One Liners: News briefs for Friday, Oct. 11

UPDATED. 

"Pippin" is sold out! Congratulations. 

"Miss Witherspoon" opens tonight at the Lab Theater. 

"Cats" officially opens tonight at Broadway Palm. Get your tickets now. Amy knocked my two favorite numbers "Mungogerrie" & "Skimbleshanks" out of the park. 

I saw folks all the way down at the Central Ave. Starbucks in Naples with a copy of my review of "You Say Tomato" (from last week) today talking about going to the show. 

Just in case you missed it, here's the Charles Runnells review for "Venus in Fur."

The online ticket discount code for the Laboratory Theater of Florida production of Christopher Durang play "Miss Witherspoon" is "bardo."  "Miss Witherspoon" runs Oct. 11-26. Tickets are $12-$22 and available online at laboratorytheaterflorida.com or at the door. Tickets are also available online here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/391346.



As detailed in Maura Lohan's new blog post on "The Playhouse Perspective," Gulfshore Playhouse ran ads for "Venus in Fur" that said "Get Whipped!" Anybody seen one around town? Seriously, every theater should be blogging.


Firehouse Community Theatre will have movie night at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25. They will play "Poltergeist." …

Florida Weekly correspondent Don Manley (HI DON!) does a preview for "The Great American Trailer Park Musical."

The Lab Theater closes in on 1,000 Facebook likes.

Reviews: VENUS IN FUR at Gulfshore Playhouse (3)

Updated with Nancy Stetson's review.

Updated with the Charles Runnells review.

Folks are going to be talking about "Venus in Fur" for a while. Get yourself down to Gulfshore Playhouse and see this one. Nancy Stetson was there on opening, so we'll see another review later this week. Nancy's review is now linked below too. Here's a roundup of coverage and the reviews.

"Venus in Fur" plays at 8 p.m. through Saturday, Oct. 19 with additional 3 p.m. matinées on Oct. 12, 13 & 20. Tickets are $29-$35 with discounted $15 admission for students. Call 866-811-4111 or gulfshoreplayhouse.org.

Auditions for Center for the Arts Community Players "Plaza Suite" areOct. 19

UPDATED with phone number.

Here's an important audition date change.

Auditions for the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs Community Players production of "Plaza Suite" will be noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19.

The audition date was first released as October 12. It has changed. Here's the phone number to call for more information or to schedule an audition time 239-495-8989.

Further details below.

Five Questions With: Dawn Lebrecht Fornara, director of "The Great American Trailer Park Musical"

Alyssa Lee, Debi Guthery, Laura Needle and Lisa Federico in
"The Great American Trailer Park Musical" at the Naples Players.

"The Great American Trailer Park Musical" director/choreographer Dawn Lebrecht Fornara took time out of her busy schedule to give us a director questionnaire. Complete with her trademark snark, honed from years on the road as a dancer.

I had to edit a few things, but go behind the scenes to find out Dawn's take on the show, read her breakdown of the cast, thoughts on staging the show and why she absolutely won't reveal the funniest line of "Trailer Park."

PS: Find out why Dawn thinks the viewing public should attend in five words or less!

Read our previous Q&A with "Trailer Park" actor Randy Jones.
Up next week, a Q&A with "Trailer Park" actress Debi Guthery.

"The Great American Trailer Park Musical" runs through Nov. 2, 2013 at the Naples Players. Tickets are $40 for adults and $10 for children 18 and under. Call 239-263-7990 or online at naplesplayers.org/tickets.

1) Talk about this play. What are audiences going to find out about themselves, life or theatre if they attend?

That it's OK to go to the theatre just to laugh for a while.  Not everything has to be "art."  There is an art to comedy, but not every piece of theatre has to be high-brow.  And even though much of this show is cartoonish caricature, people will recognize themselves in the show.  Also, it's vulgar and raunchy, but also sweet, with a nice story and sentiment.

One-Liners: News briefs for Wednesday, Oct. 9

From left, Randall Kenneth Jones, Alyssa Lee, Debi Guthery, Lisa Federico and Laura Needle perform the song, "This side of the tracks" during the last dress rehearsal Monday, Oct. 7, 2013 at Sugden Community Theatre in Naples. The plot revolves around the protagonist, Norbert played by Randall Kenneth Jones, a luckless tollbooth collector with an agoraphobic wife, Jeannie played by Laura Needle who becomes involved with Pippi the stripper played by Jessica Walck. in the Naples Players' production of "The Great American Trailer Park Musical." The show runs Oct. 9 - Nov. 2, 2013. For more information see http://www.naplesplayers.org/ or call 239-263-7990.

• Florida Repertory Theatre revealed show posters today. NOISE, Inc. designed these. As always, my favorite is "The Santaland Diaries" - because my quote is used there. I'm also a real fan of the poster for "Arsenic & Old Lace."
• Florida Rep also has a contest - "WIN IT WEDNESDAY" - going on. Find the poster of the show you like the most, LIKE it on Facebook and get your friends to like it too. Or something like that. Read this Facebook status for details.
• Photos from "The Great American Trailer Park Musical" from Naples Daily News photographer Corey Perrine.
• Video from "The Great American Trailer Park Musical."
• Vocal Artistry has concerts Oct. 19 & 20.
• Photos from "Afterlife of the Rich and Famous" from Let's Put On A Show Productions.
• More photos from the Lab Theater production of "Miss Witherspoon." I just can't get over Kathleen Moye and Rob Green in those tees...
• The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 8, 2014, on CBS beginning at 8 PM ET. 
• The Collier United Arts Council is doing "Celebrate the Arts" month in November.
• The Marco Players box office is now open at the theater from noon-4 p.m. Wednesday - Saturday. Or call Rich at (239) 642-7270.
• Theatre Conspiracy is looking for an old refrigerator to use in "All My Raisins in the Sun." Leave a message on Bill's Facebook page (several people have already chimed in) or on the Theatre Conspiracy Facebook page here.

• Hands up if you think Theatre Conspiracy should do "Venus in Fur" as the late spring play reading? Like "Love Letters" and "Love, Loss & What I Wore?" Imagine the steam. My second choice would be "Sylvia."
   
• Photos from "The Great American Trailer Park Musical" at the Naples Players. 
• The Florida Rep Box Office re-opened on regular hours this week. A full-color insert was in the News-Press. The website (floridarep.org) also got an update. Casting info is out for most of the season. "Social Security" opens in previews Oct. 29.
   
•  I encourage you to read "The Playhouse Perspective," an peek "behind-the-scenes" at the action that goes on at Gulfshore Playhouse. Keep it up guys!
• During the run of "Cats," Broadway Palm will sell special paper "paw prints." Customers can purchase prints for $1, decorate them and hang them on a wall near the theatre entrance. All proceeds go directly to the Animal Refuge Center.
• Artis–Naples has an event titled "Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II." I totally learned "The Barber of Figaro" from Looney Tunes!
• Yes, I read this. (the shrinking landscape of criticism) Yes. I totally agree. Read this one too. Solutions?
• I'm seeing, in order, this week: "The Great American Trailer Park Musical," "Cats" and "Miss Witherspoon."

City Scenes seeks three actors for "Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)"

City Scenes Theater Company looks to be getting back in the game.

A Facebook post Sunday says the company is looking for three actors (male/female) to take part in "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" in March 2014.

Drop a line on the City Scenes Facebook page if interested, call 239-849-2297 or email     cityscenestc@gmail.com.

Broken air handler dumps gallons of water all over Lee Alliance for the Arts offices

The Alliance for the Arts in Lee County suffered a disaster Sunday, Oct. 6.

According to a post on the article.org website [titled "Help Us Recover From Our Sunken Offices], an air handler failed, dumping about 50 gallons of water directly over the staff's main office space.

You can see some of the damage here:
http://www.artinlee.org/4336-2/

Carpet, walls and office equipment were all damaged. Worse, the staff have been displaced while cleanup takes place.

The Alliance faces cleanup bills, the cost of replacing equipment AND the cost of replacing the air handler.

Donations are being accepted online (via PayPal) or call 39-939-2787 if you would like to help out.

Gulfshore Playhouse presents signed performance of "Venus in Fur"

Kelley Curran in "Venus in Fur."

Gulfshore Playhouse will present a signed performance of "Venus in Fur" by David Ives in conjunction with Florida Gulf Coast University's Office of Adaptive Services at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9th, 2013.

A team of two American Sign Language interpreters will be on stage providing an interpreted performance to the Naples audience.

Read my review of "Venus in Fur" here: http://www.gonaples.com/news/2013/oct/05/review-gulfshore-playhouse-venus-in-fur-tickets/

"Venus in Fur" is the Tony-nominated play that the New York Times called "a suspense-filled sex comedy."  "Venus in Fur" upends the traditional power relationship between director and actress and man and woman in this scintillating, fascinating,  and thought-provoking "play within a play" that investigates the layers of love, lust, power and gender politics with humor, intensity and good kinky fun.

Tickets for this special performance are still available at www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org or by calling 866-811-4111

Theatre Conspiracy celebrates 20 years; season opens with "All My Raisins in the Sun"

Theatre Conspiracy turns 20! Or as Bill says "we're almost old enough to drink!"

The 20th anniversary season begins Oct. 18 with the word premiere production of John Twomey's "All My Raisins in the Sun," the winner of Theatre Conspiracy's 15th Annual New Play Contest. Find out what happens inside one high school teacher's lounge - at one school where the teachers are just as bad as the students!

One eager new teacher gets quite the education when confronted with the quirky personalities and deadly serious politics of the public high school teacher's lounge.

Individual tickets are $20 each. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8PM with one Sunday matinée at 2 p.m. Oct. 27. Opening night is “pay what you will” and Thursdays are “buy one get one half off”. Tickets can be purchased by calling Theatre Conspiracy’s box office at 239-936-3239 or by visiting www.theatreconspiracy.org.

PROMO EMAILS: TheatreZone, Lab Theater, Naples Players, Opera Naples, Marco Players

THEATREZONE
Here's the latest TheatreZone marketing email. Bonus points for including a link to my story. Extra bonus points for including a "view on web" link. The TheatreZone season opens Jan. 9, 2014 with "Whistle Down the Wind."

http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/742466/7ff6dcc72c/286668103/e411e24715/

As Mark Danni states: "We are nearing our first-ever, sell-out year, so order your tickets now."

Performances are 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $43 & $48, plus $2 per ticket fee. Season ticket and snowbird packages available. Call 1-888-966-3352 or theatrezone-florida.com.

Kathleen Moye and Rob Green
in "Miss Witherspoon."

LAB THEATER
There's a few photos from "Miss Witherspoon" in this Lab Theater promo. There's also the first official word that Mitch and Joann Haley will co-star in "Death of a Salesman" later in 2014.

http://mad.ly/715d14?pact=556901485190188259&fe=1

"Miss Witherspoon" runs Oct. 11-26. The Laboratory Theater of Florida is located at 1634 Woodford Avenue in downtown Fort Myers. Tickets are $12-$22 and available online at laboratorytheaterflorida.com. Tickets are also available online here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/391346.

OPERA NAPLES (read the email)
Mark Danni will direct the Opera Naples double bill of chamber operas, "The Telephone" and "The Medium." Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 and Saturday, Oct. 19, presented in partnership with Artis-Naples (in The Daniels Pavilion.

Limited seats are still available for both performances. Purchase tickets ($60 & $75) online at www.OperaNaples.org.

NAPLES PLAYERS
The latest issue of the Naples Players newsletter is available online.

MARCO PLAYERS
The Marco Players will open "Absalom" on Nov. 6.

Marco Players auditions: "Fox on the Fairway" and "Apartment 3A"

Marco Players show "The Fox on the Fairway" auditions will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11 & Tuesday, Nov. 12. Rehearsals  begin Nov. 25. The show runs Jan. 8-26, 2013. Director TBA. For more information, call (239) 404-5198 or themarcoplayers.com.

Marco Players show "Apartment 3A" auditions will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 18 & Tuesday, Nov. 19. Rehearsals for "Apartment 3A" begin Dec. 16. The show runs Feb. 12 - March 2, 2014. Director TBA. For more information, call (239) 404-5198 or themarcoplayers.com.

Naples Players ETC... releases directors, casts for Nov. 3 "You Call This Love???" season premiere

The Naples Players’ ETC…Readers’ Theatre will present staged readings of four short plays with the theme of “You Call This Love???” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, in the Tobye Studio at Sugden Community. Tickets ($10) are available at the box office or by phone (239) 263-7990.

• “Sorry” by Timothy Mason - Claire McKinney directs Dee Betcher and Harvey Choddock.
  
• “The Wedding Story” by Julianne Homokay - Bev Canell directs Ellen Grimes, Mary Haynes and Keith Gahagan.
  
• “Rain” by Garry Williams - Vic Caroli directs Denny Hoover, Carole Greene, Karen Gudknecht, Joanie Nellis and Scott Doucette.
  
• “Present Tense” by John McNamara - Joe Moran directs Todd Irby, Bill Everett, Rose Mary Everett, Stan Kraushaar, Kim Polson and Allayne Barnum. 

Complete press release below.

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ETC…Presents “You Call This Love???” Quartet Sunday Nov. 3

The Naples Players’ ETC…Readers’ Theatre will present staged readings of four short plays theatrically themed “You Call This Love???” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, in Tobye Studio of Sugden Community Theatre in downtown Naples.  Tickets priced at $10 each are on sale at the Box Office; phone 239-263-7990.

The seriocomic quartet will open ETC…’s 12th season and will include:

“Sorry” by Timothy Mason.  NYC can be an unforgiving and lonely place.  But when Pat shoots Wayne mistaking him for an intruder the two are given a chance to make a connection – even when Pat discovers the secret behind Wayne’s identity.  Claire McKinney directs Dee Betcher and Harvey Choddock.

“The Wedding Story” by Julianne Homokay.  A narrator tells of a high school couple about to be married and start a beautiful life together – only they constantly interrupt and correct him until he can’t stand it anymore and tells them the brutal truth.  Bev Canell is director and cast members are Ellen Grimes, Mary Haynes and Keith Gahagan.

In “Rain” by Garry Williams, a farmer who has fallen from a roof and is confined to a wheelchair ponders his life and seeks the meaning of it.  Director is Vic Caroli with cast members Denny Hoover, Carole Greene, Karen Gudknecht, Joanie Nellis and Scott Doucette.

And in “Present Tense” by John McNamara, a gawky but cute teen-age boy wins back the affection of an attractive girl from the handsome but vain captain of all the school teams and editor of the other lad’s copy in the school paper.  Joe Moran is director; cast members are Todd Irby, Bill Everett, Rose Mary Everett, Stan Kraushaar, Kim Polson and Allayne Barnum.

Friday and Saturday Dec. 6 & 7, ETC …will present “An Evening of New Plays” in its 10th annual contest for original one-act plays by Southwest Florida playwrights.  A reception will follow the Dec. 6 program.

Interested in being a reader, director, producer or ETC… Committee member?  Please call Becky Troop, Director of Volunteers, at 239-434-7340, ext. 14.

Improv group Random Acts of ,D to perform Oct. 20 at Lab Theater

Improv group Random Acts of ,D (pronounced "comedy" - comma,D - ha-ha) will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday, October 20 at the Kiwanis Hall in downtown Fort Myers. Admission is $10. Call (239) 218-0481 or cash/credit at the door. This is the second show at the Lab Theater for the group after a successful kickoff last weekend.

Random Acts of ,D has played several successful shows at Anthony's on the Boulevard in Cape Coral; several members of the group, including Lucy Harris, Shawn Genther and James Recca, have performed in a variety of roles with Lab Theater.

(I'll be honest. I didn't get the comma-D joke in the name until Wednesday afternoon.)