I AM BARBIE Premieres at Main Street Theater, 5/13-29

Main Street Theater concludes its inaugural season of the New/Now Series with the world premiere of Walton Beacham's I Am Barbie, a tell-all exposé of one of the greatest icons of the 20th century! With a preview on May 12, I Am Barbie opens May 13 and runs through May 29 at Main Street Theater - Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd. Performances are on Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets range from $24 - $30, depending on date and section. The preview performance is $10. Opening night is a benefit performance for MST, and tickets are $75. Tickets are on sale in person at the Main Street Theater Box Office, 2540 Times Blvd., via phone at 713.524.6706, or online at MainStreetTheater.com.

About I Am Barbie
What if Barbie could talk? What if she could really tell you what it was like to be a sex symbol and role model all at once- and to have all those careers - all those outfits! Well, now she can. In this world premiere production, Barbie is 50, and she's got a voice. She's here to let you in on it all. Ken and Skipper are along for the ride, as well as her creator and mother, Ruth. Buckle your seat belts: it's a wild ride...
Recommended for mature audiences due to profanity and adult situations.

About Playwright Walton Beacham
Walton Beacham holds degrees from Georgia Tech (B.S.), Georgia State University (B.A. Literature), and the University of Arkansas (M.A. Literature, M.F.A. Fiction). He has taught math, physics, literature, and creative writing at the University of Arkansas, University of Richmond, and Virginia Commonwealth University where he was Associate Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing. He was Book Editor for the Sunday book section for the "Richmond Times Dispatch," contributor to the "Richmond Mercury," and contributor to "The Nation." He left his position as Associate Professor of English to become vice president of Salem Press, and then founder and president of Beacham Publishing Corp (1985-present). His two-act play Blood Sunday was selected through a juried competition for a reading on the main stage of The Players Theatre in Sarasota, Florida in July 2007. His short play, Stormy, won Theatre Odyssey's 2009 short play festival. The first scene of Barbie was produced as part of Theatre Odyssey's 2010 short play festival.

Discussion Series

Main Street is pleased to continue its Post-Show Discussion Series. Following the performance on Saturday, May 14, playwright Walton Beacham, director Cheryl L. Kaplan, and the cast will engage in a talkback with the audience. There is no extra charge to attend.

About the Production

Cheryl L. Kaplan directs I Am Barbie after directing last season's world premiere of Driftwood. Ivy Castle-Rush (Arcadia) is Barbie; Justin O'Brien (Breakfast at Eight) plays Ken and G.I. Joe. Celeste Roberts (Master Class) is Barbie's creator and "mother", Ruth, and Seán Patrick Judge (This) plays Barbie's engineer, Jack. Jennifer Dean (Driftwood) plays She-Ra, among other characters. Sarah Beth Roberts (Afternoon of the Elves) plays Skipper and others.
The design team includes Jodi Bobrovsky (set and properties design), Macy Perrone (costume design), Carrie Cavins (lighting design), and Janel J. Badrina (sound design). Janel J. Badrina is also the production stage manager.

Photo Credit: www.RicOrnelProductions.com

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