Forward Theater Company Presents THE AMATEURS

Forward Theater Company will finish their 11th season with the regional premiere (and third-ever production) of The Amateurs by Jordan Harrison. This inventive and hilarious play will be presented in the Playhouse at Overture Center, March 19 - April 5, 2020.
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The Amateurs features an itinerant troupe of actors performing plays about Bible stories as they attempt to outrun the Black Plague in this 14th century-set comedy. The Renaissance is still in the future, and so is the concept of self-determination. So when a female performer stops a performance to wonder why Mrs. Noah would get on the ark, she throws her castmates into chaos.a??a??

"This is a really new play," said Director Jen Uphoff Gray. "And it's a thought-provoking and centuries-spanning comedy that is full of classic laughs. But what delights us most about this story are the themes running beneath the surface that inspire your imagination and your heart. It's unique. It's a little hard to describe. And we're incredibly excited about it."a??a??

Forward will offer free public lectures at Overture during the run of the production, each one based on topics related to themes in the play. They will be presented prior to each Saturday evening performance at 6:30pm (a show ticket is not required to attend the lectures):a??

3/21: Dick Wagner - a local historian and author of "We've Been Here All Along: Wisconsin's Early Gay History" - on issues relating the the LGBTQ+ community and the history of AIDS in Madison.a??

3/28: Martin Foys - this UW professor in Medieval Studies will give a talk about the traditions of medieval theater.a??

4/4: Thomas Dale - this UW Director of Medieval Studies and Professor of Art History will give a lecture on the macabre and the performance of death in late medieval art and visual culture.

The production features Terry Bell, Matt Daniels, Adam Estes, Emily Glick, Josh Krause, and Kat Wodtke. a??a??

Directed by Jen Uphoff Gray. Scenic Designer: Nate Stuber, Lighting Designer: Marisa Abbott, Costume Designer: Monica Kilkus, Composer/Sound Designer: Joe Cerqua, Dramaturg: Mike Fischer, Stage Manager: Sarah Deming-Henes, Technical Director: Kevin Zimmer, Props Master: Pamela Milesa??a??

Tickets are now on sale. They may be purchased online at forwardtheater.com, in person at Overture Center's ticket office, or by calling (608) 258-4141.

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Previews (first Thursday performance): $20 for the general public

Adults: $39-$49

Seniors (62+): $34-$46

Students: $27-$35

The production will have one preview performance, March 19th at 7:30 pm. For this performance only, $10 tickets are available to high school and college students and educators. Simply ask for the student/educator discount at the box office when purchasing your tickets and provide a valid student or educator ID.

Student Rush tickets will also be available to high school and college students for $15 apiece, one hour prior to each regular performance, at Overture Center's ticket office. Students can buy up to two tickets, and must present a valid student ID.

In addition to the free public lectures on 3/21, 3/28, and 4/4/, FTC will present FREE pre-show lectures on the Rotunda Stage, one hour before the curtain time, prior to all Thursday and Sunday performances. These talks will give audiences some additional background on the play, the author, and the production elements that bring the play to life. No tickets or reservations are required.

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