Collaboration LAB Celebrates A New Home For 2023

Enjoy a taphouse beer or glass of wine along with the performances and presentations of area creatives at Collaboration LAB's new venue for March through October 2023 at the Cool River Pizza & Taphouse event room. Placer Rep is excited to share this new Collaboration LAB facility at 6200 Stanford Ranch Road, conveniently located on the boarder of Roseville and Rocklin, only a couple miles off the Roseville/Rocklin exit 105B (Taylor/Pacific).

The venue itself is very conducive to Collaboration LAB and its variety of presenters from visual artists, designers and writers to comedians, musicians and actors. "What's great about the venue at Cool River is that it features a lot of useful amenities. There's a private event room with a projection screen, a large screen TV/monitor with speakers for our room-to-zoom interactions, and attendees can grab themselves a wine, beer or soft drink, or even dinner. And Placer Rep will provide pizza for the room," said T.S. Forsyth, the LAB producer. Local music groups and organizations have already discovered Cool River's hospitality and Placer Rep looks forward to a fruitful partnership with the local business owners.

Going into its fourth season, Collaboration LAB is a FREE monthly open stage for arts, culture and humanities hosted by Placer Repertory Theater in-person and via Zoom, on the fourth Sunday of each month at 7 p.m. (Pacific), January through October 2023. This program is FREE and supported by general funds and monthly sponsors. The January and February 2023 Collaboration LABs were held at Tamraloo Studios in Lincoln, where we continue to host our professional growth program, Studium-Practicum, twice per month until we find a permanent home for Placer Repertory Theater. "We couldn't be more humbled or grateful for the local businesses like Tamraloo and Cool River Pizza & Taphouse who make our services to the region possible," said T.S. Forsyth.

"What I like most about Collaboration LAB is that it creates a warm, friendly and safe space for Creatives and cultural advocates come together to incubate new works and ideas in an open and supportive atmosphere. Presenters get to try out new material, share a new work, hone their performance or presentation skills, seek collaborators, market themselves or their group, and can even ask questions of the audience to receive helpful feedback," said Matt Heyer, Booker and Color Commentator for the LAB.

Creatives who pre-reserved their presentation slot, audience members who wish to share as time permits, and nonparticipating general audience members all register for FREE on Eventbrite.com to ensure their seat at the live event, and their eligibility for the monthly drawing for $100 in prizes (must be present onsite to win). The monthly prize is an incentive to remind presenters and attendees to register for the LAB as seating is limited. Visit Placer Repertory Theater on Eventbrite.com to register for this FREE live event. (Feb: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/collaboration-lab-tickets-549764720077). Email BoxOffice@placerrep.org if you wish to attend via Zoom.

Placer Repertory Theater (www.PlacerRep.org) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission to offer educational and quality-of-life enriching professional performing arts and cultural programs relevant to the people of Placer County, while supporting local organizations and acting as an economic engine for the area. Follow Placer Repertory Theater on Facebook (PlacerRep), Twitter and Instagram: @PlacerRep and subscribe to their YouTube Channel (Placer Repertory Theater).

TERESA STIRLING FORSYTH - Producing Artistic Director, Guest Host, LAB PRODUCER

With an MFA in Dramatic Arts and an MS in Business Management & Leadership, this former Silicon Valley high-tech VP and critically acclaimed professional director/playwright also plays the role of Producing Artistic Director for Placer Repertory Theater. Previously, the artistic director for two San Francisco theater companies and founder/board president of an economic & workforce development nonprofit organization for Santa Cruz County, her performing arts background includes international tours as an actor/singer/dancer, and director/playwright for national and international touring productions with renowned performing artists, such as Brenda Wong Aoki, and companies like Dell'Arte International. As an educator, she has instructed and directed at UC Davis, University of San Francisco, Shawnee State University, and other educational institutions. Projects on which Forsyth worked performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, Dallas Theatre Center, San Diego Repertory Theater, and many other renowned venues, and received Dramalogue Awards, Critics Circle Awards, Indy Award: Best Spoken Word Album, Broadway World Awards, the Gloria Burt Fellowship in Literature, as well as numerous grants from the NEA, NEH, CAC, ACPC and corporations. She is a member of the professional organizations: The Dramatists Guild, SDC Stage Directors & Choreographers, The Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), TCG and NNPN/New Play Exchange.

SHIANNE DINGEMAN - LAB CO-HOST / Technician

With a B.A. in Films/Media Studies and a minor in Theater with a Directing concentration from U C Santa Barbara, Shianne is a new company member with Placer Repertory Theater as of 2023. Some of her favorite previous directing projects include Art/Work by Russell Leigh Sharman, South Lake Tahoe by Brian Otaño, and scenes from The Seagull by Anton Chekhov and Stupid F*cking Bird by Aaron Posner. Shianne graduated with honors in her major and looks forward to directing and administrating with Placer Repertory Theater.

MATT HEYER - COLOR COMMENTATOR

Graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he received his BFA in Theatre, Matthew won the Irene Ryan award for his ensemble work in 2018 and for his performance as Elliot in Completeness in 2019.His favorite mainstage productions include Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire, Charles in As You Like It, Thomas Putnam in The Crucible, and Shakespeare in The Bard on Broadway. Matt studied IPA and performs duties as a Dialect Coach for Placer Repertory Theater productions. As an actor, for Placer Rep in 2021, Matthew has played the characters George and Milo in From the Mind of Scott Charles, and the title role in "An Evening with Sherlock Holmes" featuring a new play based on The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In 2022,, Matt was part of the ensemble cast for Haunting History, and the ASM and Understudy for two roles in the mainstage world premiere of Ghosts of Placer County.

FUNNY ROBERT - GUEST HOST for MARCH LAB

A graduate of the San Francisco Comedy College, Robert has performed regionally throughout California, as well as in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, and Austin, Texas. As an Emcee, he has hosted professional comedy shows, as well as open mic nights for professional clubs. Among his favorite performances are his evening at The Improv in San Jose and performing as a featured comedian at Rooster T. Feathers in Sunnyvale. He draws his comedy from his family, work and the comic-tragedy that is the human existence.

THE EVENT

ColLABoration LAB

• Open Stage event featuring New Work & Talent Incubation & Networking. Fourth Sunday of each month, March 26 through October 22, 2023 at 7 PM in-person and via zoom.

ColLABoration LAB - An open stage incubation and networking monthly event program offered in-person and via zoom, featuring presentations, performances and new works shared by individual creatives and cultural organizations from Placer County and beyond. Open stage/mic time is offered to the audience after the pre-booked presenters complete their performances or presentations. Drawing of $100 in prizes for those attendees who register via Eventbrite.com and are present at the time of the drawing.

WHERE:

In-Person: Cool River Pizza & Taphouse, 6200 Stanford Ranch Rd., Rocklin CA

Zoom: Livestream - Register on Eventbrite.com to receive the link.

WHEN:

Fourth Sunday each month

March 26 through October 22, 2023 (Pacific)

FMI / TICKETS:

Free registration on Eventbrite.com: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/collaboration-lab-tickets-515729529907

Reserve Presentation Slot: email BoxOffice@PlacerRep.org

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