January 10 - February 16, 2019
Stage Kiss
by Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Sabian Trout
Starring
Shanna Brock as She
Stephen Frankenfield as
He
Matthew C. Copley as Director
Keith Wick as Kevin
Michael F. Woodson as Husband/Harrison
Janet Roby as Millicent/Laurie
Jubilee Reynolds as Millie/Maid/Angela
ABOUT THE PLAY
Art imitates Life. Life imitates Art. When two actors with an amorous history are thrown together as romantic leads in a forgotten 1930s melodrama, they quickly lose touch with reality as the onstage love story follows them offstage. A charming farce about what happens when lovers share a stage kiss—or when actors share a real one.
Contains adult language
“Sarah Ruhl delivers a brilliant comedy that aims for big laughs and hits its target. Funny: There’s nothing like it." - The New York Post
“Stage Kiss (Ruhl)” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.
PERFORMANCES
January 10 - February 16, 2019
Previews: January 10 and 11 at 7:30 PM
Opening Night: Saturday, January 12 at 7:30 PM
Regular Performances:
Thursday, Friday and Saturday Nights at 7:30 PM
Sunday Matinees at 3:00 PM
Special Saturday Matinee on 2/16 at 3:00 PM
TICKETS
Previews & Thursday Tickets: $15
General Admission: $20
Students, Seniors 62+, & Military: $18
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Sarah Ruhl's plays include Stage Kiss, In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Pulitzer Prize finalist, Tony Award nominee for best new play), The Clean House (Pulitzer Prize Finalist, 2005; The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, 2004); Passion Play, (Pen American award, The Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award from The Kennedy Center); Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Helen Hayes award); Melancholy Play (a musical with Todd Almond); Eurydice; Orlando, Demeter in the City (NAACP nomination), Late: a cowboy song, Three Sisters, Dear Elizabeth, The Oldest Boy and most recently, and For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday and How To Transcend a Happy Marriage. Her plays have been produced on Broadway at the Lyceum by Lincoln Center Theater, Off-Broadway at Playwrights’ Horizons, Second Stage, and at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater. Her plays have been produced regionally all over the country, with premieres often at Yale Repertory Theater, the Goodman Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and the Piven Theatre Workshop in Chicago. Her plays have also been produced internationally and have been translated into over twelve languages.
Originally from Chicago, Ms. Ruhl received her M.F.A. from Brown University where she studied with Paula Vogel. An alum of 13P and of New Dramatists, she won a MacArthur Fellowship in 2006 and most recently, the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award.. She was the recipient of the PEN Center Award for a mid-career playwright, the Whiting Writers award, the Feminist Press’ Forty under Forty award, and a Lilly Award. She proudly served on the executive council of the Dramatist’s Guild for three years, and she is currently on the faculty at Yale School of Drama. Her book of essays on the theater and motherhood, 100 Essays I Don’t Have Time to Write, was a Times Notable Book of the Year. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Sabian Trout (Director) is thoroughly enjoying her twelfth season as LTW’s Artistic Director. A few favorite LTW directing credits include EVERY BRILLIANT THING (2018 MAC Award, Best Director) BUYER & CELLAR, THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, PHOTOGRAPH 51,REGRETS ONLY, RECKLESS, HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, TRYING, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, DANCING AT LUGHNASA, and ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. Sabian has over 30 years of experience as a director, actor, stage manager, producer and theatre teacher. Professional credits include productions at the Stratford Festival of Canada, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Phoenix, The Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, Austin’s State Theatre, LA Theatre Works, and Arizona Theatre Company.
Shanna Brock (She) is thrilled to be back on LTW’s stage. Some of her stage credits include: Bunny in THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, Doris in THE SAME TIME NEXT YEAR, Catherine in RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, Haley in BAD DATES, Mrs. Markham in MOVE OVER MRS. MARKHAM, Aggie in THE GAME’S AFOOT with Live Theater Workshop, Brooke in NOISES OFF with The Fine Arts Center of Colorado Springs, War Propaganda in ROBOTS V.S. FAKE ROBOTS and MR. MARMALADE with Etcetera, THE ALTRUIST and JULIUS CAESAR with Winding Road Theatre Ensemble, THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES with Arizona Onstage Productions, FAT PIG with Studio Connections, BURIED CHILD and THE THREEPENNY OPERA with Pistarckle Theatre. She can also be seen performing around the world as a Manhattan Doll. I would like to thank my biggest fan, my Mom, for her constant support and love.
Stephen Frankenfield (He) is the Assistant Director of Children’s Programming here at LTW. He is a graduate of (AMDA) American Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in New York City. Some of his most notable acting credits include: BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAY, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, BELOW THE BELT, I HATE HAMLET, and SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR. Some of his directing credits include: MOON OVER BUFFALO and SOUVENIR. He has been nominated for 6 Arizona Daily Star Mac Awards, four times for acting and twice for directing. He writes and directs for LTW’s Family Theatre, as well as the Education Department. He has had 4 plays published, including: AN OUTLAW’S TALE: A STORY ABOUT THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DOWN-RIGHT LAZY and THE MISADVENTURES OF ROMEO AND JULIET (A REHEARSAL NIGHTMARE). He would like to give a big thank you to his two boys for being a constant source of inspiration in his life.
Michael F. Woodson (Husband/Harrison) has been appearing on Tucson stages since 1969. His most recent appearance at LTW was in Miracle on 34th St. in 2016. He spent the summer of 1975 performing in summer stock with The Southbury Playhouse in Connecticut and The Top of the Court Dinner Theatre on Cape Cod, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. His favorite roles include Will Hewitt in SANCTUARY at Borderlands Theater Company, Peter Grimm in PETER GRIMM'S GIFT at Roadrunner Theatre Company, and George Hay in MOON OVER BUFFALO at Live Theatre Workshop. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, he was seen in the television series LEGEND and THE YOUNG RIDERS as well as the television movies GUNSMOKE III, TO THE LAST MAN, and GERONIMO. Commercial work includes Rawlings Radar Ball, The Arizona Lottery, and Bulls Eye BBQ Sauce. Michael spends his hours away from the Theater with his lovely wife, Kitty, gardening and taking care of their 2 dogs, 2 black cats and other assorted wildlife that happen by their home.
Jubilee Reynolds (Millie/Maid/Angela) is currently studying theatre at Pima Community College. Past roles with Pima include The Sloth in THE MAGIC RAINFOREST, part of the ensemble for THE ASTRONAUT FARMWORKER, and a policeman in TARTUFFE. She also played the Nasty Bad Man in Pima's production of EURYDICE, which coincidentally was also written by Sarah Ruhl.
Janet Roby (Millicent/Laurie) is thrilled to be joining the LTW Main Stage company again after appearing in last season's HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES (Corinna Stroller). She has been performing locally for the last 15 years, appearing in LTW's RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, MOVE OVER MRS. MARKHAM, and BOEING, BOEING, as well as THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Maria) with Blue Alley Productions, THE WONDERETTES with Arizona Onstage Productions, and several past productions with The Gaslight Theater. Janet studied Vocal Performance and Studio Fine Art at the University of Arizona, and currently teaches visual art for the Vail school district.
Karin Hupp (Props Master) has been the prop master for over three years; she also does scenic painting and box office. Some of her favorite projects included the wedding cake for ONE SLIGHT HITCH, the hound from BASKERVILLE, and the cookies from FROG AND TOAD. Favorite scenes she has painted include Dorothy Parker's "Vicious Circle" and the bookshelves in THE COLUMNIST. Karin enjoys working for LTW because it helps her grow as an artist.
Tyler West (Stage Combat) - You might have seen Tyler in countless shows with the Family Series here at LTW or in several shows at Arizona Repertory Theatre. Tyler recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.F.A. degree in Acting. And since then he has traveled the country with his original one man physical comedy show titled ABEYANCE. This show has made an appearance at Etcetera, LTW's Late Night Series as well as won several awards at various Fringe Festivals across the nation. Tyler is very grateful for all the support from his Mom & Dad and dear friends for making his dreams become reality.
Keith Wick (Kevin) last appeared in RED, WHITE AND TUNA at LTW. Other favorite LTW productions include roles in THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, ANNAPURNA, BUYER AND CELLAR, THE COLUMNIST, THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, TWO INTO ONE, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, RECKLESS, THREE VIEWINGS, HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER (Arizona Daily Star MAC Award Winner – Best Actor in a Comedy), WHAT THE BUTLER SAW, A TUNA CHRISTMAS, and DANCING AT LUGHNASA. Other favorite roles include Fluellen in HENRY V, Second Man in AND THEY DANCE REAL SLOW IN JACKSON, and Clive Champion-Cheney in THE CIRCLE. A graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Keith is also a recipient of an AriZoni award for his portrayal of Dromio of Syracuse in the Southwest Shakespeare Company production of A COMEDY OF ERRORS. Love to his wife and daughter for all their love and support.
Matthew C. Copley (Role of Director) is a native Tucsonan, a graduate of the University of Arizona, and the brand new Drama Teacher at Tanque Verde High School! Matthew's previous work at LTW includes the Mainstage productions of [SIC], OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES, LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, MOVE OVER MRS. MARKHAM, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] (2014 Mac Award, Best Actor, Comedy). Matthew would like to offer up a huge amount of thanks and love to his theatre family here at LTW. You are all absolutely awesome and freakishly brilliant! And to his family at home, in exchange for who they are and for all of what they do, Matthew owes a metric ton of love and gratitude. In this world of suffocating craziness, you are the ones who keep me breathing and sane.
Taylor Moss (Technical Director) a technical direction student at the University of Arizona set to graduate in May of 2019. Excited to be working on her senior capstone TOP GIRLS by Caryl Churchill, opening at Arizona Repertory Theatre February of 2019. Taylor is a proud Medici Scholar recipient, native Tucsonan and lover/supporter of local performance in every form. Taylor would like to thank both her family and friends for their daily support in her path to follow her dreams. She is thrilled to be working for the first time with Live Theatre Workshop, on their production of STAGE KISS.
Brian McElroy (Assistant Stage Manager and Sound Designer) - Essentially raised on the LTW stage, Brian migrated backstage following high school, drawn by the intricacies of technical production. He is very humbled to be a part of Tucson's vibrant theatre scene, contracting as a light designer, sound designer, or stage manager for over half a dozen theatre companies in the past few years. You are most likely, however, to find him stage managing or designing at the place that nurtured his theatre education -- LTW. He is currently the tech guy for LTW's Etcetera series. Most recently he has done sound design for LTW's DEATH BY DESIGN, EVERY BRILLIANT THING, THE EFFECT, MISS WITHERSPOON, HOUND OF BASKERVILLE, ANNAPURNA, and Roadrunner's GOD OF CARNAGE.
Richard Gremel (Lighting Designer and Technical Director ) has been lighting up the LTW stage for the past 12 years. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona where he received a B.F.A. in Theatre Education. Richard is the acting and technical theatre teacher at Empire High School. He is the recipient of the 2017-2018 Arizona Thespians Teacher of the Year. Aside from tech and teaching, Richard acts, directs, and writes plays for the LTW stage. He currently has eight published plays which have been seen all over the United States, Canada, India, Hong Kong, and Australia.
Jason Jamerson (Set Design) - Broadway: Assistant Scenic Designer for ANGELS IN AMERICA and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, and the National Tours of BRIGHT STAR, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and LOVE NEVER DIES. Off Broadway: Scenic Designs for Playwrights Horizons, The Atlantic, The Cherry Lane Theatre, and many others. Jason taught Scenic Design at Columbia Preparatory School in Manhattan for seven years, has worked with the International Schools' Theatre Association, and has collaborated with several other local organizations, including the Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre and TEDx Tucson. He is a third year master’s degree candidate in Scenic Design at the University of Arizona.
SITE MENU
