cast announcement - BRING IT ON - Spotlight Youth Theatre

for more information on this production, which runs April 22nd to May 8th, CLICK HERE

CAMPBELL............................Carly Grossman
DANIELLE..............................Phoebe Koyobe
NAUTICA..............................Katie Czajkowski
RANDALL................................Brandon Reyes
LACIENEGA.............................Trey DeGroodt
STEVEN......................................Cody Seaver
SKYLER..........................................Ava Tyson
KYLER..........................................Cate Carlino
EVA.....................................Jasmine Bassham
TWIG...........................................Sam Primack
BRIDGET..................................Maggie Waller
CAMERON.....................................Clay Rollon

Goth Kids - Megan and Haley
Rich Girl 1 - Peyton
Rich Girl 2 - Jessica Dolyniuk

ENSEMBLE
Jared Lara
Houston Ortloff
Alyssa Armstrong
Marley DeGroodt
Jessica Dolyniuk
Riley Glick
Haley Hanni
Grace McClain (Dance Captain)
Sydney Schmidt
Carly Jacobs
Kayla Stillman
Alex Kirby
Megan Montoya
Jessica Wastchak
Zoe Rollon
Maya Weber
Devon Polucci
Vincent Jacovo
Chris Cason
Peyton Woolf


TRUMAN SQUAD
Marley DeGroodt
Jessica Dolyniuk
Carly Jacobs
Kayla Stillman
Peyton Woolf
Brandon Reyes

JACKSON CREW
Alyssa Armstrong
Riley Glick
Haley Hanni
Alex Kirby
Megan Montoya
Zoe Rollon

BOTH
Jared Lara
Houston Ortloff
Grace McClain
Sydney Schmidt
Jessica Wastchak
Maya Weber
Devon Polucci
Vincent Jacovo
Chris Cason

cast announcement - JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, JR. - Actor's Youth Theatre

for more information on this production, which runs May 12 - May 21st. CLICK HERE

(In Order of Appearance)
Ladahlord – Nick Williams
James – Charlie Hall
Ladybug – Hailey Seidl
Grasshopper – Kaden Holl
Spider – Olivia Woodward-Shaw
Earthworm – Brennan Reh
Centipede – Bryson Holl
Glowworm – Kaylee Fowler
Spiker – Remington Rathbun
Sponge – Zoey Miller
Matron Nurse – Octavia Chudnow*
Mr. Trotter – Jorian Chait*
Mrs. Trotter – Eliza Hall*
Rhino – Liam Delgado*
Karl Kreatour – Ephriam Carpenter*
Passing Man – Hayden Hurley*
Man with Wallet – Austin Watts*
Passing Woman – Lauren Horsley*
Billy Bobby-Cop – Adam Miller*
Bobby Bobby-Cop – Tyler Snell*
Doreen Driggles – Shaylee Flanagan*
Violet Funkschmeller – Taylor Peel*
Ridgley Rapscallion – Olivia Mazyck*
Chris Cryermouth – Max Meeker*
Male Spider – Josh Fowler*
Ida Walters/Bunny Mackenzie the Third – Morgan Casselbury*
Bitsy Botana/Lucille Van Kooglestein – Brooklyn Crandell*
Buzz – Will Horsley*
Willy Wonka – Angel Bravo*
Screaming Woman – Nicole Nelson*
Jake – Grant Miner*
Joe – Micah Denton*

Ensemble
Hyrum Denton
Carter Giannetti
Harrison Miller
Ellie Nordquist
Katrina Sapakie
Christopher Smyth
Kaitlyn Wyatt
* Denotes Additional Ensemble Member


Alternates
Emma Benham
Adelaide Carpenter
Jordan Gingell
Pace Martineau
Grant Rankin
Abby Springer

review - SHE KILLS MONSTERS - ASU School of Film, Dance and Theatre

 Michael Alexander Jr., Antoinette Martin-Hanson, Sarah Zorman, Stephanie Hall and Kyra Jackson
photo: Tim Trumble

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through April 3rd.

 "...“She Kills Monsters,” the raucous, rollicking comedy that brings the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons to life onstage....written by Qui Nguyen, isn’t just for the pasty-faced cognoscenti who grew up in the basement rolling 20-side dice by candlelight and pretending to be wizards and warriors. Wrapped inside the tongue-in-cheek celebration of geek culture and all things ’90s is a poignant story about the universal experiences of teen angst and struggles with grief. Between the copious laughs, it is poignant without being maudlin and empowering without being trite. ASU professor Lance Gharavi directs a talented student cast from the School of Film, Dance and Theatre in a bombastic production powered by swirling lights, bass-thumping rock and rap music and cartoonish costumes and sight gags....I laughed, and yes, I cried just a little. I’m ready for another ride."  - Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic (click here to read the complete review)

video preview - THE OUTGOING TIDE - Theatre Artists Studio

for more information on this production, which runs April 8th to April 24th, CLICK HERE

reviews - GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS - Desert Stages Theatre

J. Kevin Tallent, Walt Pedano, and Jeff Carpenter
Photo by Heather and Dana Butcher / Desert Stages Theatre

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through May 15th.

"...Currently running at the smaller and more intimate Actor’s Café at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre until May 15 is a new and unexpected powerhouse production of Glengarry Glen Ross where the ensemble is everything. ..it doesn’t take long to appreciate how well director Virginia Olivieri has cast her production; each player is a precise representation of his character’s type.  Even if by default you’re drawn to Walt Pedano’s ruthless Ricky Roma or Kevin Tallent’s desperate Shelly ‘The Machine’ Levene, you’ll leave the theatre with the unmistakable impression that every performer, all seven of them, nailed those difficult targets in the way the play requires. And it’s not just the appearances, it’s how the players deliver Mamet’s demanding, profane laden dialog....It’s a unique style that’s never easy to achieve, but there’s good news from the Actor’s Café – Olivieri’s cast delivers.... " -David Appleford, Valley Screen and Stage (click here to read the complete review)

"David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize winning play Glengarry Glen Ross focuses on a series of unpleasant yet complex and intriguing characters...it details the highs and (mostly) lows of the ruthless world of high-pressure sales and cold calls...With a crackerjack cast who create realistic characters, and clearly polished direction, Desert Stages Theatre's stark production is a winner as it focused solidly on Mamet's characters and explosive dialogue. ...Smooth-talking Ricky Roma is at the top of the sales leader board while Shelley Levene, who has been experiencing a sales slump and is extremely agitated, isn't even on the chart. Hot-headed Moss and meek and nervous Aaronow don't like the way the office is run and Moss comes up with a plan to get back at the owners of the firm. All four are after the hot leads in order to sell real estate in Glengarry Highlands, Florida, ensuring their clients that this is a lucrative land deal....Director Virginia Olivieri has found a cast of actors who are more than capable of rising to the occasion required to bring Mamet's characters vibrantly to life. J. Kevin Tallent is superb as Shelly Levene, the older member of the sales force.... Walt Pedano is just as good as the slick, persuasive and persistent Richard Roma ...Olivieri's direction draws rich performances from her cast while also making sure the style of Mamet's writing rings true. The staccato delivery that Mamet's dialogue requires and the repetitive nature of many of the lines may come across as unnatural or farfetched to some. But this highly skilled ensemble, under Olivieri's astute direction, create fireworks from Mamet's succinct words which they deliver in a sure-footed natural cadence that makes this production crackle....While the play might be a hard sell to those looking for a show in which the characters actually grow by learning from their mistakes, are somewhat sympathetic, or at least have some humanity, it is Mamet's sharp dialogue and intriguing characters that have made this play one that will never go out of style. Desert Stages Theatre's production has a fantastic cast and smart direction, and the end result is a loving tribute to the style and substance of Mamet's masterful words."  -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)

"...Scottsdale Desert Stages’ sharply acted production..does justice to (David Mamet's) signature style of anxious, start-and-stop dialogue...the story centers on a crew of fast-talking (and smack-talking) salesmen who specialize in offloading questionable investments on naïve buyers. ...Virginia Olivieri’s incisive direction brings to live this razor-sharp character study...this dark drama keeps your eyes riveted to the action." -Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic

"..In a day when lots of cheap talk is tossed around about winners and losers, David Mamet's 1984 Pulitzer Prize winning drama, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, still howls with relevance as it probes the actions of men in distress who revert to their baser instincts. The gates of Mamet's competitive hell are open anew on the stone cold set of Desert Stages Theatre, and, under the direction of Virginia Olivieri, the play storms into a riveting eruption of raw emotion and rage, driven by a palpable fear of failure. What her cast may lack in the nuances of Mametian rhythm they make up for with intensity, passion, and rapid-fire elocution. J. Kevin Tallent lives up to his surname with a riveting performance as Shelly "The Machine" Levene...Walt Pedano plays Richard Roma to the hilt as the smug and deceitful manipulator who lures the likes of a Walter Mitty-ish naif (Charles Sowder) into a very bad deal. ...Ms. Olivieri has done quite a credible job in ensuring that the beam retains its acuity. Certainly, her cast has measured up to her challenge. "-Herbert Paine, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)

review - JOHN PIZZARELLI & JESSICA MOLASKEY - Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

 "The musical intersection where jazz, Broadway, and the Great American Songbook meet is a most happy one under the assured musicianship of John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey. The married duo performed at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts last weekend in a simply sublime evening of Pizzarelli's exceptionally skilled guitar playing and Molaskey's solid vocals. Backed by an outstanding jazz trio...Pizzarelli and Molaskey delivered a two-hour concert of varied songs, including several standards, some pop hits by Paul Simon and Paul McCartney, and several showtunes by Stephen Sondheim. While Pizzarelli's intricate guitar playing takes the focus on many of the songs it is Molaskey's reflective vocals that add depth and layers, and even play off of and echo John's exceptional guitar skills. Pizzarelli and Molaskey are about to celebrate their 20th anniversary together...Many of the songs in their concert commented on relationships, and the playfulness and self-deprecating humor of the couple was a natural fit for many of these songs. ..The biting yet humorous cynicism of Sondheim's "The Little Things You Do Together" from Company served as a playful commentary between the couple. His "Children and Art" from Sunday in the Park with George and "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods served as a reminder of the importance of instilling both art and children with the right level of responsibility, since they are what artists and parents leave behind when they are gone....Some standards were also featured in the evening, including a lovely pairing of "You Made Me Love You" and "It Had to Be You." ...Three songs from decades ago that focus on death, dread, and doom (Paul Simon's "The Boy in the Bubble" from his Graceland album along with his "Late Great Johnny Ace" and Billy Joel's "Summer, Highland Falls") were combined and turned into a contemporary view of the world...But it was a song from over seventy years ago that served as the highlight of the evening. John sang Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" from South Pacific with only his own guitar accompanying him in a folksy version of the song. It was a stirring delivery that served as a reminder of how we all need to make our own decisions about our fellow human beings and not listen to our parents or our politicians and their potentially racist views. Jessica commented that she asked John to sing it that night. The fact that the concert happened just hours after Donald Trump's speech less than 20 miles away did not go unnoticed."  -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)

Spotlight Youth Theatre's 2016 Fundraiser

Desert Foothills Theater's Upcoming Adult Classes

Desert Foothills Theater's education program is where students put the skills they learn to work.  Registration is now open for two upcoming classes - Audition Advantage Workshop and Improv Intensive -

Petey Swartz

Audition Advantage Workshop
Ages 18 and Up!

This comprehensive class is packed with essential tips, protocol, do's and don'ts, and overall invaluable info on auditioning to get the part! You'll learn about dressing for success, how to field questions, how to really read and understand the audition notice, what audition pieces to choose, monologue choices, tailoring your audition pieces to the theater and the season, and how to break down cold reads. Students will also be placed in realistic audition situations that help develop inside knowledge and confidence!

This class is a must for artists who are serious about working in theater plays, musicals and film. It is the first step toward getting that role!  Join award-winning director and actress, Petey Swartz, for this exciting class, and get the audition advantage!

Day/Time: Saturdays 3 - 5pm
Dates: April 2nd - May 7th, 2016
Instructor: Petey Swartz
Location: DFT@Arts Learning Center

CLICK HERE to register

Javier Gilmore

Improv Intensive
Ages 18 and Up!

Take this Improv Intensive course with Javier Gilmore, one of Phoenix's best improvisors, and learn about the 'yes and.' Each week will focus on one aspect of improv including agreement, character and environment. Come grow your acting skills by adding improv to your resume!

Day/Time: Saturdays 11am - 1pm
Dates: April 30th - May 21st, 2016
Instructor: Javier Gilmore
Location: DFT@Arts Learning Center

CLICK HERE to register

Southwest Shakespeare Company is bringing back WITTENBERG in their 2016 / 2017 Season!

Allison Sell, David Dickinson, William Wilson, and Marshall Glass
photo: Kent Burnham

If you missed Southwest Shakespeare Company's highly acclaimed, and virtually sold-out, production of Wittenberg we have good news - they are bringing it back next season!

More official details are coming but look for it in the Spring of 2017. We will post the details as soon as we have them!

 "...Southwest Shakespeare Company's production has a gifted cast, clear direction, and excellent creative aspects and the end result is charming, intellectual, confident and inspiring, yet also extremely hilarious."  -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)

" you won’t want to miss Southwest Shakespeare Company’s production of 'Wittenberg.'" - Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic (click here to read the complete review)

"...work of literary mastery and divinely-inspired imagination.... Director Burnham and cast excel in honoring the author's intention. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!"  -Herbert Paine, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)

photos - GLENGARRY GLENN ROSS - Desert Stages Theatre

for more information on this production, which runs through May 15th, CLICK HERE

photos by Heather and Dana Butcher

promo photos - TWELFTH NIGHT - Southwest Shakespeare Company

Allison Sell and Andy Cahoon star as twin siblings Sebastian and Viola, who have been separated after a shipwreck, in William Shakespeare's classic comedy Twelfth Night.

For this production the two actors died their hair blond and got matching haircuts. The two had some fun backstage during rehearsals one night showing off their new looks.

Southwest Shakespeare's production of Twelfth Night runs March 25th to April 9th - for more information on this production CLICK HERE

photos courtesy Andy Cahoon and Allison Sell

PHX Stages Q/A: Walt Pedano

Walt Pedano

by Gil Benbrook

From classic comedies and dramas to recent dramatic hits Walt Pedano has appeared in close to 70 productions over the past 40 plus years. Having been an Arizona resident for the last 16 years, Walt has appeared at numerous theatres across the Valley. He's appeared in Sons of The Prophet at Stray Cat Theater, August: Osage County for Mesa Encore Theatre, Miss Reardon Drinks A Little at Theatre Artist Studio, and last year played Decker in Bleacher Bums at Fountain Hills Theater, plus he's also appeared in several productions at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre. 

This weekend he stars as the salesman to end all salesmen - Richard Roma in David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize winning play Glengarry Glen Ross - a smooth talking East Coast real estate salesman who is a ruthless shark and who can convince anyone to buy anything - even worthless real estate. Desert Stages production of Mamet's classic drama runs March 25th to May 15th and Walt took a break during final rehearsals for the show to answer the PHX Stages Q/A:

Name: Walt Pedano

Where you were born and or raised:  Rochester, New York

What brought you to Arizona?  Love warm weather and this was my last stop on a 36 year career with the Marriott Corporation.
 

Walt Pedano
Glengarry Glen Ross - Desert Stages Theatre 2016
photo: Wade Moran

What your parents did/do for a living:  Mother was a teacher and RN and Dad was a small business owner. Both have passed

Siblings: 2 sisters and a brother

Day job/part time job (if not acting full time): Retired

First show you ever saw:  Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand in NYC  I think I was 13

The one performance you attended that you will never forget:  Original Broadway cast of Equus in NYC

First stage kiss: Too long ago to remember

Best stage experience you’ve had so far acting?  Too many to name….too many theatres in too many places….60+ shows over 4 decades and 5 states and 7 cities

What has been the most fun or fulfilling aspect of your current/ most recent show?  Mamet is always a challenge and this director/cast has worked so hard right from the start…

Most challenging role you have played onstage? Lenny Bruce in Lenny and Teach in American Buffalo
   
Any upcoming or side projects you can talk about? All my attention is on Roma

What was the first show you performed in and what did you learn from it that you still use today? The Remarkable Mr Pennypacker  Know your lines!

Leading role you've been dying to play:  Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman

Guilty pleasure show you’d love to perform in: Gin Game …..my whole family plays all kinds of cards

Pre-show rituals or warm-ups:  Repeat every line and listen to every cue

Rod Ambrose (center), with Walt Pedano and Todd Isaac
iTheatre Collaborative’s The Exonerated

Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap:  Again too many to name…..maybe I just want to forget them all….  

Your go to audition monologue:  Shylock in Merchant of Venice

Worst audition experience: All auditions are tough….I have gone up on my lines…probably the worst

If you could go back in time and catch any performer or show, what would they/it be?   Brando in  A Streetcar Named Desire

Famous past stage or screen star(s) you would have loved to have performed with:  Kevin Kline

Actor/actress in the Phoenix area you'd love to perform with: Too many good ones to name!

Your personal acting idols:  Film Paul Newman  and Stage Anthony Hopkins
               
Current/recent show other than one of your own you have been recommending
to friends:    Stupid F….king Bird at Stray Cat

Favorite play(s):   Cyrano
     

Walt Pedano,Jeff Davey and Wade Moran, 
Art
Desert Stages Theatre 2010

Favorite musical(s):   It’s dated, but A Chorus Line 
   
Favorite showtune(s) of all time:  "With a Little Bit of Luck" from My Fair Lady

Most listened song/music on your iPod/Phone?  “On Broadway” George Benson

First CD/Tape/LP you owned:  Hound Dog (Elvis)

Last good book you read:  "Memory Man" by David Baldacci

Must-see TV show(s): Sports

Guilty pleasure binge watching tv show: Modern Family

Last good movie you saw: Trumbo

Favorite movie: Too many again….have 5-10 for every actor I like

Music/book/movie that makes you cry: Ordinary People

Favorite restaurant in the Valley: Hiro Sushi

Favorite cities:  Seattle, Bozman, Scottsdale, New York, San Francisco

Sports teams you root for: All AZ teams …Diamondbacks, Suns, Coyotes, Cardinals

Pedano (left) with Bob DePalma in Breaking Legs
Mesa Encore Theatre - 2011

Something about you that might surprise people: I don’t like crowds

Special skills:  Negotiation

Best non-theatre job you've had: trainer for Marriott

Three things you can't live without: Peanut butter, Coconut and my wife
   
Words of advice for aspiring performers: Learn your lines and let the words and your heart lead you to the character

What you love most about theatre in Phoenix: so many wonderful options

What you think needs to be changed/improved/different about theatre in Phoenix:  Early auditions and casting to give time to memorize …..can you tell I am a little older?

And, the “Inside the Actors Studio” 10 questions:
1. What is your favorite word?  Loyalty

2. What is your least favorite word?  Hate

3. What turns you on? Great Theatre

4. What turns you off? Bad service

5. What sound do you love? Silence

6. What sound do you hate? Crying

7. What is your favorite curse word? Don’t really curse much…..ironic considering this show

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? Retirement works for me

9. What profession would you not like to do? At this point almost anything with the word Work in it.

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
"Your family is right over there."

cast announcement - MISSION: POSSIBLE! - Starlight Community Theatre

for more information on this production, which runs April 8th to April 17th, CLICK HERE

Victoria: Emily Pettet

Alberta: Alora Driggers

Dr. Schock: Savoy Graca

Carley: Caitlyn Martinez

Boris: Parker Jones

Natasha: Brianna Horstmann

Silverthumb: Trevor Benoit

Kitty Galore: Harleigh Irizarry

James Blond: Derick Haenitsch

N: Jessica Reed

U: Amelia Luadtke

Maxwell Sharp: Will Rippenkroeger

Agent 98.6: Falin Ossipinsky

Nutmeg: Caslita Quint

Carter Flint: Karolina Galopin

Josephine Solo: Isabella Thompson

Ella Curiosity: Kiana Hindi

Axel Greeze: Espen Lai

Miss Penny Shilling: Rylee Segersten

Gargoyle/Figure in Black: Maya Lai

audition notice - MURDER AND A MEAL DINNER THEATRE - March 28

Director: Becky Andress
Compensation: Salary
Rehearsals Begin: 04/04/2016
Performance Dates: 04/22/2016 –

Synopsis
Murder on the Movie Set: Movie studio set in the1940’s -1950’s restaurant setting
Get a Clue or Die: Based off of the Hasbro board game Clue
Who wants to Murder a Millionaire: Based off of a 1990’s Dating game show

All of our shows are audience interaction and actors are required to stay in character throughout the entire performance. It is dinner theater and all actors will help serve a three course meal to the audience

Character Breakdown

Characters needed for Murder on the Movie Set:

Milo Fortnight – The Director of the Movie. He just wants everything to go to plan and stay on schedule.

Jean Louis Batarde -­ The wardrobe/prop master. Very flamboyant, drama queen, and flirts with all the boys.

Matt Drillem -­ the leading man. He is a womanizer and is married to Nora Desmond.

Holly Golightonthamayo -­ the “ingenue” actress. She is having an affair with Matt and wants him to divorce Nora.

Nora Desmond -­ the “seasoned” actress. She is married to Matt but is aware of his philandering.

Characters needed for Get a Clue or Die:

Mr. Boddee/Stu – Mr. Boddee is a big deal and likes to remind everyone of that. Stu is the security guard that helps in solving the murder. This actor plays BOTH Boddee and Stu in the show.

Mr. Green – Employeed by Mr. Boddee as his gardener. Very flamboyant and gives every character a hard time, especially Miss Scarlett. Mr. Boddee is Mr. Green’s best landscaping client, but is slow to pay.

Professor Plum – Educated man and a pervert. He is smitten with Miss Scarlett and wants to win her hand. He would secretly like to see Mr. Boddee out of the way.

Characters needed for Who Wants to Murder a Millionaire:

Remus Philbrick – the obnoxious host of the show. He is pathetic but will do whatever he can to keep the show rolling.

Dirk Dagwell – the Millionaire of the show. He gets to pick one of the three finalists to be his bride.

What To Prepare

Cold reads

Audition Details

Orange Tree Golf Resort 10601 N 56th St
Scottsdale, Arizona 85254

Auditions will be held in Valencia room. There will be a Murder and a Meal sign to indicate room.

Audition Dates and Times:
3/28/2016

Callback Dates and Times:
TBD

Primary Contact:
Becky Andress
(928) 899-5892
randress890@gmail.com

cast announcement - BULLETS OVER BROADWAY - Don Bluth Front Row Theatre

For more information on this production, which runs May 5th through May 28th, CLICK HERE

Ellen - Colleen Corliss
Julian Marx - Darryl Poenisch
Helen Sinclair - Cheryl Schaar
Sid Loomis - Dan Marburger
Olive Neal - Jaimie Sofia
Nick Valenti - Don Crosby
Cheech - Brandon Sibetang
Warner Purcell - Roger McKay
Eden Brant - Jori Mosier
Rocco - Frank Aaron

cast announcement - KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN - Scottsdale Musical Theater Company

for more information on this production, which runs May 25th to May 29th, CLICK HERE

Michael Schauble - Molina
Matt Newhard - Valentin
Lindsay Kalby - Aurora
Addam Donada - Gabriel
Janis Webb - Mama
Danielle Mendelson - Marta
Thom Ratke - Warden
Todd Corbeil - Esteban
Matt Wiederholdt - Marcos
Ensemble - Robert Allocca, Devra Hock, Tina Khalil,
Madison Ottinger, Zoe Skorey, Leeann Tegl

The ariZoni Awards of Theatre Excellence are looking for adjudicators

from our friends at the Zonis:

Call for adjudicators
It all comes down to adjudication!

The adjudicators are the unsung heroes of the ariZoni Awards of Theatre Excellence. Without them, none of the awards would be possible.  And we need a LOT of people to make it all work.

With 25 non-contract theaters, 3 contract theaters and 13 youth theaters, there are more than 100 productions adjudicated each year that need five adjudicators each. We need qualified people, people who have worked in or studied theater, people who can solidly apply the rubrics to each production and performance they see.

If you are interested in adjudicating, please fill out an application online. Adjudicator applications are due April 30. Once chosen, you will need to attend a mandatory adjudicator training session.  Adjudicating is a great way to experience the incredible variety of theater we have in the Valley of the Sun and help ensure the ariZoni's are the BEST they can be!

April 30 - Adjudicator applications due

May 9, 15, 16 - Adjudicator Training/Meetings (one meeting mandatory for EVERY
                       adjudicator)

cast announcement - THE ALL NIGHT STRUT! - Phoenix Theatre

for more information on this production, which runs April 6th to May 1st, CLICK HERE

Cast:
Trisha Ditsworth* Woman 1 - Soprano
Brittney Mack* Woman 2 - Alto/Dance Captain
Christopher George Patterson Man 1 - Tenor
Toby Yatso* Man 2 - Baritone

Creative Team:
Michael Jenkinson Director/Choreographer
Katie Wackowski Assistant to Director/Choreographer
Alan Ruch Musical Director
Pasha Yamotahari Resident Dramaturge
Marie Quinn Sound Designer
Daniel Davisson Lighting Designer
Douglas Clarke Scenic Designer
Cari Sue Smith Costume Designer
Terre Steed Hair/Make-up Designer
Tyler Weldon Props Designer
Mark Reynolds Director of Production
Karla Frederick Associate Production Manager
Michele Elias* Stage Manager
Melissa Richter Assistant Stage Manager

*Member of Actors' Equity Association

ONE THING I LIKE TO SAY IS - Mesa Encore Theatre - Second Sunday Play Readings - April 10

One Thing I Like To Say Is by Amy Fox
Sunday, April 10th, 7pm
@ Mesa Encore Theatre, 933 E. Main Street, Mesa

"One Thing I Like to Say Is" brings us a Scottish butler, a dollhouse, and a place called Nantucket that is not in Massachusetts as adult siblings cling to remnants of the rich, imaginative world they created as children. Playwright Amy Fox's most recent screenplay, a film called "Equity," was acquired by Sony Pictures at Sundance this year and will likely be in distribution soon - we are excited to present this wonderful writer's self-professed favorite of her works for the stage.

Director: Daniela Talarico
Cast to include: Toni Jourdan, Tom Koelbel, rest TBA

This is a free event, though donations are gladly accepted (MET has some costs due to rights and scripts, though the actors and directors donate their time).

cast announcement - WONDERLAND WIVES - Nearly Naked Theatre

for more information on this production, which runs April 2nd to April 23th, CLICK HERE

Snow - Nathalie Cadieux
Briar Rose - Laura Anne Kenney
Cindy - Matthew Harris
Belle - Bill Dyer
Charming - David Nelson
Evil Queen/Alice - Terre Steed