STRING Opens Next Friday as the Final Show in The Beta Series at Village Theatre

String takes the stage as the final production in the 2016-2017 season of Village Theatre's brand new program, The Beta Series, which is a one-of-a-kind expansion to the theatre's renowned Village Originals program that supports the development of new works.

On a mountaintop high over ancient Greece, three sisters - goddesses known as the Greek Fates - are responsible for spinning, measuring, and snipping the String of Life. After falling out of favor with Zeus, they find themselves stuck in a drab modern skyscraper, left to live and work among world-weary office workers and the security guards who watch over the building. But when the eldest sister falls in love with a mortal, her destiny gets all tangled up in this musical fable about fate and the fragile fabric of the universe. "It's this show with huge thematic ideas, like love, loss, and sisterhood," says Director, Brandon Ivie, "but it's told through a very intimate, almost delicate story with these quirky characters that makes the show feel incredibly relatable, accessible, and significant all at the same time."

String will be the first production to fully venture through the current Village Originals program. Previously seen as a reading at the 2016 Festival of New Musicals, The Beta Series will provide authors Adam Gwon and Sarah Hammond with the opportunity to see the show fully staged and modestly designed in front of an audience in order to put the finishing touches on the music and script before the show receives its world premiere on Village Theatre's Mainstage during the 2017-2018 Season. "It's rare that you get this middle step in a development process," says Gwon. "Usually you do a lot of readings at music stands, and then make the leap to a full production, and you always hit a huge learning curve when you start putting it on its feet. I feel so lucky to get this developmental production phase - all the perks of a production, like design elements, staging, and a paying audience, but with the time to keep working on the script and without the pressure of reviewers or a world premiere." Since The Beta Series thrives on the value of audience involvement, feedback surveys will be distributed to all attendees and select shows during the first five performances of the run will include talkbacks with the writers.

The cast features Kirsten Delohr Helland, Sara Porkalob, and Jessica Skerritt as the three Greek Fates, along with John Coons, Chantal DeGroat, Beth DeVries, Carly Squires Hutchison, Danny Kam, Brian Lange, and Kevin Vortmann. Joining the creative team are Christopher Mumaw as Scenic Designer, Paul Arnold as Lighting Designer, Brynne McKeen as Costume Desiner, Natalie Kinsaul as Sound Designer, and music supervision by R.J. Tancioco.

String is on stage at Village Theatre's First Stage Theatre in Issaquah June 2 - 18, 2017. Performances from June 2-8 are previews, which will include a post-show talkback with the writers. Following each of these shows, there will be daytime rehearsals to incorporate new changes and ideas before the next performance. On June 9, the show will officially open, with no further changes taking place. For tickets, please visit www.VillageTheatre.org or call the Box Office at (425) 392-2202.

About Village Theatre's Village Originals Program

Village Theatre's mission stipulates a dedication to the development of new musicals that achieve national exposure. The Village Originals program of readings, workshops, and developmental productions represents one of the strongest commitments to new musicals in the nation, developing such musicals as Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal, Tony Award-winning Million Dollar Quartet, Drama Desk Award-winner Cupid & Psyche, Stephen Schwartz's Snapshots, and the Drama Desk Award-nominated It Shoulda Been You, After the Fair, and Making Tracks. Village Theatre is one of the few resident theatres to provide regular opportunities at every step of musical development, from first table reading to full-scale premiere production. Each season, new works are included as part of Village Theatre's Mainstage five-show lineup alongside the classics. Anchored by the Annual Festival of New Musicals and The Beta Series, the Village Originals program is dedicated to the continued growth and evolution of musical theatre, and a determination that the form will remain vibrant and relevant for generations to come.

About Village Theatre

Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining, quality productions for the entire family since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's best-attended Equity theatres, with over 20,000 Subscribers and 200,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having launched over 150 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow's audiences through its youth education programs, Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving over 60,000 young people, families, and schools annually.

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