Jeffrey Ellis - Page 93

Ralph Pape's Say Goodnight, Gracie tells the story of life, dreams, high school reunions and Devil Dogs. It is New York City, 1976, and we meet five members of the first Television Generation: Jerry, a struggling actor, his girlfriend Ginny, a secretary, Steve, a prankish would-be poet and television writer, Bobby, a musician who has been scraping by with dates in small clubs in suburban New Jersey, and his girlfriend, Catherine, a beautiful and rather kinky airline stewardess.

Arthur Kipps (played by Rodney Pickel), a middle-aged lawyer, has been haunted for years by a series of events he experienced as a young man. Hoping to free himself of his nightmares at last, Kipps hires a young actor (Sean Hills) to help him tell his tale. As the two men dive deeper and deeper into the story, however, they begin to find that some things can never be put to rest.

Paul Vasterling along with our guest choreographers have been working hard the last couple weeks putting together their pieces for Emergence. We put together a little 'behind the scenes' glimpse for you of the creative process and we hope to see you at the performance next weekend!

Norma Desmond sings about them "out there in the dark" in Sunset Boulevard, Lauren Bacall dealt with a particularly sinister and deranged one in her 1981 film The Fan, and virtually everyone you know who had taken to the stage in a show anywhere around the world can regale you with stories about their wild and woolly antics. "They," of course, are the fans, the audiences, the people for whom theater is presented every night.

The Last Five Years runs through May 27. Tickets are only $16 for adults and $14 for students and seniors, with specials including Talk-Back nights, Student nights, and Starving Artist nights. For specific show information, and to purchase tickets, visitwww.streettheatrecompany.org. Performances are at Street Theatre, 1933 Elm Hill Pike, just off the Briley Parkway. For more information, call 615-554-7414.

Broadway veterans Jessica Grove and Ben Davis will star as Maria Rainer and Captain Georg Von Trapp in Studio Tenn Theatre Company's upcoming production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, playing at the historic Franklin Theatre May 31-June 17.

What happens when you put a choreographer in the same room with visual artists and musicians and tell them to come up with "something original"? It remains to be seen, but those creative collaborations will be the focus of Nashville Ballet's upcoming Emergence, presented May 17-19.

Sarah Ruhl's critically acclaimed play In The Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) highlights ACT 1's 2012-13 season, which is revealed today. Also on the season: a new adaptation of Dark of the Moon, Neil Simon's Broadway Bound and Ibsen's classic A Doll's House.

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look so damn good? We're gonna tell ya…Today's actor/subject/model is the handsome, talented and peripatetic Michael Adcock (who will be part of the cast of The First Night Honors' staged reading of Mart Crowley's The Men From The Boys in August),photographed by Jenna Henderson (whom you can contact via www.jhendersonstudios.com).

Robyn Berg directs the sold-out Nashville production of Dustin Lance Black's 8, a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California's Proposition 8, presented by Rhubarb Theater Company on Monday, May 7, at Darkhorse Theater.

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look damn good? We're gonna tell ya...Today's actor/subject/model is the handsome and talented David McGinnis photographed by Mark Denman.

Coppelia is being presented as a special tribute to Royce Flavel "Lee" Green (1946-1997), as a special tribute to honor his memory by his lifelong friends in the Nashville theater and dance communities. During the 1970s to the 1990s, Green was a driving force in Nashville and Middle Tennessee theater, directing and acting in a variety of memorable shows for companies like Theatre Nashville, Circle Players and the St. Augustine Players.

Set in a socially and sexually repressive village in 19th century Germany, this coming of age story follows teenagers Melchior (Matt DuMont), Wendla (Hannah Church), and Moritz (Gregory Pember*) on their journeys of self-discovery. Also featured are Melanie Beck, Josh Bernaski, Ryan Bowie, Regan Featherstone, Humberto Figueroa, Leslie Greene, Erin Keas, Ashley Laverty, John McDonald, Hollie Morse, Sean Ormond, Rob Rodems, Cassie Thompson and Kendall Anne Thompson.

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look so damn good? We're gonna tell ya...Today's actor/subject/model is the lovely and talented Buffi Holland (who's also an agent and talent director)photographed by Kamille Floyd.

The Last Five Years, Jason Robert Brown's imaginative reminiscence/dissection of a crumbling, contemporary marriage, debuted at Street Theater Company last night (Friday, May 4), in a compelling production helmed by director Lauren Shouse and musical director Rollie Mains. Starring two relative newcomers to the Nashville stage-Kacie Phillips and Ryan Greenawalt-it's an engaging and intriguing 90-plus minutes of theater that is likely to leave you introspective and, somehow, oddly satisfied.

Spring Awakening,the Tony Award-winning musical by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater based upon the play by Frank Wedekind, opens at Clarksville's Roxy Regional Theatre for an April 13-May 15 run, starring Matt DuMont as Melchior and Hannah Church as Wendla.

Travis Brazil directs as Boiler Room Theatre continues its 12th season with John Steinbeck's classic drama Of Mice and Men, starrng Ross Bolen and John Mauldin, opening Friday April 13, at the theatre's venue in the historic Factory at Franklin, for a run that continues through May 5.

Today's spotlight falls upon Sondra Morton, who heads up the ACT Too Players-a fertile training ground for up-and-coming actors in the region-and she's operations manager of Franklin's Boiler Room Theatre, a typically harried and busy mom, a critically acclaimed actress and director, and a friend, confidante and supporter of just about everyone she brushes up against. In short, Sondra's just the best and today, you're given the opportunity to learn more about what makes her tick, so to speak, onstage.

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look so damn good? We're gonna tell ya...Today's actor/subject/model is the handsome and talented (and multiple BWW Tennessee Award winner) George W. Manus Jr., photographed by Jessica Storvik.

The first public reading of a new play by noted actress/playwright Regina Taylor-the first play ever to be commissioned by Tennessee Women's Theater Project-highlights the company's sixth annual Women's Work Showcase, a three-week celebration of the arts.