What's Happening in Tulsa Theater August-September 2010

There will be several events being hosted in Tulsa for the rest of August and September.

Muskogee Little Theatre Presents THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

Muskogee Little Theatre opens their August Musical Comedy, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE this Friday, August 6th at 8:00 p.m.
Six kids face off in the battle of their lives. The competition is intense. The words are outrageous. Let the spelling (and the singing) begin! Three adults adjudicate the proceedings: a nostalgic former spelling bee winner, a midly insane Vice Principle and The Official Comfort Councilor completing his community service to the State of New York. Both tender and sardonic, this hilarious Tony Award-winning musical of overachievers angst brings you inside the spelling championship to end them all. This show is recommended for all ages.

Before every performance of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE four audience volunteers are recruited to participate on-stage as guest spellers. Each new foursome guarantees a new set of hilarious and unexpected experiences. The willing contestants are chosen through pre-show lobby interviews and questionaire.

Advance tickets may be purchased or reserved at Soundworld, 123 E. Okmulgee, 918-683-4901. Ticket prices are $14 for adults and $10 for students. Production dates are August 6, 7, 8 & August 12, 13, 14. Curtain is 8:00 p.m. except Sunday, August 8 at 2:00 p.m.

Potential guest spellers should arrive at the theatre 45 minutes prior to curtain. The show is co-sponsored by Rotary Club of Muskogee and MyPro's. All productions at Muskogee Little Theatre are presented with the assistance of The Oklahoma Arts Council. For additional information visit www.muskogeelittletheatre.com or call 918-816-0688.

"Ramona Quimby"

Tulsa's Spotlight Children's Theatre will be presenting "Ramona Quimby" on August 6-8 and 13-15 at the Spotlight Theater, 1381 Riverside Drive, Tulsa, OK.

Directed by Sean Ballard, and using Ramona's older sister, Beezus, as a narrator, the story takes you through Ramona's third-grade year as she deals with the trials and tribulations of school and family life. Ramona's unique perspective will keep you enthralled as she learns to cope with the ever-changing world around her.

For more information or reservations, please call (918) 587-5030.

"Heller Shorts" Off Off Brookside Short Play Festival
Aug. 12-14 at 8pm and Aug. 15 at 2pm
Henthorne Performing Arts Center
4825 S. Quaker Tulsa, OK 74105

Heller Shorts Off, Off Brookside Short Play Festival presents an evening of eight short plays, about 10 minutes each, featuring the theme "Short Subjects." Performances are Aug. 12-14 at 8pm and Aug. 15 at 2pm. The performance on Friday, August 13 will include a reception for the audience to meet the playwrights at 7pm and a talk-back with directors and playwrights following the performance. Admission is $7 for seniors and students and $10 for other adults.

The plays were chosen from a field of 25 entries submitted by local playwrights this Spring.

"In this inaugural year I am pleased to say that our playwrights represent the Tulsa community at large. We have several local writers, two college professors and other professional and administrative workers as our playwrights," says Festival Director Susan Apker.

Heller Shorts is also giving novice directors the opportunity to stretch their artistic wings. "Although not all the directors are novices, some are directing for the first time," says Apker. "Most of the actors have performed throughout Tulsa, so the combination of veteran actors and novice directors along with new material, offers the audience a truly energetic experience."

The Heller Shorts Festival has taken the performance spot usually reserved for the nationally advertised full-length original work that Heller produces every year. However, it was thought that a short play festival, and giving local talent an opportunity to shine, would benefit the community in a more direct way.

The eight plays are: Jogging Memories by Susan Apker, iZombie by Kendra Blevins, Miranda's Warning by Nona Charleston, Dirty Shorts by Stephanie Colburn, Shorts by Steve Credell, Check, Please by Marilyn Gates, The Manhattan Arrangement by Jeffrey S. Wetterman, and Cheering by Michael Wright.

All plays were selected for production by a panel of judges who reviewed scripts from which the name of the submitting playwright had been removed.

The festival will take place at Henthorne Performing Arts Center, 4825 S. Quaker, Tulsa, OK 74105.

Spotlight Theatre Auditions for "James and the Giant Peach"
Monday and Tuesday, August 16 & 17, 6:45 PM

Spotlight Children's Theatre is holding auditions for "James and the Giant Peach", based on the book by Roland Dahl and adapted by David Wood. Auditions will be held at the Spotlight Theatre, 1381 Riverside Drive, Tulsa. Director George Romero invites actors of all ages to audition for the 20+ parts in this rolicking comedy.

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. A one-minute monologue may be prepared if the actor wishes, but is not required.

James is an orphan living with two cruel aunts after the bizarre death of his parents. He receives a bag of magic from a mysterious wanderer and accidentally spills the bag right under the old peach tree. This makes the insects under the tree, as well as a single peach, grow to enormous proportions (for peaches and insects, anyway)! When the peach breaks loose and rolls away, James joins his insect friends and together they encounter adventures both on the ocean and in the air as they journey to New York.

Performances are October 2nd, 3rd, 9th, and 10th at 2:00 PM and October 1st and 8th at 7:30 PM. Ticket prices are $8 for children, $9 for seniors, and $10 for adults. For more information or reservations call the Spotlight Theatre at (918)587-5030 or go online to www.spotlighttheater.org.

Clark Theatre Auditions for "Annie"
Saturday, August 14th at 3:00 pm

Clark Youth Theatre announces auditions for the musical "Annie" by Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin, book by Thomas Meehan. Auditions will be held on Saturday, August 14th at 3:00 pm. Students ages 8-18 are welcome to audition.

Those auditioning will be required to sing 16 bars of song and do cold readings from the script.

An orphan, Annie, and her dog Sandy are placed in the lap of luxury for a week as a part of a publicity campaign for Oliver Warbucks. However, Annie's stay turns out to be much more than anyone had bargained for as she works her way into everyone's hearts and learns a few things for herself. Based on the popular comic strip Little Orphan Annie, "Annie" contains such classic songs as "Tomorrow" and "It's the Hard-Knock Life."

Performances are October 15-16 & 21-23 at 7:30 pm and October 17 & 24 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $7 for students and seniors and $10 for adults. Call 746-5065 for reservations. For more information, call or visit our website at www.clarktheatre.com.

The show is directed and choreographed by Sara Phoenix with music direction by Joyce Shank.

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