GOING WEST: THE STORY OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD Premiere Headed to B Street Theatre

B Street Theatre will present the World Premiere of Going West: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad as the third production in the 2016 - 2017 Family Series Season.

B Street Staff Artists Greg Alexander and Dave Pierini will adapt the story of westward expansion and the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad for the stage. Inspired by The Golden Spike, a B Street Theatre School Tour piece performed in the Fall of 2010, Going West will explore the ever-changing and growing landscape of America during the late 1800s.

Adding to B Street's list of original adaptations surrounding prolific historical events, Going West is sure to appeal to children and grown-ups alike. This production marks the 167th play written by B Street Staff Artists.

B Street Theatre's Family Series has a mission of bringing original stories to life on stage for children and adults. The Family Series will often feature an adaptation of a classic story, the profile of a historical figure or the depiction of a known historical event. Additionally, B Street's Family Series endeavors to provide a variety of programming that appeals to children of all ages. Each season, the Family Series features a production for older children that emphasizes literature or events they may be studying in the classroom. Going West: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad is our historical offering for the 2016 - 2017 Family Series season. Those who enjoyed other B Street Theatre World Premieres such as Finding Our Voice: Susan B. and the Women's Suffrage Movement, The Flying Machine and The Conductor: Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad are sure to be captivated by Going West.

In keeping with the Family Series aesthetic, Going West will illustrate the story of the Transcontinental Railroad by depicting the successes and challenges faced by those who endeavored to create one of the most important ventures of our time. From government leaders, to architects, to the Chinese immigrants who worked endless hours through hazardous conditions, Going West: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad will dramatize the lives of these important men and women who joined the two shores of our nation.

Recommended for ages 7 and up, the show runs February 25 - April 2, 2017, playing 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Saturdays and Sundays. Preview: Saturday, February 25 at 1:00 pm. Opening: Saturday, February 25 at 4:00 pm. All performances take place at B Street Theatre Family Series Stage, 2711 B St., Sacramento, CA. Tickets: $23 adults, $18 Children, $15 and $11 Preview tickets. For tickets and information, call (916) 443-5300 or visit www.bstreettheatre.org. *Please note this price includes a $5 Facility Fee.

The Playwrights:

Greg Alexander - A member of the B Street Staff and Acting Company, Greg recently directed the Family Series show Alice in Wonderland and played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol on B Street's Mainstage. Greg has appeared in numerous B Street Theatre productions including I Am My Own Wife, The Big Bang!, Around The World In 80 Days, Escanaba In Da Moonlight and Outside Mullingar.. He also wrote and directed Walk In Our Shoes - a show promoting mental health awareness - for B Street Theatre's School Tour. Sponsored by the California Mental Health Services Authority, Walk In Our Shoes was performed at over 100 schools throughout the state. Additional regional theatre credits include work at The Jewish Theatre of San Francisco, Sacramento Theatre Company, Capital Stage, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Philadelphia Theatre Company and People's Light and Theatre Company in Malvern, Pa. Greg lives in Sacramento with his wife Sean and their Westies, Milo and Magoo.

David Pierini - David Pierini began working for the B Street Theatre in 1990. He started as an actor for the B Street Theatre School Tour, then started to write and direct for the Tour. David has acted steadily in B Street productions from its inception in 1991. In 2004, B Street Producing Artistic Director Buck Busfield suggested David try to write an adaptation of the beloved children's book, The Boxcar Children. Thus began a long fruitful relationship with the B Street Family Series.

The Director: To be announced.

The Cast:

Ensemble: Rick Kleber - Rick was an original Fantasy Theatre company member and has appeared in over 25 B Street productions including Mark Twain Tales, The Three Musketeers, Hansel and Gretel, A Year With Frog and Toad, Go Dog Go, Pinocchio, The Golden Harp, The Conductor: Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, Gunmetal Blues and The Death of Zukasky. Abroad he has appeared in over 120 productions, including Guys and Dolls (Alabama Summer Fest), Little Shop of Horrors (Syracuse Stage), Cabaret (Oklahoma Lyric Theatre), Crazy for You (Music Theatre of Southern California), Corpse (Foothill Theatre) and Fiddler on the Roof (Golden Theatre) for which he won a Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award. Film credits include: Ghost, Hook, My Favorite Martian, Her Minor Thing, Waxwork II, Lunch and The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave. Television credits include: Jay Leno's The Tonight Show, Howard Stern's Son of the Beach, The West Wing, The Amanda Show, All That, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, and national commercials for Coke and Sony. Rick is a proud company member of the B Street Theatre Acting Company.

The remaining cast members are to be announced.

The B Street Theatre's Family Series is California's only fully professional, resident theater for children. Operating under a Theatre for Young Audience agreement with Actors Equity Association, the Family Series' mission is to introduce children to the wonder of professional theatre through the production of original plays, and original adaptations of contemporary novels and classic works of literature. Since its premiere season in 2003, the Family Series has presented over 50 professional plays for approximately 300,000 children and families of the Sacramento region.

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 100 new plays, 60 of which are world, national, West Coast or regional premieres.

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

Other B Street Theatre programs include the B Street Theatre Family Series and Family Series Student Matinees (for school field trips), the B3 Series, B Street Acting Conservatory and Studio for Young People, and the B Street Theatre Internship program for pre-professional and post-college training.

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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