Marin Theatre Company Premieres TALL TALES in a School Tour Production 2/22-3/27

Marin Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of Tall Tales by Steve Yockey, based on classic American folk tales about larger-than-life heroes. MTC commissioned this new play from playwright Steve Yockey especially for its School Tour program, following the success of his Animal vs. Animal: an Aesop's Fables Mashup for the School Tour last season. Tall Tales will be directed by Josh Costello, MTC Artistic Director of Expanded Programs, and performed by professional actors. Tall Tales tours Bay Area elementary school stages from February 22 through March 27, 2011. In addition, public performances will take place in MTC's Lieberman Theatre March 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 1 PM.

Steve Yockey's Tall Tales tells a story about two elementary school students. Sammy always has the most impressive class presentations. Max, her best friend and project partner, is hiding somewhere in the school after a public bullying incident. She has to make sure he's okay and finish their "Tall Tales" project by speeding him through a roller coaster of oversized characters and American myth. They learn that sometimes things that seem huge aren't quite as big as we imagine.

American Tall Tales are on the California Department of Education recommended literature list for reading and language arts. The performance is available for bookings by schools for up to 299 students. It is under 45 minutes in length and can be followed by creative drama workshops with the actors.

Playwright Steve Yockey was the 2009-10 playwright-in-residence at MTC through the National New Play Network. His plays Octopus, Skin and Large Animal Games have been produced in the Bay Area and throughout the United States.

Director Josh Costello is MTC's Artistic Director of Expanded Programs. He directed last season's School Tour production of Animal vs. Animal, as well as MTC's hit production of Athol Fugard's My Children! My Africa! in 2009.

The cast includes Actors Equity Association members Danielle Levin and PatRick Jones, who both appeared in last season's School Tour production of Animal vs. Animal. Danielle was seen recently at MTC in the 2009 hit production of My Name is Asher Lev.

FACTS & CALENDAR INFORMATION

WORLD PREMIERE
TALL TALES
By Steve Yockey | Directed by Josh Costello

Sammy always has the most impressive class presentations. Max, her best friend and project partner, is hiding somewhere in their school after a public bullying incident. She has to make sure he's okay and finish their "Tall Tales" project by speeding him through a roller coaster of oversized characters and American myths. They learn that sometimes things that seem huge aren't quite as big as we imagine.

Public Performances
WHEN: Sat, March 19 & 20 | Sun, March 26 & 27 | 1pm

WHERE: Marin Theatre Company | Lieberman Theatre | 397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941

TICKETS: $10 child | $15 adult/senior

INFO: 415.388.5208 | www.marintheatre.org

School Tour
February 22 through March 27, 2011
For more information about booking performances in elementary schools, contact Josh Costello, MTC's Artistic Director of Expanded Programs, at education@marintheatre.org or call 415.388.5200 x3310.

ABOUT MTC Marin Theatre Company is the Bay Area's premier mid-sized theater and the leading professional theater in the North Bay. MTC produces a season of provocative plays by passionate playwrights from the 20th century and today in two intimate theaters. The company is committed to the development and production of new plays by American Playwrights, with a comprehensive New Play Program that includes at least one world premiere each season, two nationally recognized annual playwriting awards, and new play readings and workshops by the nation's best emerging playwrights. MTC's Expanded Programs open up opportunities for people of all ages and all communities to participate in the process of theater and provides educational programs that serve more than 6,000 students each year.

ARTIST BIOS
Playwright Steve Yockey was the 2009-10 MTC Playwright in Residence through the National New Play Network's Emerging Playwrights ResidenCy Grant program, one of three NNPN Emerging Playwrights nationwide. MTC produced his Animal vs. Animal: An Aesop's Fables Mashup for its School Tour last season. His plays include Large Animal Games, which premiered November 2010 at Impact Theatre in Berkeley and Dad's Garage Theatre in Atlanta; Octopus, which was co-produced by Encore Theatre and Magic Theatre in San Francisco in 2008; Skin, co-produced by Encore Theatre and Climate Theatre in 2009; and Cartoon and Sleepy at Impact Theater in 2007. Steve is a graduate of the University of Georgia and holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He recently completed a Coca-Cola Artists Residency teaching dramatic structure at Emory University.

Director Josh Costello is Artistic Director of Expanded Programs at MTC, where he directed My Children! My Africa!, Lovers & Executioners and several School Tour productions. He directs the world premiere of Zayd Dohrn's Reborning at SF Playhouse in May 2011. Other credits include House of Lucky at Magic Theatre, Romeo and Juliet: A Fire Ballet at The Crucible and Hamlet at Shakespeare-by-the-Sea. Josh was Founder and Artistic Director of Impact Theatre and was Education Director at Marin Shakespeare Company. He holds a BFA in Theatre from Boston University and an MFA in Directing from the University of Washington, Seattle.

PatRick Jones appeared in the MTC School Tour production of Animal Vs. Animal last season. Recent theater credits include Taming of the Shrew at Virago Theatre, The Real Thing at the Livermore Shakespeare Festival, How to Write a New Book for the Bible and Variations on a Theme at Theatreworks' New Works Festival, The Safari Party at Personal Space Theatrics in New York City, Cymbeline and Misalliance at New York Classical Theater, You Can't Take it With You at the Denver Center and The Lieutenant of Inishmore and In the Belly of the Beast at Florida Studio Theater. He holds an MFA from Case Western Reserve University.

Danielle Levin appeared in MTC School Tour productions of Animal vs. Animal and A Short History of Nearly Everything, as well as MTC mainstage productions of My Name is Asher Lev and said Saïd. Recent credits include Man of Rock at Climate Theater, the 13th Annual Best of PlayGround Festival (where she is a company member); Skin at Encore Theatre and Climate Theater, Current Nobody at Just Theater, Vera Wilde at Shotgun Players, Emma at TheatreWorks and Anna Bella Eema at Crowded Fire Theatre Company. Danielle has been seen onstage with several other Bay Area companies including Aurora Theatre Company, Center Repertory Company, Golden Thread Productions and Word for Word.

 

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