The Players Theatre News www.theplayers.org
838 North Tamiami Trail • Sarasota, FL 34236 • 941.365.2494 Fax: 941.954.0282
July 31, 2015
THE PLAYERS BRINGS DIVA MARIA CALLAS BACK TO LIFE WITH “MASTER CLASS”
Sarasota, July 31, 2015 – From August 6th-16th, The Players Theatre takes a lesson from the great opera diva Maria Callas in Master Class. Written by arguably one of theatre’s most important playwrights today, Terrence McNally, Master Class is based on a legendary series of master classes given by Maria Callas at Juilliard. The ever-captivating Callas berates her students as much as she encourages them, while she begrudgingly confronts the disappointments in her own life. Alternately dismayed and impressed by the students who parade before her, she retreats into recollections about the glories of her own life and career. Included in her musings are her younger years as an ugly duckling, her fierce hatred of her rivals, the unforgiving press that savaged her early performances, her triumphs at La Scala, her affair with Aristotle Onassis, and sacrifice in the name of art. Master Class is directed by Helen Holliday with Stage Manager Cinda Goeken. This play is not a musical, but certainly centers around music. It contains incidental music sung by the actors by composers Verdi, Puccini, and Bellini.
Master Class won both the 1996 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play and the 1996 Tony Award for Best Play. The 2011 revival received a 2012 Tony Award nomination for Best Revival of a Play. “It is Terrence McNally’s total triumph in his MASTER CLASS…This is a night to remember.” —NY Post. “Terrence McNally’s new play MASTER CLASS…will be talked about for years to come whenever people point to theater experiences that genuinely deserve to be labeled by the overused word ‘great.'” —The Hollywood Reporter.
Regular price single tickets to the Series are $18 for this final show of The Players Summer Sizzler Series.
SCHEDULE
Summer Sizzler Show 3: Master Class
By Terrence McNally
Dates: August 6-8, 13-15 at 7:30pm
August 9 & 16 at 2pm
Tickets:
Single Tickets: $18
Cast:
Maria Callas Seva Anthony
Soprano 1 (Sophie) Maria Wirries
Soprano 2 (Sharon) Erica Reynolds
Tenor (Tony) Christos Nicholoudis
Accompanist (Manny) Alan Corey
Stagehand Chuck Conlon
Crew:
Director Helen Holliday
Stage Manager Cinda Goeken
Set Design William Narrs
Lighting Design William Narrs
Technical Director Nate Myers
Sound Design/AVLE Seth Berry
Costumes Georgina Willmott
Asst. Technical Director Alyssa Goudy
Set Painter Ralph Nurmela
Set Carpenter Bill Rusling
The Players Theatre
838 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota FL 34236, 941-365-2494, Fax: 941-954-0282
www.theplayers.org. Box Office: Mon-Sat, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and one hour prior to curtain time.
The Players Box Office is located on Tamiami Trail between 10th Street and Blvd. of the Arts.
The Players Theatre
838 N Tamiami Trail
Sarasota FL 34236
