APT PRESS RELEASES
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; owascoo@thumpernet.com
"The Double Bass," a one-man play, written by Patrick Süskind, and performed by Louis Fantasia, is a monologue (with string accompaniment) by a double bass player in a government orchestra. His position in the orchestra is a metaphor for the musician's life -- the desire to be recognized for the potential and importance of the music within, and not judged by the bulky, awkward shape or the low notes.
DATES & TIMES:
THURSDAY, MARCH 16TH @ 8:00 PM
FRIDAY, MARCH 17TH @ 8:00 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 18TH @ 8:00 PM
SUNDAY, MARCH 19TH @ 2:00 PM
WHERE:
AUBURN PUBLIC THEATER
108 GENESEE STREET
(ACROSS FROM DADDABBO’S PIZZA)
AUBURN, NEW YORK
PRESENTED BY:
AUBURN PUBLIC THEATER
COST:
$15.00/TICKET
PURCHASE TICKETS:
AT THE DOOR BEFORE EACH PERFORMANCE; RESERVATIONS AT (315) 253-6669
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - April 11, 2006
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; owascoo@thumpernet.com
April 28th – April 30th, 2006
Men Fake Foreplay by Mike Dugan
Director: Mike Dugan
Cast: Mike Dugan
Performances: Friday & Saturday at 8:00 PM & Sunday at 7:00 PM
Tickets: $15; may be purchased in person at the theater at 108 Genesee Street, Auburn, New York, the night of the performance; may be reserved in advance by calling (315) 253-6669.
A funny, incisive, one-man journey to enlightenment.
- SF Bay Times
Flawless. Charismatic. Painstakingly well written.
- Time Out London
Mike Dugan is blessed with wry, dry charm and is earnestly concerned about the state of relations between the sexes…
undeniably refreshing.
- Edinburgh METRO
Genuinely intelligent and thought provoking.
- Chortle.co.uk
Witty. Dry. Sweetly self-deprecating. His gentle philosophizing really draws you in.
- The Scotsman
AUBURN, NY: Auburn Public Theater (APT) continues its 2006 season with Mike Dugan’s “Men Fake Foreplay”. A show filled with the kind of wry comic twists that have earned him an Emmy Award and appearances on
The Tonight Show, Mike Dugan takes an unflinching look at men’s experiences with trust, commitment, masculinity, role models, shock jocks, cheating, street-corner sex education and, especially, their relationships with women. It’s a wise, witty and thought-provoking journey that reveals devastatingly accurate secrets about the male thought process that some men might be happier kept quiet – all punctuated with spot-on humor.
MIKE DUGAN has won major awards and worked with celebrated people in the entertainment business. He was a member of the writing team that received an Emmy in 1994 for the first season of "Dennis Miller: Live" on HBO. In earlier years, he garnered the San Francisco International Stand-up Comedy Competition. In addition, he has opened for musical artists such as Roy Orbison, Ricki Lee Jones, Chuck Berry, Harry Belafonte and Shawn Colvin. He has appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson as well as Jay Leno.
Dugan lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Shari, and their two daughters, 4 and 2, and are expecting another child in May. He grew up in Ramsey, N.J., and spent summers in Cobleskill with his family.
Dugan has been touring his show throughout the United States and Europe. His book, published two years ago by Rodale Press, is available at his website www.menfakeforeplay.com. List price is $15.95.
Performance Dates:
April 28, 2006, Friday at 8:00 pm
April 29, 2006, Saturday at 8:00 pm
April 30, 2006, Sunday at 7:00 pm
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The following interview was conducted by email.
Q: Why the title, "Men Fake Foreplay"?
A: It's funny, which is priority one for a comedian. It's the answer to "Why do women fake orgasm?" But it's not really about sex. The title addresses two trends that bother me. One, there's a sense of sexual entitlement bestowed on men by the media and our culture, which gives us a distorted sense of what women are. And two, when a woman doesn't respond according to this expectation, it's way too easy for a man to blame the woman. I ask men to consider the possibility that foreplay is everything a man does when he's not having sex, including the character he builds and brings to his relationship. It puts the focus on what men can bring, rather than what they can get. I'm not saying women are without fault, but if a man is willing to address his own shortcomings he'll be amazed at how much his relationship will improve.
Q: How and why did you develop the material for your act from which your book was drawn?
A: I've done stand up comedy for 20 years. There were always male comics making fun of women, and female comics making fun of men, but my attitude has always been, "Well, women have their idiosyncrasies, but I like them. I enjoy their company and the way they look at things." That said, most of my material comes from observation. Any time I see something that doesn't make sense, the humor comes out of digging for the truth.
Q: Some might say the power of your book - in addition to its humor-laced topic - is that it is written not only by a talented author, but a male talented author, an unexpected source for such pro-woman subject matter. What comments have you heard from female readers?
A: The fact that it's odd for a man to voice a pro-female message really speaks of the need for this kind of discourse among men. The cultural trends we're experiencing just beg for rebuttal. Misogynistic rap songs, strip clubs, beer ads, the porning of America, all these things contribute to men having a twisted view of women. Our preconceptions block us from experiencing what women really are. The responses I get from women express the relief of hearing a man acknowledge and address the frustrations they feel. Most people look around and lament, "Oh well. Boys will be boys." But last I checked, women want men.
Q: Male readers?
A: That's what surprised me most. I had an idea women were going to like it. But I had no idea men would connect as strongly as they do. They're happy to see an opening for dialog about meaningful issues that don't generally get discussed. Some people see the title and assume that this is going to be an exercise in men bashing. But it's very compassionate to men. Most of the men I know are stand-up guys who want to do the right thing. But the world isn't designed to help men do the right thing. It's designed to help men do the easy thing.
Q: Commitment can be a scary topic for both sexes, but since we're talking about men committing to women, would you speak to the fear quotient in males?
A: Unfortunately, men have a biological predisposition to populate the world. And throughout our lives men's magazines and advertising have sold us the fantasy that we can have sex with the perfect woman. We're afraid to commit because we have vacationed in a sexual fantasy land since adolescence. We're afraid that we're going to be standing at the altar saying, "I do," and a super model is going to burst through the door yelling, "Am I too late?"
Q: In "Men Fake Foreplay," you say you've tried most of your adult life to answer the question "What do women want?" What have you concluded, and how did you reach that answer?
A: I believe women want what they've always wanted - before their physical and sexual idiosyncrasies were debased and exploited by ethical retards. They want to feel safe. They'd like to see kindness, consideration, integrity, and they'd like to be able to turn around and find trust where they expect it to be. The truth of the universe hasn't changed just because the lies have gone into syndication. I reached that answer through a lot of pain.
Q: Do you have anything else you would like to share with readers who want to have the best relationship possible?
A: Communicate. My father always stressed that communication is the most important element in a relationship. My parents have been married for 57 years. Over the years they've really honed their communication skills. They talk to each other through the dog now. My mom can be three feet from my dad, look down at the dog (and say), "You're father didn't clean the garage yesterday, did he? No. He didn't." You've got to feel sorry for that dog. A minute of that is like seven minutes to a dog.
©Daily Freeman 2006
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - May 9, 2006
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; owascoo@thumpernet.com
May 12 & 13, 2006
A Night of Stand-up Comedy with Paul Mecurio
Performances: Friday, May 12th & Saturday, May 13th at 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM
Tickets: $15; may be purchased in person at the theater at 108 Genesee Street, Auburn, New York, the night of the performance; may be reserved in advance by calling (315) 253-6669.
“Paul presented a style of showmanship rarely experienced in cities the size of Auburn.”
Mikel LeFort, The Citizen
AUBURN, NY: Auburn Public Theater (APT) continues its 2006 season with the return engagement of Paul Mecurio, a rising star on the comedy scene today. Paul combines his quick wit and intelligence with his innovative improv abilities and honed performance skills to create a hilarious and unique comedy experience. In 2001-2002, as a staff writer for Comedy Central’s critically acclaimed comedy, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Paul won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing, has been featured on The Daily Show and recently shot a television pilot set in New York. Don’t miss his command performances at APT on May 12th and 13th!
PAUL MECURIO
Paul Mecurio is a native of Providence, Rhode Island and has a law degree from Georgetown Law School. During his career on Wall Street as a lawyer and investment banker, Paul was hired by Jay Leno to write jokes for “The Tonight Show”. With the encouragement of Jay, Paul eventually moved center stage, leaving Wall Street and starting his career as a stand-up comedian. In 2000-2001, as a staff writer for Comedy Central’s critically acclaimed comedy, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”, Paul won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. In addition, Paul has been honored with a Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting (think the Pulitzer Prize for Broadcasting) for his work on “The Daily Show”. In 2001-2002 Paul received his second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program, also for his work on “The Daily Show”. Paul has also been featured in “The Daily Show” segment called “Second Opinion”, in which he skewered the medical profession playing an HMO representative with a less than sympathetic mindset. A national headliner in clubs across North America and in Europe, Paul has performed at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and has made numerous TV appearances including “Comedy Central Presents: Paul Mecurio” (half-hour special), “The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” Comedy Central’s “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn,” NBC’s “Late Friday,” Comedy Central’s “Dr. Katz and numerous appearances on VH1’s popular clip shows. Paul has been a guest on Fox News Channel, CNN and makes regular appearances on MSNBC as a political satirist.
Check out Paul Mecurio on the web at www.paulmecurio.com
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - May 18, 2006
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; owascoo@thumpernet.com
June 17th and 18th, 2006
“The Crows of Copper John: a History of Auburn Prison in Poems” performed as a Readers’ Theater
Performances: Saturday, June 17th @ 7:30PM and Sunday, June 18th at 2:00 PM
Tickets: $5; may be purchased in person at the theater at 108 Genesee Street, Auburn, New York, before each performance; may be reserved in advance by calling (315) 253-6669.
CROWS OF COPPER JOHN: READERS' THEATER DOCUMENTS AUBURN PRISON HISTORY IN POEMS
On Saturday, June 18th at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 18th at 2 pm, Auburn Public Theater (APT) will present a Readers' Theater production of an original script by Waterloo resident, Patricia Roth Schwartz, an award-winning poet and writer who is also currently a volunteer in Auburn Correctional Facility, conducting an inmates' creative writing workshop.
Schwartz, a former part-time adjunct at Cayuga Community College and author of "Planting Bulbs in a Time of War, and Other Poems" (FootHills Publishing), began to write her series of dramatic monologue narrative poems after viewing "Behind the Wall" at The Cayuga Museum in 2003. The exhibit featured many archival photographs and some artifacts from the history of the prison, its inmates and its Keepers or Warders, from the years 1821 through the later part of the 20th century. Since the, she has conducted additional research.
Her work allows voices from the infamous past of the prison - real, fictionalized and anonymous - to speak. Included in Schwartz's cast of characters is John Cray who orchestrated The Auburn Plan, with its rule of solitary confinement and complete silence for the prisoners. Cray also had the original Copper John statue erected.
Also given a part is the cruel Warder, Elam Lynds, who went on to Ossining to have Sing Sing constructed by convict labor marched over from Auburn Prison. Good-hearted prison personnel also appear including Rev. Jared Curtis, the first US prison chaplain, and Miss Lucinda Foote, the first warder of women inmates, who worked at Auburn during the time female prisoners were also housed there.
The history of "Old Sparky" (the first electric chair), its inventor, Alfred P. Southwick, a Buffalo dentist, and its first use inside Auburn's walls on William Kemmel of Buffalo, a murderer, is documented in these poems written to be performed aloud. Happier events in Auburn Prison are also featured: performances for inmates inside the walls by Tom Thumb's "Little People," as well as Buffalo Bill's "Wild West Show," both of which occurred in the late 1800s during a time of prison reform.
Throughout the script, the infamous Auburn crows, in recent times subject to being hunted by sharpshooters and expulsion by pyrotechnics, serve as a chorus: bearing witness to the history of the prison and the fates of its inhabitants.
"The Crows of Copper John" was previously performed at Downstairs Cabaret Theater in Rochester, NY, in October 2004 as a benefit for CEPHAS House, an ex-inmates' halfway house and rehabilitation program. Schwartz was also invited by RIT's Criminal Justice Department to read from the manuscript on campus in the fall of 2004.
This June's production will be directed by award-winning playwright, director and actor, Ed Scutt, of Rochester, known to Auburn theatre-goers as a member of the cast of "Inherit the Wind," recently performed at Cayuga Community College by the Auburn Players. Scutt will also perform in the production along with Schwartz, Colleen Powderly of Rochester, Ed Porter and Steven Lynch, both of Auburn.
This program is open to the public. Tickets are $5.00 at the door. Refreshments will be available. Parking is nearby on the street or directly behind the theater in the parking garage.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - September 28, 2006
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Directing Producer, 315.253.6669; owascoo@thumpernet.com
October 14th, 2006
The Mozart Mystery
book by Rachel Lampert | music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Co-Directors: Jesse Bush and Rachel Lampert Musical Director/Accompanist: Richard Montgomery Lighting Design: Melissa Thompson Costume Design: Hannah Kochman Scenic Coordinator: Paul Heckathorn Stage Manager: Safa Samiezade-Yazd Producer: Lesley Greene
Cast: Alan Clugston, Rik Daniels, Jessica Flood, Peter Gray, Erin Hilgartner, Katie Lane, Mark Lawrence, Sophie Potter, Erin Rieger, Diana Yourke, Jodi Zhao
Performances: October 14th - Saturday at 1:00 pm, Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee Street, downtown Auburn, across from Daddabbo’s Pizza www.auburnpublictheater.com
Tickets: Adults $10 / Student $8; Reservations can be made by calling (315) 253-6669 and can be purchased at the door.
The Kitchen Theatre Company gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the sponsors of this production and series: Viva Taqueria, Tompkins Trust Company, Vector Magnetics, Wegmans, and The Cat’s Pajamas.
Family Fare Series Opens with The Mozart Mystery
New musical theater piece features music from Mozart operas
"...the Kitchen Theatre Company's Family Fare serves up nourishment to please the palates of adults
even as it feeds the curiosity and hunger for entertainment of children...." - The Ithaca Times
ITHACA, NY: The Kitchen Theatre Company’s FAMILY FARE series will open on September 23 with the premiere of The Mozart Mystery. The new musical’s book and lyrics are by Rachel Lampert set to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Mozart Mysteryopens on September 23 and closes on October 8 with performances on Saturdays at 1:00 and 3:00pm and Sundays at 1:00 pm. This is the first of three world premiere musicals in this season’s Family Fare series.
The Mozart Mystery tells the story of three American girls - Anna (Erin Rieger), Susanna (Erin Hilgartner) and Bettina (Sophie Potter) - on a trip to Salzburg, Austria with their Mozart-obsessed Uncle Wolfie (Rik Daniels). What better year to visit than on the 250th Anniversary of Mozart’s birth! Uncle Wolfie’s tour of Salzberg includes everything Mozart, and he knows his way around. But when they end up in a place even he has never been, he remembers a strange tale their great-grandmother told him many years before. As a little girl, their great-grandmother and her uncle Mortimer discovered a mysterious opera house located on “a street that wasn’t on the map”. Bettina is fascinated. Anna is skeptical. Susanna is ready to for anything. Somehow the girls become separated from their uncle and stumble upon this story-book opera house. Inside is a company of opera singers and an old mystery. The exciting adventure that follows is accompanied by favorite selections from Mozart operas replete with new lyrics and unanticipated settings. “A great way to introduce new audiences to opera, celebrate Mozart and kick-off our 2006-07 Family Fare season. Hearing this music in the intimate Kitchen Theatre Company space is very exciting,” says Artistic Director and playwright Rachel Lampert.
Playwright/lyricist/director Rachel Lampert, who also serves as KTC’s Artistic Director, has authored many original FAMILY FARE productions (I Have a Song to Sing, O!, Winter Tales, The Odyssey Part I, Science Fair, A December Suite, The Sisters Fitzenstarts Fall Recital, The Emmett & Hambone Stories and Fools! Schmools!) and adaptations (A Christmas Carol, Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore and The Mikado).
Jesse Bush co-directs with Lampert and also serves as the Kitchen Theatre Company’s Assistant Artistic Director. His recent directing credits at the KTC include The Drawer Boy and Two Rooms. He is well known to KTC audiences as an actor originating roles in The Angle of the Sun and Tony & the Soprano as well as playing Jim in The Glass Menagerie.
Richard Montgomery (I Have a Song to Sing,O!, Precious Nonsense, Master Class, Tony & the Soprano, The Angle of the Sun) serves as music director and accompanies the performances at the piano.
The lighting design for the production is by Melissa Thompson and the costume design is by Hannah Kochman. Set coordinator for the production is Paul Heckathorn.
The Mozart Mystery features Rik Daniels, Alan Clugston, Jessica Flood (Get Off, Tony and the Soprano, Precious Nonsense), Mark Lawrence, Ithaca College students Peter Gray (Get Off) and Diana Yourke making her KTC debut. Ithaca High School Students Katie Lane (I Have A Song to Sing O!)and Jodi Zhao also making her KTC debut. Playing the children are Boynton Middle School students Sophie Potter and Erin Rieger and Cayuga Heights Elementary seven-year old Erin Hilgartner, the youngest actor to ever appear in a Family Fare production, in her Kitchen Theatre debut.
Performance Date:
October 14, 2006, Saturday at 1:00pm
at APT, 108 Genesee Street
Downtown Auburn,
across from Daddabbo’s Pizza
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - October 17, 2006
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315.253.6669; owascoo@thumpernet.com
October 20th, 21st, 27th & 28th, 2006
PERPLEX
Conception by Heather MacKenzie-Chaplet | Music direction, samples, keys, back-up vocals and trumpet by Nils Nusens
Performances: October 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th - at 8:00 pm, Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee Street, downtown Auburn, across from Daddabbo’s Pizza
www.auburnpublictheater.com
Tickets: $15.00; Reservations can be made by calling (315) 253-6669 and can be purchased at the door.
PERPLEX
"This jazz infused creation draws from the multiple talents of this little woman: singer, dancer, stylist and designer. Song, music, choreography, video and textile creation draw the viewer into her imaginary universe…" – LA VOIX DU NORD, Lille
AUBURN, NY: Auburn Public Theater (APT) is proud to present “PERPLEX” set to open Friday, October 20th at 8:00pm and will run Saturday, October 21st at 8:00pm and again Friday, October 27th at 8:00pm and Saturday, October 28th at 8:00pm.
When PERPLEX writes a song, she starts by creating the costumes she will wear for that song. These sculptural textile creations inspire the composition of music which makes up the content of this multifaceted one woman plus four musicians show. PERPLEX has played in Paris, Lille and New York. And now, PERPLEX will play in Auburn as she returns to the Cayuga Lake region where she grew up, only child of designers Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs.
This production of PERPLEX features Heather MacKenzie-Chaplet, Nils Nusens, Victor Peniman, Chris Frank and Alex Coronado.
www.perplexblog.blogspot.com
Performance Dates:
October 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th, 2006, at 8:00pm
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - August 17, 2007
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; angela@auburnpublictheater.com
August 25, 2007
PETER MACK’S PURE JAZZ SEXTET
with David CasTiglione (tenor sax), Joe Carello (alto sax), Chris Persad (trumpet), Harvey Sorgen (drums), Pete Levin (piano) and Peter Mack (bass).
Performance: Saturday, August 25th at 8:00PM
Tickets: $15 Advanced Sale Tickets at www.auburnpublictheater.com; $20 at the door.
AUBURN, NY: Auburn Public Theater (APT) wraps up its 2006 - 2007 season with Peter Mack’s Pure Jazz Sextet. Peter Mack has put together a dynamic sextet utilizing two of Auburn’s own. David CasTiglione and Chris Persad return for a night of hard-hitting jazz. Famed performers Harvey Sorgen and Pete Levin will make the trip from NYC to perform and Joe Carello, Syracuse’s top saxman, will round out the group. This performance is a MUST SEE for jazz fans!
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - August 20, 2007
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; angela@auburnpublictheater.com
Friday, September 28th, 2007 at 7:30PM
AN EVENING WITH A POET featuring PATRICIA ROTH SCHWARTZ at APT
AUBURN, NY: Auburn Public Theater (APT) and POETS & WRITERS, INC. proudly present APT’s 1st semi-annual An Evening with a Poet series featuring a reading and a book signing with poet Patricia Roth Schwartz and “Freeing the Writer Within,” a writing workshop.
Schwartz is an award-winning poet who is celebrating the publication of her latest book. She will read from her collections: Hungers, Planting Bulbs in a Time of War, and her new book, Down the Middle with a Nickel, as well as from her manuscript, The Crows of Copper John: a History of Auburn Prison in Poems. A resident of Waterloo, Schwartz was a Finalist for the Willamette Poetry Award given by Clackamas Literary Review. Her poems have been widely published in literary journals and anthologies. She teaches for Writers & Books, Inc., in Rochester, New York, and has been conducting a poetry workshop for inmates in Auburn Correctional Facility as a volunteer for over six years.
? A Q&A period will follow the poetry reading.
? A book signing & light refreshments will also be offered.
Poetry Reading: Friday, September 28th, 2007 at 7:30pm.
Tickets: A $5 suggested donation will benefit APT.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 from 10:00am – 1:00pm
“FREEING THE WRITER WITHIN”, a workshop with Patricia Roth Schwartz at APT
This workshop offered by Patricia Roth Schwartz is for all writers and would-be writers, of all levels, working in all genres.
Workshop: Saturday, September 29th, 2007 from 10:00am – 1:00pm
Cost: $25.00, $20.00 seniors (age 62 plus) & students with I.D.
Register: at www.auburnpublictheater.com or, space permitting, at the door.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - August 24, 2007
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; angela@auburnpublictheater.com
October 5th and 7th, 2007
Two evenings with Sheila Chandra and Krishna Das
October 6th, 2007
One night with Krishna Das
Performances: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:00PM
Tickets: $62; in advance at www.auburnpublictheater.com.
"[Sheila Chandra’s] music is a breathtaking tapestry of uncommon beauty." - The Chicago Tribune
Legendary world fusion pioneer Sheila Chandra performs live after a break of 14 years. The London-born Chandra is considered one of the greatest voices in the world, able to cross continents in a single vocal line and seamlessly weave ancient and modern styles to create a true fusion with compelling vocals and genuine innovation. Her "Trilogy" albums (Weaving My Ancestors' Voices; The Zen Kiss; ABoneCroneDrone), recorded in the '90s for Peter Gabriel's Real World label, topped the world music charts and are considered to be some of the most adventurous vocal recordings ever produced in the genre.
Chandra originally made her mark in the early 80's as lead singer of the pioneering British Asian fusion band Monsoon, collaborating with Steve Coe. After Monsoon disbanded, Sheila signed with Coe's' Indipop label in 1984 and went on to make her first four solo albums in two years. Sheila retired when she was 20 to take a sabbatical that lasted 4 years and re-emerged with her fifth solo album on Indipop. In 1991 Sheila decided to give concerts for the first time and developed her distinctive voice and drone approach drawing on vocal cultures from around the world so that she could perform alone on stage. From there, Chandra's association with Real World Records began as she made 3 remarkable albums, "Weaving My Ancestors Voices" and "Speaking In Tongues" Parts 1 and II, seamlessly weaving Arab, Andalucian, Celtic and Indian vocal styles with even older traditions such as Gregorian plainsong into a true fusion within one mind and one voice. She also performed live for 2 years in the 90s, for the first and so far only time in her care, until now. Chandra has sold over a quarter of a million albums, which has vindicated the riskiness of her approach. Don't miss this extremely rare solo performance by a unique and innovative artist who possesses what has been called "one of the most beautiful voices on earth" (Billboard Magazine).
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"[Krishna Das] is an example of someone whose heartsongs open the channels to god.” - RAM DASS
Join us for a devotional Kirtan with “The Chant Master of American Yoga,” Krishna Das. Kirtan (chanting the name of God) is an integral part of what is known in India as Bhakti or devotional yoga. At APT on October 5th, 6th and 7th, 2007, you’ll experience an awakening of your spirit through this transformational yoga. KRISHNA DAS has been chanting since his days of living in India in the 70s with his guru, Neem Karoli Baba. His CDs include Flow of Grace, Door of Faith, A Drop of the Ocean, One Track Heart, Greatest Hits of the Kali Yuga, Breath of Heart, Live on Earth, Pilgrim Heart and his video is called The Yoga of Chant.
Sharing his heart through music and chanting is the basis of Krishna Das' own spiritual work; his way of serving the Divine within himself and others. In the winter of 1968, Krishna Das met Ram Dass, who had just returned from his first trip to India. After living and traveling with Ram Dass in the U.S., and hearing Ram Dass' many stories about Maharaj-ji, Krishna Das traveled to India, where he was blessed to meet and stay with this extraordinary guru. While living in India for almost three years, Krishna Das' heart was especially drawn to the practice of Bhakti Yoga—the yoga of devotion. Fanning the flames of his inner longing, Maharaj-ji led him deeper and deeper into the practice of kirtan—chanting the Names of God. As an appointed pujari (priest) for the Durga temple in Maharaj-ji's ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas, Krishna Das immersed himself in the worship of the Divine Goddess. Krishna Das spent as much time as possible with Maharaj-ji over the years in India, opening himself to the flow of Grace and purifying his heart. Early in 1973, he was asked by Maharaj-ji to return to America. Krishna Das says, “At what would turn out to be my last darshan of Maharaj-ji's physical body, I was petrified with fear about returning to the U.S. after so many years. I hadn't worn a pair of jeans or shoes for such a long time that I couldn't imagine what it would be like. I didn't want to ask Maharaj-ji what I should do in America, but all of a sudden I blurted out in anguish, 'Maharaj-ji! How can I serve you in America?' He looked at me with mock disgust and said, 'What is this? If you ask how you should serve then it is no longer service. Do what you want.' I couldn't believe my ears. How could doing what I wanted to do be of service to him? I didn't have that kind of faith. I just sat there, stunned. Then after a minute or so he looked over at me, smiling sweetly, and asked, 'So, how will you serve me?' My mind was blank. It was time for me to leave for Delhi, to catch the plane back to the States. He was looking at me and laughing. I bent down and touched his feet for the last time and when I looked up, he was beaming at me, 'So, how will you serve me in America?' I felt like I was moving in a dream. I floated across the courtyard and bowed to him one more time from a distance. As I did, the words came to me, 'I will sing to you in America.' Soon afterwards, during the full moon in September, Neem Karoli Baba left his body. Now he had to be found within. The chanting, the meditation, the puja and all the wonderful time spent with Maharaj-ji turned out to be seeds that he himself had planted in my heart... seeds that would keep growing and blossom by his Grace.”
Over the years Krishna Das has made numerous pilgrimages throughout India, meeting teachers and saints of many spiritual traditions on his quest to open and purify his heart. Living in jungles, in ashrams, and in holy places throughout India, he has had an opportunity to absorb the ancient truths that have been held by the Indian culture for thousands of years. He has studied Buddhist meditation practices with Anagarika Munindra and S.N. Goenka, and has been initiated into Tibetan Buddhist practices by lamas from various lineages. Krishna Das has been chanting on a regular basis in yoga centers all over the world. He has taught with Ram Dass and sung for many saints and yogis here and in India.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - August 24, 2007
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; angela@auburnpublictheater.com
September 21st and 22nd, 2007
A COMMAND PERFORMANCE OF STAND-UP COMEDIANS
BERNADETTE PAULEY & AL DUCHARME
Performance: Friday & Saturday, September 21st and 22nd at 8:00PM
Tickets: $15 Advanced Sale Tickets at www.auburnpublictheater.com. Doors open at 7:00pm for a cash bar and refreshments. (Proper I.D. required.)
AUBURN, NY: Auburn Public Theater (APT) is proud to present a command performance of husband and wife comedians Al Ducharme and Bernadette Pauley.
Al’s TV credits include comedic commentary on Inside Edition, TV commercials and hosting the first season of Mission Organization on HGTV. He has been a featured performer at numerous comedy festivals and keeps himself busy headlining comedy clubs, theaters, corporate events and over 200 colleges nationally.
Bernadette’s edgy brand of stand-up comedy packs a mean punch. She has appeared regularly on Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, VH-1’s How to be a Hilton and MTV’s Not a Good Look. She was the host of Half Baked on TBS’s Burly TV where she cracked jokes and interviewed celebs like Tara Reid and US tennis great Andy Roddick.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release August 25, 2007
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; angela@auburnpublictheater.com
Friday & Saturday, September 14th and 15th at 8:00PM
PERPLEX plus NILS NUSEN with the VIKING FUNK BAND
Conception by Heather MacKenzie-Chaplet ? Music direction, samples, keys, back-up vocals and trumpet by Nils Nusens ? Electric viola de gamba by Victor Peniman ? Drums by CJ ? Bass guitar by Alex Coronado
"This jazz infused creation, [Perplex] draws from the multiple talents of this little woman: singer, dancer, stylist and designer. Song, music, choreography, video and textile creation draw the viewer into her imaginary universe…" – LA VOIX DU NORD, Lille
Performances: Friday and Saturday, September 14th & 15th at 8:00PM
Tickets: $15 at www.auburnpublictheater.com
AUBURN, NY: Auburn Public Theater (APT) launches its 2007 - 2008 season with PERPLEX (plus Nils Nusen with the Viking Funk Band). When Perplex writes a song, she starts by creating the costumes she will wear for that song. These sculptural textile creations inspire the composition of music which makes up the content of this multifaceted one woman plus four musicians show. PERPLEX has played in Paris, Lille and New York City. After four successful, sold-out shows at APT in October, 2006, PERPLEX returns to Auburn for one weekend/two performances only! PerPlex is created and performed by Heather MacKenzie-Chaplet, the only child of the designers Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs.
This production of PERPLEX features Heather MacKenzie-Chaplet, Nils Nusens, Victor Peniman, Alex Coronado and CJ.
www.perplexblog.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/perplexperplex
Immediately following PERPLEX, Nils NuSens’ “Viking Funk” band will take over the stage. Nils NuSens is a French / Swedish musician who lives between Paris, NYC and Upstate NY. He is a singer, trumpeter and keyboardist who has worked with George Clinton, Meshell N’degeocello, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Marque Gilmore, Luther Allison and many more here and in Europe. His compositions often start off as beautiful songs and develop into wild Funky Jams! This is an experience not to be missed. You can come onboard but you can never leave! Such a NuSens!
www.myspace.com/nilsnusens
PRESS RELEASE
12 October 2007
AUBURN PUBLIC THEATER in association with MARIOLIO N.Y.C. presents
SPOOKTACULAR! A LEE FAMILY HALLOWEEN.
Performances: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 19th, 20th and 21st and October 26th, 27th and 28th.
Fridays and Saturdays at 6:00pm and 7:00pm; Sundays at 5:00pm and 6:00pm.
Tickets: $5.00
The stage of the theater has become the home of the Lee Family; Mr. Horrid Lee, his wife, Scara Lee and their children.
This Tim Burton inspired comedic production will hold the delighted attention of children and adults alike. The belief that there is no need to terrify children on Halloween led to this charming presentation by Mario X. Soto, a multi-talented performer/artist with imagination to spare.
Mr. Soto took eight actors and three puppeteers and created ten interchangeable characters including one dancing pumpkin! He has been a professional actor in NYC for 23 years and is famous on the East Coast for “Mariolio and the Hip Hoppets!”, an urban musical puppet show.
Mr. Soto got his musical theater training at the Boston Conservatory and has sung and danced at Radio City Music Hall; has toured in various musicals in European and National touring companies as well as entertained on Princess Cruises as lead in their Cirque Shows. Mario brings his own unique brand of musical comedy to this fanciful Halloween production!
Please note, Spooktacular is recommended for children 6 and older as children under 6 may be frightened by costumed Halloween characters and light spookiness. However, no accompanied child will be turned away at the door.
Performances: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 19th, 20th and 21st and October 26th, 27th and 28th.
Fridays and Saturdays at 6:00pm and 7:00pm; Sundays at 5:00pm and 6:00pm.
Tickets: $5.00
For group sales, please contact Angela Daddabbo at angela@auburnpublictheater.com or
315.567.9040.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release October 17, 2007
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Producing Director, 315-567-9040; angela@auburnpublictheater.com
December 14th, 15th and 16th and 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 2007
COMMAND PERFORMANCES OF
A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES by Dylan Thomas
Performances: Fridays & Saturdays, December 14th, 15th, 21st and 22nd at 8:00PM
Sundays, December 16th and 23rd at 3:00PM.
Tickets: Advanced Sale Tickets at www.auburnpublictheater.com.
AUBURN, NY: Auburn Public Theater (APT) is proud to present six command performances of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”.
In the summer of 1977, when Ron Ritchell and Polly Hogan were looking for a suitable Christmas play to use in their theatre, the Lyric Stage, in Boston, MA, Polly re-read the Dylan Thomas classic A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES. The story appealed to her and Ron on many levels: its simplicity, the beauty of Thomas' language, the warmth of the story and its humor. Polly started working on her adaptation, but soon realized that the story by itself was too short to make a whole theatrical evening. Next she began to read all of Thomas' short stories, specifically looking for those characters that play a predominant role in A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES. There was a wealth of material and soon the play began to take shape beginning on Christmas morning and ending late that night.
But still the play seemed incomplete. It occurred to Polly that what was being ignored here was Thomas' beautiful poetry. So back she went to volumes of Thomas' poetry to find some that felt right for the production. The opening poem, "It Was My Thirtieth Year To Heaven" fit immediately because Thomas wrote his short story that year, which had been commissioned by the BBC and was also published in America. It soon became a classic on both continents. When he was thirty, Thomas had a bout of writer's block, probably brought on by heavy drinking, and returned to Fern Hill, his grandfather's farm, where he had grown up, and there wrote the poem.
Obviously his greatest work,"Fern Hill" also belonged in the play. It was Thomas's last finished work before he died in New York. So "Fern Hill" became the logical choice to close the evening. The only thing needed now was one more poem and "Why East Wind Chills and South Wind Cools" was chosen to highlight the wonderful innocence of children and their questions as they try to understand the world into which they have been brought. We as adults can't answer those questions - but perhaps they bring us a little closer to discovering our own eternal truths.
So, in 1977, A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES opened in Boston at the Lyric Stage. Audiences and critics alike responded with open hearts to Thomas' poetry and prose. Children in the audiences filled the space with the ringing of joyous laughter. That first year one Welch gentleman came back three times to see the play. The final time we were sold out, and when we told him there was no room he replied, "That's alright, I've seen it twice already, just let me stand here outside and listen to the rooms. I can see it in my mind."
The show played in Boston for a record 25 continuous years. During that time, parents who had brought their children now were brought back by their children and their grandchildren - three generations sharing together a magic time in a small darkened theatre, transported back in time to a home filled with love, laughter and song.
Perhaps the play can best be described by one critic who said "If your Christmases weren’t like this, they should have been" or by the Boston Globe critic who called the play "A holiday treat for all the family." Two other stories best illustrate what the play can mean to people. During "Desert Storm" two young men came to see the show, and at the end just sat in their seats as the audience left. Finally the cast was leaving and went over to say goodnight to them. One young man said, "We are being shipped out tomorrow to Iraq and this is the only Christmas we will have." We left the lights on for them until they left. That same Christmas, a woman, who had been coming with her family for several years, reserved her usual number of seats. When the family arrived for the performance and took their seats, one remained empty. She explained to us that her son was serving overseas. When she asked him what he wanted for Christmas he told her, "Just go to A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS… and save my seat. I'll be there with you." These folks didn't know it, but they gave us our best Christmas presents ever.
It is with great joy that the founders of the Lyric Stage, Ron Ritchell and Polly Hogan, are now bringing the production to a new place, Auburn Public Theater, and, who knows, maybe starting a new tradition here in Auburn, New York. We are grateful to Angela Daddabbo and Carey Eidel for finding us and giving us the opportunity to once again bring Dylan Thomas' magic to the stage.
RON RITCHELL - For nearly forty years, Ron has been an actor, director and teacher. He was co-founder of Boston's prestigious Lyric Stage, as well as its Artistic Director from 1974 - 1988. From 1988 until 2003, Ron was co-founder and Artistic Director of the Lyric West Theatre, a professional company on the campus of Mass Bay Community College in Wellesley, MA. All told, he oversaw directly or indirectly over 200 productions. As a teacher of acting and directing, he has worked with students of all ages. He worked for several seasons at the Magic Circle Theatre at Tufts University in Medford, MA teaching acting to children and preparing them for full summer productions. At the Boston Conservatory, Ron taught acting and directing to college undergraduates. He also rehearsed students for their auditions to graduate school and professional theatre. And, over the years, Ron taught acting at the Lyric Stage to both teenagers and adults. Last December, he appeared in “A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES” at Auburn Public Theater and will return for the 2007 production.
POLLY HOGAN – She was co-founder and Producing Director of both the Lyric Stage and Lyric West theatre companies. While there, she not only acted and directed, but also taught numerous acting classes to all ages. She was Associate Professor at Emerson College in Boston, MA where she was head of the Children’s Theatre Division of the Theatre Department. During her tenure there, she directed Emerson College's Strolling Players and inaugurated a Children's Theatre Summer Program. Later, she worked as the director of Tufts University's Magic Circle, a summer theatre program for children. She also taught at the university. While at Mass Bay Community College with the Lyric West Theatre she taught acting to college students. In 1977, Polly adapted the beloved short story “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” into a full stage production. The show played for 25 consecutive seasons and has been performed over 700 times, including last December at Auburn Public Theater. Polly appeared in that production and, along with Ron, will return to Auburn in December 2007.
APT scores big with Holiday show
Tom Woods, Special to the Citizen
Grade: A
Here's my Christmas wish for Central New York audiences. Auburn Public Theater makes "A Child's Christmas in Wales" an annual event. The play, taken from the works of Dylan Thomas, is a gem of a production, with a riveting script full of charm and warmth, wit and humanity, and fine performances from the cast of four (Ron Ritchell, Polly Hogan, Dave Tobin and Carey Eidel).
Ron Ritchell and Polly Hogan originated the play in Boston for their own theater company and local audiences for the APT production are fortunate that they reprise their roles here. Both are gifted and generous performers and, while it is obvious that the play and the characters are second nature to them, there is no lack of spontaneity; the lines, the gestures, the movements are fresh and honest.
Everything is in the moment and they create compelling characters with consummate artistry. Just as good are the performances by Dave Tobin and Carey Eidel as Dylan Thomas and his friend, Jim, at various ages, all of them pretty funny. Whether they are playing the pair at ten years old or as grown
men, there is a keen sense of fun in their work. Eidel brings a boundless enthusiasm and marvelous comic touches to the role of Jim. His focus is complete and you can clearly see traits introduced in the young Jim repeated in the more mature character. The way an idea for an adventure dawns on the boy, for instance, is evident when the man thinks of a joke or a prank. It is an outstanding performance. Tobin is just as good as Thomas. He, too, brings traces of young Dylan to the man, but his character is also shaded with the personal demons that haunted Thomas over his brief life. There is nothing overt, nothing that interferes with the generally light mood of the play, but the occasional glances or gesture makes the character complete and takes the performance from very good to superior.
The real star here, though, is Hogan's magnificent script. This is not only a beautifully conceived play, it is masterfully constructed. Over the course of twenty five years of productions, the script is honed to a fine edge, there is nothing to trim but the tree and nothing to add but the wonder of
a new audience. Hopefully, those will be Auburn audiences for years to come.
"A Child's Christmas in Wales" continues through the weekend at the Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., in downtown Auburn. For information or to make reservations (highly suggested) call 253-6669.
This show is excellent family entertainment.
Press Release March 4th, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LIVE IN CONCERT
We d n e s d a y, Ma r c h 1 2 t h , 7 : 3 0 – 9 : 3 0 pm
SNATAM KAUR with GuruGanesha Singh Manish Vyas & Tanmay
Auburn Public Theater 1 0 8 Genesee St , Downtown Au b u r n Tickets: $26 advance / $31 door
Tickets and information by Phone: 315-253-6669 Online: www.auburnpublictheater.com
Snatam Kaur proudly partners with Peace Has Begun, a campaign which serves to promote Project-Peace on Earth,
a six hour globally telecast musical prayer from the world’s most sacred sites scheduled for September 2009.
For more info: www.project-peaceonearth.org
PRESS RELEASE - TWO FACED at APT
Auburn Public Theater (APT)
108 Genesee Street, downtown Auburn
Auburn, New York 13021
www.auburnpublictheater.com
(315) 253-6669
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2008
Contact: Angela Daddabbo, Artistic Director, 315-567-9040; angela@auburnpublictheater.com
April 4th, 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th & 13th, 2008: Six performances of TWO FACED at APT
Performances: Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00PM; Sundays at 3:00PM
Tickets: $15 general admission, $12 students/seniors, $10 group rate (10 or more); in advance at www.auburnpublictheater.com .
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Adams is quite marvelous. This is a fascinating exploration of a woman’s illusions and delusions, marriage and divorce, sexuality and duality, motherhood and sisterhood, feminism and dynamism. It’s witty, wise, revealing, insightful, painful and totally engrossing. You couldn’t spend a better evening in the theater. – PARK LABREA NEWS
An engrossing, in-your-face female perspective on growing older amid society’s misguided expectations. Richly written and skillfully brought to life, this production does not berate society for its wrongs. Instead, it gives males insight (and even some identification), and allows females to chuckle and nod in agreement. – DAILY VARIETY
Lynne Adams’ elegantly funny one-woman play TWO FACED opens April 4th at Auburn Public Theater for six performances only. The Los Angeles Times called Two Faced “a funny and touching portrait of a woman’s discovery,” adding that the play is “sure to strike a resonant chord in a society obsessed with youthful appearance.”
“I always like to think of it being a play about beauty as well as aging,” says Lynne. “Beauty as it relates to losing one’s beauty, true, but what inspired me to tackle such a subject was my frustration with our culture’s limited definition of beauty. As my character says, ‘It goes way beyond the age business; even young girls don’t feel good about the way they look.’” First produced in Woodstock, NY, Two Faced examines society’s double standards and speaks truthfully and openly about letting go and moving forward. Elizabeth Tivey, the play’s main character, confides to the audience as she endures the most pivotal year of her life – one of divorce, her ex-husband’s beautiful new girlfriend, a youth obsessed job market, trips to the plastic surgeon, a much too New Age best friend, an overly helpful adult daughter and a female Don Juana. The year-long time frame sees Elizabeth metamorphosis not once but twice. The play, says Drama-logue, “… is intelligent and surprisingly universal… one year in the life of a (woman) who’s ‘let herself go’ and then triumphs over it by letting herself be.” In it, Adams “delivers the magic of the theatre (LA WEEKLY).” “The amazing thing is that every kind of person seems to respond to this play,” says director (and Lynne’s sister) Brooke Adams (Days of Heaven, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Cuba). “We expected women to like it, but so do men.”
Angela Daddabbo, APT’s Artistic Director, had the good fortune to see a performance of Two Faced in LA in the mid 1990’s. She got involved as one of the play’s producers and, for a short time, with the creative team developing the play as a feature film. “When the play ended,” explains Daddabbo, “I sat there totally stunned. I knew my life had been changed forever though, at the time, I couldn’t have articulated exactly why or how. Two Faced is not only one of the best plays I’ve ever seen, I think it’s one of the best plays that has ever existed. Immediately I wanted to bring it to Auburn and I’m thrilled to finally be realizing that dream.”
Lynne Adams is familiar to television audiences from her years on daytime’s The Guiding Light as Leslie Bauer and as Amy Kincaid on The Secret Storm. Lynne was active as a performer with the Dramatist Circle in New York City, appearing in over fifty productions. She worked as an actress, producer and writer with New York’s Green Plays, playing opposite Stuart Margolin in her own play, Family Spirit. From 1991-1993 she worked at Woodstock’s Common Stage, a company focusing on works by and for women. At Common Stage, she wrote and performed Nora; an American Encounters a Nicaraguan and she also created and first presented Two Faced. Since its inception, Two Faced has enjoyed successful runs at theaters throughout New York State, including the prestigious Empire State Theater in Albany and the West Bank Café in New York City, and also throughout Los Angeles. Lynne has written a novel, several plays and a handful of screenplays, including Made-Up, the movie adaption of Two Faced. Lynne also produced Made-Up and co-starred in it alongside her sister, Brooke Adams, and her brother-in-law, Tony Shalhoub (MONK, Big Night).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A.L.I.C.E. IN WONDER CITY APTs
Summer Program Set for July
Auburn Public Theater's children's summer workshop
is scheduled for July 7-August 1 2008. SPACE IS LIMITED for ages 6-18yrs.
For registration information please contact Janie MicGlire at 253-6669
or via email at janie@auburnpublictheater.com
AUBURN PUBLIC THEATER (APT) is a new, non-profit, professional performing and presenting company currently renovating the former Grant's building located in downtown Auburn, New York as an arts complex. The building is air-conditioned and free evening and weekend parking is available in the garage directly behind the theater. This is an exciting new cultural center in Central New York. For any other information, call (315) 253-6669.
