WaterTower Theatre Presents O'KEEFFE! in The Studio Theatre, Now thru 5/17

WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin today announced its presentation of O'KEEFFE!, tonight, April 25 - May 17, 2015 in the Studio Theatre.

The WaterTower Theatre presentation of O'KEEFFE! is produced by Flower and Bone productions and stars Carolyn Wickwire as Georgia O'Keeffe. O'KEEFFE! is written by Lucinda McDermott and is directed by Ouida White. O'Keeffe! has been on tour for the past two years and was recently performed in Santa Fee, Taos, and Albuquerque. The performances at WaterTower Theatre will be the last opportunity to see the show in the DFW area.

O'KEEFFE! is a one-woman show based on the life of the iconic and celebrated 20th century modern artist Georgia O'Keeffe. The story explores O'Keeffe's often turbulent relationship with her husband, Arthur Stieglitz, the man often credited with bringing modern art to America and the one who discovered Georgia O'Keeffe.

Performances of all Discover Series productions are in the Addison Theatre Centre's Studio Theatre, which is located at 15650 Addison Road in Addison, Texas. Performance times are Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $22 to $27.50 with Preview Performances at $20, and can be purchased by calling the WTT Box Office at 972.450.6232 or online at www.watertowertheatre.org. Group rates are also available. Tickets go on sale December 9 at 12 noon.

Also on the creative team are: Master Carpenter: Dennis West; Costumes: Aaron Patrick Turner; Set Color Consultant: Jennifer Owen; and Bones crafted by James McCormick.

About Georgia O'Keeffe - As a young woman in the early 20th Century, Georgia O'Keeffe struggled to maintain her independence as a woman and as an artist. She studied art, but feeling stymied by traditional methods and forced to earn her living, she quit painting for several years. When she began to paint again, a friend sent some of her drawings to Alfred Stieglitz. His reaction to her drawings was overwhelming, stating "At last, a woman on paper!" When he exhibited her drawings without her permission, she demanded that he take them down. He refused. She relented. Thus began "Stieglitz and O'Keeffe." In 1923, Stieglitz held a major exhibit of O'Keeffe's work at the Anderson Galleries. The following year, Stieglitz and his wife of 31 years divorced and he and Georgia married. That year she painted the flower series for which she would become famous. Years later, suffocated by his large and demanding family, she traveled to New Mexico, and found a spiritual and artistic home. She returned every summer until 1946, when her husband died. Only then did she move from New York and permanently reside in New Mexico, She died, March 6, 1986, at the age of 98. Her body was cremated and her ashes were scattered over her beloved 'faraway.'

About Carolyn Wickwire - Carolyn Wickwire is a Dallas-based actor who works in theatre, film, and television. She has won awards for her work in Beauty Queen of Leenane at Quad C Theatre and in The Women at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas. She was acclaimed for her recent performance in Superior Donuts at Theatre Too. Some of her recent plays include The Grapes of Wrath (WaterTower Theatre), Equus (Uptown Players), The Royal Family (Theatre Three), and the world premiere of The Blue Moon Dancing (Contemporary Theatre of Dallas). Her most recent film roles were in Phobia and in Manglehorn with Al Pacino and Holly Hunter, soon to be released. She also had a recurring role in the TV drama Prison Break and has appeared in In Plain Sight. She is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency. She began her professional acting career after the age of 50, and quickly became established on the local acting scene. In 2008, while making her first foray into regional theatre in Tennessee, she met Dennis West, who became her husband as well as her producing partner in this venture.

About the Playwright - Lucinda McDermott holds an MFA in Playwrighting from the University of Virginia. Her work includes Feeding on Mulberry Leaves at the Barter Theatre, Bricks at City Theatre in Miami and the University of Wisconsin, and O'Keeffe! at Primary Stages and theWilliam Redfield Theatre in New York City, Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, Virginia, Daylesford Theatre in Bermuda and elsewhere in theatres, musesums and arts centers throughout the U.S. Lucinda is a director and actor (she originated the role of George O'Keeffe in O'Keeffe!). She has taught playwrighting and was playwright-in-residence at Playworks of North Carolina. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Actors Equity Association, and the Literary Managers and Dramaturges of the Americas.

About WaterTower Theatre - Now in its 19th season, WaterTower Theatre began life in 1996 with 136 brave subscribers. Today, with over 2000 subscribers and a budget of $1.5 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. This year, WaterTower Theatre won six Dallas Fort-Worth Critics Association awards.

WaterTower Theatre has produced 5 world premiere productions and 20 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.

Pictured: Carolyn Wickware in O'Keeffe! Photo courtesy of Flower and Bone Productions.

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