For Immediate Release |
Press Info.: James Breen (805) 965-5400 x103
jbreen@ensembletheatre.com
www.ensembletheatre.com
Box Office (805) 965-5400
August 4, 2010 |
Ensemble Theatre Company Presents the 2010-11:
A Season of Joy, Laughter and Delight.
(Santa Barbara, CA) Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara (ETC), under the artistic direction of Jonathan Fox will embark on its 31st season with a delightful mixture of comedies and dramas, a classic, a west coast premier and a much beloved musical. The 2010-11 season promises to be a year of compelling, funny and entertaining works, with the first-rate productions Ensemble has become know for. The season starts on October 7, 2010 and runs through June 2011. All performances will be at the Alhecama Theatre.
Kicking off the season is the West Coast premiere of The Housewives of Mannheim by Alan Brody. This new play which debuted in March 2010 was called “bright and gorgeous and fun,” by The New York Times. 1944, Brooklyn: Billie, May and Alice are raising their young children while their husbands are overseas. When a beautiful Austrian emigre moves into their building, their yearnings and desires can no longer lie hidden, and their friendship is suddenly put to the test. An exquisitely- drawn and laugh-filled portrait of women on the verge of self-discovery. Performance dates are October 7 to 31, 2010.
A comic treat for the holiday season, December 2 to 26, 2010, is the outrageously funny The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam. On Mandacrest Estate, strange goings-on occur under the watchful eye of the portrait of Lord Edgar’s dead wife, Irma Vep. Two actors play a dozen roles in this campy, cross-dressing mash-up of Victorian melodrama, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, and The Mummy’s Curse. Ensemble is pleased to welcome back director Jenny Sullivan, who helmed three critically acclaimed shows at ETC, The Memory of Water and The Clean House and Tea at Five. Joseph Fuqua, from Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks and Jamie Torcellini, who toured national in Billy Elliot, will perform. “Wuthering Heights of hilarity” says The New York Times. In collaboration with Rubicon Theatre Co., Ventura.
The third production of the season is a wonderful contemporary play sizzling heat, humor and histrionics. Opus by Michael Hollinger will play from February 3 to 27, 2011. Bach, Beethoven, and Bartok underscore a behind-the- music story of a highly-strung string quartet. Their longing for relevancy and reinvention, and their attempts to rediscover their passion, lead to messy breakups, sexual yearnings, and Machiavellian machinations. “Absorbing and intelligence” says The New York Times.
Four-time Best Actress Emmy Award winner Michael Learned, best known for her starring role in The Waltons, will star in Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen. The sins of the father are visited upon the son ... and not just the sins. In Ibsen’s darkly comic classic, the ghosts of the past make their mark on the future as one family’s skeletons force their way out of the closet. A riveting, haunting tale of a woman trying to break through moralistic falsehoods in an effort to save her estranged son. Executive Artistic Director, Jonathan Fox, who last season received accolades for his productions of The Glass Menagerie and Loot, will direct this production. Playing March 31 to April 24, 2011.
Closing the season is the wildly popular musical The Fantasticks with music by Harvey Schmidt with book and lyrics by Tom Jones. A timeless tale — full of magic and moonlight — of a young boy and girl who fall madly in love, but soon grow restless and disillusioned. A tender coming-of-age story with beautiful music and a dose of nostalgia. This hit off-Broadway musical that broke all box-office records will run June 2 to 26, 2011.
The Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara was founded in 1979 and is housed at the intimate Alhecama Theatre located in the historic Presidio District in downtown Santa Barbara at 914 Santa Barbara Street. ETC is Santa Barbara's longest running, most award winning professional resident theatre company.
Subscriptions are now available and range from $126 to $210. Ensemble now offers a new Saturday at 4PM matinee series. Orders for subscriptions and group sales are available now, single performance tickets will go on sale in mid-September. For more information, please call the Ensemble Theatre box office at 805-965-5400, or visit www.ensembletheatre.com.
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Calendar Listing — STAGE
Ensemble Theatre Company 2010-11 Season
Schedule:
Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm.
and Sundays at 2:00 & 7:00 pm.
Saturday 4:00 pm matinee (2nd & 4 Saturday of the performance schedule)
Producer:
Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) of Santa Barbara.
Jonathan Fox, Executive Artistic Director
Where:
Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara
at the Alhecama Theatre
914 Santa Barbara Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Admission:
$30.00 – $48.00. Discounts are available to seniors, students and groups of 10 or more.
Tickets:
For reservations and information call the Ensemble
Box Office at (805) 965-5400. VISA/MC.
Box office hours are: Performance days 1:00 pm. to curtain,
non-performance days 1:00 pm. to 5:00 pm. Group Sales: (805) 965-5400.
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2010-11 Season Descriptions:
THE HOUSEWIVES OF MANNHEIM by Alan Brody.
(October 7—October 31, 2010)
1944, Brooklyn: Billie, May and Alice are raising their young children while their husbands are overseas. When a beautiful Austrian émigré moves into their building, their yearnings and desires can no longer lie hidden, and their friendship is suddenly put to the test. An exquisitely-drawn and laugh-filled portrait of women on the verge of self-discovery. (West Coast premiere)
THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP by Charles Ludlam
(December 2—December 26, 2010)
On Mandacrest Estate, strange goings-on occur under the watchful eye of the portrait of Lord Edgar’s dead wife, Irma Vep. Two actors play a dozen roles in this campy, cross-dressing mash-up of Victorian melodrama, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, and The Mummy’s Curse. A comic treat for the holidays!
OPUS by Michael Hollinger.
(February 3–February 27, 2011)
Bach, Beethoven, and Bartok underscore a behind-the-music story of a string quartet. Their longing for relevancy and reinvention, and their attempts to rediscover their passion, lead to messy breakups, sexual yearnings, and Machiavellian machinations. A play with heat, humor and histrionics.
GHOSTS by Henrik Ibsen
(March 31—April 24, 2011)
The sins of the father are visited upon the son ... and not just the sins. in Ibsen’s darkly comic classic, the ghosts of the past make their mark on the future as one family’s skeletons force their way out of the closet. A riveting, haunting tale of a woman trying to break through moralistic falsehoods in an effort to save her estranged son. Starring Michael Learned of television’s The Waltons.
THE FANTASTICKS Music by Harvey Schmidt Book and Lyrics by Tom Jones
(June 2—June 26, 2011)
"Try to remember – and if you remember – then follow …" A timeless tale -- full of magic and moonlight -- of a young boy and girl who fall madly in love, but soon grow restless and disillusioned. A tender coming-of-age story with beautiful music and a dose of nostalgia. A treat for grandparents and grandchildren alike.
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