Photo Flash: American Theatre of Actors' MILLEDGEVILLE MEMOIRS

In an exciting collaboration, this March for three nights in New York City at the American Theatre of Actors, the Theatre Department of Georgia College along with D.C. non-profit Washington Women in Theatre will present the world premiere of David Muschell's Milledgeville Memoirs, a moving historical look at life in the former antebellum capital of Georgia post civil war. A unique collection of personal stories of the people of Milledgeville brought to life in an engaging blend of live theatre, dance, music and multimedia and based on narratives crafted from actual townsperson interviews, Milledgeville Memoirs will offer audiences a compelling, intimate, and entertaining docu-theater experience.

Now in its tenth year, Washington Women in Theater (WWiT) promotes music and theater projects that deal with political, social and historical issues from a woman's perspective, and Milledgeville Memoirs will be directed by WWiT Co-Director (and Georgia College's Theatre Department Chair) Karen Berman, who holds her MFA in Directing from Catholic University and was recently inducted at the Kennedy Center into the prestigious College of Fellows of the American Theatre.

In Milledgeville Memoirs, the stereotypes of a town once known for its insane asylum and strong racial tensions collide head-on with the reality of this home to both civil war and civil rights. A mix of folk-tale, social justice, and a timeless love story told through dance, music, and words, this powerful piece of theater tells a universal tale of triumph and perseverance.

With a cast comprised mostly of Georgia College students (who will be In new York rehearsing and performing during their Spring Break), Milledgeville Memoirs will feature Chris Avirett, Destiny Andrews, Rashad Coleman, Brittney Drummond, Niki Edwards, Anna Fontaine, Steve Holbert, Madison Junod, and John Underwood, and the production will include original video footage of the real Milledgeville citizens being interviewed interspersed with historical slides of old Milledgeville from the official State of Georgia Archives. The source material for Milledgeville Memoirs comes from interviews conducted over the past two years by Debra Brown, a graduate student in history at Georgia College. Each interview was conducted of a prominent long-time citizen of Milledgeville who had long-standing ties in the community and took part in, or witnessed, prominent events in Milledgeville's history.

The creative team will include set and lighting design by Georgia College Associate Professor Beate Czogalla (who has designed internationally in Germany, Poland, Belgium, Great Britain and Canada), choreography by Julie Mulvihill (who has choreographed at the American Dance Festival), costume design by Emily Taradash (who has designed for the Provincetown Theatre Company), original music and music direction from Tori Lee Averett, and technical direction from Russell Staples.

Milledgeville Memoirs will run from Thursday, March 24th thru Saturday, March 26th at 8pm at the American Theatre of Actors Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). Tickets are $13 ($9 for seniors and $5 for students) and can be purchased online at www.GCSUtickets.com

Photo Credit Tim Vacula