Feature: WOLF'S HEAD: A TALE OF ROBIN HOOD AND THE SHERIFF at the ALBAN ART CENTER In March!

Robin Hood is heading to the stage in a brand-new tale written by John Johnson of the Astral Theatre Collective. Wolf's Head: A Tale of Robin Hood and the Sheriff, based on the ancient ballads and history of Robin Hood, is gearing up to begin performances at the Alban Art Center in St. Albans, WV in March.

Performance Dates: March 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th, 2018 at 8:00 PM and March 18th and 25th, 2018 at 2:00 PM

Location: Alban Art Center, 65 Olde Main Plaza, St. Albans, WV 25177

Ticket Price: $15.00 for Adults and $10.00 for Children and Seniors

Website: Astral Theatre Collective / Alban Art Center

Contact Information: Astral Theatre Collective - (304) 727-6948 or astraltheatrecollective@gmail.com or Alban Art Center - (304) 721-8896 or albanarts@gmail.com

Wolf's Head: A Tale of Robin Hood and the Sheriff playwright John Johnson grew up being fascinated by the story of Robin Hood, "I grew up watching Errol Flynn and later Kevin Costner," Johnson says, "I have seen just about every film to date about the character." This knowledge of Robin Hood led to Johnson's urge to write an original script. "I wanted to create something different, perhaps truer to the original. The more I researched, the greater the story I found, including historical information about the men who inspired the legends." Johnson hopes his script will reveal to audiences a different side of the Robin Hood story. "What you get with our script is a mixture of fact and legends, and I hope the audience will really enjoy it."

Despite writing the script, Johnson is not directing. He is portraying the Sheriff of Nottingham while Brian Kidd handles directing duties. Johnson took time to speak about Kidd's abilities as a director and his achievements, "Brian has spent most of his life in theatre, gaining a degree in it from Marshall University before going off to act and direct in various companies." Johnson is thrilled to have Kidd lending his talents to the show, helping to bring his world to life. "I told Brian on day one, I am just one of the cast. He has been great in helping me achieve what I see in this character and in the script at large."

As for his part, Johnson says he wanted to bring the sheriff to life after reading various accounts and realizing the character was misunderstood. "In writing, I found that one of the most historically dynamic and popularly misunderstood character was, in fact, the sheriff. As an actor/director myself, I saw great potential for my own abilities in the role."

Johnson has nothing but praise for the rest of the cast, "We are joined by some of the best actors the region has to offer, several hold awards for their talents. There's not a weak link in the bunch. I am very proud of the entire lot."

Astral Theatre Collective is fairly new to the local theatre scene, having been founded in 2016. Johnson tells me that Astral was created for one purpose, "telling the greatest stories in the most powerful medium - the stage." Since beginning in 2016, Astral has branched out to cover, "local libraries and other venues," while also taking time to create, "smaller, more educational performances using both literary and historical figures." In the short time since their inception they have performed Sherlock Holmes and the Beast of Whitechapel, An Evening in Baker Street, Carmilla, Tea with Jane Austen, and A Houdini Séance. Upcoming, they have Titanic Tales with Captain E.J. Smith and Molly Brown as well as The Shadow of Frankenstein.

Full Cast List

Robin - Kevin Michael Pauley
Marian - Tara Phares Pauley
Sheriff of Nottingham - John Johnson
Little John - Dan Reed
Friar Tuck - Jim Bob Williams
Allaine-A-Dale - Mandy Pettry
Will Scarlett - Axel Emch
Sir Guy - Rob James
The Prioress of Kirklees - Nina Surbaugh
Guards - Brian Jackson, Joseph McKinney, and Bryan Morton

Directed by Brian Kidd with a script by John Johnson.

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