[NEohioPAL] Farndale Christmas Carol - Guys playing Gals at Actors' Summit

[Neil Thackaberry]

*Actors’ Summit Theater*

*and*

*The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate *

*Townswomen’s Guild*

*Dramatic Society *

*Presents*

*A Christmas Carol*



Actors’ Summit, Akron’s professional theater, announces the opening of the
play with the longest title in the theater’s 15 seasons:   *The Farndale
Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Presents A
Christmas Carol *by David McGillivray & Walter Zerlin, Jr.



The holiday comic farce will have a preview performance on the day before
Thanksgiving, November 27th and will play through Sunday, December 22.
There is no performance on Thanksgiving Day.  Performances are given
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 8:00 P.M. and Sundays at 2 PM, and
take place at Greystone Hall, in downtown Akron.  The show is appropriate
for all ages.  A free desert reception follows the opening night
performance on Friday, November 29th.



*The Show: *



The ladies of the *The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild
Dramatic Society* have been producing the very best community theater in
their small town in England for years.  What they lack in theater training,
technical skill, performance discipline, and common sense they more than
make up for with their wild enthusiasm and passionate commitment.  Although
their numbers are small (4 performers and a much put upon stage manager)
they manage to play all the roles, male & female, in *A Christmas Carol*,
just as they did in their recent smash hit productions of *Macbeth, The
Mikado, and ye aulde murder mystery.*



*The Cast *



To add to the confusion of the play, in the Actors’ Summit production,
directed by Paula Kline Messner, all of the women’s roles in the show are
being performed by men and the single male role is being played by a woman.



The cast features five members of the Actors’ Summit company.



Equity actors Neil Thackaberry and Frank Jackman lead a cast that also
includes Zach Griffin, Gabriel Riazi, and Laura Valendza (playing the one
male character.)



Neil Thackaberry is the Founder and Artistic Co-Director of Actors’
Summit.  In addition to his work at Actors’ Summit he has performed with
the Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Ensemble Theater,
and Oberlin Summer theater.



Frank Jackman holds the record for the most roles played at Actors’ Summit
by any actor since its creation in 1999.  He was seen most recently at
Porthouse Theatre as Lazar Wolf.



Gabriel Riazi is a graduate of the theater program at Kent State
University.  He was seen last year at Actors’ Summit in the regional
premiere of *Motherhood Out Loud*.



Zach Griffin is a senior theater student at Kent State University.  He was
seen last year in the regional premiere of *My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish
Wiccan Wedding *at Actors’ Summit.



Laura Valendza is a teacher in the Akron Public School system.  She was
seen here at Actors’ Summit two years ago in the world premiere of *A
Girl’s Guide to Coffee*.


*CHECK OUT THE PICTURES AT ACTORSSUMMIT.ORG <http://ACTORSSUMMIT.ORG>*





*The Production Team*



Paula Kline Messner, director, is no stranger to Actors’ Summit having
first performed with the company 10 years ago in *Charley’s Aunt*.
Recently she’s been seen in *Becky’s New Car,* *Motherhood Out Loud, *and *The
Bikinis*.  She has enjoyed a long association with *Menopause, the
Musical*having toured nationally with the show.  She will reprise her
role when
*Menopause* returns to Cleveland for a limited run in January.  This is her
first directing assignment for Actors’ Summit.



MaryJo Alexander (Artistic Co-Director) designs and executes both costumes
and props.  As a costumer she has designed over 200 productions for
professional and academic theaters.  She is also a director and actor.



The production team also includes stage manager Brianna Laybourn; lighting
and sound designer Kevin Rutan; head carpenter Fred Sellers: and technician
and board operator Perry Catalano.



*Tickets:*

Tickets for *“Farndale”* are on sale now through the box office at
330-374-7568 and online at actorssummit.org.  Preview tickets are $20.
Tickets for all other performances: $33 for adults, $28 for seniors over
65; and $10 for all full time students under 30.  Season subscriptions are
available and range in price from $84 to $128 for all 6 shows.



*The Theater*



The theater is located on the sixth floor of historic Greystone Hall in
downtown Akron. The facility features barrier free access, free parking,
and full bar service.



More information is available at Actors’ Summit website:
www.actorssummit.org.
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