The Acrosstown Repertory Theatre (619 South Main Street, Gainesville, Florida)
announces the winner of its annual James Sunwall New Play Contest. From hundreds
of entries, the ART's judges picked When You Have No Class,
described by New Jersey playwright William Griggs as "a farce in two acts."
Reader's-theatre performances of the play will be given on Sunday, October
16 and Monday, October 17, with an 8 PM curtain at the theatre.
When You Have No Class is a hilarious and yet strangely profound look at the insane life of public school teachers; its humor is both loving and sarcastic. The cast of characters includes a hypochondriac named Sidney whose Viagra is mistakenly taken by one of the female teachers, a divorced couple stuck together at the same school, a principal who has lost his mind to official forms, and other funny souls lost in a wild, unpredictable world that will have a special meaning for this area's teachers. Directed by Allison Kirkpatrick, whom audiences will remember from the ART's production of The Threepenny Opera, When You Have No Class features six of the community's favorite actors.
Tickets, sold at the door the night of the performance, are just $7 for students and $9 for the general public. For more information, please call 352-378-9166.
The Acrosstown Repertory Theatre (619 South Main Street, Gainesville) announces the opening of one of the most exciting plays it has ever staged, described by The Guardian as "like a shot of caffeine straight in the veins," when Stephen Adly Guirgis's JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN opens on Thursday, October 27, and plays Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (with an 8 PM curtain) through November 19.
About the prison system, born-again Christians, murder, and a startling change in character, JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN is directed by Kevin Mack, who comes to Gainesville from Philadelphia's renowned Freedom Theatre. The play will surely stir controversy about matters of faith, criminal justice, and the divisions in American society. Who is deserving of redemption? Mack has assembled a brilliant cast for the production.
Tickets are just $7 for students and $9 for the general public, and may be purchased ahead of time at Omni Books (in the Westgate Shopping Center) or Book Gallery West (in the Millhopper Shopping Center) or at the door the night of performances. For more information please call 352-378-9166.
600 Years of History in 6000 seconds! From Washington to Watergate, yea verily from the Bering Straits to Berlin, from New World to New World Order, this show will take you on a ninety minute rollercoaster ride through the glorious quagmire that is American History.
Thursday Afternoon Productions and the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, 619 S. Main Street, Gainesville, Florida tackles such controversial questions as: Whoreally discovered America? What were the first ideas for the American flag? When is a horse really a man? History is normally written by the winners... now it's our turn.
Thursday Afternoon Productions, in association with The Acrosstown Repertory
Theatre are pleased and excited to announce their first show of the season, “The Complete History of America, Abridged.” The show
opens on September 1st and runs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday through
October 1st at the
Acrosstown Repertory Theatre’s Main Stage.
All shows will begin promptly at 8pm with doors opening at 7:30. Ticket prices
are $9.00 for the general public and $7.00 for students. Package tickets are
available from the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre for $45.00, which includes admission
to six shows. Call 352-378-9166 for a brochure on subscription and
packages. Advance tickets are available at Book Gallery West and Omni Books.
Tickets will be available the day of the show at the door. For
more information,
interviews, or photo shoots please contact Casey Stern with Thursday Afternoon
Productions at (352) 538-5516, or tap_inc@yahoo.com.
The Gainesville Association for the Creative Arts Summer Musical and Theatre Camp performances continue on Friday, July 1st with two new original shows. The Junior Campers comprised of students ages 8 to 11 will present "All-American Musical" a tribute to patriotic Broadway tunes in anticipation of the Independence Day holiday. Meanwhile, the Senior Camp comprised of middle and high school students ages 12 -16 will perform "Eddie's Teddy", a clever review of the Rocky Horror Show relived from Eddie's perspective as told by his Uncle, Dr. Scott. The show will feature numbers from the original, including the ever-popular "Time Warp".
The fun begins on the main stage at 7 p.m. and is FREE and open to the public. Donations to the GACA scholarship fund will be accepted also. For more information call 352-378-9166.
Because the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre (619 South Main Street, Gainesville) could not accommodate all the people who wanted to see BLACK VOICES which just ended its five-week run at the theatre, the Acrosstwon announces that it is bringing back the show for six additional performances, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from May 26 to June 4, with an 8 PM curtain.
The award-winning Black Voices has been described by one reviewer as "a brilliant Harlem nightclub review" of writings (fiction, prose, poetry, speeches), music (from gospel to Billie Holiday to Kurt Franklin), and dances by African-Americans over the last 200 years. Directed by Sidney Homan and L'Tanya Van Hamersveld, it was restaged this year after its initial run two seasons ago, and has been the recipient of various state grants.
Tickets will be on sale at the door the night of performances, and are just $7 for students and $9 for the general public. For more information or to reserve tickers for the SRO show, please call 352-378-9166.
The James Sunwall Prize for a new comedy is once again open for submission. All plays must be received between May 1 , 2005 and May 30, 2005 to be eligible.
To be eligible, a play must be unproduced, the work of a single author, a comedy, correctly formatted and intended to be a work for the stage, and written within the past three years. Plays which have received staged readings or have been part of a workshop are eligible. Plays must be full-length, with a playing time (with intermission) of approximately 90 minutes or more.Related one-acts are not eligible.
"Unproduced" means that, by the deadline for submission, the play has not been produced, nor scheduled for production with another theater. Production is considered to be any show with sets and actors, and for which there is a charge for admission.
The winner of the competition is brought to Gainesville, Florida, for two nights of staged readings. Accommodations and transportation are provided by The Acrosstown Repertory Theatre. The staged readings will take place at the Acrosstown Theater. There is no other monetary prize, but the winning play is considered for full production during the next season of the theater, and royalties are paid by the theater to the playwright at that time.
The Acrosstown is an intimate, 80-seat theatre over 20 years old. Its season mixes classics with experimental works, Shakespeare with Beckett, with a special focus on plays by African-American writers. The ART advocates cultural and artistic diversity. The Acrosstown Repertory Theatre is a professionally managed theatre where artists volunteer their time--and talent.
Deadline for submissions is May 30, 2005. Please send a self-addressed manuscript envelope with postage if you would like your play returned. Submissions should be mailed to: Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, PO Box 12254, Gainesville, Florida 32604. Winners will be announced September 1, 2005.
For more information please call the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre at352-378-9166.
The Acrosstown Repertory Theatre (619 South Main Street) announces
auditions for Neil Simon's comedy LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS, directed by
Robert Brown, and playing in January. Auditions will be at the theatre on
TUESDAY, November 15th at 7 PM, and will consist of cold readings. Needed:
one middle-aged man and three women (various ages, 20s to 40s).