Circle Theater Announces Their 2009 Season Line-up

Circle Theatre, a professional, contemporary regional theatre company in Sundance Square, is proud to announce the line-up for their 2009 season. Unveiling a new look and new productions in 2009, Circle will produce a full season, with previews for the first show beginning on March 19, 2009. Shows this season include: ART, Hail Mary!, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Incorruptible and Lone Star Christmas Carol. Circle Theatre also hosts a resident emerging theatre company, FireStarter Productions, which will present Tapas, April 16 through 19.

"We are thrilled to kick off our twenty-eighth season in March, with a line-up full of laughter, song and good times!" said Rose Pearson, co-founder and executive producer at Circle Theatre. "Our new season opens with ART, a play that will have you talking long after you leave the theatre! Next is the southwest premiere of a Catholic comedy about a young novice who challenges traditional religion, followed by a dark farce about the dark ages. In the fall, we are collaborating with Theatre TCU to present a comedy written by Steve Martin - yes, THAT Steve Martin! The season will end on a high note with the world premiere of an all-Texan musical version of the classic Dickens Christmas Carol."

Circle Theatre's first show of the season is ART, running March 19 through April 11. A witty, thought-provoking comedy about friendship, art and how we define ourselves, the play explores a long-term friendship. Can three friends come to terms with the purchase of an expensive piece of modern art? ART was written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton. It was the winner of the 1998 Tony Award for Best Play and will be directed by Jaime Castañeda.
(Adult Language)

Next the Theatre presents the southwest premiere of Hail Mary!, running May 14 through June 13. Tom Dudzick (the "Catholic Neil Simon") created this new comedy about a clash of wills between a young parochial school novice and her Mother Superior. The unexpected appearance of a childhood sweetheart and an eccentric priest add hilarious complications to the mix.

Incorruptible will run July 16 through August 15. Written by Michael Hollinger, the play takes place in France, circa 1250 A.D. The bones of the patron saint at a local monastery haven't worked a miracle in 13 years. The river flooded again last week, the chandler's shop just burned to the ground, and nobody's invented the wheelbarrow yet. All seems lost, but in this zany farce about the dark ages, anything can - and does - happen. (Adult Content)

September 24 through October 24, Circle Theatre presents Picasso at the Lapin Agile, a play written by comedian/ actor Steve Martin that won the 1996 Outer Critics Award for Best Off-Broadway Play. Presented in association with TCU, Picasso at the Lapin Agile explores what would happen if Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso met in a Paris café shortly before they both became world-famous. It's a unique comedy where the ridiculous and sublime intersect. This production will include TCU student and faculty actors, as well as professional cast members.
(Adult Content & Language)

Rounding out the season is the world premiere of a holiday show, Lone Star Christmas Carol, running November 19 through December 19. This is an all-new, toe-tappin' Christmas musical, with words and music by Gary Moody and Gary Taylor. Don't look for any figgie pudding or "Wassail, Wassail!" here. This all-American (make that all-Texan) version of the classic Christmas tale will tickle the Dickens out of you and show you what "gettin' rich" really means.

Individual ticket prices for shows will remain $20 - $30 in 2009. Preview performance tickets are $10 - $15. Season tickets are now available for sale through the box office for $120 each. Corporate packages are also on sale for $460. This represents a savings of up to $40 a year for top quality live theatre entertainment. As an additional bonus, anyone who purchases a regular season ticket by March 21 will receive a $10 discount off each season ticket. Circle Theatre offers complimentary valet parking and has available elevator access. Call 817.877.3040 for further information or reservations.

FireStarter Productions, the resident emerging theatre company Circle Theatre hosts, will present Tapas, an evening of short plays curated by Jaime Castañeda, April 16 through 19. Tapas is a series of dark comedies by local and national writers, including Kristoffer Diaz, Kathleen Anderson Culebro, Dan Dietz and Jaime Castañeda. Tapas will make you laugh while exploring topics such as bad dreams, the true identity of Superman, woeful love and Hip Hop. (Partial nudity and adult language/content may ensue.)

About Circle Theatre
Circle Theatre is a non-profit regional theatre, founded in 1981 by Rose Pearson and Bill Newberry. Circle often brings contemporary plays, not yet produced in the community, to the Fort Worth area. The Theatre's mission is to present professional, innovative productions in its intimate 125-seat setting. As an equity theatre, Circle offers salaries and benefits to professional artists who wish to continue pursuing their careers, while living in Texas. During the Theatre's unscheduled times in its main stage season, Circle hosts a resident emerging theatre company (FireStarter Productions). Circle Theatre strongly supports the role education plays in the future of all arts organizations and collaborates with local university theatre departments to give students the experience of working in a professional theatre environment. In 2008, Circle Theatre's production of A Snake in the Grass by Alan Ayckbourn was selected as Best Play of the year by the Fort Worth Weekly. The Dallas-Fort Worth Critics' Forum acknowledged actor, Jakie Cabe, for his Outstanding Solo Performance in Circle's production of Chesapeake by Lee Blessing. Circle Theatre provides a place for emerging playwrights, directors, designers and actors to hone their craft. The Theatre welcomes approximately 10,000-15,000 patrons to its musicals, comedies and dramas each year. For more information, visit www.circletheatre.com, Circle's Facebook page, listed as Support the Circle Theatre, or the theatre's MySpace page at myspace.com/circletheatretx.

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