Asolo Rep to Debut New 'Black Box' Theatre Series
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Feb. 27, 2020
On Monday, March 2, at 6 p.m. Asolo Repertory Theatre welcomes audiences to its new "black box"-style theatre for The German Party, the inaugural production of the new Asolo Rep Ground Floor Series. The one-performance-only events will feature diverse dramatic, movement and musical pieces in an intimate and versatile new performance space located within the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.
The German Party by Elisabeth Frankel is set in 1932 Berlin against the backdrop of the rising Nazi Party, as seven childhood friends reunite on New Year's Eve. Reservations for Asolo Rep Ground Floor will be available for each performance on a first-come, first-served basis and can be made online at asolorep.org, by phone at 941-351-8000, in-person at the Asolo Rep Box Office, or at the door. There is a suggested donation of $5. Audiences will enter from the Stage Door at the northeastern corner of the building.
"Asolo Rep Ground Floor is aimed at lifting underrepresented artistic voices while also further engaging our audience in the development of new works," says Asolo Rep Associate Artistic Director Celine Rosenthal. "We want to cast a wider net for experimental plays, perspectives and topics. And we want to share them and discuss them without the financial pressure that comes with a mainstage production."
Throughout the spring, additional Monday-night Ground Floor performances will include passion projects from Asolo Rep directing fellows, new works from playwrights like Lindsay Joelle and Hansol Jung, and a Bluebird Café-style evening of singer/songwriter performances from the cast of Knoxville. See full schedule below.
"We're envisioning a somewhat transgressive, speakeasy experience, inviting everyone to be Asolo Rep insiders," says Rosenthal. "You'll be able to get a drink, see a piece of art performed at a very high level, and then share your reaction with us immediately afterwards."
Formerly a rehearsal studio, the new black box theatre joins the Mertz main stage and Cook Second Stage as Asolo Rep's third on-site performance space. The black box has been outfitted with 360-degree blackout and sound-absorbing curtains, a full-color LED lighting grid, high-durability flooring and state-of-the-art sound system. The adaptable seating can accommodate 60 audience members in a variety of arrangements, including thrust, traverse, and theatre-in-the-round. "Young writers and directors want to think in more dimensions," says Rosenthal.
"We're always looking to bring fresh, exciting new experiences to our audiences," she says. "This program and this new space allow us to further explore what's at the heart of theatre as an art form, which is that intimate, thrilling, human-to-human connection. We want to make sure we're pushing the envelope in the right direction."
Asolo Rep Ground Floor Series: Spring 2020 Season
Monday March 2, 6 p.m.
The German Party
by Liz Frankel
Sunday, March 15, 6 p.m.
The Messengers
by Lindsay Joelle
Monday, April 6, 6 p.m.
Wild Goose Dreams
by Hansol Jung
Monday, April 13, 6 p.m.
A Night At The Bluebird
with Sarah Ailli and the cast and crew of Knoxville
Sunday, April 19, 6 p.m.
Sophie Blanchard's High Flyin' Rock N Roll Extravaganza
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