[NEohioPAL] Shaker Theatre Presents New Stages 30

[McBurney, Christine]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Christine McBurney

216-295-4258

24 Hour Box Office: 216-295-4287 or www.tix.com<http://www.tix.com>



Shaker Theatre presents New Stages 30: Shaker New Plays Series

 Written, Directed, Produced & Performed by Students



The Theatre Arts Department of Shaker Heights High School presents the thirtieth festival of new plays, written, directed, produced, and performed by students in our intimate black box theatre, Stage 3.  Six one-act plays will be presented as part of a full season of theatrical events, which began Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town in December and concludes with the Spring Ensemble Show in May.


The plays are: Auf Weder Sehen, written by senior Barbara Craig and directed by senior Jonah Weinstein; Blood is Thicker than Ketchup, written by senior Graham Fine and directed by senior Hannah McCandless; Boujetto, written by senior Diamond Miller and directed by junior Kevin Parker; IBF, written by senior Allegra Verlezza and directed by junior Ford Shelton; Murder in the Worst Degree, written by senior Josh Barnett and directed by senior Brendan O’Connell; Paint Brushes, Canvasses & the Art of Giving Up, written by sophomore Claire Lawrence and directed by junior Kristen Leonard.

Performances are at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, March 14 and Thursday, March 15.  Performances on Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17 are at 7:00 pm AND 9:15 pm.  All performances are in Shaker Heights High School Stage 3.  Seating is limited and all seats are reserved.  Note: Mature Content.  Tickets are $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for students and senior adults, and may be purchased in on line at www.tix.com<http://www.tix.com/> or by calling the 24 Hour Reservation Hotline at 216-295-4287.


New Stages, now in its thirtieth continuous year, was begun by retired Shaker Theatre Arts Department founder, James Thornton, in 1983. Having developed it out of a playwriting class, Thornton considered New Stages to be the most significant thing we do as a theatre program.



“The fall show is flashier and on a larger scale. The Spring Ensemble Show provides our most polished and sophisticated performances.  Across the line, if you ask Shaker Theatre alumni what their most memorable moments were, they will most likely recall those moments shared in New Stages. To my knowledge, no other high school in the country has a new play series of this design.”



Department Chair, Christine McBurney adds that "New Stages provides an exciting guided learning experience for students that is unparalleled. A diverse group of students works closely together, learning how to communicate ideas and with each other, how to problem solve, collaborate, and tell stories that impact an audience.”



This year’s New Stages provides working and learning opportunities for more than 65 students. For 30 years, the series has involved more than a thousand students in the creation of new works for the theatre. Among Shaker Theatre alums are:

 *   Jamie Babbit, ’89, writer/director of the film, But I’m a Cheerleader, The Quiet, and Itty Bitty…Committee.  Television directing credits include “Smash,” Ugly Betty, “Dirty Sexy Money,” “The L Word,” “Gossip Girl,” “Gilmore Girls,” and more.  She is in post-production for two films, Cleveland, I Love You and Breaking the Girl.
 *   Carter Bays ’93, five-time Emmy-nominated writer for Late Night with David Letterman. Bays is also a writer and producer for American Dad and executive producer, head writer, and co-creator of the Emmy-award winning comedy, How I Met Your Mother.
 *   David Wain, ’87, writer/director of the film Wonderlust (in theatres now), Wet Hot American Summer, The Ten and Role Models.  Writing credits include “Mad TV, “The State,” “Stella,” and more.
 *   The late Louis Schechter, ’83, Los Angeles film producer and director whose credits include Proximity, Next Action Star, and Bet Your Life..
 *   Michelle Federer, ’91, New York stage actress, the original Nessarose in Broadway’s Wicked and who recently appeared Off Broadway in Anon, and in the film Flannel Pajamas.
 *   Michael McElroy, ’84, New York Tony nominated stage actor, Big River, Rent, Miss Saigon, Angels in America, Some Men.  Now a Professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
 *   Andrew Kober ’02.  An original member of the Tony-nominated production of Hair on Broadway and in London.
 *   Halle Morse ’05.  In the current production of Mama Mia on Broadway.
 *   Laura Jacqmin,’00 recipient of the second annual Wasserstein Prize, established in memory of the esteemed playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died in 2006.  The $25,000 prize is awarded for an outstanding script by a young woman who has not yet received national attention.
 *   Sara Knowlton, ’86, television, film and New York stage actress.  TV includes “House,” “Ugly Betty,” “As the World Turns,” and more.
 *   Betsy Hogg, ’06, appeared Off Broadway in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with Cynthia Nixon and on Broadway in The Crucible with Liam Neeson and Laura Linney and Fiddler on the Roof with Harvey Fierstein.  She appeared in the film, Rocket Science and on television’s “Law and Order.”
 *   Gabrielle Perrin, ’87, former casting director for all West Coast operations for the television channel, Nickelodeon.
 *   Two English Speaking Union Cleveland Shakespeare Competition winners, Valerie Kilmer (2009) and David Wemer (2010)
 *   and many others…

Stage 3—Shaker Heights High School’s intimate black box theatre—was the vision of student Amy Silberman, ’81.  For her Senior Project, she drew a design for a black box theatre and identified the space in the basement of the school.  Amy was the catalyst for turning the former fallout shelter into a performing space. Stage 3, dedicated in her memory, is the perfect venue for New Stages, seating only 70 people and usually selling out every performance.



The award-winning Theatre Arts Department at Shaker Heights High School offers 8 daily theatre classes, produces 4 major productions, several showcases and tours, and involves nearly 300 students each year.



This year the program has already hosted numerous Guest Artists, including:



•         Jamie Babbit ’89

•         Writer Karey Dornetto (Portlandia, Community, South Park)

•         Filmmakers Robert Banks and Eric Swinderman

•         Geoff Bullen, Associate Director at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)/Tisch NYU.

•         Actor Derdriu Ring

•         Actor Jim Green

And our Associate Guest Artists include:

•         James Thornton, Founder of the Shaker Theatre Arts Department & Creator of the Ensemble Program

•         Matt Thornton ’92 of Pilobolus Dance Theatre

•         Wendy Kriss, Movement Specialist & Director

•         Katie Daley, Poet

•         Megan Pitcher, Costumer

•         Bruce Jennings, Musician



Faculty and staff include:



•         Theatre Arts Department Chair Christine McBurney, who teaches (or has taught) Dramatic Literature & Writing, Film as Art, IB Theatre Arts, Junior Ensemble, Acting, Improv, Shakescenes, Theatre I, and  Theatre Management

•         Ensemble Program Director Erik Johnson, who teaches or has taught Junior, Advanced and Senior Ensembles, IB Theatre Arts, Theatre I, and Theatre Management

•         Chuck Tisdale, Technical Designer and Auditorium Manager

•         Brian McCann, Stage Manager

•         Julia Rossi, Box Office Manager







Christine McBurney
Theatre Arts Dept. Chair
Shaker Heights High School
15911 Aldersyde Dr.
Shaker Heights, OH 44120
216.295.4258
216.295.4277 fax
www.facebook.com/shakertheatre

view photos at shakertheatre.zenfolio.com

________________________________
This e-mail is intended only for the addressee(s) and may contain material that is confidential under state and federal law. If you were not an intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete all copies. School District e-mail is to be used only for school purposes. The District may monitor e-mail to and from its network. This email and any response to it may be archived for later retrieval and may constitute a public record and therefore may be made available upon request in accordance with Ohio Public Records law (ORC 149.43).
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.neohiopal.org/pipermail/neohiopal-neohiopal.org/attachments/20120305/51f063e6/attachment-0003.htm>