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New Village Arts announces its Sixth Season, opening January 2007 in their new home in Carlsbad Village Jessica John joins New Village Arts as Producing Artistic Director
CARLSBAD, CA. It is an exciting time for Carlsbad's New Village Arts
Theatre, as they announce their sixth season of productions. NVA has
become known for thrilling, ensemble driven theatre that features the
power and passion of the artist, and the sixth season is sure to live
up to that reputation.
The season begins in late January 2007 with the opening of a
beautiful new theatre space in the heart of Carlsbad Village. To
celebrate that grand opening, NVA is producing two heralded plays in
repertory: Beth Henley's Pulitzer Prize winning comic drama Crimes of the
Heart and Anton Chekhov's world masterpiece Three Sisters.
The same cast will bring both shows to life, featuring some of San Diego's
most awarded and critically acclaimed actors, including Jessica John, Amanda
Sitton, Kristianne Kurner, Ron Choularton and Francis Gercke. Crimes
of the Heart will open on January 27th followed by Three
Sisters on February 3rd. Both shows will run in repertory through
March 4th. Opening on March 31st will be the San Diego premiere of
Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Patrick Shanley's Drama Desk
nominated Sailor's Song, an extravagant, romantic seaside
story decorated with dance, directed by Kristianne Kurner and choreographed by
Robin Christ. Following that will be NVA's version of a summer
blockbuster with Sam Shepard's thrilling American classic True
West featuring NVA's Artistic Director Francis Gercke and Joshua
Everett Johnson, both winners of 2005 San Diego Critic's Circle Awards for
Best Actor. The season ends with the most intimate FREE
Shakespeare you will ever see. Christopher Williams will direct NVA's
Sixth Annual Free Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, in all its Roman
glory . For one year only, NVA will produce this free
event in their new home in Carlsbad Village. Tickets are still free,
but will be limited each evening.
"We are thrilled to bring our theatre home to Carlsbad Village.
Since arriving in North San Diego County, we have felt that the Village
would be the best possible location for our theatre, and we are honored that
the City Council of Carlsbad believed in that vision enough to sponsor us
into this beautiful theatre space," comments NVA's Artistic Director
Francis Gercke. Executive Director Kristianne Kurner agrees: "Our
Sixth Season offers something for everyone: a world classic, a San Diego
premiere, some tried and true favorites and our Free Shakespeare -- we
believe this will be the year that everybody learns about New Village
Arts."
The 2007 Season for New Village Arts Theatre includes:
January 27 -- March 4, 2007
PULITZER-PRIZE WINNING COMEDY
CRIMES OF THE HEART
By Beth Henley
Directed by Dana Case
Featuring Amanda Sitton, Kristianne Kurner & Jessica John
Winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle
Award. An astonishing first play, initially presented by the Actors Theatre
of Louisville, then Off-Broadway, and then on Broadway, where it established
the author as a major voice in American theatre. Warm-hearted,
irreverent, zany and brilliantly imaginative, the play teems with humanity
and humor as it examines the plight of three young Mississippi sisters
betrayed by their passions. "While this play overflows with infectious
high spirits, it is also, unmistakably, the tale of a very troubled family.
Such is Miss Henley's prodigious talent that she can serve us pain as though
it were a piece of cake." —NY Times. "It has heart, wit and a
surprisingly zany passion that must carry all before it…it would certainly
be a crime for anyone interested in the theatre not to see this play."
—NY Post. "From time to time a play comes along that restores one's
faith in our theatre…" —NY Magazine.
February 3 -- March 4, 2007
WORLD MASTERPIECE
THREE SISTERS
By Anton Chekhov, in a translation by Brian Friel
Directed by Francis Gercke
Featuring Amanda Sitton, Kristianne Kurner, Jessica John, Ron Choularton,
Daren Scott and Francis Gercke
In a garrison town somewhere in the backwoods of Russia, the three Prozorov sisters — Olga, Masha and Irina — and their brother Andre live in the large, beautiful house their father, an army general, has left them. Raised to be bastions of refinement and taste, but stranded amongst soldiers and smalltown folk with no ambition, they cling desperately to memories of the bright, thriving Moscow they left as children. Unable to bear the ordinariness of their lives, tempers flare and all manner of appetites go unchecked, eliciting wild and dangerous responses from those around them and turning the proper Prozorov home into a place where anything can happen. "Friel has succeeded admirably with a script that is more literate, more touching, more luminous and more enjoyable than the more academic versions that have gone before." —Irish Times.
March 31 - April 22, 2007
REGIONAL PREMIERE
SAILOR'S SONG
By John Patrick Shanley
Directed by Kristianne Kurner; Choreography by Robin Christ
SAILOR’S SONG is an extravagant romantic seaside story decorated with
dance. In the tradition of Gene Kelly and Eugene O’Neill, this
stylistically daring love story gives us a cynical man and a true
believer who battle over beautiful women and the power of love.
Originally produced just a few months before Shanley's DOUBT, Sailor's
Song was critically acclaimed and nominated for a Drama Desk award.
New Village Arts is proud to produce the regional premiere of this
beautiful, romantic play. Mature language and themes.
June 16 - July 8, 2007
THRILLING AMERICAN CLASSIC
TRUE WEST
By Sam Shepard
Directed by Kristianne Kurner
Featuring Francis Gercke & Joshua Everett Johnson
This American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the
demented terrain of the California landscape. Sons of a desert dwelling
alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the
achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when
Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a
movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love
story and write Lee's trashy Western tale. "Shepard's
masterwork.... It tells us a truth, as glimpsed by a 37 year old
genius." N.Y. Post. "It's clear, funny, naturalistic. It's
also opaque, terrifying, surrealistic. If that sounds contradictory,
you're on to one aspect of Shepard's winning genius; the ability to make
you think you're watching one thing while at the same time he's
presenting another." S.F. Chronicle. Mature
language and themes.
August 9-19, 2007
SIXTH ANNUAL FREE SHAKESPEARE
THE SIXTH ANNUAL FREE SHAKESPEARE: JULIUS CAESAR
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Christopher Williams
New Village Arts travels to Rome for some intense, intimate free
Shakespeare. Caesar's assassination sees a nation descend into
civil violence and instability. In one of the earliest of his Roman
plays, Shakespeare explores the opposing dynamics of democracy and
tyranny. New Village Arts presents an event that everyone can
enjoy.
How
to SUBSCRIBE to the 2007 SEASON Current
Subscribers
will be e-mailed special notification of how to subscribe online; and
will receive a renewal brochure by mail. New subscribers can go to www.NewVillageArts.org and pay securely via PayPal, or send a check to New Village Arts at 2787 State Street, Carlsbad, CA 92008. For more
information, visit www.NewVillageArts.org,
or call the New Village Arts Ticket
Office at (760) 433-3245.
For group discounts to most productions, call (760) 433-3245.
Most New Village Arts performances run Thursday through Sunday evenings, with some Saturday and Sunday matinees. Post-performance chat-backs with members of the cast/company follow many Friday evening performances. Ticket onsale dates to the general public begin two weeks before each production. All
productions will be presented at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State
Street, in the heart of Carlsbad Village. Visit New Village Arts on the Internet at www.NewVillageArts.org.
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Carlsbad's New Village Arts Theatre has appointed Jessica John as its new producing artistic director. She began work November 15th. John, the founding artistic director of San Diego's acclaimed Backyard Productions, is widely known as one of San Diego's finest actresses. San Diego Magazine named her one of "50 People to Watch" in 2006 and the San Diego Theatre Critic's Circle has twice named her best actress. She has appeared on NVA's stages many times, including work in A Hatful of Rain, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Lie of the Mind and The Playboy of the Western World. She will be designing the costumes and appearing as an actor in both Crimes of the Heart and Three Sisters. "It is an honor to be selected to guide New Village Arts Theatre, along with founders Francis Gercke and Kristianne Kurner," said John. "I am eager to begin working with my colleagues to build upon the excellent reputation of this company." "New Village Arts feels incredibly lucky to be able to share the talents and insight of Ms. John as producing artistic director," said Pat Hurley, president of the Board of Directors of New Village Arts. "She has the vision, experience and creativity to take New Village Arts to new heights." Ms. John will be working closely with Founding Artistic Director Francis Gercke and (newly promoted) Executive Director Kristianne Kurner. "Having three of us at the helm will help NVA thrive in this time of extreme growth and change. The opening of our new performance space is the perfect time to expand the company and we are confident that Ms. John is an excellent addition to New Village Arts," said Kurner. As producing artistic director, Ms. John will provide artistic vision and guidance, plan programs, select guest directors and artists and raise funds for New Village Arts. She will also continue working in marketing and public relations.
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