Cinema Meets Stage in the Georgia Premiere of THE FLICK at the Gainesville Theatre Alliance

Silent films, movie musicals, the Golden Age of Hollywood- great films have brought audiences together for nearly a century of adventure and inspiration. As the science of filmmaking has changed, so too has the art of storytelling and how directors connect to their audiences. GTA's Georgia premier of The Flick, performing Sept. 15-18, examines how technology and storytelling affect three employees in a rundown movie house.

Focusing instead on the workers tending to a silver screen that needs some polishing, Annie Baker's The Flick makes its Georgia debut with the Gainesville Theatre Alliance. This contemporary work of theatre which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2014 will be the first Discovery Series production of the 2016-2017 season. The production runs at 7:30pm through Sept. 15-18, at Brenau University's Theatre on the Square, 301 Main St SW, Gainesville. The show is rated R for mature themes; admission is free.

Deemed "funny, heartbreaking, sly, and unblinking" by New York Magazine, The Flick follows three underpaid employees of a suburban movie theatre: Avery, Sam, and Rose. The struggling cinema houses one of the last remaining 35 millimeter projectors during the age of digital movies. In the empty aisles of the theatre, the misfit three thread the filmstrips and mop the floors as they navigate their comic tiny battles and their not-so-tiny heartbreaks. Their journey becomes a hilarious and heart-rending cry for authentic connection in a fast-changing world. The play is rated R for mature content.

The production runs as a part of the Discovery Series of the Gainesville Theatre Alliance- the nationally acclaimed collaboration between University of North Georgia, Brenau University, theatre Professionals and the northeast Georgia community. While audiences are familiar with the home-grown Broadway shows of the MainStage Season, Discovery Series productions focus on more experimental, Contemporary Theatre showcased in more intimate settings.

Directing The Flick is guest artist Ryan Conarro, a "theater maker, teaching artist, and a facilitator of community engagement." Conarro, a graduate of NYU with an MFA from Goddard College, creates interdisciplinary performance with documentary material and has worked with Pink Chong & Company, Alaska's Perseverance Theatre, Generator Theatre and Theatre Mitu. He previously worked with GTA students teaching the value of Devised Theatre through workshops and a presentation of his solo performance, "this hour forward."

"The term 'devised theatre' often refers to contemporary performance that's made collaboratively, from the ground up... the writer, director, designers, and performers are all working in the room together in a less hierarchical way than in a conventional production," Conarro said.

While The Flick is still a traditionally written play, Conarro believes such collaboration is key to exciting theatre. His background in this electric contemporary style provides a fresh palette for a fresh play that pushes the possibilities of Contemporary Theatre.

"We couldn't all be in a room together during the early design period, for example, so I created a website where designers and actors could share inspiration, research and ideas -- where character pages could influence design pages."

In fact, playwright Annie Baker herself is a contemporary force to be reckoned with, and a new name to long-time GTA audiences. She established herself as a figure of Contemporary Theatre with groundbreaking works winning numerous awards and accolades.

"One of Annie Baker's interests is experimenting with conveying contemporary reality onstage," said Conarro, advocating for the playwright's relevance.

The play's premise might seem a contradiction at first glance: movie theater seating on a theatre stage. As a fascinating foray into a familiar environment, Conarro says the surreal story rattles the reality of a naturalistic world: "we're exploring how we can elevate the audience's attention to the apparently pedestrian actions and sounds within the story, so that audience members might find the beauty or meaning within seemingly simple, everyday moments."

Striving to capture human connection in such an everyday, even overlooked setting is the priority of this play.

"With a flick of my thumb I can be transported to another world on the screen of my phone," Conarro says, reflecting on how technology hangs over the The Flick's world, striving to "invite our audience to spend time in and observe the familiarity of the contemporary every day."

The entire cast and crew works to explore the bizarre, fascinating, even humorous relationships that exist between people after the camera fades to black.

The Flick will be performed Sept. 15-18, free of charge and with general admission at Brenau University's Theatre on the Square, 301 Main St SW, Gainesville. Patrons can arrive any time after 6:30pm to check-in, with theatre doors opening at 7:10pm. The rest of the GTA season of theatre can be seen at www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org. Call the Box Office with questions at678.717.3624, Monday - Friday from 10am to 4pm.

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