Theatre North Carolina

Bah Humbug! A Reading of A Christmas Carol at Deep Dish!

2009-11-13T14:32:50-05:00

Bah Humbug!

For one night only, Deep Dish Theater presents an intimate, dramatic reading of the seasonal classic, A Christmas Carol, Friday, December 11 at 8 p.m. at University Mall. In full Victorian costume Dr. Marc Napolitano will bring to life Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and a whole host of memorable characters; a brief Q&A session will follow the performance.

“The heart of the story lies in Scrooge’s moral awakening,” said Dr. Napolitano. “There is a social message of opening one’s eyes to the fact there is a fundamental connection between all human beings.”

First published in 1843, A Christmas Carol has been a holiday favorite ever since. On Christmas Eve Ebenezer Scrooge receives a surprise visit from the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who comes with a warning. If Scrooge does not change his greedy ways, his soul will bear chains for eternity. In a single night the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come will show one man the importance of kindness, generosity, and compassion – the spirit of Christmas.

Dr. Napolitano received his Ph.D. in English with a concentration in Victorian literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he currently lectures in the English Department. His research and scholarship have focused heavily on the life and times of Dickens.

Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, on Estes Drive and US 15-501.

Tickets are $10 adults and $6 students/children. They are available at the Deep Dish box office in University Mall, Wednesday to Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m., at www.deepdishtheater.org, or (919) 968-1515.

The Deep Dish Theater Company is committed to presenting compelling, human-centered dramatic work that contributes to the cultural richness of the Triangle area and challenges audiences to explore concerns of the community and the world-at-large.

Dark of the Moon and Always…Patsy Cline at Raleigh Ensemble Players

2009-11-11T23:05:01-05:00

Bundle Up This Winter & See TWO Shows at Raleigh Ensemble Players for One Price!

Dark of the Moon and Always…Patsy Cline for just $30.

Dark of the Moon
By Howard Richardson and William Berney

November 19-22, 2009
Cary Academy’s Fine and Performing Arts Center

Dark of the Moon, a Southern gothic fairy tale set against the ambient and imaginative background of the Smoky Mountains of N.C., weaves the mythical story based on the haunting 17th century folk song "The Ballad of Barbara Allen.” This dark and intriguing Romeo and Juliet-esque love story tells the tale about a woman and a witch-boy who fall in love to pursue a doomed relationship.

&

Always...Patsy Cline

Written and originally directed by Ted Swindley

December 10-13, 2009

Co-Produced with Theatre in the Park

Always...Patsy Cline is based on the true story about Cline's friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger who befriends the star in a Texas honky-tonk in 1961, and continues a correspondence with Cline until her untimely death in a plane crash in 1963. This popular musical includes many of Patsy's unforgettable hits such as Crazy, I Fall to Pieces, Sweet Dreams and Walking After Midnight.

Free HIV Testing at the ArtsCenter & intimacies with Michael Kearns

2009-11-11T22:48:42-05:00

intimacies

The ArtsCenter

Solo Takes On: A Festival of One-Person Performance
UNC Department of Communication Studies’

November 13-14 at 8:00pm

intimacies is also presented in conjunction with UNC’s Center for Aids Research and SHAC, UNC’s Free Medical Clinic

SHAC will be offering Free HIV Testing for community as well as audience members on Saturday, November 14 6:00pm-8:00pm at The ArtsCenter.

Twenty years ago, Michael Kearns wrote and performed a landmark theatrical piece: intimacies.
On November 13-14 at 8:00pm, this artist-activist will revive his groundbreaking one-person show at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro.

A panoply of characters who speak with abandon, intimacies is theatre that promises to rock you. Meet Fernando, a macho flamenco dancer; Big Red, a black female street hooker; Patrick, a Hollywood pretty boy; Phoenix, a homeless man living under the freeway; Marilyn (as in Monroe); Father Anthony, a Catholic priest who confesses and then some.

Michael Kearns is simultaneously introducing The Drama of AIDS: My Lasting Connections with Two Plays that Survived the Plague, his new book from Heinemann. The Drama of AIDS, with a foreword by Tim Miller, is a memoir that chronicles Kearns’ impassioned connections to Robert Chesley’s Jerker and James Carroll Pickett’s Dream Man.

From Chicago to New York; Newburyport, Massachussetts to St. Louis, Missouri; Los Angeles to the Triangle, Michael Kearns tours America with this 20th Anniversary Production of intimacies in honor of World Aids Day.

Yes, Michael Kearns’ prodigious AIDS-related work is unparalleled. Not only did he come out as Hollywood’s first openly gay actor in the mid-seventies; he revealed his positive HIV-status on Entertainment Tonight in 1991. In addition to issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, homophobia, and the GLBT agenda, Kearns has devoted himself to fundraising and creating art that addresses addiction, homelessness, and mental illness.

The ArtsCenter is a non-profit organization with a mission of nurturing the arts and creativity through performance, education and exhibition. For details on how we achieve this mission, please visit our website at www.artscenterlive.org.

About CFAR and SHAC:
UNC's Center for Aids Research's mission is to: Provide a multidisciplinary environment that promotes basic, clinical, behavioral, and transitional research in the prevention, detection, and treatment of HIV infection.

UNC's SHAC (Student Health Action Coalition) is a student led organization whose mission is to: Provide free health services to local underserved individuals and communities, Partner with communities to develop and implement sustainable prgrams, and Create an interdisciplinary service learning environment for students in the health science programs at UNC.

Community Connections - ARTS NC

2009-11-10T21:48:45-05:00

ARTS North Carolina is beginning a program called Community Connections, a blitz of ARTS North Carolina activities in one location over a two or three day period of time.

We begin in Winston-Salem this week and have events planned in Fayetteville, Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Asheville, and Greensboro-High Point.

The central event is an Advocacy Workshop designed to get more people actively engaged in speaking for the arts, an imperative if we are to sustain state public funding in the years ahead and achieve our goals of a comprehensive arts education policy. Projections have our budget deficit for 2010-11 at $4.4 billion, and to put this in perspective, the current-year deficit was $3.3 billion. Cultural Resources overall saw a 7% cut in 2009-10, but NCAC recurring grants funding was sustained.

Because of the deep reductions in operating funding in the current year, if additional cuts are made to Cultural Resources in 2010-11, our grants programs could be vulnerable.

If you would like to sponsor a Community Connection event in your community, just email Karen Wells at karen@artsnc.org. No one is allowed to sit this one out.

Are You Going? Triangle Arts Mixer!

2009-11-10T21:37:13-05:00

Triangle Arts Mixer

Friday, November 20 , 2009
6PM to 9PM

Building 2, The Cotton Room
Free, Open to public

The first-ever Triangle Arts Mixer is an evening for arts organizations, arts supporters, and artists of all disciplines to mix, mingle, and find new ways to activate and advance the Triangle arts scene.

The Mixer will feature a broad network of area arts organizations and young professional arts groups, dj Yes! Sputnik, light food, and a cash bar in the spectacular, newly-opened event venue—The Cotton Room. You won't want to miss this unique opportunity to interact with art organizations and other members of the Triangle community that share a common purpose and passion for the arts.

Held as part of Third Friday Durham, hosted by Golden Belt, CAM/now, and The Cotton Room.

Arts groups are still signing up to participate. The current list of groups attending includes:
CAM/now
Artspace
Carolina Ballet
NC Symphony
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Carolina Theatre
NC Museum of Art's Contemporaries
Code f.a.d. Company
Arts NC State

Arts NC - License Plates Are Here!

2009-11-10T15:40:06-05:00

Well, not exactly, but almost! Arts NC worked really hard to get an arts specialty license plate approved by the general assembly. Unfortunately, we're still waiting for the GA to decide what to do about these specialty plates in general, so arts supporters are basically out of luck...until now!

You can still support all the great advocacy work that Arts NC does by purchasing a "The Creative State" front license plate and/or car magnet. Show your support and your colors by getting yours now!

Don't forget - Christmas is just around the corner, so buy one for each of your friends!

North Carolina is The Creative State. The arts are an industry of imagination, creativity, and transformative power, and it's time we put our message on the road.

Shakespeare Festival’s A Christmas Carol Celebrates 32 Years!

2009-11-09T23:19:58-05:00

The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival’s 2009

Production of Charles Dickens’

A Christmas Carol

High Point Theatre, 220 East Commerce Ave., High Point, NC

The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival’s A Christmas Carol celebrates its 32nd anniversary this December.
First produced in 1977, The Festival’s premiere season, Dickens’ classic has become a holiday tradition for schools, families and groups throughout the Piedmont.

“Over 600 performances of A Christmas Carol have been given,” says Pedro Silva, NCSF’s managing and artistic director, “and over 400,000 seats have been filled. Our production has become an anticipated holiday event during Christmas; for many people, Christmas simply isn’t Christmas without attending the show.”

When The Festival first produced A Christmas Carol it had no idea it would become such a success, but the response to the production has been so positive that the company continues to produce the play each December. “I think the key to the show’s longevity is the simple, sincere approach we take to producing it,” says Silva. “We remain true to the story, using as much of Dickens’ actual dialogue as possible, and we focus principally on the acting as the key to the show’s strength. This all makes for an experience that’s heartwarming and moving for patrons – whether they’re 7 years old, or 70.”

The production will run from December 4th – 20th and features eight 10:00 a.m. and one 1:30 p.m. SchoolFest performances for students and teachers. A large number of home school as well as public and private school students are expected to attend. Senior citizen groups are also invited to consider attending the 1:30 p.m. December 15 performance. “We’re proud of the service NCSF provides our educational community,” says Ken Hughes, The Festival’s Board Chairman. “A Christmas Carol is an exciting theatre experience for young people. Our detailed Study Guide for the production helps teachers assure their students get the most out of their visit to The Festival.”

This year’s production of A Christmas Carol introduces a new actor to the role of hard-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge. Production Director Pedro Silva, himself a celebrated alumnus in the role of NCSF’s Scrooge, selected Winston-Salem’s Michael Huie to take the role of the confirmed skinflint converted to the Spirit of Christmas by the haunting of several fearsome – yet loving – ghosts.

Huie is highly-regarded as an actor, writer and teacher. He is delighted to be returning to NCSF, where he performed from 1990-92, including the role of Young Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. More recently he played Dwight in Dead Man's Cell Phone, Gloucester in King Lear, Biff in Death of a Salesman and Hamlet as a guest artist at Wake Forest University. He has two one-man shows, Jack and 3 Hats, which have been performed regionally. In 2007, he performed Jack in the UK.

The Festival production is an original stage adaptation of the famous Charles Dickens’ story, once again featuring the artistry of David Bishop’s original score, with music direction by Pauline Cobrda, set design by Gary Dartt, lighting design by Jennifer Wynn O’Kelly, and this year’s costumes developed by NCSF Costume Shop Manager Jennifer Ackland.

The acting company of twenty-five includes Equity, non-union professional, and community actors, interns, and young people. New to the roles of Bob Cratchit, and his wife Anne, are Duke Ernsberger, and Rebecca Koon, of Charlotte; returning to The Festival production of Carol, Stephen Ware of Charlotte will play the Ghost of Jacob Marley as well as Mr. Fezziwig. Also in dual roles, as First Philanthropist and Ghost of Christmas Past will be Jeanmarie Collins from Birmingham, AL; as Second Philanthropist and Ghost of Christmas Present will be Corey Allen from New York, NY. Mark Allen Woodard of Hickory, NC plays Fred, Scrooge’s nephew; and, Vanecia Boone of Greensboro plays Fred’s wife, Sarah.

Also in the cast from Greensboro, each in multiple roles ranging from Caroler to Mourner to Party Guest, are Mark Armstrong, Darrell J. Hunt, and Rachel Roberts. Meghan Hoffman of Greensboro plays Belle, and Young Belle, Scrooge’s sweetheart in his youth; Keaton Brower of Greensboro plays Ignorance and additional roles. J. Hernandez of Charlottesville, VA plays Scrooge as a young man plus additional roles. Rob Taylor of Lexington, NC plays a Beggar and Old Joe. David Sebren of Fletcher, NC plays Belle’s husband and additional roles.

Returning family performers from Thomasville, NC are NCSF’s Homeschool and Administrative Assistant, Meredith Stephens in the roles of Bakery Lady, Party Guest and Mrs. Dilber, and her four children, all veterans of The Festival’s production of Carol.
Stephens daughters, Megan plays a Townsperson and Party Guest; Laura plays Martha Cratchit, a Townsperson and Party Guest; Sarah plays Want, Belle’s Child and a Townsperson. Stephens son, James, plays the roles of Scrooge as a Child and Tiny Tim.
Another performing family from High Point, Michael Howell, playing multiple roles including Townsperson, Party Guest and Mourner, joins again in this year’s production with sons, Emory, playing the Turkey Boy and Townsperson, and Adam, playing Peter Cratchit and a Townsperson. Also joining the cast of A Christmas Carol this year from High Point is Alison Earley in the roles of Fan, a Townsperson, Party Guest and Charwoman.

NCSF’s A Christmas Carol again offers ticket pricing specials that The Festival hopes will draw more families to the production. “We want to make A Christmas Carol as accessible as possible to the broadest audience possible, especially this year as the general economy continues to challenge family budgets,” says Ken Hughes. “We want families to view coming to the show as one of their actual gifts for the holidays – not a material gift, but an experience-based gift that is priceless for a family.”

Patrons can take advantage of The Festival’s Early Bird Special that allows them to purchase 4 tickets to one performance for the price of 3 (the 4th ticket is the lower price ticket; does not apply to other special offers). The offer applies only for phone and walk-up orders completed by Friday, December 4th. Additionally, The Festival has again teamed with WMAG Radio to hold two 99.5 WMAG Previews (December 4 & 5, 8:00 p.m.) that feature tickets priced at only $10.00 each. Two Community Performances (December 6, 2:00 p.m. & December 10, 7:30 p.m.) sponsored by The High Point Enterprise will feature tickets priced at $14. One Sunday matinee (December 13, 2:00 p.m.) and one SchoolFest performance (December 15, 10:00 a.m.) will be sign language interpreted.

Sponsors of this year’s A Christmas Carol include High Point Convention & Visitors Bureau, 99.5 WMAG, FOX 8 WGHP, and Winston-Salem law firm Kilpatrick Stockton. “NCSF is very thankful for these sponsors,” says Silva. “Our work would simply be impossible without their generous support and faith in the unique services we provide.”

Tickets for the December 4 – 20 run of A Christmas Carol, prices ranging from $31 to $10 apiece, are on sale now at The High Point Theatre, 220 E. Commerce Avenue, Monday – Friday, 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. Call the Box Office at 336-887-3001. E-ticketing is available at www.highpointtheatre.com. Tickets may also be purchased one hour before curtain time at the Box Office for tickets to that’s day’s performance only. A detailed performance schedule and general information is also available on NCSF’s website, www.ncshakes.org.

For SchoolFest matinee and General Group Sales, including homeschool groups, call NCSF’s Administrative Offices, not the High Point Theatre Box Office, at 336-841-2273, x226, or email: sales@ncshakes.org.

Audience members are invited to support this year’s Neighbors Feeding Neighbors program by bringing donations of non-perishable foods with them to any performance of A Christmas Carol. Collected goods will be distributed to needy families in High Point through the Community Resource Network.

Re:Design: The Letters of Charles Darwin at NC State

2009-11-05T15:31:21-05:00

NC State University Theatre presents

Re:Design
The Letters of Charles Darwin

in new Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre
November 5-8, 2009

Reviled or revered, naturalist Charles Darwin continues to have an impact on today's science and religious education. But the brief references to his work in high school classrooms don't reveal the nature and personality of the man behind the scientific theories of the origin of species.

Charles Darwin spent a lifetime corresponding with scientists and experts in many fields. The Darwin Correspondence project undertook cataloguing these documents. Playwright Craig Baxter undertook making some of those letters come to life in a stage play. University Theatre gives voice to that play in this production of Re:Design, featuring Gregor McElvogue as Charles Darwin and Jim Sullivan as the Archivist. The play is directed by Terri L. Janney.

For forty years, Darwin corresponded with renowned American botanist Asa Gray, played by theatre Director John McIlwee, even though the men held differing views. Unlike today's fiery and even violent scientific, moral and philosophical debates, the two maintained a long-term cordial intellectual and friendly relationship through the publication of Darwin's books, the death of Darwin's child, the American Civil War, Darwin's chronic illness and both men's old-age infirmities. Brought to the stage, the letters allow us to visit in the lives of these two men as they discuss and debate ideas during a time of great scientific development.

Re:Design is in the Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre
Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm.

Tickets are $5 for NC State students, $10 general public.
Call Ticket Central at 919.515.1100, or click to purchase online.

For tickets and information, call Ticket Central at 919.515.1100 or www.ncsu.edu/arts.

The dramatic work is presented as part of the events developed by UNC-TV, The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and other local partners to spark the viewer’s intelligence and enjoyment in conjunction with The Human Spark series that will be aired on UNC-TV in January 2010. The Human Spark series, hosted by Alan Alda, asks the questions: what is the nature of human uniqueness? Where did the human spark ignite, and when? And perhaps most tantalizingly, why? In a lively jaunt across three continents, Alda uses his trademark humor and curiosity to explore his own brain and to conduct dozens of interviews with leading scientists and researchers.

Job Posting - Davidson Community Players Executive Director

2009-11-05T12:03:45-05:00

The Davidson Community Players is actively seeking an Executive Director who will join a team of professionals who have built a vibrant, successful theater program in the Lake Norman region. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and manages all aspects of the non-profit community theatre focusing on fund development; financial management and control; marketing; public relations; community, patron and donor relations; strategic planning and day-to-day management.

Major areas of responsibility include:

•   Coordination of long-range and annual planning in collaboration with the Artistic Director and the Board of Directors.
•   Providing leadership for and actively participating in fundraising activities, donor development, grant applications and reporting.
•   Developing the annual budget, including providing monthly financial reporting and forecasting, cash flow management, capital spending and expenditures review and approval.
•   Supervising administrative staff and directing administrative operations.
•   Managing the financial operation and maintenance of the theatre’s physical plant.
•   Administering and supporting, in conjunction with the Artistic Director, the year-round educational outreach programs of the theatre
•   Acting as the representative and advocate of the theatre with government agencies, community groups and local businesses, arts organizations, and the community-at-large.
Qualifications:
•   5 plus years experience in a non-profit management/leadership position, with demonstrated experience in fund-raising, grant writing and marketing;
•   Possess strong budgeting and financial management skills;
•   Demonstrate capacity to lead, manage, motivate and inspire the staff and volunteers;
•   3 plus years experience in marketing, advertising and public relations activities, including driving growth in ticket sales and associated revenues;
•   Exhibit excellent leadership and communications (both written and oral) skills;
•   Strong attention to detail;
•   Experience in or an appreciation and passion for the performing arts;
•   Excellent organizational skills;
•   Ability to interact well with diverse constituencies and personalities;
•   Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access;
•   Undergraduate degree required.

Interested candidates can apply by November 30th to: Search Committee, Davidson Community Players, P.O. Box 76, Davidson, North Carolina 28036 or electronically to dcp_search@bellsouth.net.

About the Davidson Community Players
The Davidson Community Players is a non-profit organization established in 1965 to produce theatre that entertains, enriches and encourages community participation in the dramatic arts. For more information about the Davidson Community Players, visit the Players web site at www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org.

Raleigh Little Theatre Auditions - Veronica's Room

2009-11-05T11:50:18-05:00

Raleigh Little Theatre will be holding auditions for Ira Levin's

Veronica's Room

Nov 9 and 10 at 7:30 PM in the Gaddy-Goodwin Theatre.

The chilling psychological mystery thriller will be directed by Shawn Smith.

Available roles: The Woman [35 - 65], The Man [35 - 65], The Girl [19 - 25] and The Young Man [21 - 30].
Note: This show auditions early with the first rehearsal on January 4, 2010.

For details about the roles, important dates and to download the forms, see the Veronica's Room auditions page.