Venice Theatre’s 2015-2016 Stage II season opens with The Beauty Queen of Leenane
Martin McDonagh’s dark Irish comedy is the perfect show for contemporary theatre lovers
(Venice, Florida) Venice Theatre will launch its 2015-2016 Stage II season on Nov. 5 with Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy, The Beauty Queen of Leenane. The play will open in the Pinkerton Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 5 and run through Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. Performances are at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $28 for adults, $13-$15 for students and are on sale now at the theatre’s box office located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. in Venice, online at www.venicestage.com or by phone at 941-488-1115. The script contains profanity and violent situations. Audience discretion is advised.
Set in a remote Irish cottage, The Beauty Queen of Leenane tells the darkly comic tale of Maureen Folan, a lonely woman in her forties, and Mag, her manipulative aging mother. Mag’s interference in Maureen’s first and possibly last chance at love sets in motion a series of events that leads inexorably to the story’s terrifying conclusion.
McDonagh’s work is becoming a favorite of Venice Theatre which has also presented critically acclaimed productions of The Pillowman and A Behanding in Spokane. The British-Irish playwright is just as well-known for his work in film including the movies Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges and the Academy Award winning short, Six Shooter.
The Beauty Queen of Leenane is McDonagh’s first play and was recognized with six Tony Award nominations and four wins in 1998. At the time, The New Republic exclaimed, The Beauty Queen of Leenane is “… clearly the product of a major writer. Indeed, on the basis of this play alone, I am willing to make the rash claim that McDonagh is destined to be one of the theatrical luminaries of the twenty-first century.”
The Telegraph described the play as, “… by turns viciously funny and touching” adding, “Everything about it was precociously accomplished and richly unexpected.”
At Venice Theatre, Kelly Wynn Woodland (who also directed McDonagh’s A Behanding in Spokane) directs veteran actors Nancy Denton, Lynne Buhle, Richard Robertson and Jeremy Guerrero.
Again, The Beauty Queen of Leenane runs in the Pinkerton Theatre Nov. 5 through 22, 2015. Venice Theatre is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. Box office hours are Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before all performances.
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
By Martin McDonagh
Production Team
Director – Kelly Wynn Woodland
Stage Manager – Gabriela Gorka
Scenic Designer – Donna Buckalter
Costume Designer – Chelsea Sorensen
Lighting Designer – Ryan Mueller
Sound Designer – Dorian Boyd
Cast
Maureen – Nancy Denton
Pato – Richard Robertson
Mag – Lynne Buhle
Ray – Jeremy Guerrero
Venice Theatre
140 W. Tampa Ave
Venice, FL 34285
TICKETS: 941-488-1115 | www.venicestage.com
Venice Theatre is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making a dramatic impact on all stages of life. The second-largest of 10,000 community theatres in the United States, it is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. in Venice, FL. Its MainStage offers seating for 432 patrons and features musicals, plays, concerts and special events. Its Yvonne Pinkerton Theatre seats 90 patrons and is home to the theatre’s “Generations,” Stage II and Cabaret Series. In addition to providing entertainment to the community, Venice Theatre offers a wide range of education and outreach programs for children and adults.
