Deborah Bostock-Kelley - Page 8

In collaboration with Creative Pinellas, the 'First Monday' series will be in their Gallery in Largo. They will showcase readings by professional actors and artists, followed by a community dialogue around the themes of the works.

Powerful stories based on truth depict the forced production of Nazi propaganda by Jewish prisoners, confronting white privilege, and learning to love oneself. Other pieces include a special request for a sex worker, the Lebanon war, a college school shooting, a donut baker who dedicates her life to protecting children, and stages of love in a pandemic.

Co-directed by Katie Welch and Amanda Schapiro, the comedy Blind Date Café tells multiple overlapping tales of this couple meeting for a blind date, another trying to sabotage their evening, an overbearing mother interrupting her son's date, deception by the restaurant server, and all the added insanity of running a busy restaurant while shorthanded.

CROWNS takes us on a magical journey about the fabulousness of hats in the culture of African American women. After a family tragedy, Brooklynite Yolanda finds herself in South Carolina with her grandmother. She meets a group of women who teaches her the power and importance of their crowns.

This classic dance musical with incredible choreography and live music is set in 1960s New York. SWEET CHARITY tells the story of Charity Hope Valentine, a dance hall hostess with the worst luck with men. She vows off dating until she meets what may be a proper gentleman she hopes won't break her heart.

Under the direction of Matt Belopavlovich, the musical features the Ohio Cast: Cathy - Megan Lisko-Snelling and Sydney Beck, Jamie - Jackson Fowler and James King, the New York City Cast: Cathy - Madelyn Ruyle and Brilee Gold, Jamie - Linus O’Palick and Jadon Milne, and ensemble: Ava Shimmel, Ava Cornett, Jordan Hunter, Jordan Landry, Tia Olivia, and Zoe Priolo.

Lorraine follows the year before Martin Luther King’s assassination. Writer Melvin Coleman’s goal is to capture Martin Luther King as a person, not a mythical figure, who was in Memphis at the time to support the sanitation workers who were on strike for unequal pay and unfair work environment.

KING LEAR is the debut of an educational collaboration between TampaRep and the USF School of Theatre and Dance. For this production, students will study and create under the guidance of professional designers working on the project. And In addition, late artistic director C. David Frankel will be memorialized with an annual scholarship at USF.

In PASSOVER, Tron Montgomery plays Moses, while Lance Felton and Joshua Dupree play Kitch. Michael Menszycki portrays both Mister and Ossifer.

At American Stage now through February 27 is SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY by Jocelyn Bioh. SCHOOL GIRLS is loosely based on a true story that tells the tale of an all-girls school in Ghana and a prestigious Miss Global Universe pageant. A new, beautiful, and talented American student challenges the queen bee and gets noticed by the pageant recruiter. What ensues is a comedy that explores the universal struggles, similarities, and differences of teen girls, and the need to feel like you belong.

Ciara said, 'I got this beautiful message the other day from a mom telling me her daughter felt so connected to Alana. She was crying and said, 'Mom, that's me.' That changed my whole world because I have this mission that I'm going to change a lot of the ways people think about Alana. The fans are amazing, and it's a constant reminder of what we are doing for a young community and mental health, as well.'

Flipping the all-male script, the ensemble features all women: local actors Katie Calahan, Katie Huettel, and Jessy Julianna under the direction of Brianna Larson.

At Straz Center through January 16 is a tribute to a beloved icon of music, Donna Summer. DONNA: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL examines the singer's life, how she broke barriers to perform her own music. The score features over 20 classic hits, including 'Bad Girls,' 'Love to Love You Baby,' and 'Hot Stuff.'

In conjunction with Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, on January 14, The Straz Arts Legacy REMIX Project will be live on the Riverwalk Stage honoring Martin Luther King Jr with ECHOES FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP.

Tickets are now available for J Stage Theatre's winter production of The Waverly Gallery. All performances will take place at the J Stage Theatre at the Maureen and Douglas Cohn Jewish Community Center, 13009 Community Campus Drive, Tampa. The show opens on Wednesday, January 26 at 7:00 PM and runs through Sunday, January 30.

Under the direction of Linda Edmundo, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES features Alejandra Sepúlveda Colón as Ana, Michelle Crowder-Soellner as Estela, Lillian Almodovar as Carmen, Lupita Hahn as Pancha, and Natalia Cruz De Dios as Rosali.

Performers selected from over 200 competing dancers will have the opportunity to share a dressing room with their ballet heroes and perform on the same stage for the Stars of Today Meet Stars of Tomorrow Gala on Saturday night. Thirty-seven award-winning dancers from the Straz Center's Next Generation Ballet (NGB) and winners from YAGP will be part of this prestigious event.

Producing Artistic Director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj makes his American Stage directorial debut and a cast of 4 - Saren Nofs Snyder, Amanda Jane Snyder, Patrick A. Jackson, and Amber McNew, brings to life 18 different characters not cast traditionally. Part comedy, part drama, together, they will tell the origin story of Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley in Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol.

On stage at Straz Center on December 7-12 comes the winner of seven Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Cats. Cats is a sung-through musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber that ran for 21 years in London and on Broadway for 18 years, making it the longest-running musical in both theatre districts for many years.

Under Matthew's direction, The Night Before stars actors/musicians Hillary Lewis, Sara DelBeato, James David Larson, and Michael. It tells the tale of these four friends