Actors Theatre Presents Hunter Gatherers at Herberger Theater 12/30-1/15

With the community helping Actors Theatre reach the first of three critical fund-raising deadlines allowing the company to continue operating at least through mid-January, Ron May, founding artistic director of Stray Cat Theatre, will direct "Hunter Gatherers" on Stage West at the Herberger Theater from Dec. 30 through Jan. 15.

Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's darkly comic satire takes place in the living room of a San Francisco loft where Pam and Richard are hosting their best friends, Wendy and Tom, for their annual dinner get-together to celebrate their wedding anniversaries. An animal sacrifice kicks off the evening, which devolves into a dizzying reflection of the whole gamut of human animal urges.
Described as everything from "Intense" by Talkin' Broadway to "Sidesplitting" by the Seattle Times and from "Bitingly hilarious" by the LA Times to "A Shocker" by Backstage, Actors Theatre's production features Angelica Howland, Cale Epps, Yolanda London and Toby Yatso. The cast will be supported by Paul Black, lighting; Peter Beudert, set design; Connie Furr Soloman, costumes and Christopher Neumeyer, sound.

Writing in the Seattle Times, theater critic Misha Berson said that "In his meaty farce, "Hunter Gatherer's" sharp-witted scribe Peter Sinn Nachtrieb starts yanking your chain right away" in a "cross between "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and an uncensored episode of "Survivor."
Single tickets range in price from $27.50 to $43.50.

To purchase tickets, visit www.actorstheatre.org. Tickets also can be purchased at the Herberger Theater Box Office at (602) 252-8497.

The staging of "Hunter Gatherers" comes amid Actors Theatre's grassroots fund-raising effort to keep the company from closing its doors after 26 years in the Valley. On October 28, the company announced a three-staged fund-raising effort to offset a dire financial crisis designed around three critical deadlines. The first, to raise $70,000 by Nov. 30, was reached Sunday, Nov. 13, just over two weeks after the initial announcement.

Actors Theatre is now focused on raising another $170,000 by the end of 2011 to complete its six-show season and another $260,000 by the end of June to establish a sound financial footing.
"Given the response we've experienced from the Valley and across the country, we're very hopeful that we'll continue the momentum and be able to hit our deadlines," said Producing Artistic Director Matthew Wiener.

About Actors Theatre of Phoenix
Actors Theatre presents passionate, thought-provoking theatre designed to add to the social dialogue of the community. Our mission is to create professional theatre with a social conscience in an urban setting. The ideas and themes embedded in the work we produce are the framework for civic dialogue within our community. We have built a reputation as the company that takes the most risks and consistently delivers thought-provoking theatre; ensuring an ongoing connection between the plays and the people who attend our performances. Actors Theatre performs exclusively at the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. Actors Theatre has been named Producing Theatre Company of the Year by the Arizona Theatre Alliance and Arts Organization of the Year by the Arts and Business Council of Greater Phoenix.

HUNTER GATHERERS PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 31, 8 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 1, 2 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 5, 7 p.m. (post-show discussion follows performance)
Fri., Jan. 6, 8 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 7, 8 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 8, 2 p.m. (post-show discussion follows performance)
Wed., Jan. 11, 7 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 12, 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 13, 8 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 14, 8 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 15, 2 p.m.

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