[NEohioPAL] Regional Premiere of a New Musical -- Main-Travelled Roads at Actors' Summit

[Neil Thackaberry]

For Immediate Release
For additional information contact: 
Neil Thackaberry (330) 342-0800
Hudson, Ohio 


Regional Premier of An American Musical
Main-Travelled Roads
Opens at Actors' Summit 

Main-Travelled Roads will have its regional premiere at Actors' Summit,
Hudson's professional Equity theater. The intimate musical set in rural
19th century Wisconsin will be presented by Actors' Summit from
September 18 through October 5. The play with music by Paul Libman and
book & lyrics by Dave Hudson, was first performed by American Folklore
Theatre in August, 2007. The September 18th performance is a preview
with the official opening on Friday, September 19th. Performances are
given on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday
afternoon at 2:00 p.m. 

The Play
Main-Travelled Roads, the winner of the 2007 Richard Rogers Award, is a
bright, funny, romantic musical based on the short stories of Hamlin
Garland. Garland was born 7 years before and a few miles south of Laura
Ingalls Wilder's birth date & place. Set in turn-of-the-century
Wisconsin, the warm and honest portraits of life in the rural Midwest
are lively, touching, heartfelt, and timeless. 
Hamlin Garland was born in West Salem, Wisconsin, in 1860. After moving
with his family to a succession of homesteads in Iowa and South Dakota,
he went to Boston in 1884, determined to embark on a literary career.
His first success was Main-Travelled Roads, a collection of short
stories published in 1891. He moved to Chicago in 1893, lectured widely
on literary topics, and agitated for a realistic American literature
through a number of essays, some of which were revised into his 1894
manifesto, Crumbling Idols.
Main-Travelled Roads was developed in part at the Stages 2006 Festival
of New Musicals in Chicago and at Madison Repertory Theater's Fall
Festival of New Plays. 

The Cast
Three Actors' Summit regulars and one new member of the acting company
comprise the cast. Keith Stevens returns for his tenth production,
Kathleen Culler makes her sixth appearance and C.J. Bonde appears for
the tenth time at Actors' Summit. Making his Actors' Summit debut is
Equity actor Stephen Brockway.
Stephen Brockway, a native of Cuyahoga Falls, has Off-Broadway/NYC
credits that include: Blane in Trolls (Actors' Playhouse), Lon in Meet
Me in St. Louis, Leonard (Chico) Marx in Minnie's Boys in Concert, The
Gondoliers (New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, at City Center).
National Tours include: Doody in Grease, Marley, Fezziwig and others in
A Christmas Carol, Carousel. Local credits include: Tony in West Side
Story (Porthouse Theatre), Mr. Shove in The Gamblers (Kennedy's at
Playhouse Square), David Wills in Taking Sides (Cleveland Stage
Company), Simon Zealotes in Jesus Christ Superstar (Porthouse Theatre).
Stephen has a BM in Musical Theatre from Baldwin-Wallace College and
Conservatory of Music.
In addition to her work at Actors' Summit C.J. Bonde has performed at
Great Lakes Theater Festival; Playhouse Square's 14th Street Theatre;
Carousel; Acting Out; Beck; Cain Park; CCC-E; Fine Arts; Halle; HYT;
Kalliope; Mercury SS; Adelphia television; independent and industrial
films. After capturing the 2008 Regional Shakespeare Competition title
and the Thomas Joynes Award, CJ emerged as a National Semi-Finalist in
the National Shakespeare Competition at NYC's Lincoln Center. A recent
second year apprentice with Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio's ArtWorks
Program, CJ can also be seen in the Expect Respect touring troupe. 
Kathleen Culler has performed in productions at The Cleveland Play
House, Weathervane Playhouse, the Beck Center, Player's Guild Theatre,
and Magical Theatre Company. She holds a B.A. in musical theatre from
Point Park University Conservatory of Performing Arts, located in
Pittsburgh. 
Keith E. Stevens New York City credits include: The Snob (Actors
Studio), Audience (Brooklyn Playwright's Collective), Last Train to
Nibroc, Fool for Love, The Honey Makers and the world premiere of 2:51
(all at Circle in the Square Downtown), Deserters (Bernie West Theater),
Loader #26 (Theater for a New City/New York Fringe Festival) and Big Al
(ASDS). Additional regional credits: As You Like It, Eurydice, A
Midsummer Night's Dream, Suburbia, and Betrayal. Keith holds a MFA in
Acting from The Actors Studio Drama School and a BA in Theater from
Cleveland State University. He is a lifetime member of the Actors
Studio. 

Directing Team
Making her Actors' Summit directorial debut is Sasha Thackaberry.
Previously, she has worked at Actors' Summit in a variety of capacities,
from stage manager to choreographer to actor. With her dance company,
illuminata dance theater, she has produced and staged full
evening-length dance theater works, including g(r)o(w)ing up and AVA,
based on the novel by Carole Maso. Her BFA is from The University of
Akron, and her MAT is from Kent State University. 
Evie Morris returns to Actors' Summit as Musical Director. She
freelances throughout Northeast Ohio as a musical director, pit player,
accompanist, private piano teacher, and vocal coach. Her most-recent
stage appearance was in the 5-month run of We Gotta Bingo at Playhouse
Square, where she played Mary Ed Sullivan and also served as musical
director. 


Performance Schedule
Main-Travelled Roads will have a preview performance on September 18.
The official opening on Friday, September 19 will be followed by a
reception with the cast. Regular performances continue through October
5, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Following each performance, there will be an opportunity for the
audience to discuss the play with members of the cast. 

Tickets
Tickets are $28 on Fridays & Saturdays, $25 on Thursdays & Sundays. All
full time students with ID are $7 at all performances. Seniors receive a
$3 discount at all regular Thursday and Sunday performances. Season
subscriptions and discounted coupon books are available. Group discounts
are available for parties of 10 or more. 
Tickets can be purchased on line at www.actorssummit.org
<http://www.actorssummit.org/>  or by phone by calling (330) 342-0800. 

Web site
Actors' Summit Theater can be found on the web at ww.actorssummit.org. 



 

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