This is, of course, not my usual time to blog, but I didn't want anyone to miss hearing about the events this week at the theatre...
Monday night we had our monthly Readers Theatre and it was such a success! Playwright Stephen Blackburn allowed us to read his play, Rock of Abandon, this month. Described as "a noir murder mystery set in Ancient Athens, with Euripedes as the detective," Rock of Abandon was produced by Blackburn's company, Fierce Backbone, at the Lillian Theatre in L.A. last October for a one-month run. Mr. Blackburn requested that videotape our reading and feedback and send it to him, as he was unable to come in for the reading. It was such a fun, smart, and engrossing play, and making it an incubatory type experience really enhanced our monthly event. Our next Readers Theatre will take place on Sunday, February 24 at 7 pm, and we will turning our attention to Lee Blessing's Fortinbras. Try to make it - everyone: readers and listeners, have a great time!
Friday, we return to the second weekend of Albee's At Home at the Zoo. Audience members are collectively calling it "Excellent!" and we have more than a few patrons returning to see it again! Make your reservations or buy tickets online soon, though - this weekend is your last chance to see this intriguing pairing of related one-acts.
Until next week....
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Heading into At Home at the Zoo...
One of my favorite things about working in a theatre like Theatre 810 is seeing the sets go up and down, up and down. In a matter of days, there is a entirely different world than the one that was there just a week ago. Right now, we have a set in the space that, in fact, creates two worlds - for Albee's At Home at the Zoo - the pairing of acts Homelife and The Zoo Story.
Here is what critics have to say about the work:
"An essential and heartening experience…If Homelife is an openhanded slap, The Zoo Story is a gut punch with a closed fist. Edward Albee is a voice unparalleled in American theater." —NY Times
"Tense, truthful, and hypnotic" —New York Daily News
"Albee has dared to write a prequel to the play that made his reputation . . . . Improbable as it sounds, the new stuff doesn't just hold up next to the famous bench encounter—it's better. . . In a sure sign of a writer in full command of his powers, the dialogue gets more matter-of-fact as the subjects grow more perverse—like watching a Balthus canvas come to life." —New York
Really, I can not wait. I have seen several productions of The Zoo Story, but have not had the opportunity to see it as Albee prefers it produced (with Homelife), and the Gremillion/Helm duo is the team to do it right. Here is all of the info that you need to come support smart, innovative theatre in Lafayette. It's a team sport, ya'll.
**This play contains mature language and content. Only those 17 and older will be admitted. Thank you.**
Theater 810
January 25 & 26 @ 7:30 pm
January 27 @ 2pm
February 1 & 2 @ 7:30pm
February 3 @ 2pm
Tickets are $12 ($10 for students and seniors) and will be available at the Theater 810 box office and online at http://
Cast/Crew
Ann.......................
Peter.....................
Jerry.....................
Stage Manager.........Erin Segura
Costumes................An
Publicity..................
Artwork...................
Directed by Cooper Helm
Produced by Scott Gremillion
At Home at the Zoo, a play by Edward Albee, began in 1958 as an award winning one act called The Zoo Story. Peter, an unsuspecting bookworm, is accosted by Jerry in Central Park. Jerry, a "permanent transient," lives on the fringe of society and reality. He seems intent on breaking Peter out of his shell and pushing him to his limits. Jerry regales Peter with tales wondrous and incomprehensible, both explaining and concealing his true purpose.
Nearly fifty years later, Edward Albee returned to this world with the prequel one act, Homelife. We find Peter, before he leaves for the park, reading at home. His wife, Ann, interrupts him with three dreaded words, "We should talk." Peter is unresponsive and Ann is distracted, soon forgetting what she wanted to talk about. Or has she?
The two acts, performed together, comprise At Home at the Zoo, an exceptional play about the complexity of human relationships both old and new. It strikes at the underlying currents of the subconscious through characters extraordinarily absurd, hilarious, loving, respectful and irreverent.
Here is what critics have to say about the work:
"An essential and heartening experience…If Homelife is an openhanded slap, The Zoo Story is a gut punch with a closed fist. Edward Albee is a voice unparalleled in American theater." —NY Times
"Tense, truthful, and hypnotic" —New York Daily News
"Albee has dared to write a prequel to the play that made his reputation . . . . Improbable as it sounds, the new stuff doesn't just hold up next to the famous bench encounter—it's better. . . In a sure sign of a writer in full command of his powers, the dialogue gets more matter-of-fact as the subjects grow more perverse—like watching a Balthus canvas come to life." —New York
Really, I can not wait. I have seen several productions of The Zoo Story, but have not had the opportunity to see it as Albee prefers it produced (with Homelife), and the Gremillion/Helm duo is the team to do it right. Here is all of the info that you need to come support smart, innovative theatre in Lafayette. It's a team sport, ya'll.
**This play contains mature language and content. Only those 17 and older will be admitted. Thank you.**
Theater 810
January 25 & 26 @ 7:30 pm
January 27 @ 2pm
February 1 & 2 @ 7:30pm
February 3 @ 2pm
Tickets are $12 ($10 for students and seniors) and will be available at the Theater 810 box office and online at http://
Cast/Crew
Ann.......................
Peter.....................
Jerry.....................
Stage Manager.........Erin Segura
Costumes................An
Publicity..................
Artwork...................
Directed by Cooper Helm
Produced by Scott Gremillion
At Home at the Zoo, a play by Edward Albee, began in 1958 as an award winning one act called The Zoo Story. Peter, an unsuspecting bookworm, is accosted by Jerry in Central Park. Jerry, a "permanent transient," lives on the fringe of society and reality. He seems intent on breaking Peter out of his shell and pushing him to his limits. Jerry regales Peter with tales wondrous and incomprehensible, both explaining and concealing his true purpose.
Nearly fifty years later, Edward Albee returned to this world with the prequel one act, Homelife. We find Peter, before he leaves for the park, reading at home. His wife, Ann, interrupts him with three dreaded words, "We should talk." Peter is unresponsive and Ann is distracted, soon forgetting what she wanted to talk about. Or has she?
The two acts, performed together, comprise At Home at the Zoo, an exceptional play about the complexity of human relationships both old and new. It strikes at the underlying currents of the subconscious through characters extraordinarily absurd, hilarious, loving, respectful and irreverent.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Week of 1/14/13
Welcome to the Theatre 810 blog in the new year! We hope that you had as happy, peaceful and restorative a holiday season as we did.
Acting Unlimited, Inc. resumed their Theatre Academy classes last week (tween and teen acting). It was a nice break after their end of the semester performance at the First Annual Entrances Student Theatre Festival that was held at Theatre 810 during early December. We can't wait to see what the students will present for us at the conclusion of their spring semester!
First up this week at the theatre, we've got The Stage Monkeys of Lafayette's monthly performance on Wednesday the16th at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door, but reservations can also be made ahead of time by calling the theatre at 484-0172. This fab troupe just applied to perform at the Chicago Improv Festival, so let's show them our support while they wait to hear back!
Meanwhile, the Helm/Gremillion production of Albee's At Home at the Zoo is in their final rehearsals, as they open next week (January 25th). Please make your reservations now for this exciting production not seen before in Lafayette. Fifty years after Albee brought us the famous one act, The Zoo Story, he returned to it, adding a prequel one act, Homelife. At Home at the Zoo is the marriage of these two great works. Please note that this play contains mature content and language and no one under the age of 17 will be admitted.
Also, please mark your calendars now for our upcoming January Readers Theatre (January 28, 7 pm). We will be reading a relatively new work, Rock of Abandon, by playwright Stephen Blackburn. He has requested that we videotape the reading and we will have a guided feedback/response afterward. What an exciting opportunity for our group to participate in this incubatory experience.
That's all for now, folks, but we will be back next week to tell you a little more about the upcoming Albee production, and give you a heads up about our other winter productions....
Acting Unlimited, Inc. resumed their Theatre Academy classes last week (tween and teen acting). It was a nice break after their end of the semester performance at the First Annual Entrances Student Theatre Festival that was held at Theatre 810 during early December. We can't wait to see what the students will present for us at the conclusion of their spring semester!
First up this week at the theatre, we've got The Stage Monkeys of Lafayette's monthly performance on Wednesday the16th at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door, but reservations can also be made ahead of time by calling the theatre at 484-0172. This fab troupe just applied to perform at the Chicago Improv Festival, so let's show them our support while they wait to hear back!
Meanwhile, the Helm/Gremillion production of Albee's At Home at the Zoo is in their final rehearsals, as they open next week (January 25th). Please make your reservations now for this exciting production not seen before in Lafayette. Fifty years after Albee brought us the famous one act, The Zoo Story, he returned to it, adding a prequel one act, Homelife. At Home at the Zoo is the marriage of these two great works. Please note that this play contains mature content and language and no one under the age of 17 will be admitted.
Also, please mark your calendars now for our upcoming January Readers Theatre (January 28, 7 pm). We will be reading a relatively new work, Rock of Abandon, by playwright Stephen Blackburn. He has requested that we videotape the reading and we will have a guided feedback/response afterward. What an exciting opportunity for our group to participate in this incubatory experience.
That's all for now, folks, but we will be back next week to tell you a little more about the upcoming Albee production, and give you a heads up about our other winter productions....
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