Stan Graner, Marcia Carroll and More Star in WaterTower Theatre's BLACK TIE, Beg. Tonight

WaterTower Theatre presents Black Tie, running tonight, May 31 - June 23, 2013 at the Addison Theatre Centre on the Main Stage. The cast includes Stan Graner as Curtis, John S. Davies as Curtis' Father, Marcia Carroll as Mimi, Katherine Bourne as Elsie, Jordon Brodess as Teddy and Jake Buchanan understudying the role of Teddy.

Making their WaterTower Theatre debuts in Blake Tie will be John S. Davies, Katherine Bourne and Jordon Brodess.

The creative team for The Grapes of Wrath is led by Director Rene Moreno. James Vineyard is theAssistant Director. Bob Lavalee is the Set Designer, Claudia Stephens is Costume Designer, Ryan Flores is Lighting Designer, Luisa Torres is the Stage Manager and Ash Willeby is the Assistant Stage Manager.

Black Tie opens Monday, June 3 running through Sunday, June 23. There are two preview performances tonight, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 Sunday, June 2 at 7:30 pm is a Pay What You Can performance. The official Press/Media night is Monday, June 3 at 7:30 pm.

Father of the groom, Curtis, simply wants to make a memorable toast. But before he is able to raise his glass, he must defend the time-honored ways of his past, including his attire. Cultures clash when a surprise guest is announced, threatening to throw convention out the window. Curtis finds that balancing the standards of his late father and the needs of his future family may prove too messy for a black tie affair.

Creative Team:

Rene Moreno	Director
James Vineyard	Assistant Director
Luisa Torres	Production Stage Manager
Ash Willeby	Assistant Stage Manager
Claudia Stephens	Costume Designer
Ryan Flores	Lighting Designer
Bob Lavalee	Set Designer

Single tickets for Black Tie are on sale now. For tickets, call 972-450-6232 or online at www.watertowertheatre.org.

Performance Schedule:

Show Run Dates: Mon., June 3 - Sun., June 23
Preview Dates: Fri., May 31 and Sat., June 1 at 8 p.m.
Pay What You Can: Sun., June 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Mon., June 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Performances:

Wednesdays and Thursdays: 7:30 p.m.
Fridays: 8 p.m.
Saturdays: 2 p.m. (June 15 and 22) and 8 p.m.
Sundays: 2 p.m.

Ticket Prices: Single Tickets: $20 - $40; Preview Tickets: $20 (Note: Sun., June 2 is "Pay What You Can").

About René Moreno (Director): Actor and director René Moreno was born in Dallas, Texas. He studied music at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and theater and dance at Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University.

He has appeared in the Broadway productions of the Tony Award-winning play Amadeus, where he performed the role of Mozart/Understudy directed by Sir Peter Hall, opposite Frank Langella and Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio (also the First National Tour opposite John Wood); and played Romeo in Joseph Papp's Shakespeare On Broadway opposite ReGina Taylor directed by Estelle Parsons with F. Murray Abraham, Delroy Lindo and Keith David.

In New York City, he has also appeared at the New York Shakespeare Festival/The Public Theater, NYSF/Festival Latino, The Writer's Theatre, The Ensemble Studio Theater, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, INTAR Theatre, Lakota Theatre Company, New Dramatists, and The Drama League among others.

At The Public Theater, he was a founding member of the New York Shakespeare Festival Players, produced by Joseph Papp and directed by Estelle Parsons: an international, multicultural acting troupe that brought free out-door Shakespeare to NYC borough parks, and workshops and Broadway performances to NYC high school students and their families.

He has appeared in plays by Shakespeare, Lorca, Brecht, Shaw and Chekov at prestigious regional theaters across the country including Arena Stage (D.C.), Baltimore Centerstage, ALLIANCE THEATRE (Atlanta), The Old Globe (San Diego), Hartford Stage, Philadelphia Drama Guild, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, A Contemporary Theatre (Seattle), Pioneer Theatre Company (Salt Lake City), and the Peterborough Players (New Hampshire). In Dallas-Ft. Worth, he has performed at the Dallas Theater Center, Shakespeare Dallas, Theatre Three, WaterTower Theatre, WingSpan Theatre Company, Echo Theatre, New Arts Theatre, Arts and Letters Live at the Dallas Museum of Art (including Alley Theatre, Houston performance), Meadows School of the Arts, Project X and Kitchen Dog Theater, where he played the title role in King Richard III.

He has appeared in the Emmy Award-winning television programs Wishbone and the acclaimed documentary U.S.-Mexican War: 1846-48, as well as in Another World, As The World Turns, and Candid Camera. He has also appeared in the films Late Bloomers and Learning Curve, and was a true-to-life subject of an interactive documentary called Journey To Health: Mind, Body, Spirit.

He has directed numerous plays, including classic works and those of modern and emerging writers in productions that have garnered critical acclaim and award recognition. As a director, his varied work has been seen at WaterTower Theatre (August: Osage County), the Milwaukee Repertory Theater (2 Pianos, 4 Hands); Skylight Opera Theatre, Milwaukee (Cabaret); Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Urbana (Metamorphoses); and Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (August: Osage County). He has also served as Assistant Director on several productions at the Guthrie Theater/Guthrie Lab, Milwaukee Rep, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland). As well, in Dallas-Ft. Worth, he has directed at the Dallas Theater Center, Shakespeare Dallas (Hamlet), Contemporary Theatre of Dallas (The Trip to Bountiful), Stage West, Amphibian Stage Productions (No Child ...),among others.

He was a founder and producing partner of De Facto Theatre Group, where he co-produced and directed Sarah Kane's Crave and produced and directed the one-man play And Crown Thy Good: A True Story of 9/11 written and performed by Mark Oristano.

He is the recipient of seventeen Dallas-Ft. Worth Theater Critics' Forum Award citations for Outstanding Direction, three Dallas Theatre League Leon Rabin Awards for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Production, three Dallas Observer "Best of Dallas" Awards for Best Theater Director, D Magazine's "Best of Big D" Award for Best Theater Director, The Column Theatre Awards for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Production, The Margo Jones Directing Fellowship, two Bob Hope Awards for Outstanding Direction, The Princess Grace Foundation-USA Princess Grace Awards Theatre Fellowship, a Hollywood Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Performance, and was honored with a National Endowment for the Arts' National Medal of Arts Nomination.

He has taught directing at Southern Methodist University and has been guest lecturer at the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, University of Central Oklahoma, University of Dallas, University of North Texas, University of Texas/Dallas, University of Texas/Arlington, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Collin College and The Episcopal School of Dallas. He currently teaches acting at KD College Conservatory of Film and Dramatic Arts.

He is a member of AEA (Actors' Equity Association), AFTRA (American Federation of Radio and Television Artists), and SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society).

He holds an MFA in Directing and a BFA in Theatre and Dance from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. In New York City he studied acting with Herbert Berghof, Estelle Parsons, Michael Howard, Clyde Vinson, and Shakespeare with Robert Langdon Lloyd. He studied directing with Mesrop Kesdekian and Melia Bensussen.

He is an Artistic Associate with Shakespeare Dallas and with Contemporary Theatre of Dallas. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of Upstart Productions, Second Thought Theatre, and KD College Conservatory of Film and Dramatic Arts.

WaterTower Theatre's Producing Artistic Director is Terry Martin.

The Company produces Broadway-quality productions with the beauty of an intimate playing space. WaterTower Theatre provides experiences that are powerful and insightful, intense and uplifting. WaterTower Theatre provides the community with an opportunity to examine man's condition from all perspectives and promotes growth through humor and drama.

Now in its 16th season, WaterTower Theatre began life in 1996 with 136 brave subscribers. Today, with over 2000 subscribers and a budget of $1.2 million, it consistently earns rave reviews in The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer, and other local publications. With 104 Dallas Theatre League Leon Rabin Award Nominations and 28 wins to its credit, as well as 17 Dallas Fort Worth Theatre Critics Forum Awards, WaterTower Theatre is home to the finest local talent.

A committed and intrepid producer of new work, the theatre has presented 5 world premiere productions and 13 regional premiere productions to date. WaterTower Theatre's tradition of world premiere programming includes the musicals Song of Motherhood and Blind Lemon: Prince of Country Blues. Dramatic world premieres include Free Fall with Sandy Duncan, Baptized to the Bone by Dave Johnson (which is enjoying healthy post-WaterTower Theatre life) and A Country Life, Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin's southern adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Both Blind Lemon and A Country Life earned WaterTower Theatre a Dallas Theatre League Leon Rabin Award for Best New Work.

WaterTower Theatre is committed to nurturing emerging talent and expanding audiences. The annual Out of the Loop Fringe Festival strives to present new work by local and national writers. A major part of WaterTower Theatre's education program partners professional artists and technicians with students at our Summer Performing Arts Conservatory, where students ages 8 - 18 learn "life skills through theatre skills." In addition, master classes and workshops for professional performers offer an opportunity for continued education at the local level.

WTT is privileged to make its home at the Addison Theatre Centre, an award-winning flexible theatre space that can be reconfigured to accommodate each new production. WaterTower's expanding artistic vision, deepening service to the community and growing audiences have led to a unique partnership with the Town of Addison, one aimed at the development of an exciting destination for patrons to experience the best in theatrical and performing arts.

WaterTower Theatre is a Constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre and a member of the Dallas Theatre League.

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