"Christmas time is (coming)..."

CHRISTMAS IS COMING! 

                                      ...But first:Thanksgiving :)

Wow! It has been far too long since we have posted!

Since we posted last, we have had 3 very successful shows: Measure for Measure, A Little Princess, and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (see pictures below). 

Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure"
August 2012

Frances Hodgeson Burnett's "A Little Princess"

September/October 2012

Charles Schultz's "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"
October 2012

Now, we are preparing to present our final show for our 2012 season: A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

We are VERY excited!

We decided to do "A Charlie Brown Christmas" again this year due to sold out crowds last year (all of the shows, included a last minute added one, were completely sold out, with one having a 110 patrons in attendance). We have added a few little changes, including the addition of a Narrator, which we are sure patrons are sure to love!

Audience members can expect to see the classic cartoon brought to life on stage, along with a couple of little additions :). 

We will start off each show with some Peanuts trivia questions (with candy cane prizes), and a couple of Christmas Carols--the perfect combination to get audiences into the Christmas mood.

At the conclusion of the show, child audience members will receive a coloring page and candy cane from their favorite characters in the play as the characters greet audiences on their way out.

We are already getting a good deal of pre-sold tickets and expect sales to increase as we get closer to opening (see poster below for dates), and highly encourage you to buy your tickets now so as to guarantee yourself seats (we have bean bags in front for the kids).

That's it for now fans! We hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving with your families' as you come together to enjoy good food and great company and give thanks, which, in a paraphrasing of what Linus says, "is what Thanksgiving is all about."

Some Background on Shakespeare and "Measure for Measure"

Our Summer Production of Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" under our new, easier to say theatre name; "Free Fall Stage" (formerly THE Actors Workshop and Integral Theatre Company-- what a mouth full!) is already 2 weekends and 6 shows in with 3 weekends and 7 shows to go!

That being said, we wanted to take a minute to share with you a note from the director/playwright (who adapted the play into the Regency Period), Tana Colburn:

"For all that we know about William Shakespeare, he is still something of an enigma [Did anyone see the film Anonymous?].  Speculation has been rife for centuries over how a man with his, apparently, uneducated background could write such a magnificent wealth of literature.

Two years ago I had the opportunity to visit Stratford-upon-Avon: Shakespeare’s hometown and the site of his wife’s ancestral home.  What a wonderful experience. But, questions about the man still remain.

I think we can understand him best, by looking at his volume of work. His Sonnets show him to be a man of passion. His plays indicate an interest in history, a love of action and violence, and quite a rude tongue when it comes to off-color jokes. 

He also had a very good knowledge of the Bible.  Many of his plays contain references to scripture and direct quotations of passages. Most of all, his characters are full-bodied, deep and ring true with insight to the human condition.

Colin Coate as "Angelo" and Emma Eldridge as "Isabella"

Measure for Measure (1603) is a perfect example. It is considered a Comedy, a Dark-Comedy.  Some would classify it as one of his problem plays. Shakespeare addresses the position of women in society and their exploitation. He sharply points out that men abuse women; and, for the sake of some soft, pretty words, women allow themselves to be abused and exploited. Measure also deals with the corruptive nature of power and hypocrisy.  On the other hand, he shows the need for compassion, mercy, common sense, grace, and forgiveness. Many consider this play to be the most "Christian" of Shakespeare’s works: evil is found out and judgment is tempered with mercy, wrongs are set right, and many transgressions are forgiven."

Emma Eldridge as "Isabella" and Matthew Johnston as "Claudio"

Audiences have been describing the show as; "...very good with some very intense scenes!" and "Beautiful, realistic costumes!" as well as "...entertaining, easy to understand, and griping!"

But, don't take their word for it, come check it out yourself and tell us what you think! See the poster below!


Check out our Preview Story with The Folsom Telegraph:
 http://folsomtelegraph.com/detail/213704.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=measure+for+measure&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=
 
Check out our review with Placer Performance Calendar:
http://www.greatlocalshows.blogspot.com/2012/07/measure-for-measure_28.html