EVER AFTER, RIDE THE CYCLONE & More Will Appear in Atlanta's Alliance Theatre's 50th Anniversary Season

Atlanta's nationally acclaimed ALLIANCE THEATRE and Jennings Hertz Artistic Director Susan V. Booth just announced the productions of the Theater's 50th anniversary season. Since opening in 1968 the Alliance has been dedicated to expanding hearts and minds on stage and off with diverse programming for all ages, including 110 world premieres.

"The Alliance turns 50 this year. Half a century of exploring what it means to be human in a world that renders that inquiry more complicated every day," said Susan V. Booth, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director. "The best part of theatre, I've always thought, is the living and breathing pulse it gives to human language. The elevation of the spoken word to an art form, and the pure wonder that a mere mortal can say exactly the right thing at exactly the right time. And in the time honored tradition of marking zero-birthdays with LARGE parties, we're celebrating 50 years of art by throwing a season long doozy."

Following a season on-the-road, performing in multiple venues around Atlanta while its theater space at the Woodruff Arts Center underwent a complete renovation, the Alliance will open its new performance space - Coca-Cola Stage at ALLIANCE THEATRE - in October 2018 with a series of open house events for subscribers, patrons, artists, and the community. The remodel of the Alliance's main stage will provide significant enhancements to the patron experience, creating a much more intimate, comfortable, and sound sensitive environment. The renovation project also includes upgrades to the theater's rehearsal spaces, education spaces, and artist support spaces.

While the Alliance renovation finishes and the open house events begin, the Alliance's season will kick-off on-the-road with A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Adapted and directed by David Catlin, founding ensemble member of Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago, this world premiere adaptation has been developed specifically to showcase the beauty of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and incorporate Lookingglass Theatre Company's renowned style of physical storytelling.

Also this fall, the Alliance will produce two world premieres by Atlanta Playwrights in its 200-seat Hertz Theatre starting with NICK'S FLAMINGO GRILL by playwright and songwriter, Phillip DePoy. Inspired by the true story of the first integrated nightclub in Atlanta and featuring ten original jazz songs in the style of the era, NICK'S FLAMINGO GRILL is a story of hope and brotherly love. The second premiere is KNEAD, written and performed by Mary Lynn Owen. Originally developed as a project from the Alliance's third Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab and a semi-finalist for the 2017 O'Neill National Playwright's Conference, KNEAD is a journey through memory and accepting the unpredictability of life.

The Alliance will open its first production on the Coca-Cola Stage in January 2019 with EVER AFTER, a captivating new musical based on the hit film. From award-winning songwriting team Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler, and boasting a creative team led by Director Susan V. Booth (Native Guard, Troubadour) and Choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter (Disaster!, School of Rock), EVER AFTER celebrates the true magic at the heart of the beloved Cinderella tale - the strength of the human spirit.

Also on the new Coca-Cola Stage this season - ANGRY, RAUCOUS AND SHAMELESSLY GORGEOUS, an exciting world-premiere by Atlanta-based writer and playwright, Pearl Cleage, and RIDE THE CYCLONE, the critically-acclaimed musical described by The New York Times as "high spirited and just plain fun from start to finish."

The Alliance is pleased to announce this season's winner of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, which will receive its world premiere on the Hertz Stage in February 2019, GOODNIGHT, TYLER, by B.J. Tindal. In GOODNIGHT, TYLER, Tyler Evans haunts his best friend in a desperate attempt to control the contradicting narratives of his untimely passing. Past winners of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition have become some of today's most exciting playwrights and writers, including Tarell Alvin McCraney, whose play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue inspired the 2017 Academy Award-winning film, Moonlight; Kenneth Lin (Warrior Class), a writer for the Netflix hit original series "House of Cards," and Mike Lew (Tiger Style!), 2018 winner of the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award for an Emerging American Playwright.

The final production on the Hertz Stage is the world premiere of APPROVAL JUNKIE, by and starring Faith Salie. A comedian and Emmy Award-winning journalist best known for her roles on NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! and CBS News Sunday Morning, Salie returns home to Georgia to adapt her memoir into a heartfelt (and disturbingly hilarious) one-woman show.

In addition to the Alliance Series on the Coca-Cola Stage and Hertz Series, the Alliance will produce four productions for Youth and Families including, WINNIE-THE-POOH, a delightful journey through the Hundred Acre Wood; PAIGE IN FULL, written and choreographed by Paige Hernandez as one multicultural girl's journey through hip-hop to self-discovery; the Alliance's 29th annual production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL (performed for the second year at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre); and THE WIZARD OF OZ, a family-friendly adaptation featuring iconic songs from the original movie score.

The Alliance will also produce three Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young productions and one interactive play space at the Woodruff Arts Center. The Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young produces professional theater designed for children ages newborn through 5 years old, creating an artistic experience that overcomes age, language, and developmental barriers, and expands the consciousness of very young audience members. This season's productions are LITTLE RAINDROP SONGS, LA TORTUGA AND THE HARE, and GIMME PLEASE (world premiere). This year's interactive play space is ONE ACRE WOOD inspired by the setting of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories by A. A. Milne.

"Our hope at the Alliance is that audiences will join us in a yearlong celebration of all that is messy, wonderful, dark, and magical about being human," said Booth. "I can't think of a better way to celebrate a 50th anniversary than that."

Season tickets for the Alliance's 50th season are on sale now. Single tickets for Winnie-the-Pooh are also on sale now. Single tickets for the rest of the season will go on sale in August 2018. For more information, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/season