Theatre Tulsa announces the admission price to tonight's IDR for "Up The Down Staircase" comes at the low, low price of canned food for the local food bank. Just come on down to the Liddy Doenges Theatre of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. 110 E. 2nd St., and bring some canned food items for admission to the IDR on a first come, first served basis.
This program is part of Theatre Tulsa’s continuing mission statement to make live theatre accessible to everyone in the city of Tulsa.
Theatre Tulsa presents "Up the Down Staircase" with Clark Theatre in a first-time collaboration. Performance dates are March 27-28, April 2-4 at 8pm and March 29 2pm.
The show is directed by Frank Gallagher and Julie Tattershall. The set is by Erin Scarrberry and Joel Cheatham. The lights are by Anthony Batchelder, the stage manager is Cathy Blackmore, and the producer is Anthony Batchelder.
The cast includes Phil Blackmore, Deborah Bosworth Campbell, Ron Friedberg, Beth Anne Herrmann, Deborah Hunter, Miriam Mills, George Romero, W. Bryan Thompson, and Sherry Zyskowski
It also features Tim Bowman, Erin Bridwell, Chazz Browne, Ethan Cantrell, Grace Cuellar, Jon Dicandeloro, Scorpio Flynn, Tanner Friend, Jose Gonzalez, Michaela' Hanneyer, Shannon Harris, Madeline Lackey, Erika Loney, Ryan Mannschreck, Julia Mills, Hannah Moore, Simone Summers, Marjorie Tanner, Nicholas Thomas, and Tiffany Wright.
Best remembered as the 1967 movie with Sandy Dennis, "Up the Down Staircase" tells the touching and humorous story of a new teacher in an inner-city high school. Confronted with situations her Ivy League education never prepared her for, Sylvia Barrett struggles to find ways to reach kids who don't care. Or do they?
The directors’ vision is to update the play to have more of an impact in today’s modern times. The original was almost a “Laugh-In” version of stock characters coming in and out of the classroom. The students in the play were played more for comedy. It was easy to fit the play into today’s classrooms and the problems young teachers still grapple with. Just as in 1967, schools are over run by the educational bureaucracy and mountains of monotonous paper work that interfere with the students’ actual learning process. Sylvia must learn to accept the kids as they are and motivate them by example. Trust runs both ways and a classroom where real ideas are exchanged is built by mutual trust and not practical rules. All the problems of the 1967 movie of teen suicide and bullying still exist and we need caring teachers to create a different model in which students are seen as individuals and not stamped out by cookie cutters.
For more information on Clark theatre visit www.clarktheatre.com or Theatre Tulsa visit www.theatretulsa.org.
3.26.2009
'Up the Down' On the Cheap
2.26.2009
Hey, you guys!
So, I have this friend Tasha, and she has an affinity for doing Tulsa. She even has a blog where she records her experiences doing Tulsa. She's pretty cool.
As it turns out, my friend Tasha also likes art. And since her blog is all about dispelling the myth that there's nothing to do in Tulsa (I am so on board with her mission), she decided to take on the arts in Tulsa. And she asked if I'd like to help. Because, believe it or not, there are still quite a few people who have no idea that this city is home to world-renowned ballet and opera companies, to exquisite art museums, to fantastically talented artists and to a plethora of active theatre companies. Well, if they didn't know all of that, they should now.
So Tasha and I decided to let people know about some of the art goings on this weekend, since this weekend happens to be chock full of art goings on. And, as a bonus, Whitson Hanna, director of Theatre Tulsa's production of Educating Rita, gave us two tickets to tonight's performance to give away on Tasha's blog. So, click here and enter to win. You have until 2 p.m. Do it.
2.17.2009
Get smart
Theatre Tulsa opens Educating Rita this Friday at the Liddy Doenges Theatre of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 110 E. 2nd St. Written by Willy Russell and directed by Whitson Hanna, the show will will run February 20-22 and 26-28.
A 26-year-old woman working as a hairdresser signs up for a university course because she is eager to learn and wants to discover what the educated lifestyle has to offer, She is met by an unsuccessful middle-aged academic with a drinking problem who has no experience in teaching working class students. What he sees in Rita is a perfect challenge.
The play features the talents of Will Carpenter and Leslie Long. The stage manager is Vickie Myrick and the producer is Sally Barnes. Lights are by Scott Heberling and Lone Wolf Audio.
This play is dedicated to the memory of Sue Woodruff. Sue was a long time supporter of Theatre Tulsa and she will be missed greatly.
Tickets range from $10-$17.50. Make reservations by calling 587-8402 or 596-7109, or visit www.myticketoffice.com.
Theatre Tulsa is a proud member of the Tulsa Area Community Theatre Alliance, the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa, and the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association.
This production made possible by grants from the Oklahoma Arts Council, the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa, The George Kaiser Family Foundation, The Williams Companies, Urban Tulsa Weekly, Dale Gillman Antiques, Donna Simmons/Tulsa Tech Broken Arrow and all the proud sponsors of Theatre Tulsa.
(P.S. Look for a review in the Feb. 26 issue of UTW.)
Your weekend "To Do" list is getting longer...
Thursday:
Congr
Doors
It is possi
After
4 stude
12 Video
2 Anima
4 Exper
15 Colle
Friday:
There's plenty more to keep you occupied, including productions of Romeo and Juliet, Educating Rita and Hansel and Gretel. Check this week's UTW column for more on all of those, and keep coming back for updates.
Next week, I'll have reviews of all three stage productions, as well of reviews of exhibits at Loose Leaf Co. and The Collective and tons of info on New Genre.
