B Street Theatre Extends THE LADIES FOURSOME Due To Popular Demand

The Ladies Foursome was based upon an earlier play by Foster entitled The Foursome, in which four men who are old buddies from college, play 18 holes of golf. Foster shifted the story to feature four women instead of four men, and changed the plot in specific ways to fit his new cast of characters. Ladies Foursome premiered at the Morrisburg Theatre in Montreal, Canada in July of 2014. The show received glowing reviews with many critics claiming that this new Foursome was better than the first. Soon after, the play received an American premiere at the B Street Theatre, and since then has been produced at the Bay Theatre in Baltimore, Theatre Baddeck in Cape Brenton Island, and the Toowoomba Theatre in Canada.

B Street Theatre has a long relationship with playwright Norm Foster, having produced such hits as The Foursome and Wrong for Each Other. In the Summer of 2014, Norm Foster sent Artistic Director Buck Busfield an email outlining the plot of his new play and the success it had in its first production in Canada. Without reading the play Buck assembled the senior management and announced that this would be the next play in B Street's season and that it would undoubtedly be a hit. The original B Street production starred Company Members Melinda Parrett, Amy Kelly, and Tara Sissom, along with local theatre artist Shannon Mahoney. The run extended three times and was both critically and publicly acclaimed throughout Sacramento.

When brainstorming about which shows to present for the Sofia's first season, the staff was eager to reprise a successful production from the 2711 B Street location. After a short conversation, the obvious choice was Ladies Foursome.

"It was an easy decision," Artistic Producer Dave Pierini commented. "It's a funny, heartfelt show that our audiences absolutely adored. We wanted to present one of our subscribers' all-time-favorites and also give new patrons a taste of the old B Street Theatre."

Company members Tara Sissom and Amy Kelly will return to the Mainstage to reprise their roles, while out of town actors Rebecca Dines and Hanyok will round out the ensemble. Dave Pierini also returns as the director.

Norm Foster - Norm Foster has been the most produced playwright in Canada every year for the past 20 years. His plays receive an average of 150 productions annually making him, by far, the most produced playwright in the history of his country. Born in Newmarket, Ontario on St. Valentine's Day and raised in Toronto, Norm attended West Hill Collegiate Institute and then went on to study Radio & Television Arts at Centennial College in Toronto and then Confederation College in Thunder Bay. Upon completion of his studies, he began a radio career that would span 25 years and which would take him from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg to Kingston and finally to Fredericton, New Brunswick. It was in Fredericton in 1980 that Norm was introduced to the world of theatre. Foster fell in love with the theatre right then and there, and two years later he penned his first professionally produced play, Sinners. It was produced by Theatre New Brunswick and directed by Malcolm Black, who would also direct Foster's next effort, the highly successful, The Melville Boys. The Melville Boys would go on to be produced across Canada and in the United States, including a well-received run Off-Broadway in New York. It would become Foster's signature play and the one which would bring his name to the forefront of Canadian theatre. Since then, Norm Foster has produced an astonishing output of work. Over 55 plays in all, including The Affections of May, the most produced play in Canada in 1991.

Dave Pierini - Dave has been working in professional theatre for over 25 years. Dave is a proud B Street Company Member, having performed in many shows. He last appeared in Dry Powder on the Mainstage. Dave also writes for the B Street Theatre's Family Series, adapting many books for young audiences, most recently, Going West: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad. Dave was instrumental in forming the B Street Theatre's Sketch/Improv Company, both as a member of the improv trio Maximum Occupancy with Tara Sissom and Stephanie Altholz and host of the theatre podcast Poison Boot. He has also directed many plays for the Company, most recently Airness. Dave has also been seen on stage at Music Circus in their most recent productions of West Side Story and Hello, Dolly!

Cast: Margot - Amy Kelly - Amy is an actress, comedian, v.o artist, and impersonator. Her film credits include Nick and Tristan Go Mega Dega (2010) and West Hollywood Motel (2013) and she has starred in numerous independent cult classics that have screened internationally. Amy guest starred in the Comedy Central series Free Radio and VH1's reality series New York Goes to Hollywood. Amy is a B Street Theatre Company Member, her performances include Well, 39 Steps, The Snow Queen, Extraordinary Things: Through the Eyes of Anne Frank, The Young Tom Edison, Hansel and Gretel, Harriet Tubman and Underground Railroad, Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Robyn is Happy, and The Ladies Foursome, Dia de los Cuentos, Five Lesbians Eating A Quiche, A Christmas Carol and Alice in Wonderland. She was also in Treatment, where she was both featured as an actor and a co-playwright. She also writes and performs for the B Street Theatre's comedy shows. You can follow her on the web @ YouTube.come/AmyKellytv/

Tate - Tara Sissom - Tara is a proud member of AEA as well as a Company Member of B Street Theatre and The New Colony. Chicago credits include Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, directed by Robert Falls, with Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy at The Goodman Theatre, (which received a 2012 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Ensemble); Frat; 11:11; Tupperware: An American Musical Fable and That Sordid Little Story (for which she received a 2011 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Original Music) with The New Colony and Literally Sexy II, III and IV and Walk of Shame at Victory Gardens Theater's Fresh Squeezed series. Select regional credits include Christmas Carol, The Christians, Clever Little Lies, Mud Blue Sky, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, A Christmas Carol, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, Jack Goes Boating, Detroit, Seminar and The K of D at B Street Theatre; Children of Eden, Beauty and the Beast and The Man Who Came to Dinner at Flat Rock Playhouse in Hendersonville. She wrote and performed in B Street Live! a sketch comedy show at the Assembly in Sacramento, CA. She was in the revival of The Goodman's The Iceman Cometh at BAM in Brooklyn, NYC 2015. Tara co-starred in and co-wrote Treatment, a world premiere at B Street Theatre with Stephanie Altholz and Amy Kelly. She teaches long-form Improv known as "The Harold" with Stephanie Altholz, new play development, audition and booking techniques as well as private lessons through the B Street Conservatory.

Dory - Tate Hanyok - Born and raised in Virginia, Tate's acting career began at B Street Theatre where she was so lucky to share the stage with its fantastically talented company members in shows like The Underpants, Boston Marriage, Sylvia, and the first CTC show, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. She later transitioned to on-camera work with guest roles on shows such as The Office, Superstore, Shameless, The Mentalist, NCIS, Community, and the film Burt Wonderstone with Steve Carell. She's appeared in more than 75 commercials and is an alum of UCB. She's written, produced, and directed multiple web series and shorts and recently sold her first feature screenplay. Tate could not be more thrilled to be back in Sacramento with her B St. family and on the new B stage!

Connie - Rebecca Dines - Rebecca is returning to the B Street after appearing in last year's Bloomsday as Cait. Previous roles at B Street include Emma in God of Hell and Irene in Many Happy Returns. Recent Sacramento appearances include Emma in Stupid F##king Bird. She has played Margie in Good People for both the Capital Stage Company in Sacramento and the American Stage Company in Florida where she was honored with a Best Actress Award from Theatre Tampa Bay. Recent Bay Area roles include Sam in Aurora Theatre's Mud Blue Sky and Jane in Theatreworks' Fallen Angels. Some favorite roles include Sarah in Time Stands Still, Pamela (et al) in The 39 Steps, Lily Garland in Twentieth Century, Alexa Vere de Vere in As Bees in Honey Drown, Liz Essendine in Present Laughter, and Ruth in The Homecoming. She has appeared for the Sydney, San Francisco and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festivals, the Berkeley, San Jose, Kansas City and South Coast Repertory Theatres and Laguna Playhouse among others.

More about B Street Theatre: B Street Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre company producing primarily new work for adults, families and children. It is located at the brand new Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts, a state of the art performance venue which features the B Street Theatre Mainstage, the Sutter Theatre for Children, and a 75 seat cabaret space called Upstairs @ the B. Recognized as one of the nation's top professional theatres, B Street Theatre has produced more than 160 world premieres written by B Street playwrights and numerous productions which were world, national, West Coast or regional premieres.

B Street Theatre was originally founded in 1986 with the purpose of bringing the excitement of live performance to children through the B Street Theatre School Tour. This educational outreach program still serves over 200,000 students in Northern California annually.

B Street Theatre programs include the Mainstage Series, B Street Theatre Family Series and Family Series Student Matinees (for school field trips), Upstairs @ the B, B Street School Tours, Sketch Comedy, B Street Acting Conservatory and Studio for Young People, and the B Street Theatre Internship program for pre-professional/post-college training. They also host nightly concerts booked by SBL, as well as several Sacramento arts organizations such as the Sacramento Ballet, the Sacramento Women's Chorus, Camellia Symphony, and several others.

In 2014, B Street brought its most popular play ever, Around the World in 80 Days, to India. The original cast performed in three Indian cities, furthering the organization's mission by bringing high quality theatre to an international audience, while also raising money for Indian educational enrichment and schools and partnering with an overseas performing arts center with the hope of future international collaboration. B Street Theatre has produced over 250 professional productions since 1986.

More information at www.bstreettheatre.org.

The mission of B Street Theatre is to promote education and literacy, social interaction, and cultural enrichment by engaging children and adults in the highest quality theatre arts and playwriting.

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