Press Release: Fells Point Corner Theatre proudly presents on our Godfrey Stage Gertrude Stein and a Companion By Win Wells


For Immediate Release:
Fells Point Corner Theatre proudly presents on our Godfrey Stage Gertrude Stein and a Companion By Win Wells, Directed by Anne Hammontree
Gertrude Stein and a Companion by Win Wells is the bittersweet telling of the love and lives of celebrated writer Gertrude Stein and her life partner Alice Toklas. Winner of Best Play at the Edinburgh Festival, Sydney Theatre Festival, and Vita Award for Best Play in South Africa, this two woman show spans decades and takes on multiple figures in the ladies’ world, from reporters and German soldiers to Hemingway and Picasso.
“The evening is a joy…Brisk, fun and literate.” – ​Gannett Newspapers
“The interplay gives the piece a spark beyond the page. It takes this very specific story and peels of its layers, revealing a fascinating study in human relations, in marriage, in the science of compromise and the art of enduring love.” – ​Chicago Reader
Director Anne Hammontree, along with the talented Marianne Angelella and Andrea Bush, bring Gertrude Stein and a Companion to life. Fells Point Corner Theatre is excited to share this imaginative exploration of love and time, written in homage of Alice’s biting wit, Gertrude’s poetry, and their colorful world that sparked the movement of Modern Art.
Admission: $19 for Sundays, $24 for Fridays/Saturdays.
Dates: Opens Friday March 2nd, 2018 and runs through Sunday, March 25th, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. There will be a Saturday Matinee on March 10th.
*There will also be a Pay What You Can Thursday performance on March 1st, which will be an open dress rehearsal.*

Press Release: Truth, power, and subversion take center stage in THE DEATH OF WALT DISNEY


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Baltimore, MD – Single Carrot Theatre’s 11th season continues with A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney. From Lucas Hnath, writer of The Christians and the Tony-award-winning A Doll’s House Part 2, The Death of Walt Disney takes audiences deep inside the dark heart of the Disney machine. Far from the sanitized history presented by the Walt Disney Company, Hnath’s portrait of the megalomaniac behind the magic is a sharp and blackly comic look at one man’s quest for immortality. As the lines of fantasy and reality blur in this dramatic retelling, dramaturg Abigail Cady has worked closely with directors Genevieve de Mahy and Matthew Shea to navigate the murky waters of Walt Disney’s life.
“A dramaturg is responsible for helping the production artists maintain the integrity of the world of the play,” said Cady. “For this play, that is a very particular world.” Cady, de Mahy, and Shea met constantly throughout the process, sorting through truths and embellishments that permeate the many layers of Hnath’s script.
In today’s climate of ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’ Hnath’s script feels especially relevant, though the heightened circumstances of the theatre feel “less subversive” in a world that is “more surreal every day.” Cady, well-versed in sorting fact and fiction, adds that “the essential truth of a story told in the theatre always has been and will continue to be an emotional, human truth.” ‘Truth’ is a subjective and slippery target in the theatre, as it is in history. Modern audiences must constantly examine the sources and storytellers who shape their understanding of the world. History, after all, is written by the victor.
The same can be said for the ‘history’ of the Walt Disney Company. “It was very difficult to find sources that did not skew towards positive or negative portrayals of the man,” Cady remarked, adding that “most official documents” are held by the Disney Company; accessing them is virtually impossible. “Biographies are either sanitized or dubiously sourced.”
Modern conversations about men, power, and controlling the flow of information feel especially prescient alongside Hnath’s script. For Cady, Walt Disney is a familiar figure; the ‘Great Man of Genius’ who has cast “a long shadow over our cultural consciousness since the country’s founding.” Be it Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, or Walt himself, “The Death of Walt Disney grapples with the question of how to reconcile a person’s contributions to the world with the damage they’ve done to it.” While Hnath may not have all the answers, audiences are given a window into the real, complex world of ‘Great Men’ like Walt Disney.
The Death of Walt Disney opens February 2, with performance continuing through February 25. The cast features ensemble members Paul Diem (Walt Disney) and Meghan Stanton (Daughter) alongside guest artists Eric Poch (Ron Miller) and Mohammad R. Suaidi (Roy Disney).
About the Play:
A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay about
THE DEATH OF WALT DISNEY
By Lucas Hnath
Directed by Genevieve de Mahy & Matthew Shea
Leave the magic behind in this darkly humorous, cutting examination of the megalomaniac who shaped a thousand childhoods: Mr. Walt Disney. The carefree and charming creator of so many beloved characters – father-figure to a generation of Americans – fades away as this fraught and fast-paced play chases down the dark heart of the Disney machine. Power, betrayal, deception, and disillusionment weave together to form a portrait of a man so full of hubris and obsessed with his own legacy, he tried to remake the world and achieve immortality. Join us at the table. Regional premiere.
WHEN:
Pay-What-You-Can Previews: Wednesday, January 31 and Thursday, February 1 at 8pm
Running: February 2 – 25
Thursday- Saturday at 8pm
Sundays at 3pm
*There is no performance on Sunday, February 4.
WHERE:
Single Carrot Theatre
2600 N. Howard Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Entrance on 26th Street.
Free parking available in adjacent lot and on the street.
TICKETS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Tickets: $10-$29
Web: singlecarrot.com
Phone: 443-844-9253
Email: boxoffice(at)singlecarrot.com
Twitter: @singlecarrot
Instagram: @singlecarrot

Review: Love is a Blue Tick Hound by Rapid Lemon Productions at Baltimore Theatre Project

By Jason Crawford Samios-Uy
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Running Time: Approx. 2 hours one 10-minute intermission
There comes a time when we all question our lives. Some do it once in awhile, some do it when things are going crazy, and some do it daily… well, most of us do it daily, and Rapid Lemon Productions‘ latest offering, Love is a Blue Tick Hound by Audrey Cefaly, Directed by Donna Ibale, Lee Conderacci, Betse Lyons, and Lauren Erica Jackson, and Set Design by Reese Siedlecki tries to answer some of those questions through four two-person shorts exposing the lives of folks from different walks of life with very different questions and problems.
In a nutshell, Love is a Blue Tick Hound is a delving introspective on relationships and ask the serious questions of life. The entire production is made up of four short two-person plays that ask life’s questions such as “are we happy or are we settling?” or “am I afraid to be alone or am I okay with that?” with a blend of poignancy and comedy that gives the audience emotional peaks and valleys that make for good theatre.
Set Design by Reese Siedlecki is semi-minimal but quite appropriate to make it easy to present four different stories. Set pieces are brought on and off stage to set the scenes and this design does its job superbly. With the use of lawn chairs, a cafe table, willow weeds, and a living room set transports the audience into the scenes easily. Transitions are a bit lengthy and clunky, but not enough to deter the flow of the piece and the cast is well-rehearsed and precise in the changes.
Light and Sound Design by Allan Sean Weeks and Max Garner, respectively, add great value to this production while Weeks sets the scene and times of day brilliantly with subtle light changes and accents while Garner produces a flawless sound design that puts the audience smack dab in the scene with a well thought-out design that doesn’t hinder, but helps the setting and adds that extra authenticity. Also, I found myself Shazam-ing the transition tunes that were used because, well, they were not only fitting but pretty awesome tunes!

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Lauren Erica Jackson as Euba and Carolyn Koch as Fin. Credit: Rapid Lemon Productions


Moving on to the shorts themselves, we are first presented with Fin and Euba, Directed by Donna Ibale, featuring Carolyn Koch as Fin and Lauren Erica Jackson as Euba. This short concerns best friends Fin and Euba (of course) as they complain about their current situation and dream about changing it but don’t do much to do so, as if they are settling for what they go or are afraid to move forward. Director Donna Ibale has a great comprehension of this text and presents the piece in an authentic, down-home way that works nicely. Koch understands her character and portrays her fittingly as someone who wants so much more but can’t seem to figure out how to get it while Jackson, as Euba, portrays her character beautifully as someone who doesn’t dare to want more. Both actresses have a good chemistry and work well off each other to present a deep connection and dependency upon each other.
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Beste Lyons as Lina and Justin Johnson as Roberto. Credit: Rapid Lemon Productions


Second we are presented with Clean, Directed by Lee Conderacci, featuring Betse Lyons as Lina and Justin Johnson as Roberto. In this piece, food service two co-workers discuss relationships and wants before opening and make certain discoveries about each other that were right in front of them the entire time. Director Lee Conderacci’s casting is spot on and she presents this piece in a minimally, but effectively. Lyons embodies her character and connects with the audience making you empathize with her character’s turmoil and her confidence and onstage presence makes one take notice. Johnson gives a superb performance as the immigrant dish-washer with a secret yearning and common sense way of looking at things. His performance is spot-on making him and this piece a highlight of this production.
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Donna Ibale as Kendra and Aladrian C. Wetzel as Betty. Credit: Rapid Lemon Productions


Next is The Gulf, Directed by Betse Lyons, featuring Donna Ibale as Kendra and Aladrian C. Wetzel as Betty. This short begins with what simply looks like two people on a fishing excursion in a deep southern watering hole. However, we discover Betty, played flawlessly by Wetzel, is trying to better herself with plans of schooling and moving out of wherever they currently are and Kendra, played by an able and intense Ibale, is content to stay right where she is. Director Betse Lyons seems to have a tight grasp on this material and presents it simply and concisely with her choice of setting and casting. Wetzel, gives a glimmer of grace and elegance just under the surface of her character and it works beautifully for the scene. The despair and want this actress exudes makes one want to just take her, hug her, and tell her everything’s going to be okay. Ibale, too, portrays her rough around the edges character impeccably with a smidgen of vulnerability that she tries to hide but can’t help but let show every now and then. This piece and its actresses are certainly standouts in this production with spot on performances.
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Mike Smith as Bob and Lee Conderacci as Maggie. Credit: Rapid Lemon Productions


Finally, the production rounds out with Stuck, Directed by Lauren Erica Jackson, featuring Mike Smith as Rob and Lee Conderacci as Maggie. This short deals with a second date between two people who might not know exactly what they’re looking for and trying very hard to impress others. Director Lauren Erica Jackson gives a good showing in her presentation and her understanding of the material is evident. Conderacci gets the fundamentals of her character, a strong woman who has a definite individuality but still wants to “fit in,” and she portrays this nicely but her delivery gets a little scripted at times, but her energy and confident stage presence makes for a lovely performance. Her partner, Mike Smith is the stronger of the duet and is, hands down, another standout in this production. His portrayal of his character, a nervous young man going into a second date and just wants to make a good impression, is on point and natural. He has a strong stage presence with a good comedic timing making for a performance that is a joy to watch.
Final thought… Love is a Blue Tick Hound from Rapid Lemon Production is a perfect fit for Women’s Voice Theatre Festival and the tries to answer some of life’s questions through a series of four short plays directed by a different director (all of whom are women and double as actors in one of the other plays) and allows for various visions of a main theme and each play is cast nicely with actors who work well together. Presenting this piece in a minimalist fashion is a wise choice as is forces concentration on the text and performances making the scenes uncluttered and more meaningful. Overall, this production is well through-out and well-presented and is worth checking out if your wandering around looking for good live theatre in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.
This is what I thought of Rapid Lemon Productions’ production of Love is a Blue Tick Hound… What did you think? Please feel free to leave a comment!
Love is a Blue Tick Hound will play through January 21 at Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston Street, Baltimore, MD and February 9-17 at Logan Fringe Art Space: Trinidad Theatre, 1358 Florida Avenue, NE Washington, DC. For tickets, you can purchase them online.
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