The Players Centre News www.theplayers.org
838 North Tamiami Trail • Sarasota, FL 34236 • 941.365.2494 Fax: 941.954.0282
THE PLAYERS HEATS UP WITH THEIR SUMMER SIZZLER SERIES,
SUMMER CAMP SHOWCASES AND PLAY FESTIVAL
Sarasota, May 16, 2016 — This Summer, The Players Centre For Performing Arts brings a red-hot lineup of events beginning in June and continuing through August. The Summer Sizzler Series starts the season off with three amazing shows consisting of two great plays and a rockin’ musical comedy! In June, Così takes a match to Mozart’s comic opera “Cosi fan Tutte” in this Australian play about putting on a show in a mental institution. July cooks with Jeremy Desmon’s musical “Cyrano de Burgershack”, a modern take on Edmond Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” set in–you guessed it–the local burger shack. Filled with pop hits including “Just The Way You Are” by Bruno Mars and “Firework” by Katy Perry, it’s sure to leave you asking for seconds. In August, fall under the spell of Gillian Holroyd, a witch living in New York City as she enchants her neighbor, in the classic romantic comedy “Bell, Book and Candle” by John Van Druten. Also, don’t miss The Players New Play Festival—five days of local and original play readings written by playwrights from all over the Suncoast. The playwrights compete at the end of June each year to have their play produced the following summer. The winner of last year’s New Play Festival “Why Can’t I Be You?” will be performed at the end of August in the Backstage Black Box Studio. Llewelyn Jones’ show follows a popular rock star after he wakes up to find a stalker in his bedroom asking, “Why can’t I be you?”
The Players Centre is dedicated to instructing the youth of tomorrow and this summer, The Players Summer Camp will perform two musicals perfect for the whole family! In July, the Stephen Schwartz classic “Godspell Jr.” takes the stage, as a group of disciples help Jesus tell parables using a variety of games, storytelling techniques and a lot of comedic timing. Then in August, catch “Honk Jr.” in a fun and moving retelling of “The Ugly Duckling” with a score by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
There’s still time to subscribe to the Summer Sizzler Series for a discounted price of $45 for all three shows. Regular price single tickets to the Series are $18, so subscribe, save money and support local live theatre! Additionally, each Summer Sizzler subscription is accompanied by three $10 gift certificates to Caragiulo’s Italian American Restaurant. Grab your tickets, a bite to eat and enjoy stellar live performances. It’s the perfect way to spice up your night!
Tickets for The New Play Festival are $10 each, three plays for $24, and all five for $35 and tickets for Why Can’t I Be You? are $15.
Tickets for Godspell Jr. and Honk Jr. are $15 each.
SCHEDULE
“Così”
By Louis Nowra
Dates: June 15-18 & 23-25 at 7:30pm
June 19 & 26 at 2:00pm
June 15th: Preview Night
June 16th: Opening Night
Tickets: $18
Young theatre director Lewis has just landed his first job straight out of school, staging a production of Mozart’s comic opera Cosi fan Tutte. The catch? The cast are patients from a mental institution, none of whom can speak Italian…or sing! Can this unlikely group, including an obsessive-compulsive, a manic-depressive and a junkie, pull it off? …or will a patient with a penchant for pyromania spoil all the fun?
“Cyrano de Burgershack”
By Jeremy Desmon
Dates: July 13-16 & 21-23 at 7:30pm
July 17-24 at 2:00pm
July 13th: Preview Night
July 14th: Opening Night
Tickets: $18
Cyrano is king of the local burger shack, but he can’t seem wo win the love of his best friend, Roxanne. When Roxanne confesses her crush on the new burger flipper, Christian, Cyrano decides that playing Cupid is better than sitting out of the game. An updated, modern-day version of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, this rollicking musical features hit contemporary pop songs that will have audiences cheering.
“Bell, Book and Candle”
By John Van Druten
Dates: August 10-13 & 18-20 at 7:30
August 14 & 21 at 2:00pm
August 10th: Preview Night
August 11th: Opening Night
Tickets: $18
Gillian Holroyd is a modern-day witch living in New York City’s Greenwich Village. When she encounters charming publisher Shepherd Henderson, she decides to make him hers by casting a love spell. Gillian takes added pleasure in doing so because Henderson is engaged to her old college rival. However, Gillian finds herself actually falling for Shepherd, which poses a problem: She will lose her powers if she falls in love.
The Players New Play Festival
Dates: June 27-July 1 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $10 each / 3 plays for $24 / all 5 for $35
Don’t miss the exciting opportunity to witness the birth of a brand new play. Watch as regional playwrights compete each night to have their play produced next season.
2015 Play Festival Winner: “Why Can’t I Be You?”
By Llywelyn Jones
Dates: August 23-27 at 7:30pm
August 28 at 2:00pm
Tickets: $15
A rock star wakes up after a night of partying to find his worst nightmare: his stalker in his bedroom. This intruder has only one demand: “Why Can’t I Be You?”
Summer Camp Showcases
Students from The Players Summer Camp perform feature musicals and performances perfect for the whole family!
“Godspell, Jr.”
July 8 at 7:00pm
Tickets: $15
A group of disciples help Jesus tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques, and a hefty dose of comic timing. An eclectic blend of songs, ranging in style from Pop to Vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus’ life dances across the stage.
“Honk, Jr.”
August 5 at 7:00pm
Tickets: $15
Ugly looks quite different from his duckling brothers and sisters. Feeling rather foul about himself, the little fowl finds himself on an adventure of self-discovery and finds out that being different is not a bad thing.
The Players Centre For Performing Arts
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.
