity. Tuition for this course is $180. The class will be held at Nadine Baum Studios.

For youth aged 10 to 17, the annual Spring Break Professional Training Academy will be a 35-hour immersion experience taught by experienced theatre professionals. Students will learn about character development, exercises, script work, improvisation, ensemble technique and acting with scene partners. These techniques are intended to help students excel as performers, while also enhancing self-confidence, discipline, integrity, commitment and teamwork. Tuition is $165. The Academy will be held at Walton Arts Center.

Those interested in participating should contact Morgan Hicks at (479) 571-2728 or via email at morgan@theatresquared.org.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas’s regional theatre company, dedicated to creating exceptional theatre and innovative educational programs. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org.

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TheatreSquared Presents a Holiday Comedy for All Ages

2009-12-01T22:06:38Z

'TWAS THE NIGHT
A World Premiere by Robert Ford
December 11-17, 2009

Fayetteville, AR—December 1, 2009—TheatreSquared (T2) brings Northwest Arkansas its second professional World Premiere production, Robert Ford’s ‘Twas The Night, directed by Amy Herzberg. Set on December 24, 1954 in the KCGW broadcast studio, ‘Twas the Night is the heartwarming story of a hit variety show’s final radio broadcast, and the unlikely love story that unfolds behind the scenes. Performances are scheduled Friday, December 11 through Sunday, December 27, 2009 at Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios (505 W. Spring St, Fayetteville). Tickets are $22 ($18/seniors, $10/ under 30) and can be purchased by visiting the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org or calling the Box Office at 479.571.2728. All ages welcome.

“'Twas the Night is about love, the creative spirit, and the magic of the season,” said Robert Ford, TheatreSquared Artistic Director and the play’s author. “On the air, the comedy, caroling and storytelling are sheer entertainment. But behind the scenes, there’s a really touching, character-driven story. There’s something in this close-knit theatre experience for all ages and audiences.”

The cast of five features a mix of locally and nationally accomplished artists, including TheatreSquared veterans Jenny Guy (T2 Credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jungalbook, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse); David Pickens (T2 Credits: Drawer Boy, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse); and Nathan Riley (T2 Credits: The Last Five Years). Jamey McGaugh and Angela Thomas make their TheatreSquared debuts.

The production team includes Ashley Butler (stage manager); David Pickens (production supervisor); Morgan Hicks (costume designer); Shawn Irish (scenic designer); Richard Rew (sound designer); and Steve Wilhelm (lighting designer and technical director).

During its three-week run from December 11–27, performances are scheduled Thursdays at 7:30; Fridays at 7:30; Saturdays at 2:00 and 7:30; and Sundays at 2:00. During Christmas week, performances will be held at 7:30 on Dec 22-23; at 2:00 and 7:30 on Dec. 26; and at 2:00 on Dec. 27. Tickets for ‘Twas the Night are $22 for adults ($18/seniors, $10/ under 30), and can be purchased by calling the TheatreSquared Box Office at 479.571.2728 or by visiting the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org. Discounts are available for groups.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas’s regional theatre company, dedicated to creating exceptional theatre and innovative educational programs. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org.

PRINCIPAL ARTISTS

Robert Ford (Playwright, T2 Artistic Director) is a novelist, playwright, actor and director whose plays have appeared in theatres around the country. His play My Father’s War, which premiered at TheatreSquared in 2007, will be read at New York Theatre Workshop on December 17 and has been performed in Italy and Germany. Mr. Ford’s award-winning novel The Student Conductor received a starred review on Booklist and a full-page review by The New York Times. He holds a Master of Music from Yale, an MFA in playwriting from The Michener Center and an MFA in Acting from Rutgers.

Amy Herzberg (Director, T2 Associate Artistic Director) has acted and directed for theatres throughout the country, including the San Diego Repertory and La Jolla Playhouse. She is Head of Performance at the University of Arkansas, where she has taught since 1989, and has received top teaching awards from the University as well as the Kennedy Center. T2 directing credits include Moonlight and Magnolias, The Last Five Years and Bad Dates, as well as a featured performing role in My Father’s War. Her former acting students can be seen on stage on Broadway, at major regional theaters, in television and on film.

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TheatreSquared Announces 2009 Gala for Education

2009-10-22T16:38:35Z

Louise Schaper to Receive 2009 Premier Award
Robert Sutton, Leading Broadway Actor, to Perform
November 20, 2009, 7-10pm at Teatro Scarpino

Gala Co-Chairs: Ted and Leslie Belden, Jim and Nancy Blair, Patric and Terrye Brosh,
Hershey and Denise Garner, Jeff and Lisa Gearhart, Bob and Linda McMath, Frank and Sara Sharp

Fayetteville, AR—October 22, 2009—TheatreSquared announced today its annual Gala for Education, supporting arts-in-education outreach for students and teachers throughout Northwest Arkansas. The celebration, catered by Chef David Lewis, will feature a special cabaret performance by Broadway veteran and Arkansas native Rob Sutton, whose one-man cabaret was a runaway hit in New York. Louise Schaper, outgoing Executive Director of Fayetteville Public Library, will receive the 2009 Premier Award. The event will be held November 20, 2009 from 7-10pm at Teatro Scarpino in downtown Fayetteville.

"I'm proud to support this important educational program, which brings over a thousand students to the Theatre each year and innovative teaching strategies into the region's classrooms," said Jeff Gearhart, one of the event's co-chairs and Executive Vice President at Walmart Stores. "Extending barriers-free access and learning initiatives to our youth is a vital part of what makes Northwest Arkansas such a rich cultural community."

The distinguished roster of community co-chairs for the event includes Ted and Leslie Belden, Jim and Nancy Blair, Patric and Terrye Brosh, Hershey and Denise Garner, Jeff and Lisa Gearhart, Bob and Linda McMath, and Frank and Sara Sharp.

Guests will enjoy an elegant dinner catered by Chef David Lewis of Fayetteville's Brick House Kitchen, as well as a selection of wines and beer. Dress is business casual. Sponsorship levels, which include a table of 8 at the event, range from $750 to $7,500. Individual tickets are available for $100. Seating in the intimate Teatro Scarpino is limited to 180 guests.

All proceeds from the event will benefit T2 for Education, TheatreSquared's landmark educational program serving students and teachers throughout Northwest Arkansas. Combining the expertise of leading educators and artists, this comprehensive arts-in-education program offers student performances, teacher workshops, professional training academies and a variety of collaborative educational initiatives.

Louise Schaper, 2009 Premier Award recipient, is the outgoing Executive Director of Fayetteville Public Library (FPL), retiring after a decade of service on October 30. Under her stewardship, FPL has grown into a national leader in library services, opening a new facility in 2004 and winning Library of the Year Award from Library Journal in 2005. The Premier Award recognizes Ms. Schaper's indelible contributions to the Northwest Arkansas cultural community, benefiting students, teachers and citizens alike for decades to come.

Rob Sutton returns to his native Arkansas for the 2009 Gala where he will deliver for a 30-minute command performance of cabaret highlights. Mr. Sutton has appeared in multiple New York and regional productions, with credits including Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, The Last Five Years, and Mamma Mia!. His one-man cabaret, Taking the Wheel, was critically and popularly acclaimed in its Off-Broadway run.

Those interested in participating in the 2009 T2 Gala for Education should contact Martin Miller, Managing Director, at 479.445.6333 or visit theatresquared.org for more information. TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas's regional theatre, dedicated to creating exceptional theatrical works and innovative educational programs.

TheatreSquared to Present The Crossing and Dream Act

2009-10-08T17:26:43Z

Staged Readings Part of “One Book One Community”
October 18, 2009, 2:00pm at Fayetteville Public Library

Fayetteville, AR—October 8, 2009—TheatreSquared announced today a special evening of free staged reading performances, featuring The Crossing and Dream Act by award-winning playwright James E. Garcia. The readings, presented in collaboration with the Fayetteville Public Library and the University of Arkansas’s One Book One Community Project, will take place on Sunday, October 18 at 2:00pm in the Fayetteville Public Library’s Walker Community Room. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Crossing is a riveting 10-minute drama depicting what ensues between a U.S. Border Patrol agent and the young immigrant from Mexico he finds wandering in the Arizona desert. Dream Act, a longer accompanying work, tells the dramatic story of a pre-med student at the University of Arizona who must hide her status as an illegal immigrant in order to pursue her dream. The staged readings will feature a mix of student and community actors.

"The Crossing and Dream Act are intensely entertaining and refreshingly relevant," said TheatreSquared Artistic Director Robert Ford. "And we’re excited to bridge, in our cast and in the audience, several key communities here in Northwest Arkansas—the University, the Latino cultural community, local artists and regional arts audiences."

Phoenix-based playwright and journalist James E. Garcia earned a Kennedy Center Award at the 2003 American College Theater Festival in Washington, D.C. for The Crossing.

The subject matter of The Crossing parallels that of The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea, the non-fiction work chosen to kick off the One Book One Community Project, in which individuals and community groups across Northwest Arkansas are encouraged to read and discuss the same book. The project features dozens of events, including a visit by the author. See www.uark.edu/~univinfo/One_Book/events.html for complete information.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas’s regional theatre company, dedicated to creating exceptional theatre and innovative educational programs. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatresquared.org.

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