Announcing The Cast Of BUZZ, A New Work By Susan Ferrara

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents the world premiere of Buzz by Susan Ferrara, on stage September 4 - 15, 2019. Directed by Emmy Award-winning actor Carrie Preston, the provocative new play will be performed in an alternative space, ensuring that every performance is a unique experience for the audience.

Buzz focuses on the charismatic, visionary director Mary Ann "Buzz" Goodbody, who was one of five women directing theatre in the UK in the 1970s and the first woman to direct at the Royal Shakespeare Company. During her tenure at RSC, she developed plays in The Other Place, a corrugated tin shack that lent itself to experimental productions. There, she famously directed a then-unknown Ben Kingsley in the title role of Hamlet, which was the Hamlet of their generation. Four days after it opened, Buzz was gone.

"Before we know who they are or what they've accomplished, women disappear. If we aren't inspired to write their stories - all their stories - we risk erasing our own history," said Ferrara. "Buzz isn't a history play but a reminder to support one another; to elevate stories not being told and to demand our seat at the table."

Tony Award- and Drama Desk Award-nominated actor Elizabeth A. Davis portrays Buzz. Her work has been seen on and off Broadway (Once, King Lear, Dust Can't Kill Me, Allegro), on television, and in film.

Zuhdi Boueri takes on the role of Hamlet in his Alabama Shakespeare Festival debut. Career highlights include touring an original play by Hansol Jung titled Double Think in South Africa and studying Shakespeare in London for six weeks.

Television and film veteran Sam McMurray joins the cast as Sidney. Film credits include Raising Arizona and L.A. Story. TV audiences will remember his roles in The King of Queens, Scandal, Breaking Bad, and Netflix's Grace and Frankie. His theatre credits include the original productions of Translations, A Soldier's Play, Savage in Limbo, The Taking of Miss Janie, and Kid Purple.

ASF MFA graduate Tarah Flanagan appears as Miss Soft. Previous ASF credits include Alice in Wonderland, An Ideal Husband, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Recent credits include An Iliad at Cleveland Playhouse and The Merchant of Venice at Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Spencer Davis Milford plays Mr. Right. Spencer made his Broadway debut as the titular character in The Winslow Boy. Other credits include national tours of Billy Elliot and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

The role of Ms. Cut is portrayed by ASF Associate Artistic Director Greta Lambert. As a company member for 33 years, she has appeared on stage at ASF in Fair and Tender Ladies, The Glass Menagerie, Steel Magnolias, and Death of Salesman.

Rounding out the cast is Christopher Gerson as Mr. Babble (last seen in ASF's productions of Our Town and Romeo + Juliet); Zack Calhoon as Leonard (recent credits include The Glass Menagerie at Fulton Theatre and Water by the Spoonful at Premiere Stages); and Broadway actor Robert Emmet Lunney as Mentor (A Delicate Balance, Born Yesterday, The Graduate, Dancing at Lughnasa).

The Buzz creative team includes Assistant Director Christopher Gerson, Scenic and Costume Designer Leslie Taylor, Lighting Designer Cat Starmer, Sound Designer Melanie Chen Cole, Stage Manager Victoria Broyles, and Production Assistant Madison Rutledge.

Buzz is presented in the ASF Scene Shop (aka The Other Place). General admission tickets are $50. To purchase, call 334.271.5353, visit the ASF Box Office (open Monday - Saturday, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.), or go online: ASF.net/buzz. Evening performances begin at 7:00 p.m.; matinees start at 2:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and at 3:00 p.m. on Sundays.

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