Announcing: Impro Theatre Presents ‘Jane Austen UnScripted’ at Carrie Hamilton Theatre in Pasadena, Opens Feb. 14

IMPRO THEATRE
PRESENTS
JANE AUSTEN UNSCRIPTED
DIRECTED BY DAN O’CONNOR AND PAUL ROGAN

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION RETURNS
TO CARRIE HAMILTON THEATRE
ON VALENTINE’S DAY, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14

PLEASE NOTE: SIX PERFORMANCES ADDED

Impro Theatre (Dan O’Connor, Artistic Director) has announced a return engagement of Jane Austen Unscripted, directed by O’Connor and Paul Rogan, with preview performances beginning on Friday, February 8 at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre (upstairs at The Pasadena Playhouse) in Pasadena. The opening night of Jane Austen Unscripted is set for Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14, at 8:00. Performances will continue through April 14 only.

“Having enjoyed a wonderful run in 2012, we are thrilled to bring Jane Austen Unscripted back to the Carrie Hamilton Theatre, and to share our Valentine’s Night opening with LA and Pasadena’s huge Austen fan base,” said Dan O’Connor, Impro Theatre Artistic Director.

Jane Austin Unscripted is a completely improvised comedic play in the style of beloved author Jane Austen. The cast of Impro Theatre creates and performs a never before seen, all new, Jane Austen story right before the audience’s eyes. The entire performance is based on audience suggestion, so every show is totally unique. The essence of Austen’s beloved, timeless romantic comedies and social satires is brought to life by the expert team of funny and gifted actors that are Impro Theatre.

The cast is a rotating ensemble, including (in alphabetical order) Impro company members Tracy Burns, Kari Coleman, Lisa Fredrickson, Brian Jones, Stephen Kearin, Lauren Lewis, Brian Lohmann, Nick Massouh, Jo McGinley, Dan O’Connor, Edi Patterson, Paul Rogan, Michele Spears, and Floyd Van Buskirk. The Jane Austen Unscripted cast will also feature guest artists, including (in alphabetical order) Josh Dean, Kelly Holden, Rebecca Lowman, Mike Rock, and Patty Wortham. Set and costume design are by Sandra Burns, and lighting design is by Leigh Allen. Dan O’Connor produces for Impro Theatre.

Impro Theatre is an Unscripted Repertory Company that has brought innovative, unscripted theatre to Los Angeles and the world. The company’s goal is to take core narrative and style elements of great playwrights and writers, and create a new play using no more than the essence of an author’s work and an audience suggestion. Most recently, unscripted explorations of great literary figures has included Shakespeare, Dickens, Stephen Sondheim, and Tennessee Williams. For more, visit www.ImproTheatre.com.

Critical reaction for Impro Theatre’s work has included the following praise: “First rate comedians … breathtaking wit” (LA Weekly); “Quite unbelievable, actually … an amazing comedy troupe spins an entire play into comedy gold right before your eyes … a stunning feat of performance” (Los Angeles Times); “Ingenuity, imagination, and hilarity … improv artists at the top of their field … must-see theatre” (StageSceneLA.com); and “Comic gold … a delectably smart, tasty treat” (San Diego News Network).

Jane Austen Unscripted will play three preview performances on Friday, February 8 at 8pm, Saturday, February 9 at 8pm, and Sunday, February 10 at 4pm. Opening night is set for Thursday, February 14 at 8:00, and will include a post-performance champagne reception. The regular running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 4pm, through April 14 only. Tickets are $20 for previews, and $25 for regular performances (student and senior discounts are available). Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org, or by calling (626) 356-7529.

ADDED PERFORMANCES: Sat 3/23 at 4pm; Sun 3/24 at 7pm; Sat 3/30 at 4pm;
Sun 3/31 at 7pm; Sat 4/6 at 4pm; Sat 4/13 at 4pm

The Carrie Hamilton Theatre is located upstairs at The Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Avenue, in Pasadena, 91101.

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01-14-13

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Announcing: Mutineer Theatre Company Presents “Conk and Bone” – World Premiere Play at Carrie Hamilton Theatre Oct 19 – Nov 4

MUTINEER THEATRE COMPANY
PRESENTS
CONK AND BONE
A WORLD PREMIERE PLAY BY JOE MUSSO
DIRECTED BY KAPPY KILBURN

OPENS AT CARRIE HAMILTON THEATRE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 FOR NINE PERFORMANCES ONLY

Conk and Bone, a new play by Joe Musso, has been set for a limited engagement at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre (upstairs at The Pasadena Playhouse) in Pasadena. Directed by Kappy Kilburn, the darkly comic Conk and Bone will play one preview performance on Friday, October 19 at 8pm, with opening night set for Saturday, October 20 at 8:00. The strictly limited engagement will continue through November 4 only.

In this new dark comedy, Conk and Bone are once again hired by Death to prepare a soul for the ferry ride across the River Styx. But tonight is different and all goes awry when two souls are delivered instead of one. Confined to an abandoned house on a moonless night in Louisiana, Conk and Bone must confront a tortured tattooed girl, a furious fallen hero, and Death himself – but not before they have to face each other. Conk and Bone is the winner of a 2012 New Voices Award at the Fifth Annual Northern Writes New Play Festival in Bangor, Maine, and has received readings at The Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, at Nicu’s Spoon Theatre Company in New York, and at Ruckus Theatre in Chicago.

Playwright Joe Musso lives in Birmingham, Alabama. Zombie Joe’s Underground in Los Angeles produced his play Blood Water earlier this year, and AlleyStage in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, produced his play Voodoo Today Here Now 5 in July 2011. Musso’s play Absinthe won the MTWorks 2012 Excellence in Playwriting Award, and received a reading at its National Newborn Festival in New York. Absinthe also won HRC Showcase Theatre’s 2011 W. Keith Hedrick Playwriting Award.

Director Kappy Kilburn served for four years as the Associate Director of Artistic Development at The Pasadena Playhouse, where she created and produced their new play development program “Hothouse at the Playhouse.” During her tenure, Hothouse launched numerous projects which have gone on to successful runs around the world, including Ray Charles Live!, Sister Act – The Musical, Looped (starring Valerie Harper), Night is a Child, Hollywood Arms (co-developed with Carol Burnett), and Number of People (starring Ed Asner). Kilburn has an extensive directing resume in regional theatre, and is a founder and co-producer of Directors Lab West, a spin-off of Lincoln Center Theater’s Directors Lab in NYC, of which she is an alumna.

The cast of Conk and Bone will feature (in alphabetical order) Jennifer Daley, Bruce A. Lemon, Ryan Mulkay, Doug Power, and Paul Vroom. The scenic design is by David T. Offner, lighting design is by Brandon Baruch, costume design is by Karla Contreras, sound design is by Cricket S. Myers, and the stage manager is Liz Brown. Conk and Bone is produced by Jon Cohn and Stephanie Wu for Mutineer Theatre Company.

Mutineer Theatre Company is a nomadic theatre company that performs in and around the Los Angeles area. The mission of the company is to create, develop, and produce diverse original material through an explorative and experimental collaborative effort. The company is comprised of actors, visual artists, composers, writers, dancers, photographers, sculptors, filmmakers, directors, and designers working collaboratively to conceive unique and inspired work. It is Mutineer’s goal to establish themselves as a resource for the development of new works.

Conk and Bone will play one preview performance on Friday, October 19 at 8pm, and opening night is set for Saturday, October 20 at 8:00. The nine-performance only engagement will continue through November 4. The running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm and 7pm. There will be no performance on Sunday 10/21, and no 7pm performance on Sunday 11/4. Tickets are $15 for the preview, and $22 for regular performances ($17 if purchased in advance). All seating is general admission, and tickets may be purchased online at www.mutineertheatre.com, or by calling (323) 871-5826.

The Carrie Hamilton Theatre is located upstairs at The Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Avenue, in Pasadena, 91101.

http://Facebook.com/MutineerTheatreCompany
http://Twitter.com/MutineerTheatre

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10-05-12

Announcing: World Premiere Musical “Bend in the Road” Opens 9/15 at Carrie Hamilton Theatre in Pasadena

BEND IN THE ROAD
A WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL BASED ON ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
DIRECTED BY BENITA SCHECKEL
OPENS AT CARRIE HAMILTON THEATRE
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 FOR LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

Bend in the Road, a new family musical based on Anne of Green Gables, has been set for a limited engagement at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre (upstairs at The Pasadena Playhouse) in Pasadena. Written by Benita Scheckel and Michael Upward, and directed by Scheckel, Bend in the Road will play two preview performances on Friday, September 14 at 7pm and Saturday, September 15 at 1pm, with opening night set for Saturday, September 15 at 7:00. The limited engagement will continue through October 7.

Bend in the Road is based on the beloved classic novel Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, and tells the story of young Anne Shirley, an orphan, who is mistakenly adopted by siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, to help them on their Avonlea farm. Anne’s intelligent, joyous and imaginative ways change the lives of all those around her in this small town, including Matthew, Marilla and nosy town gossip Mrs. Rachel Lynde. Anne finds fast friendships at school, and a rivalry with classmate Gilbert Blythe turns complicated as they grow up.

The cast of Bend in the Road will feature (in alphabetical order) Christopher Callen, Ty Freedman, Christopher Higgins, Justine Huxley, James Jaeger, Don Margolin, Melinda Porto, Kate Sullivan, Kailey Swanson, and Alison Woods. As part of its educational outreach, which includes providing free shows to Pasadena Unified School District students, the production has cast five Pasadena area students to work as apprentices alongside Equity actors. They are (in alphabetical order) Cade Anderson, Zoe Berger-Davis, Mariella D’avirro, Kaitlyn Hammer, and Cheri McKenzie.

The scenic artist is Gary White, lighting design is by Darrell Clark, costume design is by Liz Dickson, and sound design is by Julie Ferrin. The musical director is Michael Upward, choreography is by Kevin Lee, and the stage manager is Kelsey O’Keeffe. Susan Lambert produces for 134 West and Summerland Entertainment.

Director and co-writer Benita Scheckel is a San Gabriel Valley native, and she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Some of her stage credits include Camelot, Into the Woods, Evita, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, and The Secret Garden. She started directing and producing in 2003 for local philanthropic organizations, and in 2007 began her career as a director and teacher in the Pasadena Unified School District, working with middle and high school students. Musical director and co-writer Michael Upward has written a Requiem Mass for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, and over 50 choral compositions which have been performed throughout the United States. In addition to writing three other full length musicals, he has served as musical director for productions of The Fantasticks, Guys and Dolls, Evita, Nunsense II, and Quilters.

Bend in the Road will play two preview performances on Friday, September 14 at 7pm and Saturday, September 15, at 1pm. Opening night is set for Saturday, September 15 at 7:00, and the 13-performance only engagement will continue through October 7. The running schedule is Saturdays at 1pm and 7pm, and Sundays at 1pm. Tickets are on sale now: $10 for previews; $25 for regular performances; $20 for children 12 years of age and under. All seating is general admission, and tickets may be purchased online at www.bendintheroadtickets.eventbrite.com, or or by calling (626) 344-8846.

The Carrie Hamilton Theatre is located upstairs at The Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Avenue, in Pasadena, 91101.

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08-27-12