Local Programming Available (or Scheduled) for Streaming
Live Performances
Join us Tuesday (August 11) for our first online Bare Essentials play reading:
The Sunrise from the Moon by Hannah Manikowski, directed by Peter Hardy.
About this Event
The Sunrise from the Moon
written by Hannah Manikowski | directed by Peter Hardy
Set in the future, a young woman who is the only survivor of a failed lunar colony is kept under confinement when she returns to Earth, under the care of a female scientist who begins to have feelings for her.
CAST:
Annaliese - Ash Anderson
Mina - Erika Miranda
Calvin - Jeff Hathcoat
Charlie - Kevin Qian
Reporter - Amee Vyas
Stage Directions: Yolanda Asher
About the Bare Essentials Play Reading Series:
All readings in the Bare Essentials series are free and open to the public thanks to support from Georgia Humanities, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, through funding from the Georgia General Assembly. Funding for this program is also provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Be sure to stay after for exciting conversation with the director, cast and playwright!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
ACT1 Theater announces an updated 2020-21 season!
In response to the pandemic, ACT1 Theater has re-worked its season for the rest of 2020 to focus on specialty productions that lend themselves to good social distancing, small casts, and the possibility of livestreaming or recorded subscription sales.
We appreciate your support through this difficult time, and hope to be able to entertain you again soon!
While we appreciate our patrons' concerns about our financial situation, we are an all-volunteer theater hosted by Alpharetta Presbyterian Church as a community outreach. We are in a good financial situation at this time. If you want to support the arts and ACT1 Theater, we encourage you to either support other local independent community theaters, or our host Alpharetta Presbyterian at pres.com to offset their operating costs to support our theater.
We've kept the ghost light on, and look forward to being together again!
NOW AVAILABLE -- ALL THE ENTRIES IN OUR 10-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL
Post op
Written by Dr.Lee Jones
Directed by Allison Epperson
Mute Me Baby One More Time
Written by Emily McClain
Directed by Rodney Johnson
Written by Rob Summerour
Directed by China Harrison
by Andrea Hermitt
produced by Becca Parker
directed by Kelly Rhyne
written by Jacob Christner
Cast A: Charles Bohanan, Rick Bragg, Daniel O'Brien
Cast B: Daniel O'Brien, Ben DeWitt, Michael Parker
Otto the Automated Manager
Written by Andrew Percher
Dear Friend,
We miss you at GET! As you know, the Covid-19 pandemic has not lessened here in Georgia, so we have new information for you on what's happening here.
We’re moving our season opening to January!
Unfortunately, the rising infection numbers make it unsafe for us to open our first show of the season as scheduled on August 27th. So, regrettably, we cannot perform the musical Bright Star for you at this time. We don’t see the possibility of producing a show in our November slot, either. We’re so sad that these are the decisions we have to make for the safety of our audiences, artists, and staff.
As difficult as it is to plan right now, we're still very optimistic about entertaining you when the time is right. The plan we currently have in place is to start the new season in January 2021, running through the summer with these three shows:
January 7-24, 2021: Bright Star by Steve Martin & Edie Brickell.
A newspaper editor in 1940s North Carolina sets out to find the true story of her difficult past in this homey musical that jumps back & forth in time. A heartwarming Appalachian story built around a gorgeous bluegrass score. This will be a modified version of Bright Star, the musical we were rehearsing when we had to close in March. Adjustments are being made for health and safety and will result in a pared-down concert-style show, allowing actors to remain a safe distance from each other.
February 18-March 7, 2021: Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones.
Based on a true story, this drama follows an Alabama librarian in her fight against censorship of a children’s book that appears to violate Jim Crow laws by showing a white bunny rabbit and a black bunny rabbit getting married. DC Metro Weekly says the play, “poses a benevolent challenge to lift up libraries and librarians.” Florida Studio Theatre artistic director Richard Hopkins says it’s “probably the best Southern play I’ve read in 10 or 20 years.”
April 1-18, 2021: The Pretty Pants Bandit by Chase Peacock and Jessica De Maria.
From housewife to hero! Marie Baker, her gang, and one infamous pair of guns took the country for a year-long ride that would make headlines--notoriously leaving the men she robbed with their pants down. Set in 1930s Miami, Marie’s story is a fun, thrilling adventure inspired by a true story. We’ve been developing this new musical for nearly a year and we can’t wait to share it with you! Check out the preview video below!
About tickets & subscriptions:
If you had a ticket to Bright Star in April, we will still honor that ticket in January. The box office will call you in November to ask what date you'd like to attend. If you can't attend Bright Star in January, we would be so grateful if you would allow us to convert your ticket purchase to a donation to help keep us afloat until we can start producing shows again. If you prefer that we refund your original Bright Star tickets, we are happy to do so. Please email msaville@get.org with your preference.
If you would like to subscribe to all three plays for the season, with guaranteed seating and free exchange privileges, please watch your mailbox in September for information about how to do that. We'd love to have you with us!
What we know about seating for 2021:
Due to social-distancing protocols, we will be blocking off many of the seats in the auditorium. Using both the balcony and main floor, we will go from an original capacity of 600 to a new capacity of less than 200 seats available for each performance.
After our season ticket subscriber renewal is complete this fall, we will open up the remaining seats for individual ticket buyers. Groups living in the same household (such as married couples or parents with children) may be seated together. Each "pod" of seats will have a minimum of six feet of separation on all sides. We'll send you an announcement by email and social media when tickets go on sale!
What we DO have to offer you between now and January:
We are busy here creating online entertainment for both adults and children, so you’ll see more information on that coming out shortly. We’re very grateful to have received some dedicated funding from Fulton County to produce online content, so we are beginning production on that very soon!
Currently available on our Vimeo channel is the one-man play Oh Mr. Faulkner, Do You Write?, created and performed by John Maxwell, who you loved in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. This show is available for free, with donations gratefully accepted. Click here to watch Oh Mr. Faulkner, Do You Write.
We will also be making our live productions available via online video platforms beginning in January. If you are not able to attend the theatre in person, you will have the option to purchase a digital ticket to watch the performance from home!
Please know that we are doing our best to plan around our current situation. Our plans may have to adjust at any time, depending on changing recommendations about public health. We will announce any changes via email, our website, our Facebook/Instagram/Twitter accounts, and by mail or phone call if we don’t have your email address.
We have so appreciated your support over the years and especially now during these very strange times. For sticking with us through all of this, we again send you our heartfelt thanks.
If you'd like to make a donation to help us through this tough time, you can sign up for automatic monthly payments or make a one-time gift by clicking here. Thank you!!
Watch the trailer for The Pretty Pants Bandit:
Elm Street Cultural Arts Village presents
Elm Street Re-imagines Dungeons & Dragons Play with Digital Offering
Creativity and ingenuity are often the result of challenges and this year has been no exception for Elm Street Cultural Arts Village, making adjustments and changes to programming since mid-March. While having to forgo live performances of the Season Opener She Kills Monsters due to COVID-19 concerns surrounding live indoor theatrical performances, the Downtown Woodstock-based arts center will be launching a complete digital experience of Qui Nguyen’s comedic and heartwarming take on nerd culture and Dungeons & Dragons that audiences can enjoy from the comfort and safety of home between August 14th and August 23rd.
A comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games, She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly’s refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed young playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.
“I think it’s always good for the soul to take in a good story and a well-crafted story and a labor of love that is theatre,” says Zach Stolz, Director of She Kills Monsters. “I think that this is a show that reminds us of the power of stories and community and how there are many, many ways to find community.” The digital package includes a recorded version of the play that is available to stream from August 14th through August 23rd and filmed by Personalized Technology Services and David Thompson Technologies LLC (DDT-Live), a digital copy of the program, exclusive web content on the production and show, and an online gallery of production photos. To make the show as safe and accessible as possible to audiences during this time, Elm Street is offering the digital experience of She Kills Monsters as a pay-per-view model.
She Kills Monsters will be available digitally from August 14th through August 23rd. The play is recommended for audiences ages 16 and up due to language, violence, and sexual content. Gamers, fantasy fans, and anyone who enjoys a good story will appreciate the action-packed, fantastical escape that is funny, real, and approachable no matter your experience with Dungeons & Dragons.
"She Kills Monsters is a brilliant story that allows the audience to let their guard down and embrace our own inner nerd,” Elm Street’s Executive Director Christopher Brazelton explains. “In doing this show, my hope is that amidst all of our differences highlighted daily, we realize that both grief and joy are universal. Though we tend to segment ourselves into stereotypes, we all have similar experiences that build our collective human experience - this show exemplifies that through quite the adventure unfolded through Dungeons & Dragons." Tickets are on sale now through August 23rd at www.elmstreetarts.org/events/she-kills-monsters/ for $20.00 a household.
Elm Street Cultural Arts Village
8534 Main St.
Woodstock, GA 30188
Call 678.494.4251 for More Information
CLICK HERE (OR ON THE IMAGE BELOW) FOR A "BEHIND THE SCENES" LOOK
The first annual SheATL Summer Theater Festival was to have taken place at The Windmill Arts Center in August 2020, helmed by Executive Producer Erika Miranda. But, because "things change, "We are shifting to an online platform at the end of August in response to COVID-19, and would be so grateful for your help in getting the word out. Below is the basic info on the festival, our selected shows and our amazing Atlanta based playwrights. "
August 27th 8pm: A Safe Space written by Rhyssa-Kathryn Marie
A Safe Space delves into the deep rooted issues of sexism, racism and prejudice in the workplace.
August 28th 8pm: Persephone and The Hum written by Christina Jundt and Becca Del Plato
Persephone's world is constant summer heat, prescription pills and the same damn party every single night. When addiction, pulls her under ground, the earth grows cold and Persephone's loved ones must journey to save her from hell.
August 29th 8pm: Tough Love written by Jocelyn Rick.
Tough Love is a full-length play that examines the lines between condemnation and compassion, and how these lines fluctuate depending on our level of authority and our personal incentives
SheATL
Broadway World Article: SheNYC Launches New ATL Branch
Tickets available for $5 (option to tip the writer)
A portion of each ticket sold will benefit The Loveland Foundation
Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents
The Rewind Series
In this four part series, we take a look back at the last 10 years of Lyric shows and bring you only the BEST songs! Do you have a favorite song or show you want to see featured?
PART II STREAMS SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
THE REWIND SERIES PART II TICKETS
7 Stages presents
Our Youth Creates students, both here and in Holland, collaborated virtually to create a film this year instead of a live performance.
Join us for INTERSPACED: de ruimte tussen onze dromen (the space between our dreams), an international film created by and featuring Youth Creates and Holland’s Bootcamp ensemble members in their Re-Boot Creates experience of international summer collaboration. For over a decade, we have traveled across the seas in both directions with our teen ensembles and professional artists to share methods and create original productions together. The physical space between the Netherlands and the United States suddenly is very present, and yet it feels like we are working together closer than ever. Despite our isolation and differing health and social circumstances, the artists prevailed by internet collaboration. This fiercely weird journey takes audiences on a bizarre glimpse into a dreamlike movie about the space between the two countries, the space in the sky, the space in our head and our personal space. Filled with hope, movement, and song… these dreams may entice you to share across the space
that divides us.
Join us here! (https://www.7stages.org/event/interspaced/2020-07-25/)
For 18 years, Youth Creates has supported the growth of many talented and passionate emerging artists, advocates and activists. Where are they now? This week we offer Victoria Walters' story. Walters talks about what she is currently working on as well as how her time at 7 Stages shaped her creative future.
Special thanks to Lincoln Financial Foundation and The Zeist Foundation, Inc. for making Youth Creates possible.This program is supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts.
7 Stages is a professional, non-profit theatre company devoted to engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture. 7 Stages gives primary emphasis to international work and the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration.
Our mailing address is:
7 Stages Theatre
1105 Euclid Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30307
USA
Tickets are on sale now for ALL SHOWS in 2020! Don't miss a minute of what Merely Players has to Presents!
Horizon Theatre Streaming Events
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Did you miss our live-streamed conversation with Horizon Artistic Associate Thomas W. Jones II? We've posted the full talk on our website!
Listen to this passionate conversation between 10 theatre artists representing three generations about today's protest movement, their work as theatre artists and the future.
What needs to change in our theatre and the world? What is the future world these Black artists envision? How do we get there? How can the younger and older generations support each other in the quest? What role can white ally artists and theatres play as collaborators? What are the stories that need to be told, who needs to hear them, and how will they be created and shared?
COMING SOON (DATES TBA)
How does a computer scientist hook up with a molecular biologist? He blinds her with science, of course!
It may sound like a joke, but for Elliot and Molly, two intellectuals struggling with the realities of romance, it’s a very real equation that will take both of them working together to solve. When Elliot builds a computer program to help Molly with her research project, the variables in their evolving relationship shift as rapidly as the terms of their experiment.
Written by the Tony-Award-Winning playwright Itamar Moses (Band’s Visit, Nobody Loves You, Fortress of Solitude) this modern rom-com inspires both laughter and empathy when it comes to nerds in love.
The Alliance Theatre presents
July 9 - August 13, 2020
Starring Courtenay Collins & Terry Burrell
Following the style of the beloved one-woman holiday show Courtenay's Cabaret: Home for the Holidays, Broadway stars Courtenay Collins (The Prom) and Terry Burrell (Ethel) will host free virtual get-togethers each week with songs, stories, and maybe a cocktail or two. We’re Still Here: A Virtual Cabaret will be streamed live on the Alliance’s Facebook page and YouTube channel each Thursday at 7:00 p.m., July 9 – August 13. Register today to receive "tune-in" reminders or join us on Facebook or YouTube each Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
"This sounds great! Sign me up already!"
(And it's FREE. 😏😍)
As part of the Alliance's 2020/21 Season, we are producing HANDS UP in association with Spelman College. Across seven monologues written by seven Black playwrights, HANDS UP depicts the realities of Black America from the perspective of varying genders, sexual orientations, skin tones, and socioeconomic backgrounds in a culture of institutional profiling.
The collection includes:
Superiority Fantasy by Nathan James
Holes in My Identity by Nathan Yungerberg
They Shootin! Or I Ain’t Neva Scared… by Idris Goodwin
Dead of Night… The Execution of… by Nambi E. Kelley
Abortion by Nsangou Njikam
Walking Next to Michael Brown by Eric Micha Holmes
How I Feel by Dennis A. Allen II
ANNOUNCING Our 2020/2021 SEASON
WATCH OUR SEASON PREVIEW VIDEO HERE
This season, the Alliance is re-imagining how to gather, where to take the stage, and how a story comes to life. From drive-in movie style productions to socially-distanced shows on the Coca-Cola Stage and even a brand-new streaming platform, we are making meaningful, fun, and creative changes to serve our audiences. The new season reflects the Alliance’s continuing commitment to dynamic storytelling by and for a diverse group of people. The 52nd season includes six productions for adults, two for youth and families, and three productions for the Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young. The productions represent three important and timely themes: the need for joy, the need for dialogue, and the celebration of our heroes.
“Theatre continues to be a necessary town square for essential conversations and a balm for our souls” said Susan V. Booth, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director. “Even in a pandemic and in deep and necessary civic unrest, still we are human. Still we love, we grieve, we rage, and we commune with friends and family – okay, maybe via Zoom, but still. We navigate forward, equally informed by truth and hope, and always in need of joy, dialogue, and heroes.”
A SEASON IN THREE ACTS
ACT ONE: JOY
The season will begin in November with the world premiere, A Very Terry Christmas – a delightful one-woman holiday cabaret featuring Broadway star Terry Burrell (Ethel; Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous). The Alliance will then present a reimagined drive-in version of its annual production A Christmas Carol, staged for the first time as a live radio play. A cast of eight actors will play all the roles accompanied by a foley sound effects artist giving audiences a peek into the play-making magic. Projections and interactive moments will allow audience members the chance to connect with the story, performers, and each other in this innovative new staging.
ACT TWO: DIALOGUE
In February 2021 the Alliance will produce a new staging of The New Black Fest’s Hands Up: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments. Produced in collaboration with Spelman College, HANDS UP depicts the realities of Black America from the perspective of varying genders, sexual orientations, skin tones, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Winner of the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab, this production of Hands Up is co-directed by Spelman Professor Keith Arthur Bolden and Spelman Alumna and Alliance Spelman Fellow Alexis Woodard. The Alliance will give the world premiere of the 17th Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition winner, Data, in March 2021. Written by recent NYU Tisch graduate Matthew Libby, Data is a fast-paced drama for our technology-driven era that asks what’s happening behind the closed doors of Silicon Valley.
ACT THREE: HEROES
In April 2021 the Alliance will produce the world premiere musical Accidental Heroes – The Real Life Adventures of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Featuring a book by Academy Award winner Marshall Brickman (Annie Hall, Manhattan, Jersey Boys), an original score by Academy and Grammy Award winner T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart, Walk The Line) and direction by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (Ain’t Too Proud, Jersey Boys, The Who’s Tommy), Accidental Heroes follows the extraordinary rise of Hollywood’s iconic Western stars. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans are remembered as authentic American heroes, yet their paths to stardom were anything but straightforward. Then in June 2021, the Alliance will present Toni Stone, the “must-see play” (TheatreMania) by Lydia R. Diamond based on the true story of the first female athlete to play professional baseball in the Negro Leagues. Toni Stone is a heartwarming and fascinating story of race, gender, and raw ambition. This production will be directed by the Alliance’s BOLD Artistic Director Fellow Tinashe Kajese-Bolden.
THEATRE FOR FAMILIES
The Theatre for Young Audiences and Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young productions of the 2020/21 season will appear exclusively on streaming platforms. First, beginning in October 2020, the Alliance will stream a multimedia version of Sit-In by Atlanta's bestselling author, playwright, and Civil Rights Activist, Pearl Cleage (Blues for an Alabama Sky). Inspired by the award-winning picture book by Andrea Davis Pinkney with illustrations by Brian Pinkney, this new play for young audiences uses the lessons of the Civil Rights era to encourage inter-generational conversations and inspire the next generation of conscientious social activists. Beginning in January 2021, the Alliance will stream its wildly popular production of Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience. Written by Mo Willems and Deborah Wicks La Puma with direction by Leora Morris, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed is a fun family musical with tail-shaking tunes, empowering messages of individuality, and classic Mo Willems humor. The productions for the Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young include streaming versions of In My Granny’s Garden, (Knock, Knock) the Sounds of Winter, and The Sounds of the West End.
ALLIANCE THEATRE ANYWHERE
In addition to the live productions of the 2020/21 season, the Alliance will launch a new streaming platform – Alliance Theatre Anywhere – to bring the best of the Alliance’s stages to the digital world. Streaming shows and exclusive content will be available on demand. Annual members will receive complementary access to the platform as part of their membership benefits. Non-members can enjoy access to select free and paid content.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS FOR THE ALLIANCE THEATRE ARE ON SALE NOW
Members enjoy 12 months of world-class theatre, as well as a variety of benefits including members-only events, a welcome gift, discounts, flexibility, and access to all streaming content. For more information, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/membership.
Special show packages, including a 3-play package, a 6-play package, and packages for families, are also available by visiting www.alliancetheatre.org/membership. Show packages start at $50.
SINGLE TICKETS FOR THE SEASON WILL GO ON SALE IN FALL 2020.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR REOPENING PLAN.
Atlanta-based comedian and Dad's Garage ensemble member Mark Kendall has released two new online videos which address systemic racism in America. These videos address current issues including Confederate monuments, Aunt Jemima, voter suppression, and Black Lives Matter protests.
These videos are based on content Kendall created in 2014 for his one-man-show, "The Magic Negro and Other Blackness." This show premiered at Dad's Garage and subsequently won a Reiser Lab Grant award from Alliance Theatre for professional development. Kendall has performed the show across the nation.
Kendall's work as a comedian, writer and performer consistently addresses issues of systemic racism, particularly as it relates to media and mass culture. By using a comedic lens to focus on stereotypical, hurtful representations of Black people, Kendall shines a light on the pervasiveness of systemic racism in our culture.
Atlanta-based comedian and Dad's Garage ensemble member Mark Kendall has released two new online videos which address systemic racism in America. These videos address current issues including Confederate monuments, Aunt Jemima, voter suppression, and Black Lives Matter protests.
These videos are based on content Kendall created in 2014 for his one-man-show, "The Magic Negro and Other Blackness." This show premiered at Dad's Garage and subsequently won a Reiser Lab Grant award from Alliance Theatre for professional development. Kendall has performed the show across the nation.
Kendall's work as a comedian, writer and performer consistently addresses issues of systemic racism, particularly as it relates to media and mass culture. By using a comedic lens to focus on stereotypical, hurtful representations of Black people, Kendall shines a light on the pervasiveness of systemic racism in our culture.
We hope you will share these videos by Mark Kendall. If you would like to interview him for a story, please respond directly to this email.
VIDEO LINKS:
"If MARTA Came to Cobb County:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkC3Nc3LqFI
"Green Eggs and the N-Word" (age-restricted video, Trigger Warning: contains use of the n-word and sensitive content): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CSjVv8gNWY&has_verified=1