Company Of Fools Presents Woody Guthrie's AMERICAN SONG

Company of Fools (COF) will kick off its 23rd season of dynamic theatre programming in late June with Woody Guthrie's American Song, an ensemble musical based on the famed singer-songwriter's folk music and writings that was praised by The Seattle Times as "An exuberant musical celebration of our nation, our history, and our shared humanity." Directed by Kent Thompson with musical direction by R.L. Rowsey, the production will run June 26-July 15 at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey. Woody Guthrie's American Song is presented in conjunction with The Center's BIG IDEA project We the People: Protests and Patriotism.

Conceived and adapted by Peter Glazer with orchestrations and vocal arrangements by Jeff Waxman, Woody Guthrie's American Song celebrates the life and work of one of the country's greatest and most admired folk balladeers. Guthrie was a wandering minstrel and poet of the downtrodden, the voiceless, the powerless and the forgotten. He was a humanist who railed against social injustice but also extolled the splendors of this country, especially in his most famous song, "This Land Is Your Land."

Five singers and three musicians light up the stage with Guthrie's timeless songs, which are as relevant and urgent today as when they were first composed. COF's production of Woody Guthrie's American Song features local actors Andrew Alburger, Chris Carwithen and Karen Nelsen along with Matt Musgrove (Los Angeles), and Tess Worstell (New York). Production staff includes Lighting Design by K.O. Ogilvie; Costume Design by Maria Gerhardt; and Scenic Design by Company of Fools' resident scenic designer, Joe Lavigne.

"It's thrilling to direct this musical at Company of Fools for so many reasons," said Kent Thompson, Interim Producing Director at COF. "It's a heartfelt and imaginative exploration of the life and music of one of America's greatest folksingers. Woody Guthrie influenced dozens of musicians, including Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Harry Chapin, John Mellencamp, Billy Bragg, and Jerry Garcia, to name a few. He couldn't stop traveling this country, listening to the working people and trying to understand the world around him. He wrote what he saw with honesty and compassion. He also was a great patriot - which for him included a healthy dose of protest."

Woody Guthrie's American Song is generously sponsored by Carol and Len Harlig, Dan and Jodie Hunt, and the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, as well as Jeri L. Wolfson in support of The Center's BIG IDEA project We the People: Protest and Patriotism.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Peter Glazer created Woody Guthrie's American Song, which has seen more than 100 productions nationwide since its 1988 premiere at theaters including Seattle Rep, Berkeley Rep, Ford's Theater, Northlight Theater, San Jose Rep, Missouri Rep, and Marin Theater Company, all under Glazer's direction. The New York production of American Song at the Melting Pot Theater Company received two Drama Desk nominations, among the many awards the show has received in its long history. Other theater pieces Glazer has written or co-written include Foe, adapted from Nobel Prize winner J. M. Coetzee's novel of the same name, Michael, Margaret, Pat and Kate with singer-songwriter Michael Smith, O'Carolan's Farewell to Music with Celtic harpist Patrick Ball, and Heart of Spain - A Musical of the Spanish Civil War, with composer Eric Bain Peltoniemi. He is presently collaborating with folksinger Tom Paxton on a musical based on Paxton's music, and with storyteller Joel ben Izzy on a stage adaptation of his book, The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness.

Glazer has also co-written, produced and directed numerous commemorative performances remembering the American anti-fascist volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, in New York, Chicago, and the San Francisco Bay area. He sits on the Board of Governors of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA) and served on the Board's Executive Committee for four years. His book, Radical Nostalgia: Spanish Civil War Commemoration in America, explores the commemorative history surrounding the volunteers and argues that the memories and traditions called upon at these events through music, texts, and photographs, have progressive potential in the contemporary world.

Glazer is an Associate Professor and former Chair in the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and is a longtime member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. He is Board President of Crowded Fire Theater in San Francisco and is also a member of the Board of the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley, California, one of the premiere folk, world and traditional music venues in the country.

ABOUT THE ARRANGER

Jeff Waxman has worked with Peter Glazer on Woody Guthrie's American Song from the first time it was read and played through 30 years ago. Jeff was Musical Director at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley, California, where the show was recorded.

Jeff is proud to have also collaborated with Glazer on Almost Heaven - Songs and Stories of John Denver in its original iteration at the Denver Center Theater Company. Peter and Jeff's collaborations have been honored with many awards and accolades including Drama Desk nominations for the New York production of Woody Guthrie's American Song, the Denver Post Ovation Award, the Colorado Henry Award and others for the premiere production of this ensemble at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and several Jefferson Awards in Chicago.

Jeff lives in NYC where he has worked as a composer, orchestrator, music producer and musician for over 40 years. His Broadway credits include Gorey Stories, Doonesbury, Into the Light and The Cherry Orchard at Lincoln Center. Jeff has worked in many of the country's regional theaters, including the ALLIANCE THEATRE, the Alley Theater, Ford's Theater, Seattle Rep, Berkley Rep, Missouri Rep, the Village Theatre, and Marin Theatre Company. His recording work has garnered a Grammy nomination, several Emmys and many awards for his work in educational and children's music.

ABOUT COMPANY OF FOOLS

Since 1996, COF has produced high-quality plays, musicals and new work along with substantial arts-in-education programming in Sun Valley, Idaho. A member of The Theatre Communications Group and an Actors Equity Small Professional Theatre, COF has always put an emphasis on the connection between theatre and community, a commitment to excellence in acting and design, and the signature intimacy of its home, the Liberty Theatre. COF has been recognized for its significant contributions to the arts, receiving the Idaho Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2004 and being honored as Arts Advocate of the Year by the Sun Valley/Ketchum and Hailey Chambers of Commerce in 2009. Founding members Denise Simone and John Glenn are both individual recipients of the Idaho Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts - Simone in 2014 and Glenn in 2016. In 2013, COF merged with the Sun Valley Center for the Arts - a multifaceted organization that runs museum-quality art galleries and presents educational programs, music, dance, and film screenings in venues around the Wood River Valley - to become what is now the largest arts institution in the state of Idaho.

COF's 23rd season sponsors include Arrow R. Storage; Linda and Bob Edwards; Ginny and Peter Foreman; Kenneth Lewis; Mathieu Ranum & Allaire, PLLC; Jane Rosen and Scott Miley - Scott Miley Roofing; Carol P. Nie; Priscilla Pittiglio; Richard Smooke and Family in loving memory of Judith Smooke; Mary Ann and John Underwood; Maryanne and Jerry Whitcomb; and media sponsor The Weekly Sun.

TICKET INFORMATION

Prices do not include taxes or processing fees

• $35 for members of The Center

• $40 for nonmembers

• $35 for seniors (62 and over)

• $15 for students (with student ID)

• $35 for members of a group (8 or more)

• $23 for "Second Night 23" adult tickets on Wednesday, June 27, 7 p.m.

These ticket prices do not include the "Pay What You Feel" first preview, 10 for $10, or Educator Night.

Tickets may be purchased online at sunvalleycenter.org, by phone at 208.578.9122 or at the Liberty Theatre box office starting one hour before curtain. COF's box office is located at the Liberty Theatre, 110 N. Main Street in Hailey, with hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. All seats are reserved, except for the "Pay What You Feel" preview.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, June 26 7 p.m. "Pay What You Feel" Night
Wednesday, June 27 7 p.m. Second Night 23 ($23 Tickets)
Thursday, June 28 7 p.m.
Friday, June 29 8 p.m. Educator Night
Saturday, June 30 8 p.m.

Tuesday, July 3 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 5 7 p.m.
Friday, July 6 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 7 8 p.m. Girls Night Out

Sunday, July 8 7 p.m. Chat Back / Backstage Tour

Tuesday, July 10 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 11 7 p.m.

Thursday, July 12 7 p.m.
Friday, July 13 8 p.m.

Saturday, July 14 8 p.m.

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