B Street Theatre's Acting Company - What They're Up To
By: BWW News Desk Jul. 08, 2015
B Street Theatre, Sacramento's Resident New Works Theatre, is pleased to share just some of the projects the B Street Company actors are doing now and in the near future. B Street is proud of the accomplishments and talent of its Company members.
The Company - What Else They are Doing Now
B Street Company members are offered work in a minimum of one to two B Street shows per year. Some appear in many more. As all are professional, Actors Equity Association member actors they make their living at their art. They are also constantly striving to expand their involvement and visibility in the region as well as in the national theatre scene. Here are just a few of the things our actors are doing at B Street and beyond our doors.
Greg Alexander
Recently transitioning from being a B Street Artistic Associate, Greg has taken on the role of B Street's Outreach & Education Manager.
Under his direction, the workshops continue at the Adult Day Reporting Center for men and women on probation. They have a performance of scenes, monologues, stories, and songs at the ADRC on Del Paso Boulevard on July 28. This will be the 3rd showcase of talent from the participants there.
Greg's department also conducts weekly workshops for Sutter Hospital's Child Life Program, providing children with a playful and creative outlet at a time when many of them are confronted with a variety of health challenges. This program, now entering its second year, is the foundation of what we envision being a long collaborative partnership with Sutter Health.
And, the B Street Theatre Conservatory is undergoing an exciting transformation. There will be a variety of new classes offered for students ages 17 to 70+, with new teachers and a revamped curriculum with course offerings under consideration including directing, acting for the camera, improvisation, core acting, audition, scene study, public speaking and Shakespeare.
On deck for next season: a new playwriting contest for "History Extravaganza!," our Winter School Tour show. Students from all over Northern California will be writing and submitting plays based on themes ranging from Ancient History to the Industrial Revolution. Greg is looking forward to an avalanche of whimsical and creative twists on history.
Brittni Barger
Brittni's upcoming projects include hosting the PBS special "Beyond Geek" where she will immerse herself in the little known worlds of esoteric geek culture and interview the people that make those worlds possible. For more, go to www.beyondgeek.com.
She is also excited to be a visiting guest artist at Capital Stage in the Fall, where she has been cast as Nora in A Doll's House, directed by Janis Stevens.
Brittni has been filming with the popular YouTube series Smosh, and will have episodes coming out over the next couple months.
Her own YouTube show on the FourLetterNerds channel was released June 22 and new episodes will be released every Monday after that. For more information, visit www.youtube.com/user/FourLetterNerds.
Summer is camp time for Kurt. Kurt designs and directs B Street's Summer Acting Program with sessions for children ages 6 to 17. Each session includes instruction in various acting techniques as well as a final showcase. Camps run mid June through mid August.
In August Jamie begins rehearsal for Mud Blue Sky in the season opener at Aurora Theatre Company, in Berkeley, CA (auroratheatre.org).
Following her time in Berkeley, Jamie will be seen in Vanya, Sonia,Masha and Spike at Center Repertory Theatre (www.centerrep.org) in Walnut Creek. She has acted in this play before as Masha in B Street's 2014 production but this time is playing Sonia.
Rick Kleber
Rick just finished doing The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County at B Street and is looking forward to a guest artist contract at the Sutter Street Theatre (www.sutterstreettheatre.com) in Folsom. He will be playing Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls running August 22 to October 4.
Jason is starring in an upcoming feature film by local Sacramento filmmaker Jim Meyers. It is called "Not your year" and begins shooting in September. Jason is starring along side his wife (B Street Company Member) Elizabeth Nunziato.
Jason also has coming up, a role in Born Yesterday that opens January 29 at the Center Repertory Theatre (www.centerrep.org) in Walnut Creek.
In addition to acting Jason is a producer, director and editor.
Melinda Parett
Melinda is at Santa Cruz Shakespeare (www.santacruzshakespeare.org) until August 30 where she is playing both Isabelle/Sabine in The Liar, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.
October 3 Melinda will be featured as Brooke in Other Desert Cities at the PCPA's theater in Santa Maria (www.pcpa.org).
David Pierini
Dave will be seen as Officer Krupke in the Music Circus production of West Side Story August 4 - 9. This is the first time Dave has appeared at the Music Circus.
Dave also continues his duties as a B Street Artistic Associate.
B Street's Current Mainstage Show
The wildly funny The Explorers Club, is one of the largest casts ever for B Street. The play's nine person cast features five B Street Company Members: Greg Alexander, Stephanie Altholz, Jason Kuykendall, David Pierini and John Lamb. The show runs through July 26. For more information, go to www.bstreettheatre.org.
About the B Street Theatre Acting Company
In the early years, B Street Theatre went to a select pool of actors for its many productions. These actors have a unique blend of technical skills, dramatic realism and a gift for comedic irony; necessary to fully realize B Street's aesthetic. .patrons.
In 2005 Buck Busfield made the decision to officially create the B Street Acting Company. Invitations were extended to many of the best and most frequent actors seen on the B Street stages. The actors encompassed a large range of types and skills but were tied together by their love of theatre and the quality of their craft.
The acting company serves the theater in many ways; acting, of course, being the most visible. Behind the scenes, the actors read plays, assist in auditions, participate in fundraising activities. They also create programming, such as the B Street's Sketch Comedy Program, who's mission and content was almost entirely actor-created.
Today the Company maintains its high level of diversity and artistry. Currently numbering 24 actors from around the country, the Company members continue to excite audiences. Patrons feel they really "know" an actor they see over and over again, reveling in the shared enjoyment as they're moved by the deftness of the artists creating their theatrical experience.
More about B Street Theatre
B Street Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre company producing primarily new work for adults, families and children. The two-theatre playhouse on B Street in Midtown Sacramento is home to the Mainstage Series, B3 Series and Family Series, each created to feature intimate, quality theatre for audiences year-round. 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), the B3 Series, 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.
In 2014, B Street brought its most popular play ever, "Around the World in 80 Days", to India. The original cast performed in 3 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.
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.
More information at www.bstreettheatre.org.
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