Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama


 

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Current Auditions & Announcements


Audition for The Cemetery Club:  South City Theatre will hold auditions for the comedy, "The Cemetery Club" by Ivan Menchell on Saturday, February 18, 1 - 3 p.m.  South City Studio (NOT the theatre!).  Directed by Sue Ellen Gerrells. Directions:  From I-65 take Exit 238 (Hwy 31).  Head east on Hwy 31, towards the old South City Theatre. At the intersection of Hwy 31 and Hwy 26, turn left (passing Camp Branch Civic Center) and travel 2 miles.  The Studio will be on your right side in an old gas station building. The audition will consist of cold readings from the script and improvisations. Prepared monologues are not required. Performance dates are April 13 and 14, April 20, 21, 22. Parts are available for 4 women, 1 man  -- all of retirement age (50s and up). Email specific questions to southcityinfo@gmail.com

 


Audition for A Little Princess: At the Leeds Theatre and Arts Center in Historical Downtown Leeds, 8140 Parkway Drive, on Saturday, February 25 at 2:00 PM and Monday, February 27 at 7:00 PM. The show will require 6 males and 13 females of all ages. All parts are available. Please bring a headshot and resume'. Show dates are April 13, 14,20 and 21 at 7:00 PM; April 15 and 22 at 2:00 PM. For more information, cliffjr@yahoo.com

 


Audition for Cyrano De Bergerac:  Directed by Brad Waters. Park Players will be holding Auditions for Edmond Rostand's Cyrano De Bergerac, on March 3rd from 10am - 3pm in the studio at The Virginia Samford Theatre located at 1116 26th Street S. Birmingham, AL 35205. All Roles are open Performance Dates: May 10 thru 13th and May 17 through May 19th  Please Note ******** There may be additional shows as well. Final Dates will be available at the auditions if not sooner. For More information http://www.BhamParkPlayers.com  email info@bhamparkplayers.com    (205) 590-0155. Sides will be available for people to read at the audition. Please arrive early and look over them before you audition. No monologue, Headshot or Resume required but encouraged.

 


Audition for The Normal Heart:  Theatre Downtown (2410 5th Avenue South). Saturday March 17, at 1PM. Theatre Downtown announces auditions for Larry Kramer’s searing drama about public and private indifference to the AIDS plague and one man’s lonely fight to awaken the world to the crisis.  Having recently enjoyed a successful Broadway revival, the show follows Ned Weeks, a gay activist enraged at the indifference of public officials and the gay community.  While trying to save the world from itself, he confronts the personal toll of AIDS in his personal life, through family and friends.

Casting:  Ned Weeks (35+), Felix Turner (30+), Bruce Niles (30+), Ben Weeks (35+), Mickey Marcus (30+), Tommy Boatwright (25+) and two actors (25+) for multiple roles in the show.  The role of Dr. Emma Brookner has been cast and will not be auditioned.

All interested actors should bring a headshot/resume and be prepared for cold readings from the script.  This show rehearses throughout May/June and runs June 14-16, 21-24 & 28-30.  For more information, e-mail the director at theatredt@gmail.com or visit www.theatredowntown.org.

 


New Classes, et al. (check out our sub-pages for archived items)


Check Classes and Resources for other current offerings & older notices at the bottom of this page.

 


Upcoming Performances


The Odd Couple (Female Version):  A Neil Simon favorite directed by Michael R. Bridges. Unger and Madison are at it again! Florence Unger and Olive Madison, that is, in Neil Simon's hilarious contemporary comic classic: the female version of The Odd Couple. Instead of the poker party that begins the original version, Ms. Madison has invited the girls over for an evening of Trivial Pursuit. The Pidgeon sisters have been replaced by the two Constanzuela brothers but the hilarity remains the same.  Performances February 17-19, and February 24–26;  evening shows at 7pm and matinees at 2:30pm. Call Trussville’s ACTA Theatre at 655-3902 to reserve your tickets or for more information.  Tickets are $l2.00 for adults; $10.00 for senior adults (55 and older); and $8.00 for students (thru college.)   225 Parkway Drive, Trussville. www.ACTATheater.com

 


PVHS Theatre Festival One-Acts: PVHS Theatre presents two one-acts plus songs, scenes, and monologues—together in one night. Including our award-winning production of David Ives' hilarious English Made Simple and Neil LaBute's haunting drama Coax, this night of short plays is sure to show off the talent and range of our amazing PVHS Theatre kids. Performances will be at the Pinson Valley High School Fine Arts Center Auditorium, February 17-18, @ 7pm. Tickets $10. For more information, call 205 379 5100 x 639.

 


On the Verge, or The Geography of Yearning: by Eric OvermyerDirected by Karla Koskinen.  Overmyer’s mirthful fantasy tracks the exploits of three Victorian lady explorers spinning through time. For these intrepid “sister sojourners” the future weaves a rich tapestry of history, geography, feminism and fashion.  Theirs is a serendipitous adventure through darkest Africa, highest Himalaya and Terra Incognita!  Presented by the UAB Department of Theatre February 22-25 at 7:30pm, February 26 at 2pm.  The Sirote Theatre in the Alys Stephens Center.  General Admission  $12 & $15, Students  $6, UAB Employees & Senior Citizens  $10.

 


Cats: Written by T.S. Eliot. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Choreographed by Julia Simpson. Aerial Choreography by Alison Page. Costumes Coordinated by Janice Sanders. The Virginia Samford Theatre’s award-winning arts literacy initiative, STARS (Students Take A Role at the Samford), presents the hit broadway musical CATS.  Designed for middle and high school student audience, the STARS program features young performers under the advisory of Alabama Teacher of the Year and Troy University theatre professor, Roy Hudson. Cats tells the story, in song and dance, of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats at which time one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. VST Mainstage. February 24 & 25 at 7:30 PM. February 25 & 26 at 2:30 PM. Tickets: $20 Adults, Students $15. 205-251-1206.

 


 

Opening in  March 2012

 


Cajun Cabaret:  Red Mountain Theatre Company's Young Executives Council presents Cajun Cabaret, a low country boil and fundraiser on Saturday, March 3, beginning at 4:00 PM. The Cajun Cabaret will take place in the penthouse of the Wiggins, Childs, Quinn and Pantazis Law Firm (301 19th Street North, Birmingham AL 35203) and feature a low country boil - complete with all the fixin’s - plus live music by The CapGuns, a raffle giveaway and special swag bags to the first guests to arrive, all with a spectacular view of the city at sunset! The raffle include an 18-Karat yellow gold and sterling silver fashion necklace with antique cushion cut lemon quartz from the Traversa Collection by Alisa. This beautiful necklace, valued at $1,000, is presented by Steed’s Jewelers. Tickets are $15 (includes access to event, food and raffle ticket) and additional raffle tickets are $5 each. Proceeds benefit RMTC’s Youth and Education programs. TICKETS: 205-324-2424 www.redmountaintheatre.org

 


Holy Ghosts: Birmingham Festival Theatre: March 1-17. Call 205-933-2383 or visit www.bftonline.org for tickets and performance times. Written by Romulus Linney / Directed by Bethe Ensey. Romulus Linney writes a moving and funny account of unsophisticated people in moral and emotional crisis in the Deep South. Nancy Shedman, in an effort to escape the drunken attentions of her husband Coleman, has moved in with a band of Pentecostal snake handlers and fallen in love with their leader, Rev. Obediah Buckhorn. Rich with atmosphere and the feel of southern rural life, the play blends humor and poignancy as it probes into the circumstances and stories of the various cult members. What happens when Coleman comes to claim his wife? The notes in the original script give credit to BFT for being one of the first theatres in the country to stage the play in 1976.

 


Theatre UAB Annual Festival of Ten Minute Plays: produced by Lee Shackleford.  Our edgy, tremendously popular festival features eight super-short original plays.  The 2012 theme, Get Me Out of Here!  presents stories of cages, prisons, and traps of all kinds.  Presented by the UAB Department of Theatre March 12-16 at 7:30pm.  The Odess Theatre in the Alys Stephens Center.  All tickets $5.  Adult language and themes.

 


 

Opening in  April 2012

 


Nunsense: PVHS Theatre presents a Mega-Musical of Heavenly Proportions! Originally running over 3,000 performances Off-Broadway and inspiring six sequels and various spin-off shows, Dan Goggin’s Nunsense is one of the most laugh-out-loud musicals to ever grace the stage. The Little Sisters (and Brothers) of Hoboken have to put on an emergency fundraiser while finding out that the Sisters (who should be full of humility) actually are hams, tapping, ballet-dancing, and singing their way to potential stardom! Performances will be at the Pinson Valley High School Fine Arts Center Auditorium, April 13-15, @ 7pm. Tickets are $7 for Adults, $5 for students. For reservations, call 205 379 5100 x 639.

 


I Remember Mama:  by John van Druten, adapted from Kathryn Forbes' Mama's Bank.  This classic comedy shows how Mama, with the help of her husband and Uncle Chris, brings up the children in their modest San Francisco home during the early years of the century. Mama, a sweet and capable manager, sees her children through childhood, manages to educate them and to see one of her daughters begin her career as a writer. Mama's sisters and uncle furnish a rich background for a great deal of comedy and a little incidental tragedy, while the doings of the children manage to keep everyone in pleasant turmoil.  Directed by Kerry Burrell, performances are April 13-15, 20 – 22, evening shows at 7pm and matinees at 2:30 pm. Call Trussville’s ACTA Theatre at 655-3902 to reserve your tickets or for more information.  Tickets are $l2.00 for adults; $10.00 for senior adults (55 and older); and $8.00 for students (thru college.)   225 Parkway Drive, Trussville. www.ACTATheater.com

 


The Cemetery Club:  A comedy by Ivan Menchell. South City Theatre, April 13 and 14, April 20, 21, 22Directed by Sue Ellen Gerrells. Three Jewish widows meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husband's graves. Ida is sweet tempered and ready to begin a new life, Lucille is a feisty embodiment of the girl who just wants to have fun, and Doris is priggish and judgmental, particularly when Sam the butcher enters the scene. He meets the widows while visiting his wife's grave. Doris and Lucille squash the budding romance between Sam and Ida. They are guilt stricken when this nearly breaks Ida's heart. The Broadway production starred Eileen Heckart as Lucille. For more information, southcityinfo@gmail.com

 


A Little Princess: At the Leeds Theatre and Arts Center in Historical Downtown Leeds, 8140 Parkway Drive. April 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 7:00 PM; April 15 and 22 at 2:00 PM. For more information, cliffjr@yahoo.com  Sara Crewe is one of the most beloved fictional heroines, and June Walker Rogers has brought her to life in this funny, sad, wonderfully imaginative adaptation. You will identify with Sara as she begins her adventures in "Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies"; laugh with her as she brings happiness to others; weep with her as her fortune changes from rich girl to poor orphan; and rejoice with her when strange events bring still another reversal of her destiny.  For more information please contact the Director, Cliff Keen, Jr. 641-0975 or cliffjr31@yahoo.com  

 


Macbeth: by William Shakespeare.  Directed by Dennis McLernon. Fair is foul, and foul is fair in this tale of murder, greed and untimely death.  The prophecy of three witches sends ambitious Macbeth on a ruthless quest for power. Goaded by his restless, scheming wife, bloody treason spirals into paranoia and guilt from which they cannot escape.  Shakespeare's darkest tragedy is also his most gripping, intense and psychologically thrilling.  Presented by the UAB Department of Theatre April 18-21 at 7:30pm, April 22 at 2pm.  The Sirote Theatre in the Alys Stephens Center.  General Admission $12 & $15, Students $6, UAB Employees & Senior Citizens  $10.

 


Hay Fever: Birmingham Festival Theatre: April 19 – May 5. Call 205-933-2383 or visit www.bftonline.org for tickets and performance times. Written by Noel Coward / Directed by Ellise Mayor. No Anniversary Season would be complete without a good old-fashioned comedy! And Hay Fever fits the bill. Set in an English country house in the 1920s, the play features  the four eccentric members of the Bliss family. Unbeknownst to the other family members, each invites a guest to spend the weekend at the house. However, as the festivities commence, each guest pairs up with a different family member. When their paths cross at points throughout the house, the reactions are over-dramatic and over the top! This play was first performed at BFT in 1980.0, 2011 with performances Thursday-Saturday nights at 7:30pm. Admission is $17 for adults ($15 online) and $10 for seniors and students. Opening night is Hobo Night (pay what you can afford with a $7 minimum).

CAST LIST:

Prior Walter - Peter Gray
Louis Ironson/The Angel Australia - Jack Williamson
Joe Pitt/Mormon Father/The Angel Europa - Will Rainer
Harper Pitt/The Angel Africanii - Amanda Maddox
Roy Cohn - Patrick Johnson
Hannah Pitt/The Angel Asiatica - Mel Christian
Belize/The Angel Oceania - Chris Hicks
The Angel/Emily/Mormon Mother - Penny Thomas
Ethel Rosenberg/Sarah Ironson - Debbie Smith
Mr. Lies/The Angel Antarctica - Chuck Evans
Henry/Prelapsarianov/Rabbi
Chemelwitz - Bates Redwine

Call (205) 306-1470 for reservations or visit www.theatredowntown.org to order tickets and save money doing so!

 


Is He Dead?: by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives - April 26 to May 6. Jean-Francois Millet, a young painter of genius, is in love with Marie Leroux, but in debt to a villainous picture-dealer. Millet realizes that the only way he can pay his debts is to die, as it is only dead painters who achieve fame and fortune. Millet fakes his death and prospers, all while passing himself off as his own sister, the Widow Tillou. Now a rich "widow," he must find a way to get out of his dress, return to life, and marry Marie! Featuring Kyle Holman and Brandon Triola.

Call 205-251-1206 or visit www.virginiasamfordtheatre.org to order tickets.

Dane Peterson Theater Series. 205-515-2082 info@dptheatreseries.org  www.dptheatreseries.org The Mission of the Dane Peterson Theatre Series is to develop, advance, strengthen, and promote quality theatre with a focus on upcoming talent and audiences in the Greater Birmingham Metropolitan Area. This season, our 12th Anniversary, outstanding theatre students from local universities will join the Series on- and off-stage, and will be mentored as they transition from academia to the professional world.

 


American Buffalo:  The Montevallo Main Street Players at the Parnell Memorial Library Theater, 277 Park Road in Montevallo. The setting is a Chicago junk shop in which three small time crooks plot to rob a man of his coin collection, the showpiece of which is a valuable buffalo nickel. These high-minded grifters fancy themselves businessmen, pursuing legitimate free enterprise. But the reality of the three—Donny, the oafish junk shop owner; Bobby, a young junkie Donny has taken under his wing; and “Teach,” a violently paranoid braggart—is that they are merely pawns caught up in their own game of last-chance, dead-end, empty pipe dreams. April 26-28 at 7:30 pm and April 29 at 2 pm. James Kitchens directs. This play contains adult language and situations. For more information, contact Sidney Vance, producer, at 205-665-4053 or sjvance1@charter.net. Visit the Montevallo Main Street Players at www.montevalloartscouncil.org/mmsp. 

 


 

Opening in  May 2012

 


Cyrano De Bergerac: Park Players Presents, Cyrano De Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. Directed by Brad Waters Cyrano de Bergerac, a cadet (nobleman serving as a soldier) in the French Army, is a brash, strong-willed man of many talents. In addition to being a remarkable duelist, he is a gifted, joyful poet and is also shown to be a musician. However, he has an extremely large nose, which is the reason for his own self-doubt. This doubt prevents him from expressing his love for his distant cousin, the beautiful and intellectual heiress Roxane, as he believes that his ugliness denies him the "dream of being loved by even an ugly woman. May 10th thru 13th & May 17th thru 19th all performances at 7:30pm at Homewood Central Park in Homewood for more information:  www.bhamparkplayers.com   info@bhamparkplayers.com call 205 590-0155

 


 

Opening in June 2012

 


The Last Hotel for Women: Birmingham Festival Theatre: June 14 – 30. Call 205-933-2383 or visit www.bftonline.org for tickets and performance times. Written by Randy Marsh / Directed by Edward C. Miller. The novel by Vicki Covington was adapted for the stage by her brother Randy Marsh, a playwright and founding member of BFT. Set in Birmingham in 1961, when Freedom Riders were passing through the Deep South, the production centers around a hotel run by Dinah Fraley and her husband. They are visited frequently by the Birmingham Commissioner of Public Safety, Sheriff Bull Connor, a known racist and bigot. Racial tensions run high in this powerful drama that was originally staged in 1996, and closes out our  40th Anniversary Season.0, 2011 with performances Thursday-Saturday nights at 7:30pm. Admission is $17 for adults ($15 online) and $10 for seniors and students. Opening night is Hobo Night (pay what you can afford with a $7 minimum).

CAST LIST:

Prior Walter - Peter Gray
Louis Ironson/The Angel Australia - Jack Williamson
Joe Pitt/Mormon Father/The Angel Europa - Will Rainer
Harper Pitt/The Angel Africanii - Amanda Maddox
Roy Cohn - Patrick Johnson
Hannah Pitt/The Angel Asiatica - Mel Christian
Belize/The Angel Oceania - Chris Hicks
The Angel/Emily/Mormon Mother - Penny Thomas
Ethel Rosenberg/Sarah Ironson - Debbie Smith
Mr. Lies/The Angel Antarctica - Chuck Evans
Henry/Prelapsarianov/Rabbi
Chemelwitz - Bates Redwine

Call (205) 306-1470 for reservations or visit www.theatredowntown.org to order tickets and save money doing so!

 


The Normal Heart: Theatre Downtown (2410 5th Avenue South). Larry Kramer’s searing drama about public and private indifference to the AIDS plague and one man’s lonely fight to awaken the world to the crisis.  Having recently enjoyed a successful Broadway revival, the show follows Ned Weeks, a gay activist enraged at the indifference of public officials and the gay community.  While trying to save the world from itself, he confronts the personal toll of AIDS in his personal life, through family and friends. June 14-16, 21-24 & 28-30.  For more information, e-mail the director at theatredt@gmail.com or visit www.theatredowntown.org.

 



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