FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2019

CONTACT:  Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org       901.682.8601

The Clean House Sweeps into the Next Stage

Memphis, TN – The Clean House, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama by playwright Sarah Ruhl, will be performed in the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis, April 5 -20, 2019. Whimsical and touching, this story focuses on a quirky Brazilian maid hired by a career-oriented doctor, Lane. The only problem is that the maid hates to clean; she longs to be a comedienne. When Lane is deserted by her husband for his older mistress we are shown that there is humor and beauty to be found in life's most unlikely messes.

“Sarah Ruhl is my favorite playwright,” confesses director Leslie Barker.  “She was a poet before she was a playwright … her language is stunningly beautiful, but also funny.” According to Barker, most of Ruhl’s work is full of magical realism that gives the director, actors, and artistic team space to push the limits of their creativity and to dream up a world together. She revels, “Above all, it is utterly human. This play captures emotions in the most extraordinary way by inhabiting the surreal. Oh, and by the way, it is ultimately about forgiveness.” 

“The Next Stage at Theatre Memphis is a perfect venue for a contemporary work like The Clean House,” Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch exclaims. “Life isn’t always tidy. We don’t live in a vacuum. Given the opportunity to produce something light-hearted, yet sincere, we can paint a broader stroke about life and how we live it,” Litch continues.”

There will be a talk back after the show on April 11, 2019. The director and actors will be available to interact with patrons who attend that night to discuss the production.

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TITLE: The Clean House

WRITTEN BY: Sarah Ruhl

DIRECTOR: Leslie Baker

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: April 5 - 20, 2019

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 student; $20 Military and 62 and older

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Dorothy O. Kirsch

MEDIA SPONSORS: WKNO 91.1 FM, The Memphis Flyer, Germantown News, The Best Times

 Promotional image attached.  Production photos available April 2, 2019.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation/ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 2, 2019

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org       901.682.8601

To Kill a Mockingbird Takes Flight at Theatre Memphis

Memphis, TN – To Kill a Mockingbird opens on the Lohrey Stage at Theatre Memphis, January 18, and runs through February 3, 2019. This dramatization by Christopher Sergel (from the book by Harper Lee) is set in 1935 and explores the curiosity and inconvenient presence of a young girl, Scout, as she brings some sanity to a hard fought situation in the community. She and her brother are being raised by their housekeeper and their father, Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer defending a young black man wrongfully accused in a quiet Southern town. Two student matinees (already sold out) will be Thursday, January 24 and Friday, February 2, both shows at 10 am.

Director Kevin Cochran believes the relevance of such an engaging and Pulitzer Prize-winning story is understandable. “To Kill a Mockingbird holds up a mirror to society’s deeply-ingrained prejudices, giving everyone an opportunity to understand others from their point of view,” he relates. “The classic tale of innocence and racial injustice still resonates today.” Bob Arnold leads the cast as Atticus Finch with, Ashley Trevathan playing the adult Scout and Harper Hale playing the young Scout. Others in the cast are Nicholas Luter, Annie Freres, Tina Thompson, Judith Cardoso, JoLynne Palmer, Hailey Townsend, Mario Hoyle, Jack Grizzle, John Maness, Robert Sutton, Jeff Kirwan, Greg Fletcher, John McFerrin, John T. Moore, Jonathan Williams, Simmery Branch, Emi (E.J.) James, Sarah Bond-Riodan, Anne Hogan and Daniel Myers.

“In today’s political and social climate it is important that the arts can focus on telling stories that can bring some thoughtfulness to the conversation,” Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch expresses. She says, “The beauty of theatre is that we can discuss these issues and hopefully shine a light on a community coming together for solutions.”

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TITLE: To Kill A Mockingbird

DRAMATIZED BY: Christopher Segal from Harper Lee’s Novel

DIRECTOR: Kevin Cochran

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: January 18- February 3, 2019

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students, $20 seniors 62 and above and military personnel

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Dr. Thomas Ratliff, The Menke Family Foundation and International Paper

MEDIA SPONSORS: WKNO 91.1 FM, The Memphis Flyer, Germantown News, The Best Times

Promotional graphic attached.  Production photos available 01/16/19.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation / ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2018

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog,Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org           901.682.8601

A Christmas Carol Continues Memphis Family Tradition with Special Events

Memphis, TN – A Memphis family holiday tradition, Theatre Memphis’ 41^st annual production of A Christmas Carol will run November 30 through December 23, 2018, on the Lohrey Stage. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is approached by the ghostly vision of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns him of an upcoming spiritual journey. An eye opening exploration leads to happiness and enlightenment, not to mention song, dance, and holiday cheer.

Always a favorite of patrons, this 41^st annual production will hold a reunion of past cast members on opening night, November 30, offering special discounts to them and their families. Details for the reunion can be seen by going to www.theatrememphis.org/a-christmas-carol-2018. Reservations for the “Casts of Christmas Pasts” can be made by calling the box office at 901.682.8323 to identify the year(s) of performing and purchasing the discounted tickets. The evening will also celebrate our longest-running Scrooge, Barry Fuller, for his 90^th birthday.

Another special event will be held Thursday, December 13 @ 7pm. “Holiday for Heroes” is a designated night to offer military, policemen, firefighters, first responders, and Shelby County teachers discounted tickets for that night’s performance. All tickets will be $10 (limit of four per family at that price).

Theatre Memphis will also be partnering with Mid-South Arts Against Hunger Food Drive by offering $5 off up to two adult full price tickets for shows through December 13 with a donation to the Mid-South Food Bank collection box in the lobby of Theatre Memphis. This offer is only available at the box office and not available online or by phone. Tickets must be purchased at the time of the non-perishable food donation.

Director Jason Spitzer will be returning to helm the production this year. "Last year, at the opening night party for John Rone's glorious 40^th anniversary production of A Christmas Carol, I learned a bit of trivia that had previously eluded me,” Spitzer says.  “Apparently, my decade spent with the show made me the longest serving-director in the show's history. I'm delighted to be back with one of our city's longest-running holiday traditions and thrilled to have David Shipley once again donning the storied nightcap previously worn by  Scrooges Barry Fuller, Jim Ostrander, and Sherwood Lohrey.”

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch celebrates new volunteers who give of their time and talents for the seasonal classic and that families, cast and crew members come back to see and perform in A Christmas Carol time and time again. She says, “This show is a favorite to so many, sometimes returning with generations of their family. Those who have participated by performing in our holiday show have created a family in of itself. It is so wonderful to be a part of so many family traditions and to have a feeling of family in the cast. It is a special show and gets so many in the ‘spirit and I hope to see many returning for our 41^st celebration.”

An abbreviated “daytime version” of A Christmas Carol, directed by Lena Wallace Black, is being performed Mondays through Fridays, December 3 - 19 at 9:30am and 11am each day for school groups. For information or reservations to these performances contact showagon@theatrememphis.org for pricing and availability.

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TITLE: A Christmas Carol

DIRECTOR: Jason Spitzer

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: November 30 – December 23, 2018

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday 12/23 @ 7:00pm with matinees @ 3:00pm on 12/02,12/08, 12/09, 12/15, 12/16, & 12/22, 12/23; also performances @ 7pm on Tuesday 12/18 and Wednesday 12/19. Full performance schedule can be seen at: https://theatrememphis.org/performanceschedule

TICKETS: $35 adults, $15 students, Seniors and military $30

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

PRESENTING SPONSOR: AutoZone

SPONSORED BY: Jones Bros. Tree and Landscaping, a Davey company

MEDIA SPONSORS: 104.5 The River, WKNO 91.1FM and The Best Times, Germantown News, The Memphis Flyer

Promotional graphic attached.  Production photos available 11/27/18.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:

First Tennessee Foundation, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    October 16, 2018

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org     901.682.8601

Musical ‘Bee’ Stings with Humor and Insight

Memphis, TN – The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a fast-paced and witty musical, literally litters the stage with letters during its run at Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, November 2 – 17, 2018.  Mid-pubescents (played by adults) vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime and learn that winning (and losing) isn't everything. Hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake, they candidly disclose hilarious and touching stories from their home lives. A truly fresh and vibrant score makes this musical ‘Bee’ unforgettable.

Cecelia Wingate, director, loves Spelling Bee so much that this is her second time to direct it. “It is not only STOOPID fun,” Wingate deliberately misspells in her response, “… but it is so incredibly heart-warming,” she is quick to point out.  Adults play children as young as 7 or 8 and the children’s lives, passions, and foibles are discovered along the way.  Some audience members get involved as guest spellers for some spontaneous fun, and as Wingate points out, “It's the perfect combination of hilarity and poignancy set to a wonderful musical score that points to those years of awkward adolescence.”

“The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a long way to say F-U-N,” Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch connotes. “The music and choreography add to the charm of the show,” Litch continues, “… and the show can be quite touching. We try our level best to offer our community a variety of entertainment on our stages and this show is a variety show unto itself. It will put a ‘spell’ on you!”

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TITLE: The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

 MUSIC AND LYRICS BY: William Finn

BOOK BY: Rachel Sheinkin with additional material by Jay Reiss

DIRECTOR: Cecelia Wingate

MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Jason Eschhofen      CHOREOGRAPHER: Jared Johnson

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: November 2 - 17, 2018

TIMES OF SHOWS: Wednesdays 11/7 and 11/14 and Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $35 adults, $15 student; $30 Military and 62 and older

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323     WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Dr. Thomas Ratliff

MEDIA SPONSORS: WKNO 91.1 FM, The Memphis Flyer, Germantown News

Promotional image attached.  Production photos available October 31, 2018.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation/ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 16, 2018

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org          901.682.8601

Midwestern Family Drama on TM Stage

Memphis, TN – August: Osage County, winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama, opens on the Lohrey Stage April 27 and runs through May 13, 2018. The large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears, and their Oklahoman family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets.  Mix a pill-popping, scathingly acidic matriarch, sisters harboring shady secrets, suspect spouses and relatives attracted to all the wrong things and you’ve got an unflinching exposé of the dark side of a Midwestern American family.

“Where would theater be without the family drama?” reflects director Jerry Chipman. “This Tracy Letts’ drama rides high in the category of a family gathering turning into an onslaught of lies, accusations, disappointments and, delightfully, finely barbed humor.” With rich language and diverse characters the play is a saga, Chipman adds, “… it’s like settling down with a well-crafted novel in which a calmly introduced incident early on returns as a jaw-dropping revelation.” The seasoned cast at Theatre Memphis includes Greg Fletcher, Martha Jones, Anne Marie Caskey, Gregory Boller, Gabriella Gonzalez, Meghan Lisi Lewis, Emily Chateau, Emily Peckham, Bob McIntosh, Eric Schultz, Sarah Solarez, Matthew Hamner and Jason Wolfkill.

 “Bringing material of this quality to the community is always exciting,” Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch relates. “A contemporary story about a highly dysfunctional family literally coming around the proverbial dinner table is a relatable, if not uncomfortable, plot that many can relate to in this day and age. This show has been recognized in the industry as one of the best written and we will bring our best to the old farm table to make this an outstanding production.”

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TITLE: August: Osage County

WRITTEN BY: Tracy Letts

DIRECTOR: Jerry Chipman

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: April 27- May 13, 2018

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students, $20 seniors 62 and above and military personnel

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Dr. Thomas Ratliff

MEDIA SPONSOR: Germantown News and WKNO 91.1FM

Production photos available 04/24/18.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation / ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

Click here to link to show page.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 28, 2018

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog,Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org       901.682.8601

An American Musical Parody on TM Stage

Memphis, TN – The Drowsy Chaperone makes its Theatre Memphis debut on the Lohrey Stage March 9-31, 2018. In this comedic call back to the Golden Age, a man appears on stage and puts on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical.  The recording “comes to life” and you have the ingredients for a masterful madcap evening that lovingly pokes fun at the musical theatre genre.  Lovers on the eve of their wedding, desperate, bumbling friends, not-so-bright characters, imposters, and more perform one toe-tapping, rousing musical number after another.

 "The Drowsy Chaperone is a love letter to golden age musicals,” says Co-Director Jordan Nichols. “With its infectious music, high-energy dancing, and whimsical characters, this show has the perfect recipe to bring you joy.  Audiences will dive into the embellished, glitzy world of the 1920’s and find that this show is an ideal way to just escape for a while. "

Supporting Nichols are Jeffery Brewer as Music Director and Travis Bradley as Co-Director and Co-Choreographer. The show stars Theatre Memphis veterans Jason Spitzer as the narrator (the Man in the Chair) and Annie Freres as title character, The Drowsy Chaperone.

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch really relates to this production. “Musical theatre is what drew me into performing and I am a confessed musical theatre nerd. With musicals being the most popular productions on our stages, The Drowsy Chaperone allows us to be able to laugh at ourselves a little and present some good, clean fun to our patrons. It is a privilege to have this cast and crew bring joy and laughter to our stage.”

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TITLE: The Drowsy Chaperone

MUSIC & LYRICS BY:  Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison

BOOK BY: Bob Martin and Don McKellar

DIRECTOR: Jordan Nichols and Travis Bradley

MUSIC DIRECTOR: Jeffrey B. Brewer

CHOREOGRAPHERs: Travis Bradley & Jordan Nichols

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: March 9-31, 2018

TIMES OF SHOWS: Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 students, $25 seniors 62 and above and military personnel

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Richard Briscoe, Jeffery Brewer and Juvé Salon Spa

MEDIA SPONSOR: The Best Times and WKNO 91.1FM

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation / ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2018

CONTACT:Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org           901.682.8601

A Musical Odd-Couple Returns to the Next Stage

Memphis, TN - Souvenir, A Fantasia Based on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins, is about a wealthy eccentric, self-promoted performer who was incapable of producing two notes in tune consecutively. This comic turn on a real life eccentric makes its triumphant return to Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, February 9-25, 2018.  Hilarious and poignant, her story of celebrity and terrible singing is told through her respected accompanist, Cosmé McMoon, whose contempt gives way to reluctant admiration and affection. Returning to the two roles are Jude Knight and David Shipley, both of whom performed in the original Theatre Memphis production.

Director Bennett Wood returns as well and thinks that he has an advantage with his cast agreeing to remount their roles. “We could never have brought you this fascinating base-on-reality play without such a triple –threat cast. Both of these actors have specific talents that uniquely fit them for their roles, whether it’s playing the piano, singing badly or singing beautifully. Working with them on this show again has been a privilege and a delight.”

“A souvenir is by definition an item of remembrance,” Executive Producer of Theatre Memphis, Debbie Litch, muses. “And Souvenir for us, Theatre Memphis, is a memory we wanted to recall. With the popularity of the movie recently we felt it to be a perfect time to share this extraordinary two-person show with the same two multi-talented actors. We’d love everyone to be able to see it and create an unforgettable, funny, sensitive memory of their own”

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TITLE: Souvenir, A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins

WRITTEN BY: Stephen Temperley

DIRECTOR: Bennett Wood

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: February 9-25, 2018

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 student; $25 Military and 62 and older

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: John Rone and Bill Short

MEDIA SPONSORS:  WKNO 91.1FM, The Best Times

Production photos available February 6, 2018.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:

First Tennessee Foundation/ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 29, 2017

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org          901.682.8601

Theatre Memphis Puts Up Fences

Memphis, TN – Fences, winner of the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama, opens on the Lohrey Stage at Theatre Memphis January 19 and runs through February 4, 2018. Set in the 1950s, the evolving African-American experience is explored through the eyes of a former star of the Negro baseball league who was excluded from the major leagues during his prime.  Now working as a garbage man, bitterness takes its toll on his relationships, as his son wants his own chance to play in the big leagues.

According to local actor Willis Green who portrays the principal character, Troy Maxson, “Troy has been literally and figuratively confronted with fences that have blocked his progress in life. This story is a clear example of how the brokenness inside of a person can manifest itself and cause rifts in relationships with family and friends.” Green reflects, “Fences also shows how father/son relationships can be painful, yet beautiful. This play has actually drawn me into an even closer relationship with my own father. I’m excited to be the voice of Troy Maxson to demonstrate how fences that block can also be used to shield and protect.”

Director of Fences Anita Jo Lenhart says, “The message of a family struggle can be universal, but this story is specific and I want the actors to be honest with their interpretations. It is their story to tell. It is their experiences that we want to draw upon.” Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch feels Fences definitely has a place in today’s social conversation. “Present day fences appear in the form of glass ceilings, discrimination, and social injustice.” she says. “The beauty of theatre is that we can discuss these issues and hopefully shine a light on a community coming together for solutions.”

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TITLE: Fences

WRITTEN BY: August Wilson

DIRECTOR: Anita Jo Lenhart

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: January 19- February 4, 2018

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students, $20 seniors 62 and above and military personnel

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Mike and Shirley Lupfer

MEDIA SPONSOR: The Best Times and WKNO 91.1FM

Production photos available 01/16/18.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation / ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

What a great way to kick off the season! Thank you to all the alums that came to celebrate.

What a great way to kick off the season! Thank you to all the alums that came to celebrate.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:     November 10, 2016

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org          901.682.8601

A Christmas Carol Continues 40-Year Memphis Family Tradition with Special Events

Memphis, TN – A Memphis family holiday tradition, Theatre Memphis’ 40^th annual production of A Christmas Carol will run December 1 through December 23, 2017, on the Lohrey Stage. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is approached by the ghostly vision of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns him of an upcoming spiritual journey. An eye opening exploration leads to happiness and enlightenment, not to mention song, dance, and holiday cheer.

Always a favorite of patrons, this 40^th annual production will hold a reunion of past cast members on opening night, December 1, offering special discounts to them and their families. Details for the reunion can be seen by going to www.theatrememphis.org/a-christmas-carol-2017, but one of the highlights will be the original and 11- times Scrooge, Barry Fuller, who will perform a reading (including memoirs) prior to the event. Reservations for the “Casts of Christmas Pasts” can be made by calling the box office at 901.682.8323 to identify the year(s) of performing and purchasing the discounted tickets.

Another special event will be held Sunday, December 10 @ 7pm. “Holiday for Heroes” is a designated night to offer military, policemen, firefighters, first responders, and Shelby County teachers discounted tickets for that night’s performance. All tickets will be $10 (limit of four per family at that price).

Director John Rone will be helming the production this year having been in the production and playing Bob Cratchit for the past several years. He will return as Cratchit this year as well. “Traditions connect us in the present moment to significant and special memories of our past. A Christmas Carol is part of that tradition. It is a great privilege to direct Theatre Memphis' 40th annual production of A Christmas Carol. I was at the opening night back in 1977 and have never forgotten Barry Fuller's brilliant performance as Scrooge or the dazzling appearance of the late Jim Ostrander as the Ghost of Christmas Present. The annual productions have been Theatre Memphis' gift to the city and I am so proud to be able to deliver that gift this year.

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch celebrates new volunteers who give of their time and talents for the seasonal classic and that families, cast and crew members come back to see and perform in A Christmas Carol time and time again. She says, “This show is a favorite to so many who come back to see it year after year with sometimes generations of their family. Those who have participated by performing in our holiday show have created a family in of itself. It is so wonderful to be a part of so many family traditions and to have a feeling of family in the cast. It is a special show and gets so many in the ‘spirit and I hope to see many returning for our 40^th celebration.”

An abbreviated “daytime version” of A Christmas Carol, directed by Lena Wallace Black, is being performed Mondays through Fridays, November 30 – December 15 at 9:30am and 11am each day for school groups. For information or reservations to these performances contact showagon@theatrememphis.org for pricing and availability.

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TITLE: A Christmas Carol

DIRECTOR: John Rone

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: December 1 – December 23, 2017

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (Except 12/3) @ 7:00pm with matinees @ 3:00pm on 12/03,12/09, 12/10, 12/16, 12/17, & 12/23; also Tuesday 12/19 and Wednesday 12/20 @ 7:00pm

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 students

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

PRESENTING SPONSOR: AutoZone

SPONSORED BY: The Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation, Social, and Jones Bros. Tree and Landscaping.

MEDIA SPONSORS: Clipper Magazine, WRVR 104.5FM, WKNO 91.1FM and The Best Times

Promotional graphic attached.  Production photos available 11/29/16.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:

First Tennessee Foundation, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:     October 16, 2017

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog,Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org             901.682.8601

Tony Award-Winning Musical on the Next Stage

Memphis, TN - Falsettos, a hilarious and achingly poignant musical, opens at Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage November 3 and runs through November 18, 2017. Depicting a modern family before its time, this groundbreaking musical revolves around the lives of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man, his wife, lover, soon-to-be-Bar Mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door.  Winner of the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Book and Score, this show provides a look at the paths taken in life and the infinite possibilities that are beautiful reminders that love can tell a million stories.

Director Jerry Chipman talks about the show in terms of how it relates to today’s social environment. The story is really about the ‘tight knit family’ that society now accepts, or at least acknowledges. Chipman explains, “The situation could not be more contemporary.  All seven characters, divided in sexuality, are bound together by love and caring. Falsettos is a musical for our lives today.” Furthermore he adds, “With so much at stake in the world, Falsettos couldn't be more relevant.

“Falsettos had a recent run on Broadway and it showed how ‘of the moment’ the story really is,” states Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch. She relates, “Even though the subject matter was groundbreaking at the time it first came out, so many of the issues are still the subject of conversation in our society today. Bottom line …” she continues, “… it is all about defining a family, love is love is love … and it has some great music.”

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MUSIC AND LYRICS  BY: William Finn

BOOK BY: James Lapine & William Finn

DIRECTOR: Jerry Chipman

MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Gary Beard

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Ellen Inghram & Jared Johnson

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: November 3-18, 2017

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 student; $25 Military and 62 and older

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Bert & Carol Barnett

MEDIA SPONSORS:  WKNO 91.1FM, Focus Magazine

Production photos available October 31, 2017.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:
First Tennessee Foundation/ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 25, 2017

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog,Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org       901.682.8601

A Contemporary Comedy on TM Stage

Memphis, TN – Stage Kiss makes its regional premiere on the Lohrey Stage at Theatre Memphis October 6-22, 2017. In this charming tale two actors with a “history” are thrown together as romantic leads in a forgotten 1930’s melodrama. They quickly lose touch with reality as the story onstage follows them offstage.  Blurring the lines between art imitating life and life imitating art, we see what happens when lovers share a stage kiss… or when actors share a real one.

Director Tony Isbell is unapologetic when it comes to staging this romantic comedy.  “It’s a funny, touching exploration of modern relationships,” he states.  “The playwright examines the nature of love and romance and passion and comes to the conclusion that, while they are all definitely related, they are not exactly the same thing.” Isbell continues, “…you’ve got a play that not only makes you laugh, but also touches your heart.”

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch believes that these laughs come at a good time. “We produce many types of shows and now is a good time for a show with a little levity,” she laughs. “We want to provide our patrons with a variety and this special show will definitely make you smile.”

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TITLE: Stage Kiss

WRITTEN BY: Sarah Ruhl

DIRECTOR: Tony Isbell

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: October 6-22, 2017

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students, $20 seniors 62 and above and military personnel

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Mike and Shirley Lupfer

MEDIA SPONSOR: WKNO 91.1FM

Promotional graphic attached.  Production photos available 10/03/17.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation / ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:           May 3, 2017

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org        901.682.8601

First Time for Rodgers and Hammerstein Classic on TM Stage

Memphis, TN – South Pacific sails onto the Theatre Memphis Lohrey Stage June 2 - 25, 2017. This Pulitzer Prize-winning musical follows a nurse stationed on an island during World War II who is in love with a French expatriate plantation owner. She struggles accepting his mixed-raced children and, along with another romance between a U.S. Lieutenant and a young island native, issues of racial prejudice and gender roles are candidly explored. Filled with memorable songs such as “Some Enchanted Evening”, “I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outa My Hair” and “Bali Ha’i”, to name a few.

“Addressing issues of prejudice, race, and acceptance, this classic piece of musical theater is more relevant than ever”, declares director Jordan Nichols. “The love story is universal and is the real appeal to the audience ..., “ he continues, “… along with some of the most memorable show tunes of all time.  Audiences will be moved to laughter and tears as they follow the struggles of war and finding love in the most unlikely of places.” Supporting Nichols are Gary Beard as Music Director and Travis Bradley as Choreographer. The show stars Amy P. Nabors as Nellie Forbush and Kent Fleshman as Emile de Becque.

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch exudes pride with this production. “I can’t believe that in the almost 100 years of Theatre Memphis’ history we have never produced South Pacific,” Litch says. “It is about time that we brought this classic to our patrons with the level of artistic excellence that we are able to give it. I promise that if you come to see it that it will be one enchanted evening.”

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TITLE: South Pacific

MUSIC  BY:  Richard Rogers

LYRICS BY: Oscar Hammerstein II

BOOK BY: Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan

DIRECTOR: Jordan Nichols

MUSIC DIRECTOR: Gary Beard

CHOREOGRAPHER: Travis Bradley

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: June 2 - 25, 2017

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 students, $25 seniors 62 and above and military personnel

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Deborah Dunklin Tipton, Kitty Cannon & Jim Waller, John & Anne Robilio, Dorothy O. Kirsch and Juve Salon Spa

MEDIA SPONSOR: Clipper Magazine, Valpak The Best Times and WKNO 91.1FM

Promotional graphic attached.  Production photos available 05/30/17.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation / ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:     March 19, 2017

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog,Theatre Memphis Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org        901.682.8601

Contemporary Conflict in the Next Stage

Memphis, TN - Rasheeda Speaking, a shocking dark comedy opens at Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage April 7 and runs through April 23, 2017. This tense workplace thriller examines the realities  office politics when two female co-workers, one black, one white, are driven apart by the implications and leading suggestions of their boss.  Contention, bigotry and gross generalizations are prevalent in this show that displays racial paranoia that keeps you in its claustrophobic grips right up to the unexpected ending.

Director Jerry Chipman talks about the show in terms of how it relates to today’s social environment. “The play's characters display moments of hypocrisy that blow the lid off the self-congratulating idea that we live in a ‘post-racial’ America,” Chipman explains. He continues, “There's an element of the characters shifting and interchanging the roles of victim and villain that unfortunately fairly reflect our current society. Manipulation becomes the order of the day.” The cast includes leads Jessica Johnson and Anne Marie Caskey as the two co-workers embattled in a stereotype, thinly veiled, racially driven situation fueled by Brian Everson as the doctor/employer and Dusty Walsh as the elderly, racist patient.

“Shows like Rasheeda Speaking are a perfect fit for our Next Stage,” states Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch. A small cast is not necessarily to what Litch is referring. “Being a smaller venue in the Next Stage, we are able to take risks with newer scripts and really meaningful content,” she says. “It is part of what we feel is our duty as a community theatre … creating a dialogue regarding the issues in the community in creative ways.”

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TITLE: Rasheeda Speaking

ADAPTED BY: Joel Drake Johnson

DIRECTOR: Jerry Chipman

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: April 7 - 23, 2017

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 student; $20 Military and 62 and older

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Gene & Sandra Cochran and Bert & Carol Barnett

MEDIA SPONSORS:  WKNO 91.1FM

Promotional image attached.  Production photos available April 4, 2017.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:  First Tennessee Foundation/ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 22, 2017                                                         

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog,Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org    /    901.682.8601

Theatre Memphis Announces 2017-18 Season

Theatre Memphis has made its play selections for the 2017-18 season and they include a variety of entertainment that touches many bases. Featuring musicals, comedy, drama, classics and new work, the season offers options and regional premieres to Memphis patrons.

The 411 seat proscenium Lohrey Stage will begin the season with the energetic, family-friendly Shrek, the Musical. The fairy tale story tells of an embittered ogre seeking to rescue (and to win the love of) a temperamental yet beautiful princess. With a faithful steed, Donkey, and a mix of misfits, the show is a musical comedy extravaganza.  Stage Kiss - a contemporary comedy – will follow in the season line up. A charming tale, ex-lovers share a stage kiss and the actors share a real one creating a situation where life and art are imitating each other. Fences will next bring to the stage the exploration of a former star of the Negro baseball league who finds his bitterness at rejection in the big leagues takes a toll on his relationships. Especially with his son who wants to pursue the same dreams as his father. In March of 2018, The Drowsy Chaperone, a parody of the American musical, finds that a man’s favorite fictitious show comes to life for a masterful madcap show poking fun at the genre and all of its toe-tapping joy. Next, drama in all of its glory will be presented in the production of August Osage County. An exploding maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets, this is an unflinching exposé of the dark side of a Midwestern American family. Closing the Lohrey Stage season will be 42^nd Street, a wildly popular musical about a small town young girl going after her dreams in the Big City. While facing adversity she learns about show business and discovers which relationships are important in life.  Of course, the family favorite, A Christmas Carol*, will be performed as a special holiday offering in December for the 40^th consecutive year at Theatre Memphis.

Three “Memphis” Tenors … and a Baritone* will be an original Summer Showcase in July of 2017 featuring four talented gentlemen who have recently graced the Theatre Memphis stages with their strong vocals. Conceived and conducted by musical director Jeff Brewer, the show will include favorites from opera, operettas and Broadway.

The 100 seat black box Next Stage season leads off with Twelve Angry Jurors, a courtroom drama perfect for the intimate setting. The story is a blistering character study of the American melting pot and the judicial system that keeps it in check. The groundbreaking musical Falsettos comes up next depicting a modern family before its time while dealing with life-altering issues of its time. Following in the Next Stage will be the return of Souvenir (originally produced in our 2009 -10 season). The popular stage production celebrates Florence Foster Jenkins, the wealthy eccentric, self-promoted singer from the 1930’s who was incapable of producing two notes in tune consecutively. Actors Jude Knight and David Shipley will be reprising their roles in the two-man presentation. The final show in the Next Stage is An Act of God. In your face and over the top, mysteries of the Bible are explored and revealed in this comedy while answering the existential questions that have plagued man since creation … in just 90 irreverent minutes.

Season memberships for the 2017-18 season will be available March 10, 2017 by calling 901.682.8323 and are $135 which includes six tickets. All tickets are good to use on any performance and can be used in any combination on any show, excluding A Christmas Carol, TM/PM cabarets and Summer Showcases, all of which are not part of the membership package.  Season members do, however, receive discounts on tickets to these events and holiday and special offerings.  

MEMBERSHIPS ACQUIRED THROUGH APRIL 11, 2017 WILL RECEIVE A $10 DISCOUNT OFF THE REGULAR MEMBERSHIP PRICE 

GET $5 OFF THROUGH JULY 5, 2017. 

GET A 7TH TICKET FREE THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10, 2017.

NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE.

CALL THE BOX OFFICE @ 901.682.8323 TO ORDER.

All shows are at 7:30pm on Thursdays, 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays with matinees on Sundays at 2pm, unless otherwise designated.  Single ticket prices for adults are $30 for musicals and $25 for dramas/comedies, $15 for students. There is a $5 discount on full price adult tickets for military personnel and seniors 62 and older.

Dates for all productions are listed below:

Summer Musical Showcase

Three “Memphis” Tenors … and a Baritone*

Conceived and musical direction by Jeff Brewer. Performed by Philip Himebook, Charles McGowan, Kevar Lane Maffitt and Charles “Chuck” Hodges

July 7 - 23, 2017

Lohrey Stage

Shrek, the Musical - – Theatre Memphis PREMIERE

August 18 – September 10, 2017

Stage Kiss – REGIONAL PREMIERE

October 6 – 22, 2017

A Christmas Carol*

December 1 – 23, 2017

Theatre Memphis’ 40^th Annual Production

Fences

January 19 – February 4, 2018

The Drowsy Chaperone – Theatre Memphis PREMIERE

March 9 – 31, 2018

August Osage County – Theatre Memphis PREMIERE

April 27 – May 13, 2018

42^nd Street

June 8 – July 1, 2018

Next Stage

12 Angry Jurors

September 15 - October 1, 2017

Falsettos -– Theatre Memphis PREMIERE

November 3 - 18, 2017

Souvenir

February 9 - 25, 2018

An Act of God – REGIONAL PREMIERE

April 6- 22, 2018

*NOT PART OF THE SEASON MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended @ Southern Avenue and is a community theatre whose mission it is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives funding from ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:            December 6. 2016                                          

CONTACT:                                         Randall Hartzog

                                                            Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

                                                            rhartzog@theatrememphis.org

901.682.8601

Special Night and Offer to Community Service Personnel 

Memphis, TN – Theatre Memphis has created a special night to honor some people that are special to every family and our whole community ...

Saluting Our Heroes with a Discount to A Christmas Carol

Sunday, December 11 @ 7pm

In honor of those who protect, serve, care and teach all of us, Theatre Memphis is offering $15 adult tickets and $5 Student/Youth tickets for the 7pm performance of A Christmas Carol on Sunday, December 11, 2016, to all area military, law enforcement, firefighter and emergency personnel and county and municipal teachers. The offer is only available by calling the box office at 901.682.8323 and is not available online. Limit of six tickets per order. Not valid with any other discounts. Qualifying ID required at time of ticket pick up.

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Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    September 20, 2016

CONTACT:                               Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

                                                rhartzog@theatrememphis.org      901.682.8601

Liberace!  Re-Dazzles at Theatre Memphis

Memphis, TN—Liberace! returns September 30 and runs until October 16, 2016, in the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis as an encore performance of the 2015 summer fundraising hit. Featuring Gary Beard as the title character, this moving and highly entertaining tribute to the performer and musician famous for his charm, glitz, and glamour relives the highs (and lows) of Liberace’s prolific life revealing the real person behind the persona. Interwoven with a rollicking piano score spanning classical and popular music from Chopin to “Chopsticks” and Rachmaninoff to Ragtime, this production will have the audiences cheering the life of a unique American icon.

Liberace! is performed as a solo act by veteran musician Gary Beard who has served as Music Director and consultant to Theatre Memphis over the past decade. Most recently he was the Music Director for the acclaimed Theatre Memphis production of Into the Woods. Retired from Lindenwood Christian Church after 37 years of service there as Director of Music and Artist in Residence.

On playing such an iconic character as Liberace, Beard relates, “The biggest challenge is that he was such a unique character and performer. His playing style was flashy, but it was also good. He also had a very unique and affected speaking voice, and though I'm not trying to 'be' him, I think the character has to have some of that in order to portray Liberace.“

Director Bennett Wood says directing Beard again is a real treat. “We have worked harmoniously on so many shows as stage director and music director that we have a totally comfortable collaboration.  We are fine tuning a bit this time but essentially we are restaging what we did last summer. I totally trust his musical expertise, he totally trusts my theatricality.”   Wood continues, “The script as written calls for both presentation and impersonation, Gary is adept at both. Our principle work has been on showing the conflict in him between the artist and the entertainer. This is the spine of the play.”

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch exalts, “Gary is the perfect person to portray a musical icon like Liberace … the charm, technique and entertaining ability come naturally to Gary. I am so thrilled to be able to again showcase a Memphis legend playing a true national treasure. This show is all about entertainment!”

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TITLE: Liberace!

BY: Brent Hazelton

DIRECTOR: Bennett Wood

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: September 30 – October 16, 2016

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 student; $25 Military and 62 and older

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Gene and Sandra Cochran  

MEDIA SPONSORS: The Best Times and WKNO 91.1FM

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    July 26, 2016

CONTACT:Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org /  901.682.8601

Family Favorite Disney Musical Opens Theatre Memphis New Season

Memphis, TN – Theatre Memphis is presenting the Disney family classic musical, Beauty and the Beast, September 2 - 25, 2016, on the Lohrey Stage. This fun and family friendly musical, adapted from the original Disney film, brings to life the timeless story of a selfish and hot tempered prince who is turned into a hideous monster and must win the affection of a beautiful, young girl in order to regain his humanity. This musical includes the classic scores of “Be Our Guest”, “If I Can’t Love Her”, “A Change in Me”, the title song “Beauty and the Beast” and many more. The exuberant musical offers humor, romance, and excitement for all ages.

Director Amy Hanford says, “This is my favorite musical … and then again I love all things Disney. The irony here is that I see this as a real story and that is how I am approaching it.” With the fantastical love story being so prominent in the storyline, Hanford’s realistic approach, she believes, will only make it more universal. “I really want the entire audience to have fun but walk away knowing what it is like to have a real change of heart and that love can win,” Hanford proclaims. “This is a show for everybody with a message for everybody, children and adults. As is implied by the script, don’t judge a book by its cover. A great message for today’s world.”

The cast features TM veterans like Charles K. Hodges (Beast), Jude Knight (Mrs. Potts), Kevar Maffitt (Cogsworth), Caiden Britt (Lumiere) and Phillip Himebook (Gaston), but making her much anticipated Theatre Memphis debut is Ashley McCormack (Belle) who has performed on almost every stage in the MidSouth. The remainder of the large cast is rounded out by the talents of a score of actors ranging from ages 7 to 87 featuring, relatively, Josie Todd (Chip) and Barry Fuller (Maurice). Other principals include Edna Dinwiddie (Madame la Grande Bouche), Nicole Hale (Babette), Charles McGowan (D’Arque), Tyler Vernon (Prince), Jason Eschhofen (La Fou), Jacquelyn Skoog, Courtney Tucker and Ellen Inghram (Silly Girls).

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch has had Beauty and the Beast on the Theatre Memphis bucket list for almost eight years. “I knew this was the perfect show that Theatre Memphis could do with the designers and talent we have available to us as staff and volunteers. The “across-the-board” appeal this show has is a PERFECT fit for our season opener and Amy was the perfect fit to direct it. And we have the perfect Musical Director in Jeff Brewer and Choreographer in Travis Bradley. It’s perfectly cast … I don’t want to jinx myself, but how can this show NOT be perfect?”

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TITLE: Beauty and the Beast

MUSIC BY: Alan Menken

LYRICS BY: Howard Ashman and Tim Rice

BOOK BY:  Linda Woolverton

DIRECTOR: Amy Hanford

MUSIC DIRECTOR: Jeff Brewer

CHOREOGRAPHER: Travis Bradley

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117

RUN DATES: September 2 – September 25, 2016

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays and Saturdays 9/10, 9/17 and 9/24

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 students, $25 seniors 62 and above and military personnel

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org

SPONSORED BY: Dr. Thomas Ratliff, Jones Bros. Tree and Landscape, a Davey company, Jackson Lewis, LLP and Jeff Brewer.

MEDIA SPONSOR: WKNO 91.1FM

Production photos available 8/30/16.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation / ArtsFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission

Listen here.

March 21, 2016 

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org / 901.682.8601   

Celebrating Shakespeare At Theatre Memphis

Memphis, TN – The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) will run from April 8 until April 24, 2016, in the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis as the Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield comical parody takes the spotlight to honor William Shakespeare’s life. Three actors take on William Shakespeare in all his glory in an animated and shortened interpretation of a wide range of his works. Typically the actors portray themselves rather than certain characters and some scenes involve audience participation. The fourth wall is non-existent as improvisation and pop culture weave into the performance.   

Jeff Posson directs this engaging, hilarious production that is a modern mash-up of so much of Shakespeare. Posson promotes, “I think the major difference in our production is that we have taken great pains to make the show engaging for a 2016 crowd. The base script that the original creators developed is still an amazing foundation, but we've taken steps to update many of the references while never moving away from the original intent of the Messrs. Long, Singer and Winfield. The Next Stage is such a wonderful space and the immediacy of the audience allows for wonderful direct interaction.”   

The cast includes, according to Posson, “… three open-minded, inherently, funny actors….” He says, “I was looking for three actors who, above all, MUST LOVE SHAKESPEARE.” And the three he found are Joshua Hitt, Meghan Lisi and Kevar Maffit. “I consider Shakespeare to be, hands down, the greatest playwright in English history,” Posson continues, “ but I also believe that he appreciated a good joke …  I hope we've crafted a show that would make him laugh.”   

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch says, “We wanted to honor William Shakespseare’s 400th anniversary of his death like so many theatres are … and to keep it fun we decided on ‘The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr’. So in a celebratory way, we are tipping our hats to him and to all who have followed by acknowledging so many of his works in a special way for a no holds “Bard” good time.”  

 A late night 11pm performance will be held on Friday, April 22, 2016, as a tribute to Shakespeare as the show will roll into April 23 … the probable birthdate and actual death date of the master playwright.     

 TITLE: The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) 

 WRITTEN BY: Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield 

 DIRECTOR: Jeff Posson 

 VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117 

RUN DATES: April 8 – April 24, 2016, SPECIAL PERFORMANCE: Friday, April 22, 2016. 11pm TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays 

 TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students 

 BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323 WEB: www.theatrememphis.org 

 SPONSORED BY: Gene and Sandra Cochran

Production photos available 4/6/16. Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants. Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:    

CONTACT:  Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications                                                         

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org / 901.682.8601 

Theatre Memphis Announces 2016-17 Season 

Theatre Memphis has made its play selections for the 2016-17 season and they include a variety of entertainment that touches many bases. Featuring musicals, comedy, drama, classics and new work, the season offers options and regional premieres to Memphis patrons. 

The 411 seat Lohrey Stage will begin the season with an all-time family favorite musical Beauty and the Beast, based on the Disney movie of the same name. The story tells of a monster who must win the pure love of woman to be returned to a human prince. The City of Conversation*, - just recently Off Broadway - will follow in the season line up as a social commentary on Washington, D.C. politics. A famous socialite hosts events where the government deals get done and that span six presidential administrations. In spite of her prominence, she must face off with her son’s wife who is a political, conservative opposite. 39 Steps will next bring on a lighter note as a melodramatic comedy based on an Alfred Hitchcock film. Four actors play all the roles with romantic entanglement and lightning-fast quick changes. In March of 2017, Side Show*, a musical based on a true story from the 1930’s of conjoined twins who gained fame for their performances but seek different goals in life, will be on the stage. Conflict emotionally separates them and only heartache brings them back together. A literary classic, Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof explores the relationships of wealthy Southern family as recurring motifs of social mores, greed, sexual desire and death are presented in the Mississippi Delta plantation home. Closing the Lohrey Stage season will be South Pacific which has never been performed on a Theatre Memphis stage. A wildly popular musical, the Rodgers and Hammerstein staple involves a World War II nurse who falls for a middle-aged French expatriate and she struggles with accepting his past. Along with another romance between a naval officer and an island native, the issue of racial prejudice is candidly explored.  And of course, the family favorite, A Christmas Carol, will be performed as a special holiday offering in December for the 39th consecutive year at Theatre Memphis. Debbie Sings: Judy, Just for You will be a Summer Showcase Special show in July of 2016 featuring Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch in a one woman presentation of the performer Judy Garland, famous for her style and glamour. This is an encore presentation of an original production presented last year to Theatre Memphis donors as a “thank you” for their support. This re-staging is due to the overwhelming response received from those two performances. 

The black box Next Stage season leads off with a return engagement of Liberace!  featuring Gary Beard in a one man presentation of the performer famous for his charm, glitz and glamour. A huge hit as last season’s Summer Showcase, this restaging reveals the real person behind the persona and is interwoven with a rollicking piano score spanning classical and popular music. The often comedic but no less authentic One Ham Manlet comes up next presented as an original work performed by the author, Ryan Kathman, who plays all the characters in an adapted version of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  Following in the Next Stage will be the Jon Jory adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility. Sisters find themselves captivated by two very different men and when a scandalous past and a secret engagement come to light, the sisters must rely on themselves and each other.  The final show in the Next Stage is Rasheeda Speaking*. Office politics and protocol are central in a confrontation between co-workers as contention, bigotry and gross generalizations are prevalent and issues come to a head via the prickly relationships. 

Season memberships for the 2016-17 season will be available March 11, 2016 by calling 901.682.8323 and are $135 which includes six tickets. All tickets are good to use on any performance and can be used in any combination on any show, excluding A Christmas Carol, TM/PM cabarets and Summer Showcases which are not part of the membership package.  Season members do, however, receive discounts on tickets to holiday offerings and special events.  Memberships secured prior to April 12, 2016 will receive a $10 discount off the regular membership price. 

All shows are at 7:30pm Thursdays, 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays with matinees on Sunday at 2pm, unless otherwise designated.  Single ticket prices for adults are $30 for musicals and $25 for dramas/comedies, $15 for students. 

*Regional Premiere  

Dates for all productions are listed below:  

July 15 - 31, 2016

Summer Musical Showcase, Debbie Sings:  Judy, Just for You

Conceived and directed by André Bruce Ward, Musical direction by Gary Beard, Performed by Debbie Litch

Lohrey Stage

The Beauty and the Beast

September 2 - 25, 2016

The City of Conversation – REGIONAL PREMIERE

October 21 – November 6, 2016

A Christmas Carol

December 2 – 23, 2016 Theatre Memphis’ 39th Annual Production

39 Steps

January 20 – February 5, 2017

Side Show– REGIONAL PREMIERE

March 10 – April 2, 2017

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

April 28 – May 14, 2017

South PacificJune 2 – 25, 2017 

Next Stage

Liberace!

September 30 – October 16, 2016

One Ham Manlet - ORIGINAL WORK

November 10 - 20, 2016

Sense and Sensibility

February 10 - 26, 2017

Rasheeda Speaking– REGIONAL PREMIERE

April 7 - 23, 2017 

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.  Visit our website at www.theatrememphis.org.Theatre Memphis receives funding from ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission.

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Theatre Memphis will be closed Dec 24 - Jan 3 to allow the staff to enjoy the holidays. The administrative offices will re-open Jan 4 at 9am. 

The box office will re-open Jan 5 at 10am.

Hear interview with director Jason Spitzer and WKNO Checking on the Arts host Kacky Walton here.

November 24, 2015 

 CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications                                                 rhartzog@theatrememphis.org   901.682.8601   

A Christmas Carol Continues Memphis Family Tradition

Memphis, TN – A Memphis family holiday tradition, Theatre Memphis’ 38th annual production of A Christmas Carol will run December 4 until December 23, 2015, on the Lohrey Stage. Miserly and rich Ebenezer Scrooge is approached by the ghostly vision of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns him of an upcoming spiritual journey. An eye opening exploration leads to happiness and enlightenment, not to mention song, dance, and holiday cheer.   

Director Jason Spitzer returns to helm this year’s production for the sixth time. “Tradition is important to a story like this and we try to be true to the story. It makes it easier when you have committed actors who return year after year to make it part of their tradition as well.”   

One of those actors returning is John Rone who is back for his sixth year to play Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s poor assistant with the family that includes the famous character of Tiny Tim. According to Rone, “After having seen A Christmas Carol various times over the years sat Theatre Memphis — but never having appeared in it — I was very curious about the new production that director Jason Spitzer and scenic designer Christopher McCollum devised back in 2010. At that time I thought it would be an interesting experience to be part of a brand new production of such a beloved show.” Rone also wanted the chance to work with the long-time Scrooge at TM, Barry Fuller. Rone recalls, “He was the first professional actor I ever saw, thanks to my high school English teacher who took a group of us to Front Street Theatre to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Barry was Puck). Barry was (and still is) quite magical on stage. He made a lasting impression on me.  So playing Bob Cratchit to Barry’s Ebenezer Scrooge was a very fulfilling proposition. “    

Though Fuller “retired” from the Scrooge role two years ago (portrayed since by David Shipley), Rone continued to be drawn to the Cratchit role. Having been influenced at a young age by the effervescent Fuller, Rone had been instilled with a sense of responsibility. “I know that attending A Christmas Carol is a tradition among so many families and that for some it is the only live theatre that they see,”  Rone admits. “This encourages me to give as serious a performance as I would in any other show. Although I’ve done many plays over the years, it is for A Christmas Carol that more people, especially children, have recognized me and taken the trouble to tell me how much they enjoyed the show. I hope in the same way that Barry Fuller inspired me, I might also leave an enjoyable memory in some young person’s mind and that they will be among the cast of A Christmas Carol in the years to come.   

Theater Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch celebrates that families and cast members come back to see and perform in A Christmas Carol year after year. She says, “It is so wonderful to be a part of so many family traditions and to have a feeling of family in the cast. It is a special show and gets so many in the “spirit.’”   

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TITLE: A Christmas Carol 

DIRECTOR: Jason Spitzer 

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117 

RUN DATES: December 4 – December 23, 2015 

TIMES OF SHOWS Wednesdays 12/16 & 12/23 @ 7:00pm; Thursdays 12/10 & 12/17 @ 7:00pm; Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays @ 7:00pm with matinees @ 3:00pm on 12/6,12/12, 12/13, 12/19 & 12/20; Monday 12/21 and Tuesday 12/22 @ 7:00pm 

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 students 

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323 

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org 

SPONSORED BY: AutoZone, Dina and Brad Martin, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. 

MEDIA SPONSORS: ValPak, Clipper Magazine, WRVR 104.5FM and The Best Times Promotional graphic attached.  Production photos available 12/1/15. 

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants. Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: First Tennessee Foundation, The Jeniam Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission        

Here the entire interview with director Tony Isbell and Checking on the Arts host Kacky Walton here.

CONTACT: Randall Hartzog,Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications                                                 rhartzog@theatrememphis.org or 901.682.8601   

Doubt Takes Hold of Next Stage at Theatre Memphis

Memphis, TN – An intensely dramatic parable, Theatre Memphis’ production of Doubt will open November 6 and run until November 21, 2015, in the Next Stage. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best play, Doubt is set in the Bronx in 1964 where a rigidly conservative nun who is Principal at a Catholic elementary school comes to believe there has been sexual misconduct between a beloved, progressive parish priest and the school’s only African American student. Even confronting the priest and the child’s mother does not bring light to the mysterious circumstances and the church’s resolution only brings more mistrust and suspicion to the Sister’s beliefs.   

Tony Isbell directs the production at TM and thinks navigating the controversial subject matter is simply a matter of letting the ambiguity keep the audience guessing. “To my mind the show is not “about” sexual abuse. That would be a very different type of play,” he says. “What the show is really about is the impossibility of ever knowing anything with absolute certainty … is there ever one, absolute truth? In the course of the play we see these characters, all with different degrees of certainty and doubt, struggle to reach some understanding of the truth. And though actions are taken and results are obtained, the answer to the ultimate question is never given. The audience is left to try to puzzle out the solution in their own minds. And I think this was Shanley’s intention.” The cast consists of accomplished actors Christina Wellford Scott as Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Principal) and Ryan Kathman as Father Brendan Flynn (Priest). Michelle Miklosey and Antoinette K. Harris round out the small, established ensemble as Sister James and Mrs. Muller, respectively.

Executive Producer of Theatre Memphis, Debbie Litch says, “Though the scandalous premise of the show is terribly current, the interest here is about the human condition of basic trust. Our Next Stage is a perfect venue to offer up these types of issues for discussion and reflect on what is a larger question, Who can you believe?” 

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 TITLE: Doubt 

 WRITTEN BY: John Patrick Shanley 

 DIRECTOR: Tony Isbell 

 VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117 

RUN DATES: November 6-21, 2015 

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays 

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students 

 BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323 WEB: www.theatrememphis.org 

 SPONSORED BY: Gene and Sandra Cochran 

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants. Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:   

FirstTennessee/ArtsFirst

The Jeniam Foundation

ArtsMemphis

Temmessee Arts Commission

Interview with Debbie Litch

"...chilling"

See entire review here.

 CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications                                                 rhartzog@theatrememphis.org   901.682.8601    

Suspenseful Thriller Takes the Lohrey Stage at Theatre Memphis

 Memphis, TN – Wait Until Dark creeps onto the Lohrey Stage at Theatre Memphis October 16 – November 1, 2015. Unknowingly in possession of stolen jewels, Sam and his blind wife, Susy, are the target of three con men trying to retrieve the contraband. Deception, murder and intimidation lead to Susy using all of her wits and the darkness she is familiar with to her benefit to ultimately survive.    

Directing the drama is Tracey Zerwig Ford who is incorporating suspense techniques from Film Noir of the 1940’s. “We use lighting and sound and sets in non-conventional ways to heighten the tension of the script and dramatic action,” she says. Andria Wilson leads the cast as the sight-impaired Susy who has the physical challenge of outmaneuvering her aggressors with her heightened senses and survival instinct. Though portraying the character is difficult, Wilson is focused on what is real and can bring that to the role having been declared legally blind at the age of 9. 

“Due to rapid deterioration of my vision via nearsightedness … I remember that poor vision kept me from experiencing  normal childhood activities,” Wilson recalls. “I found it as a barrier of connection to my friends.”  But in her 20’s a new surgical procedure helped her reclaim her vision and,  “After that day my ‘normal’ was no longer ‘normal’ .. I could actually see when I awoke.”  When in rehearsal Wilson made a special connection with the role of the blind Susan, not just through her experience, but with the help of a consultant, Stephanie Jones, blind herself, who is a teacher at Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. According to Ford, Jones has been a resource to understanding the blind experience and she beams,  “We are incorporating so much of what she shared in the play.”    

Wilson also has been relying on Jones as a guide and friend to develop the Susy character. Regarding Jones, “Her input from prop usage to character development has been invaluable.” Wilson also relates, “It also helped when (Susy)  walked through the ‘dark world’ and realized ‘her willingness to own her blindness,use it … to claim her strength.’”   

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch doesn’t bat an eye when she proclaims, “’The entertainment value of a show like this is so great. The suspense and drama all play to the strengths of a perfect show for October … I look forward to this being a big hit with this cast and Tracey directing. And with the increased awareness of the sight impaired community that has been heightened by this experience, Theatre Memphis will be having a special ‘audio description’ performance for the sight impaired on Sunday, October 25, 2015.”   

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 TITLE: Wait Until Dark 

 WRITTEN BY:  Frederick Knott 

 ADAPTED BY:  Jeffrey Hatcher 

 DIRECTOR: Tracey Zerwig Ford 

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117 

RUN DATES: October 16 – November 1, SPECIAL ‘audio description performance” October 25. 

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays 

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students with valid ID 

BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323 WEB: www.theatrememphis.org 

 SPONSORED BY: Davey Tree Service and Dr. Thomas Ratliff

Promotional graphic attached.  Production photos available 10/13/15. 

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants. Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from: 

"Poignant Palmers Ace The Gin Game"

Full review here

Read the review here

 CONTACT: Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications                                                 

rhartzog@theatrememphis.org, 901.682.8601   

Romantic Comedy Engages at Theatre Memphis  

Memphis, TN – The Philadelphia Story opens April 24 and runs through May 10, 2015, on the Lohrey Stage at Theatre Memphis. A classic American comedy, this sophisticated fun and zany satire takes a witty look behind the scenes of a posh socialite wedding.  Tracy Lord is all set to walk down the aisle for a second time when suddenly confronted by an ex-husband and a charming reporter covering the wedding for a national magazine. Tracy will walk down the aisle ... but with whom?    

Directing The Philadelphia Story, Jason Spitzer takes on the challenge of bringing a well-known 1941 comedy movie adaption from screen back to the stage where it was initially a hit in 1939 with Kathryn Hepburn. He says, “In reviving this effervescent social satire for the stage one naturally has to tip one's hat to such a successful film. Audiences expect that, I think. I went about casting the show looking for certain qualities: intelligence, wit, grace, and a kind of patrician elegance for the lead character, Tracy Lord.” He says that lead cast member Natalie Jones embodies those qualities and Kinon Kiplinger, as the “devil may care” ex-husband, has the charm of the leading man of that genre. Other cast members include Steven Brown, John Moore, Carly Nahon, Jude Knight, Evan McCarley, Mark S. Rutledge, James Dale Green, Aliza Moran, Charles Hodges, Edna K. Dinwiddie, Joseph Prestigiacomo, Meredith Koch and John Reynolds.   

Spitzer does not see this as an old play since the subject is universal … including the contemporary situation of the media interfering in the lives of celebrities. “As a society, we're obsessed with the rich and famous,” Spitzer offers. “We want to pry into their lives and live vicariously through their exploits (think the Kardashians). For that reason alone, this play remains uncannily relevant. It's actually incredible that Hollywood hasn't remade the film yet.”  He adds, “The story plays as well today as it did in 1939.”   

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch delights in The Philadelphia Story being a part of the Theatre Memphis season. “You just can’t beat a tried and true comedy,” she laughs. “And it adds to the variety we offer our patrons that includes dramas and musicals, too.” 

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 TITLE: The Philadelphia Story 

 WRITTEN BY:  Philip Barry 

 DIRECTOR: Jason Spitzer 

 VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117 

RUN DATES: April 24 – May 10, 2015 TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays

 TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students with valid ID 

 BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323 WEB: www.theatrememphis.org 

 SPONSOR BY: Social and Dorothy O. Kirsch in memory of Lenore Binswanger  

 Production photos available 04/22/15. 

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants. Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:    

Listen here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                 March 20, 2015 

CONTACT:Randall Hartzog , Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications                                                                 rhartzog@theatrememphis.org             901.682.8601   

Rapture, Blister, Burn  Lightens Up the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis

Memphis, TN – A 2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist fresh from off-Broadway, the regional premiere of Rapture, Blister, Burn, by  Gina Gionfriddo  ushers into the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis and runs April 3 - 19, 2105. With blazing wit, this new comedy takes a tantalizing look at family, career, romance and the decisions made that may define one’s life.  Decades after college, friends Catherine (a single, successful author and TV personality) and Gwen (a home-bound, married mother of two) reconnect only to discover the career academic and the housewife want the other's life.

According to director Tony Isbell, Rapture, Blister, Burn is “about women who have reached a ‘certain age’ examining the choices they have made in their lives and comparing them with the choices other women have made. It has become a cliché, but it's really about the question: ‘Can a woman have it all’?" Isbell is adamant that the comedy shines through the message and says, “…while it ponders some serious questions, it does so in a way filled with humor and good will and compassion for ALL women, no matter what they have chosen to do in their lives.”  Even though the issue-oriented scenes blur the lines of the “road map” of how to go through life, the humor comes in with the strong, female protagonists who have made choices about their lives and are now having second thoughts about some things. Both deal with this quest in a comedic way, while never denigrating the seriousness of the issues. Isbell laughingly relates, “Both (women) are very funny and very poignant at the same time. The grass is always greener on the other side of the picket fence … or as the case maybe, the skyscraper.”

The cast is led by actors Erin Shelton and Tracie Hansom (Catherine and Gwen, respectively). They are supported by Ann Sharp as the aging mother needing assisted care, Jillian Barron as the young, inquisitive and direct babysitter and Steven Burk as the man (husband) in the middle. The interaction between all is part of the “tri-generational perspective” that Catherine’s character wants.   

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch promotes Rapture, Blister, Burn as iconic to the purpose of the Next Stage. “Bringing new and exciting work to our patrons via the Next Stage enables us to produce more contemporary and cutting-edge work,” she says. “In the more intimate space of the Next Stage we can take a higher risk to anticipate high artistic rewards. By engaging newer works we can attract the artistic community’s interest and participation and an ever expanding and younger, more diverse audience.”   

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 TITLE: Rapture, Blister, Burn 

 BY: Gina Gionfriddo 

 DIRECTOR: Tony Isbell 

 VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117 

 RUN DATES: April 3 - 19, 2015 

 TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays 

TICKETS: $25 adults, $15 students with valid ID 

 BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323 WEB: www.theatrememphis.org 

 SPONSORED BY: Gene & Sandra Cochran and Bert & Carol Barnett

MEDIA SPONSOR:  WKNO 91.1FM 

Production photos available 04/01/15, 

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants. Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:          

GoMemphis/The Commercial Appeal

broadwayworld.com

Out 901

Listen to Host Kacky Walton talk to director Jerry Chipman and guest artist Josh Walden.  Air date March 4, 2015.

Opening Night Moved

Due to weather conditions the opening night for The Boy from Oz  has been moved from Friday, March 6 to Saturday, March 7 @ 8pm. All tickets for Friday will be honored on Saturday but if you need to reschedule for a voucher for another night please call the Box Office at 901.682.8323 Friday, March 6 between 10am and 5pm or Saturday, March 7 noon to 5pm.

We are sorry for any inconvenience, but the safety of our patrons and performers are our first concern. We look forward to seeing you at this spectacular event.

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:      February 27, 2015                                                            

CONTACT:Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications rhartzog@theatrememphis.org  901.682.8601   

 Theatre Memphis Announces 2015-16 Season   

Theatre Memphis has made its play selections for the 2015-16 season and they include a variety of entertainment that touches many bases. Featuring musicals, comedy, drama, classics and new work, the season offers options to Memphis patrons.   The 411 seat Lohrey Stage will begin the season with The Producers, a zany musical by Mel Brooks based on his film of the same name. Get rich quick producers promote a sure fire Broadway flop only to see it succeed. Wait Until Dark, will follow in the season line up as a suspenseful thriller that shows a blind woman using all her wits to survive a brutal set of con men out to retrieve what they believe to be their contraband. The Lion in Winter will next bring on a historically-based fictional story of Queen Eleanor of Aquataine and her attempt to discredit her husband King Henry II who has imprisoned her for a decade. The fray engulfs their three sons and French royalty who all lay claim to rule. In March of 2016, Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, a musical based on a storybook fantasy, brings together the likes of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and his beanstalk and more from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. This delightful romp, with a dose of reality thrown in the mix, questions “happily ever after.” A farcical comedy of manners by Noel Coward is presented next as Hay Fever infects hilarity on the stage with the Bliss family. Each member of the family invites a guest to the country house and the confusion and melodrama take over.  Reality slips into fiction leading to the visitors plotting their escape from the mayhem. Closing the Lohrey Stage season will be Oliver! which has never been performed on a Theatre Memphis stage. A wildly popular musical, the Charles Dickens characters come to life as an orphan and his associates scramble to survive and to find joy in their journey.  And of course, the family favorite, A Christmas Carol, will be performed as a special holiday offering in December for the 38th consecutive year at Theatre Memphis. Liberace! Will be a Summer Showcase Special show in July of 2015  featuring Gary Beard in a one man presentation of the performer famous for his charm, glitz and glamour.     

The black box Next Stage season leads off with The Gin Game, a Tony Award winner for Best Play.  A lonely woman in her twilight years has entered a home for the aged and then is befriended by a male fellow resident. As they seemingly become close over the shuffle of cards as he teaches her to play Gin Rummy, much is revealed of their regret-filled lives and their interaction soon leads to an unsettling confrontation. Doubt comes up next presenting a rigidly conservative nun who is the Principal of a Catholic school in 1964. She suspects sexual misconduct between a priest and a student and even confrontation to the priest and the child’s mother only brings more mistrust and suspicion to the sister’s beliefs.  Following in the Next Stage will be a Terrance McNally work. At turns funny and powerful, Mothers and Sons portrays a woman who pays an unexpected visit to the New York apartment of her late son's partner, who is now married to another man and has a young son. Generations collide as she revisits the past and begins to see the life her son might have led.  Scheduled next to follow in the black box theatre is comical parody The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged). Three actors take on William Shakespeare in all of his glory breaking the fourth wall with animated and shortened interpretations improvised and infused with pop culture.   

Visit www.theatrememphis.org for a complete listing of the 2015-16 season.   

Season memberships are available by calling 901.682.8323 and are $135 which includes six tickets. All tickets are good to use on any performance and can be used in any combination on any show, excluding A Christmas Carol, TM/PM cabarets and summer showcases which are not part of the membership package.  Season members do, however, receive discounts on tickets to holiday offerings and special events.  Memberships secured prior to April 15, 2014 will receive a $10 discount off the regular membership price. All shows are at 7:30pm Thursdays, 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays with matinees on Sunday at 2pm, unless otherwise designated.  Single ticket prices for adults are $30 for musicals and $25 for dramas/comedies, $15 for children 11 and  under and students with a valid ID.   Dates for all productions are listed below:    

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Liberace! By Brent Hazelton,  Performed by Gary Beard,  July 10 – 26, 2015   

Lohrey Stage 

The Producers Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks, Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan August 21 – September 13, 2015 

Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott,  October 16 – November 1, 2015 

A Christmas Carol* by Charles Dickens,  December 4 – 23, 2015.  Theatre Memphis’ 38th Annual Production 

The Lion in Winter by James Goldman,  January 22 – February 7, 2016 

 Into the Woods Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by James Lapine,  March 11 – April 3, 2016 

Hay Fever, by Noel Coward,  April 29 – May 15, 2016 

Oliver!, Book, Music and Lyrics by Lionel Bart,  June 10 – July 3, 2016   

Next Stage 

The Gin Game by Donald L. Colburn,  September 18 – October 4, 2015 

Doubt by John Patrick Shanley,  November 6 – 21, 2015 

All Over by Edward Albee,  February 12 – 28, 2016 

The  Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield,  April 8 – 24, 2016

*Not part of the season membership but members do get  discounts on Adult full price tickets.

 Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.    Visit our website at www.theatrememphis.org. Theatre Memphis receives funding from ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission.   

CONTACT:Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis, Director of Marketing and Communications                                                 rhartzog@theatrememphis.org / 901.682.8601   

 Guest Artist Follows Road to Oz at Theatre Memphis

Memphis, TN – The Boy from Oz opens March 6 and runs through March 29, 2015, on the Lohrey Stage at Theatre Memphis. Touted as one of the national premieres on its return to the United States, this “life of” musical tells the story of Peter Allen's rise from an intro act for Judy Garland, to his marriage to her daughter, Liza Minnelli, through his triumph as an Oscar-winning song writer and Radio City Music Hall concert star and his untimely death. Featuring the original songs made popular in night clubs and on tours, memorable hits as “Don't Cry Out Loud,” “Love Don't Need a Reason,” “Everything Old is New Again” and “I Go to Rio” are included In this all out extravaganza.

As guest artist at Theatre Memphis in the lead role of Australian Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz, Josh Walden lives up to the challenge of portraying one of the  most energetic and prolific songwriters and performers of the modern era. His talents extend to both sides of the boards in that he directs and produces for theatre, as well. His production as director of TM’s A Chorus Line in 2013 led to a partnership that set him on a path that brought him back to Memphis to perform on the Lohrey Stage in his own right. Walden returns to Theatre Memphis with open arms and is happy to be on the boards this time. He says, “I love watching the company perform … I'm just so impressed by this community of artists who live completely different lives by day and then shed all their cares to sell this show at night.  They truly inspire me to be better. I love Theatre Memphis.  There is such joy around the theatre.  Everyone is proud of the work and strives towards excellence in all departments.”

Besides his accomplishments in singing and acting, his dancing skills pushed him to create his own company, Walden Dance Theatre, which according to Walden, “couples the technical skills of dancing with the tools of the acting world to create a highly charged theatrical setting while exploring the power of being still.” However, not one to stand still, he also created the film company Walza Productions in 2012 and has already had a film accepted into the New York City Independent Film Festival and the Big Apple Film Festival. An author of a children’s book and an entrepreneur in event planning and publishing, Walden spends most of his time in the theater having performed in national tours and Off-Broadway and regional theater venues. His Broadway credits include 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles and A Chorus Line.

Jerry Chipman directs his first musical with this production of The Boy from Oz. Having directed a fair amount of comedies and dramas he says, “I saw this show as a drama with production numbers. The biggest difference has been the shared vision.” Chipman adds, “When I signed on to direct I told executive producer Debbie Litch to line up the best musical director and choreographer so they could make a novice ‘look good’. Gary Beard (musical director) and Jared Johnson (choreographer) are an amazing duo. I’ve been amazed by their tireless enthusiasm for getting each number exactly right.” 

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch (who is performing in this production as the legendary Judy Garland) sings not only Walden’s praises, but also the talents of the totally committed cast. “There is no way we can do a show of this magnitude without the talent and dedication of our volunteer performers,” she remarks. “For them to be able to do this type of musical is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And to experience it with a seasoned professional like Josh only elevates the experience for them and the audience.” Chipman supports that thought, “ Josh brings exactly the essential elements: a great sense of showmanship supported by boundless energy and a strong vocal and dancing talent.” 

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TITLE: The Boy from Oz 

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY: Peter Allen 

BOOK BY:  Martin Sherman and Nick Enright 

DIRECTOR: Jerry Chipman 

VENUE AND ADDRESS: Theatre Memphis on the Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117 

RUN DATES: March 6 - 29, 2015 

TIMES OF SHOWS: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees @ 2pm on Sundays 

TICKETS: $30 adults, $15 students with valid ID BOX OFFICE: 901.682.8323 

WEB: www.theatrememphis.org 

MEDIA SPONSOR: The Best Times   

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins Extended and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants. Theatre Memphis receives season sponsorship and funding from:  First Tennessee/ArtFirst, The Jeniam Foundation, The Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation, ArtsMemphis and Tennessee Arts Commission.