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drewdix
Citizen
Username: Drewdix
Post Number: 1038
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - 11:25 pm: |     |
In December, Avenue Theatre continues its monthly staged reading series with a script-in-hand reading of "Holier Than Thou", by Maplewood playwright Thomas West.
With deepest apologies to Moliere's "Tartuffe", the satirical comedy
"Holier Than Thou" sends up the unholy alliance between ethically
dubious politicians and morally questionable televangelists. When
Senator Orville Perkins's re-election campaign falters, he seeks the
endorsement of the controversial and highly influential Reverend
Billy-Bob Tartlinger. What the Senator doesn't know can ruin him:
Reverend Billy-Bob's eyes are on more things than Heaven, and nothing or
no one will get in the way of his desires--until he meets his match in
the Senator's wife!
Saturday December 17th at 8:00PM, admission is FREE. At the 1978 Arts Center, 1978 Springfield Ave., Maplewood. 973-275-9855, avenuetheatre@gmail.com |
drewdix
Citizen
Username: Drewdix
Post Number: 1059
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 9:01 am: | |
Once again, we're confirmed that we'll have the author in attendance for feedback and discussion post-reading.
Hope to see you there. |
drewdix
Citizen
Username: Drewdix
Post Number: 1063
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 12, 2005 - 10:32 pm: | |
Some add'l info via an article in last week's News-Record:
Reading pokes fun at hypocrisy
By Jeff Cummins Associate Editor
Drew Dix doesn’t mince words. He’s enthusiastic about his group’s dedication to original theater, but he’s shooting for a lot more than that.
Dix, a Maplewood resident, is the director of Avenue Theatre, a theater group he founded with his wife, Thea Clark.
Together, the couple brings decades of experience in theater, and they’re very aggressive in their pursuit of the next big playwright.
“ Our objective is to give voice to new work, but we really want to discover the next ‘ Death of a Salesman,’ and produce it ourselves,” said Dix. “ We’ll never lose this grassroots nurturing, but we also want to blossom into a full- grown performing entity some day. We’re confident that it’s not too far off in the future.”
Recently, Avenue Theatre presented a staged reading of a work by Springfield resident Andrea Green titled, “ For Tiger Lilies out of Season.” Dix said the play dealt with a heavy subject, but had an uplifting conclusion. His group is considering more of Green’s work for 2006.
On Dec. 17, at 8 p. m., Avenue Theatre will present a staged reading of “ Holier Than Thou,” written by Thomas Edward West, at 1978 Arts Center, 1978 Springfield Ave., Maplewood.
“ Holier Than Thou” updates a 17th century premise by playwright Moliere’s ‘ Tartuffe,’ poking fun at the less- than- ethical alliance between dubious politicians and morally questionable televangelists.
“ This is a rewrite of a piece of mine that I had done during the Jim Baker/ Jimmy Swaggart years,” said West.
“ It’s about putting blind faith in bogus religious folks,” said Dix. “ The televangelists are not out to save people’s souls, they’re out to save their own pockets. That’s as true today as it was hundreds of years ago.”
Avenue Theatre is fortunate that West happens to reside in Maplewood. West is a librettist, playwright, director, actor, artistic administrator and educator who has worked in theater for more than 25 years. He’s written books for the musicals “ Peter Schlemiel,” “ Tom Sawyer,” “ The Enchanted Cottage,” “ Class Clown,” and “ The Play’s the Thing,” for which he also co- wrote the lyrics with Robert Waldman. Many of his plays have been produced Off Broadway and in regional theater.
West has also directed more than 50 professional productions for off- Broadway, off- off- Broadway, and regional theaters.
In addition, South Orange resident Bethany Samuelson, one of the performers, brings a wealth of professional experience, having spent several years in the national touring company of “ Cats.”
Clearly, Dix and Clark have some contributors with some notches on their belts — not to mention the fact that they’ve got plenty of experience themselves.
Dix studied the Stanislavski technique in New York City, and he founded an off- Broadway company, Theater in Action, that performed from 1981 through 1991. He later worked in regional theater.
“ We stepped aside to raise a family, but now we’re trying to develop our own theater voice again,” said Dix of the group that he and Clark have assembled at Avenue Theatre. “ We have a pretty reliable stable.
We’ve developed a core group of actors who we cast from, pretty much.”
The performance of “ Holier than Thou” will be a staged reading, which means that actors will perform their lines with scripts in hand. It also means that the audience will have the opportunity to offer its opinion of the play and its performances afterward, something that any good theater company will benefit from.
“ Since most of the plays are new or in development, the playwrights are anxious for objective and constructive criticism, regardless of the critics’ theater education,” said Dix. “ Everyone reacts emotionally to what they hear.”
“ Avenue is about is getting the play, author and audience all together in one place,” said West.
For more information, call 973- 275- 9855, or send an e- mail to avenuetheatre@gmail.com.Admission is free.
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drewdix
Citizen
Username: Drewdix
Post Number: 1067
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 11:45 am: | |
bump-a-rama |
Duncan
Supporter
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 5313
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 6:23 pm: | |
have a great time Drew.. I would be curious to know who you found to read Dorine.
Break legs all! |
drewdix
Citizen
Username: Drewdix
Post Number: 1068
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 9:21 am: | |
I'll give you the breakdown (It's "Dorinda", in our version!).
Tom's done a great job using the Tartuffe plotline to skewer the modus operandi of so many of our present day politicos.
And there's nothing wrong with having to seduce my own wife (standing, with script in hand, no less) |
Gene Ciccone
Citizen
Username: Gene_ciccone
Post Number: 4
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 3:20 pm: | |
Drew, looking forward to the reading tonight. |
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