Visionary national leader brings her skills, passion to Alaska theatre
Juneau, AK (October 26, 2019): After an extensive search, Perseverance Theatre is pleased to announce the hiring of Leslie Ishii for the role of Artistic Director. Ishii has been serving as Interim Artistic Director since July, and has already energized the theatre with her initiative, ideas, and community-minded approach to leadership.
“Leslie Ishii has been outstanding to work with these past months,” said Perseverance Theatre Board President Joe Bedard. “Her vision as a creative leader and her passion for equity and justice will be an amazing voice in Alaska theatre and community.”
Ishii has an extensive artistic record, including stage director and actor with appearances on Broadway (Shogun), regional theatre (Manahatta, Hold These Truths,) film (Fame, Species) and television (Jane the Virgin, Lost, Days of Our Lives, Beverly Hills 90210). As a member of the Actor’s Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Ishii has established herself across the nation as an artistic leader, including a 10-year relationship with Perseverance Theatre.
“I’m excited to continue working with the amazing team at Perseverance Theatre,” said Ishii. “We’ll be focused on listening and learning from the Alaska community, and striving toward art that is exceptional, equitable, and thoughtful.”
Her years of organizational experience include serving as co-chair, organizer, and board member for the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ fifth and sixth national ConFest, founder and co-director for the National Cultural Navigation Theatre Project for the sustainability of theatres and artists of color, co-facilitator of the launch of the Theatre Communication Group’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Institute, and core faculty for artEquity.
Ishii will join Managing Director Frank Delaney to lead the direction of the theatre as it enters its 41st season. She recently directed the theatre’s production of the world premiere smash hit Devilfish by Vera Starbard.
For immediate release A Play for the Ages Alaska Native play goes back 10,000 years to seek adventure, romance, and difficult lessons of growing into a leader
Anchorage, AK (October 9, 2019) – Over 10 millennia ago, a giant sea creature – the Devilfish – destroys an entire village, and a young girl is the only survivor. She must make her way to a new village and figure out how to survive in a time when glaciers covered Alaska, mammoths wandered the land, and humans could still transform into animals at will. In a vibrant, lyrical adventure, the new play Devilfish written by Tlingit/Dena’ina artist Vera Starbard and directed by Artistic Director Leslie Ishii, heads to Anchorage on October 25. Produced by Perseverance Theatre, Devilfish showcases new music by Tlingit musician Ed Littlefield, and choreography by Tlingit artists Lyle and Kolene James. Dozens of authentic Alaska Native art pieces were created for the play, and a creative team from around the country brought together to create this ethereal world.
“We truly have a creative dream team on this production,” said Starbard. “It’s a really ambitious play in that it’s almost a musical – the dance sequences are fully a third of the story. And on top of that we are needing to imagine an origin story for a very real people.”
The play is the culmination of over a decade of story work by Starbard, first completing a Devilfish novel through a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award in 2009. Starbard is now the Playwright in Residence at Perseverance Theatre through the Andrew W. Mellon National Playwright Residency Program, and the development of the play has reached from small communities in the state to across the country in Boston.
Devilfish’s reception in Juneau has garnered rave reviews and full audiences. Much of the effort around the production revolved around “indigenizing” as much of the process of the play as possible. The Tlingit culture has produced dynamic performing arts for thousands of years. Combining that theatricality into a Western theatre space was both a challenge and an opportunity.
The production features an all-Indigenous cast from across the state and country. Tlingit actor Erin Tripp plays Aanteinatu, the only survivor of the Devilfish’s destruction.
“Before we opened, I didn’t know how the community would respond,” said Tripp. “It’s been such a wonderful experience seeing how many people are showing up and having them vocalizing their reactions throughout the performance. We’re sharing this story together and it’s never the same night to night. I feel so proud of my people and the opportunity to lift up our stories and traditions every night.”
Also featured are Allison Hicks (Prairie Band Potawatomi/Choctaw), Emily Sera (Shoshone/Dine), Jennifer Bobiwash (Ojibway), Skyler Ray Benson-Davis (Tlingit), Rio Alberto (Chicanx), and Kenny Ramos (Barona Band of Mission Indians – Diegueño lipay/Kumeyaay.)
Devilfish runs in Anchorage from Oct. 25 through Nov. 3 in the Sydney Laurence Theatre at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Please visit ptalaska.org/devilfish for tickets and information.
STAR students to perform epic adventures Bloody Blackbeard and Pericles, July 19-21 at Perseverance Theatre; composer Laurelyn Dossett bound for Juneau
Legendary heroes and villains conquer the seas and cross the galaxy in a pair of epic adventures performing July 19-21 at Perseverance Theatre, by the students of STAR: the swashbuckling new musical Bloody Blackbeard, written by Preston Lane with songs by Laurelyn Dossett, directed by Julie York Coppens; and an original space-age take on Shakespeare’s Pericles, adapted by Coppens and staged by Perseverance Theatre’s new managing director, Frank Delaney.
STAR (Summer Theatre Arts Rendezvous), Perseverance Theatre’s long-running summer youth
acting program, combines production experience with professional
instruction, giving young people of all backgrounds and abilities a chance to
build skills, develop confidence, and have fun with their peers. The shows’
creative crews also include music director Rick Trostel, choreographer Hali
Duran, assistant directors Lillian Odekirk and Rachel Iofolla, performance
coach Brita Fagerstrom, costume designer Ruth Fulwiler, technical director/set designer
Sarah Moretz, and stage managers Virginia Roldan and Sarah Everett. These
Alaskan artists are guiding 30 students from all over Juneau, ages 9-16, on a
three-week theatre marathon culminating in one weekend packed with
performances—perfect summer entertainment for the whole family.
Singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett.
In addition, Bloody Blackbeard composer Laurelyn
Dossett will be in Juneau July 15-21 to work with the STAR company, lead a free
community songwriting workshop at the Douglas Library, and perform around town
(details below). A prominent American Roots singer-songwriter from the Piedmont
region of North Carolina, Dossett has created a half-dozen folklore-inspired musicals
with Preston Lane, artistic director of Triad Stage in Greensboro; Bloody
Blackbeard premiered there in 2008, in a different form, and Perseverance
will be the first theatre to stage this new one-act version specially tailored
for the young STAR cast. The Pericles script likewise has been
re-imagined, and strategically shortened from Shakespeare’s original, for
maximum fun and student learning.
A musical, mythical ghost story with a modern-day frame, Bloody
Blackbeard chronicles the infamous seafaring career of Edward Teach, a.k.a.
Blackbeard, who terrorized the American colonial coast in the early 1700s. A
dashing figure, he also captured (and shattered) many female hearts. Juneau
students Eva Miller and Miles Caldwell play the young and mature Blackbeard,
respectively.
“Blackbeard is always hungry for something more, be it a
lover, a good fight, or the fear of a foe,” says Caldwell, a rising junior at
Thunder Mountain High School. “It is fun to be able to indulge in a character that is
powerful and unrestrained… but it takes effort to maintain nuance, and go
beyond a presence to a personality, a character. The show is at its core the
story of a damned man, both by his actions, and his obsession. The character
is not sympathetic, yet the audience may still grow a connection, by seeing him
develop.”
Named for a hero of the Greek Golden Age, Pericles,
meanwhile, is one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known works; the surviving text is
rough, and scholars have long debated its authorship. Coppens’ one-act
adaptation, titled Pericles 2216: The Intergalactic Adventures of the Prince
of Tyre, “keeps all the good parts,” she says, while transporting Pericles’
unlikely triumphs, tragedies, and ultimate happy ending from the ancient
Mediterranean to a futuristic outer space. The fantastical setting helps solve
some of the play’s narrative and thematic problems for a young cast, Coppens
adds; for instance, turning certain characters into aliens “preserves the
story’s essentials but reduces the cringe factor” of a human trafficking
episode involving Pericles’ long-lost teenage daughter, Marina.
“These are two imaginative, fast-moving, far-ranging
ensemble shows that could only happen here at Perseverance Theatre, with these
exceptional teaching artists and our hard-working kids,” says Coppens. “I think
Juneau audiences are going to be blown away by what these companies have
accomplished in three short weeks—and for the students, to have the shows’
creators right there on board with them is empowering and inspiring.”
Performance Details
Bloody Blackbeard
A swashbuckling
musical by Preston Lane, with songs by Laurelyn Dossett; directed by Julie York
Coppens
Performs 7 p.m. July
19 (Opening Night Showcase, Act 1); 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20; and 4 p.m.
Sunday, July 21.
Pericles 2216: The Intergalactic Adventures
of the Prince of Tyre
Adapted by Julie York
Coppens from the play by William Shakespeare; directed by Frank Delaney
Performs 7 p.m. July
19 (Opening Night Showcase, Act 2), 4 p.m. Saturday July 20, and 1 and 7 p.m.
Sunday July 21.
Performances are on
the Mainstage at Perseverance Theatre, 914 Third Street in Douglas. Tickets for
Opening Night Showcase (both shows) are $25 for general admission, $15 for
students; tickets for Saturday and Sunday single shows are $15 general admission,
$10 for students. Tickets now on sale at www.ptalaska.org or call 907-463-TIXS.
Additional STAR Events
Community
Songwriting Workshop with Laurelyn Dossett
6-8 p.m. Wednesday,
July 17, Douglas Public Library Conference Room
The Bloody
Blackbeard composer shares her songwriting secrets. All levels welcome;
admission free.
Laurelyn
Dossett: Songs for the Stage
7:30 p.m. Thursday,
July 18 in the Centennial Hall Ballroom Lobby
An evening of
original show tunes set deep in the heart, direct from the back porch of the
American musical theatre. Tickets $20, available at the JACC/Vendini or at the
door.
Laurelyn
Dossett: Carolina Roots
10 p.m.-midnight
Saturday, July 20 at McGivney’s Sports Bar and Grill (Valley location), 9105
Mendenhall Mall Road
A down-home set of
acoustic country, folk and gospel from the visiting composer of Bloody
Blackbeard. No cover.
Still to Come: STAR Finale Week
Perseverance Theatre’s STAR program is
offering one more week of half-day camps for ages 5 and up, July 22-26.
Scholarships available for students in need; contact STAR director Julie
Coppens for details at juliec@ptalaska.org, or
call her directly at 907-796-9031.
PT Peewees: Creative drama for ages 5-7
9:30 a.m.-noon,
Monday-Friday, July 22-26
Instructors: Virginia
Roldan, Rachel Iofolla
Tuition: $200
PT Next Level: Theatre games and more for
ages 7-11
1-4 p.m.,
Monday-Friday, July 22-26
Instructors: Brita
Fagerstrom, Sarah Everett
Tuition: $200
Just
added! Tech Theatre Boot Camp for ages 12-18
1-4 p.m.,
Monday-Friday, July 22-26
Instructors: Sarah
Moretz, assisted by Perseverance company members
Tuition: $100
Space is limited, so don’t delay! For
more details and to register, please see our website, www.ptalaska.org/star-program, or call
907-463-TIXS.
Juneau, Alaska – Perseverance Theatre is happy to announce that
Frank Delaney has joined the organization as the new managing director, and
Leslie Ishii will serve as interim artistic director while the board conducts a
search for a permanent leader for the role.
After completing his M.F.A. in acting, Delaney worked as an actor and
fight choreographer throughout the Midwest. Currently back in Anchorage, he was
last seen onstage at Cyrano’s as Torvald in A Doll’s House, Part 2. Delaney’s
regional acting credits include Rochefort in The Three Musketeers with
Shawnee Summer Theatre; MacDuff in Macbeth and Egeon in The Comedy of
Errors, both with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Lord Aster in Peter
and the Starcatcher with Perseverance.
“We’re all excited to bring one of the most dynamic Alaskan theatre
leaders into the PT family,” said Joe Bedard, board president, Perseverance
Theatre. “Frank’s thoughtfulness and warm, personable ways are always evident
as he works through problems and opportunities alike.”
Ishii, AEA, SAG-AFTRA, SDC, is a proven leader in American theatre,
having served in many capacities, including stage director and actor with
appearances on Broadway, film, and television. Her years of organizational
experience include serving as co-chair, organizer, and board member for the Consortium
of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ fifth and sixth national ConFest; founder
and co-director for the National Cultural Navigation Theatre Project for the
sustainability of theatres and artists of color; co-facilitator of the launch
of the Theatre Communication Group’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Institute;
and core faculty for artEquity.
Over her 10-year relationship with Perseverance, Ishii has served as a teacher, consultant, and director. She last directed Hold These Truths for the theatre during its 2016-17 season and is slated to direct Vera Starbard’s Devilfish this August.
“I’m thrilled and excited to have Leslie Ishii join PT as interim artistic
director,” said Bedard. “Leslie brings an energy and a passion to her artistry
that can only be eclipsed by her drive to respect, to learn, and to deeply
understand the myriad of cultures and perspectives she encounters in her work.”
Delaney takes over the role of managing director from Joshua Midgett, who served in the position for one season. During his time at Perseverance, Midgett thoroughly revamped the theatre’s budgeting and bookkeeping practices and leaves the theater in a stronger place.
“Outgoing managing director Joshua Midgett came into a situation with urgent fires to put out and helped us fortify the financial position to make administrative practices more streamlined for staff,” said departing artistic director Art Rotch. “Now, with Frank Delaney, PT has a very mission-driven managing director who is deeply committed to making professional theatre by and for Alaskans a dynamic reality. Frank is a great person to keep Perseverance on its journey so it can be all it can be for its communities. If all goes well with Frank and his yet-to-be identified artistic partner, PT will have overcome a pretty big challenge on its way to a new future.”
“It has been wonderful to have been welcomed back home to Alaska and I
am so grateful for the opportunity to serve this theatre and this vibrant arts
community,” said Midgett. “I look forward to supporting the work of Frank,
Leslie, and future Perseverance artists in whatever way I can.”
A job description for the permanent artistic director position has been drafted by the search committee. View the job description, as well as updates and more information on the search, on Perseverance’s website.
About Perseverance Theatre
The mission of Perseverance Theatre is to create professional theatre
by and for Alaskans. Perseverance values community engagement, cross-cultural
collaboration, professional rigor, and regional voices, and is committed to
creating theatre that represents all that is great about Alaska, and bringing great
live theatre to Alaskan audiences.
Perseverance believes that professional theatres play a vital role in
training and cultivating the next generation of artists and audiences. Its
education department produces extensive training programs, including Summer
Theatre Arts Rendezvous (STAR), Young Company, mainstage student matinees, and
season-long internships.
Perseverance has premiered more than 70 new plays by Alaskan and
national playwrights. The theatre is committed to developing artists,
volunteers, audiences, and programming reflective of the Alaskan community, and
to deliver the finest professional theatre anywhere.
Paitton Reid of Soldotna had the winning ticket and
will receive the Grand Prize—two round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines, plus $2,000
in cash—in the Travel Raffle, Perseverance Theatre’s annual fundraiser, which
concluded Tuesday, June 18, with a drawing celebration co-hosted by The Island
Pub on Douglas. This year’s raffle, with a dazzling array of prizes donated by
corporate sponsors and other supporters, generated more than $20,000 to fuel Perseverance’s
upcoming 41st anniversary season of professional theatre by and for
Alaskans.
“I like to say that the best thing about this raffle
is, when you buy a ticket you’re automatically a winner, because every dollar goes
toward the theatre you love here at Perseverance,” said Erika Stone, director
of development and a company artist who performed most recently in the world
premiere Whale Song, by Cathy
Tagnak Rexford. “On the other hand, it’s great to win a fabulous travel
prize, and our donors really came through for us this year. We’re grateful to
each and every one; to the staff, board, and volunteers who helped make the
raffle so successful, and to everyone who bought a ticket.”
Here’s the list of additional winners, with
approximate retail values of the prizes they’ll receive:
Luke Metcalf of Juneau won the “High Art” package: two
tickets on Level One or Level Two Helicopter Tours from NorthStar Trekking, a
one-night stay for two at Silverbow Inn in downtown Juneau, and pair of season
tickets to Perseverance Theatre’s 2019-2020 season. Value: $1390
Arika Pavadone of Eagle River won “Anchorage Animals”:
a one-night stay for four at the Aviator Hotel, an
annual family membership to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, four passes to the
Alaska Sea Life Center, and two passes to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center.
Value: $378
Erin Dufresne of Seattle won “All of the Art”: a
pair of tickets to any two performing arts events in the Juneau Arts and
Humanities Council’s Season 45, a pair of season tickets to the Juneau
Symphony, a pair of tickets for Juneau Dance Theater’s Spring Showcase and The Nutcracker, and a pair of season
tickets to Perseverance Theatre’s 2019-2020 season. Value: $980
Mary Lou Madden of Juneau won “Douglas Delights”: a
$50 gift certificate to Douglas Café, $50 gift certificate to the Island Pub,
$50 gift certificate to Louie’s Douglas Inn in Douglas, and a pair of “Pick 3”
show tickets to Perseverance Theatre’s 2019-2020 season. Value: $210
Pamela Garcia of Juneau won “Gill House Getaway”: a
one night stay for two at the Oscar Gill House, a
$50 gift certificate to Moose’s Tooth, and a season subscription for two to
Perseverance Theatre’s 2019-2020 Anchorage season. Value: $632
Ulla Pedersen of Juneau won “Date Day”: Two tickets
to a regular feature film, plus popcorn and soda from the Gold Town Nickelodeon
in Juneau, two free yoga classes with Rainforest Yoga, and a Heritage Coffee
gift basket. Value: $126
Jessica Tullius of Anchorage won “Ride and Relax”: a
ride for two on the sky-high Mount Roberts Tram,
a relaxing 60-minute private reservation for two in the Halotherapy room at
Glacier Salt Cave and Spa, and a one-night stay for two plus breakfast at the
Baranof Hotel in Juneau. Value: $450
Toni Dalman won the “Stay for the Salmon” package: a
one-night stay and breakfast for two at Alaska’s Capital Inn Bed &
Breakfast in Juneau and a $100 gift certificate for Taku Smokeries. Value $496
Sue Kolster of Juneau won “Alaskan Adventure”: a one-night
stay for two at the Driftwood Hotel in Juneau, a one-week bike rental from
Cycle Alaska, and two adult full-day lift
tickets to Eaglecrest Ski Area. Value: $571
Maggie Rabb of Juneau won “Valdez Vacation”: a two-night stay for two at the Robe Lake Lodge and
Cabins, a Columbia Glacier Cruise for two with Stan Stephens’ Wildlife Cruises
in Valdez, and a framed original painting by late Alaskan artist Ted Herlinger.
Value: $786
Brenda Knapp of Juneau won “Juneau Jaunt”: an MGM Matinee
Idol-Level membership at Gold Town Nickelodeon in Juneau, two free yoga classes
with Rainforest Yoga, and a gift basket from Nugget Alaskan Outfitters. Value:
$197
Sandy Horbanuk won the “Perseverance Pal” package: two
tickets to any performance in Perseverance Theatre’s 2019-2020 season, a
Perseverance Theatre T-Shirt, and a Perseverance Theatre coffee mug. Value:
$137
And Adelaide Johnson won “Scenic Skagway”: two
round-trip tickets from Alaska Seaplanes, a railway trip for two on the scenic
White Pass Summit, plus a one-night stay for two
at the Historic Skagway Inn and a $100 gift certificate to Olivia’s Bistro at
the Skagway Inn. Value: $1104
From all of us at Perseverance Theatre, thanks again
to all these businesses and organizations for donating, and thanks to everyone
for playing!
An innocent bloomer blunder brings domestic chaos in Steve Martin’s The Underpants, Perseverance Theatre’s 40th anniversary season finale, running May 17-June 16.
When Louise, a young beauty attending a royal parade, finds that her unmentionables have fallen down around her ankles, she makes a hasty exit and assumes no harm done—but her priggish husband is mortified. How will his dead-end career in Düsseldorf’s civil service ever withstand the scandal? Nosy neighbors, sudden new suitors, and shameless innuendo fill the script gleefully adapted from Carl Sternheim’s 1910 German farce, Die Hose. This bawdy comedy of manners reveals gender politics that are still relevant after more than 100 years.
“I think people will be surprised by Steve Martin as a playwright,” says Teresa K. Pond, the show’s director, who helmed the 2016 Perseverance hit Peter and the Starcatcher and this season’s A Christmas Carol remount at the PAC; she’s also producing artistic director of Cyrano’s Theatre Company in Anchorage. “While he goofs around on screen in movies like Cheaper by the Dozen, his writing is incredibly sophisticated—he’s probably a bit too smart for his own good, if you know what I mean.”
Pond says the physical gags in The Underpants—slamming doors, stray props, characters in ever-more-compromising positions—follow the classic European farce tradition, though Martin’s wordplay, couched in proper Wilhelmine-era dialogue, has a contemporary American edge. “What seems to be timeless,” the director says, “is humanity’s complicated relationship to sex, love, and finding our own voice amidst cultural bias in relationships.”
The Underpants creative team also includes Shelly Wright (costumes), Art Rotch (lighting), and Matthew Allar (set design). The cast features some actors familiar to Perseverance audiences—Shadow Meienberg, Benjamin Brown, Evan Rothfeld, Charlie Cardwell—along with a pair of talented newcomers: Aaron T. Moore as the stuffy Theo, and Kelly Gibson as his fanciful wife Louise.
“This was a different time, a much more innocent time,” Gibson says. “Louise fills her domestic role with joy and pride, not begrudgingly. There is no shame in being ‘just a little housewife’… She truly does long for a family, so when a child hasn’t come along after a year of marriage, she starts to dream elsewhere… Her journey is one of sexual awakening, of the power of free will, of what it means to not only take care of someone else, but yourself.”
Of course, the actor adds, viewers are under no obligation to find a deeper meaning in The Underpants: at bottom, it’s about having fun.
“My wish would be for our audience to walk away with joy, washed-away worries, and a reminder that it’s OK to be silly,” Gibson says. “The Underpants demands ferocious play, in both language and physicality as Teresa said, and the hope is to ignite ferocious laughter from our audiences in return.”
The Underpants concludes Perseverance’s landmark 40th anniversary season in Juneau; in Anchorage, meanwhile, the blockbuster musical Guys and Dolls runs through May 12 at the PAC.
Subscriptions are now on sale for Perseverance’s 2019-20 season, whose Juneau lineup features the Alaska Native play Devilfish, by Vera Bedard (Tlingit, Dena’ina); the new play With, by Carter Lewis; the iconic drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and the Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home. In Anchorage, the season will open with The Underpants, and continue with Devilfish, A Christmas Carol, and Cuckoo’s Nest.
Show info
The Underpants, by Steve Martin, adapted from the play Die Hose, by Carl Sternheim Run: May 17-June 16 at Perseverance Theatre, 914 Third Street in Douglas. There will be Pay-What-You-Can previews at 7:30 p.m. May 14 and 16. Beer Friday, with a pre-show reception sponsored by Alaskan Brewing Co., is May 24. Show times: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays; additional 7:30 p.m. Wednesday show June 5. Tickets: $33-$41 for adults, $28-$39 for seniors and military, $19-$27 for students; reserve seats at www.ptalaska.org or by calling 907-463-TIXS (8497). May 19 and 23 performances are Pay-What-You-Can; Juneau Arts Night (50 percent off all tickets) is Wednesday, June 5. Parent advisory:The Underpants is a fast-paced, naughty comedy with suggestive staging and dialogue, although most jokes will go over kids’ heads; recommended for ages 10 and up.
Above: Actors Kelly Gibson as Louise (from left), Aaron T. Moore as Theo, and Shadow Meienberg as Gertrude. Photo by Julie Coppens, staged at Bustin’ Out Boutique in downtown Juneau.
Perseverance Theatre will present The Winter Bear, a play by former Alaska Writer Laureate Anne Hanley, in April in the communities of Anchorage, Buckland, Shungnak, Nome, St. Paul, and Unalaska. Admission to all shows is free.
The play, which has been performed throughout Alaska since 2008, tells the story of a troubled Alaska Native teenager who decides suicide is his best option until Athabascan elder Sidney Huntington shows him how to use traditional culture to work through his despair and find his true voice. The Winter Bear Project is built around the play, providing school workshops in the performing arts and Behavioral Health support through non-profit partners. The mission of The Winter Bear Project is “to change the climate of fear & hopelessness that breeds suicide by broadening awareness, stimulating dialogue, and promoting healing through the performing arts.”
The show is directed by Perseverance Theatre Artistic Director Art Rotch. The performing company will feature the return of Alaska Native actors Brían Wescott as Sidney Huntington and Skyler Ray-Benson Davis as Duane. In all, twelve company members will embark on the two-week tour.
Major funding for The Winter Bear Project 2019 is provided by Southcentral Foundation, Teck, the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association, Sitnasuak Native Corporation, the Charlotte Martin Foundation, Maniilaq, Kawerak, NANA, and the Rasmuson Foundation through the Harper Arts Touring Fund as administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. Additional funding from the Bering Sea Lions Club, Norton Sound Health Corporation, the Nome Arts Council, the Aleut Native Corporation, and the King Island Native Corporation. Communities are providing valuable support in the form of lodging, show venues, and local services.
Locations and dates are as follows:
April 9, 2019 – Anchorage, AK | April 11, 2019 – Buckland, AK
April 13, 2019 – Shungnak, AK | April 15, 2019 – Nome, AK
April 17, 2019 – St. Paul, AK | April 20, 2019 – Unalaska, AK
For more information about The Winter Bear Project, visit our website, or follow us on Facebook at The Winter Bear Project.
For some guys, life is a gamble—every day another throw of the dice. New York hustler Sky Masterson seems to be on a roll, but in the game of romance, his luck is about to run out. Will he beat the odds and get the girl, or come up snake-eyes? Perseverance Theatre’s musical dream team presents Guys and Dolls, the brash Broadway favorite based on the street-wise stories of Damon Runyon and featuring the immortal songs of Frank Loesser.
Director Shona Osterhout, musical director Robert Cohen, and choreographer Ricci Adan—partners in crime on Perseverance’s 2014 runaway hit Chicago—have brought together an all-star cast, including Enrique Bravo as Sky Masterson, Allison Holtkamp as the pious Sarah Brown (the unlikely “doll” on whom Sky’s fortunes depend), James Sullivan as the wisecracking gangster Nathan Detroit, and Ericka Lee as his long-suffering fiancé, Adelaide. The creative team includes Paul Spadone (costumes), Greg Mitchell (lighting), and Art Rotch (set design).
“With a cast of all-Alaskan theatre artists (granted, one just recently moved to New York City and we lured him back for another go), this production of Guys and Dolls shows me once again how talented our state’s artists truly are,” director Shona Osterhout says. “When we invest in Alaskan artists, the payoff for our great state’s audiences is grand. And this show is funny, so we get to forget about the state’s budget for a while.”
Guys and Dolls premiered on Broadway in 1950, running for 1,200 performances and winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. Still widely regarded a classic of the Golden Age, the show has had several Broadway and London revivals, and a 1955 film adaptation starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine helped make beloved American standards of such songs as “Luck Be a Lady,” “My Time of Day,” “If I Were a Bell,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.”
The plot of Guys and Dolls hinges on a series of hilarious, high-stakes gambles: As wisecracking gangster Nathan Detroit struggles to find a home for his floating crap game, simultaneously evading both the authorities and his marriage-minded girlfriend Adelaide, the suave Sky Masterson finds himself on the wrong end of his own long-odds bet: Can he persuade the anti-gambling, anti-drinking crusader Sarah Brown to accompany him to a nightclub in Havana… and win her heart, over a few “Cuban milkshakes”?
“Some of the circumstances and language in this piece do read as archaic, especially in this particular day and age,” Osterhout admits, “but these actors are so good at playing fully fleshed-out characters. There’s nothing superficial about the guys and dolls in our production—and because of their depth of character in these roles, we actually have a funnier show, in my opinion.”
Adds the veteran director, “Many times this musical is done with a cast of forty or fifty people—basically, have as many guys and dolls as you want. We have chosen a more intimate staging, with a tighter-knit cast. You will see actors play multiple roles. It’s so fun to watch their transformations.”
Guys and Dolls continues Perseverance’s landmark 40th anniversary season, which began this fall with Thornton Wilder’s iconic drama Our Town and the world-premiere plays Franklin, by Samantha Noble, and Whale Song, by Cathy Tagnak Rexford. Still to come is Steve Martin’s naughty comedy The Underpants (playing May 17-June 16 in Juneau). In addition, Anne Hanley’s The Winter Bear will tour to smaller communities across the state.
Click here for tickets, or call 907-463-TIXS (8497). For single tickets in Anchorage, please visit www.Centertix.com or call 907-263-ARTS (2787).
Run: March 15-April 14 at Perseverance Theatre, 914 Third Street in Douglas. There will be a Pay-What-You-Can preview at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14.
Show times: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays; additional 7:30 p.m. Wednesday shows on April 3 and 10.
Ticket prices: $37-$49 for adults, $32-$44 for seniors and military, $20-$32 for students. March 17 and 21 performances are Pay-What-You-Can; Juneau Arts Night (50 percent off all tickets) is Wednesday, April 3.
Photos of the cast by Brian Wallace, staged at Juneau’s historic Westmark Baranof Hotel. From left, James Sullivan, Ericka Lee, Allison Holtkamp, Enrique Bravo.
Curiouser and curiouser, and groovier: a classic of children’s literature hits the dance floor in Disco Alice: The Wonderland Remix, an original adaptation performed by Perseverance Theatre’s Young Company, March 1-3 and 8-10 in the Phoenix Theatre (Black Box). Based on the beloved book by Lewis Carroll, this fantastical production for all ages, adapted and directed by William Conrow, features disco-era choreography by Becky Engstrom and Alisha Falberg, psychedelic scenic murals by Glo Ramirez, and whimsical costumes by Ruth Fulwiler.
A dynamic cast of 19 students from across Juneau, ranging in age from 8 to 15, take on such familiar roles as Alice (Sophia Nylen), the White Rabbit (Sydney Hood), the Queen of Hearts (Molly Minick), the Cheshire Cat (Clare Homan), the Mad Hatter (Rachel Wood), and the Jabberwocky (Seth Coppens), a malevolent creature from the Wonderland sequel Through the Looking Glass, making a cameo appearance here. But audiences will see some fresh interpretations.
“She’s adventurous. She’s enthusiastic. She becomes more friendly and kind of sassy toward the end,” Sophia Nylen says of Alice, a role that’s been supremely fun and empowering to play. “She learns that she should not doubt herself. There are many people who say she shouldn’t be herself, like her parents and the Jabberwocky, but she learns to listen to her instincts.”
Strange as it might seem to set a 1865 children’s story to a soundtrack of hit songs by the likes of ABBA, Donna Summer, Kool & The Gang, The Bee Gees, and Blondie, the pop culture aesthetic of the turbulent 1970s certainly fits the disorienting misadventures of Alice and her Wonderland companions. Over the course of the show, the stage-shy tween heroine progresses from “The Hustle” of trying to fit in, to a wide-eyed “State of Independence” as she explores Wonderland, to the punk-rock female rebellion of Blondie’s “Rip Her to Shreds.” A dancing ensemble is always there, challenging Alice and coaching her along.
“The young actors are picking up choreography as if they were seasoned veterans of the stage,” marvels choreographer Becky Engstrom. “From the first rehearsal, when I taught the Hustle line dance, I knew this was going to be a wonderful journey with the Young Company. They really look like they enjoy dancing with each other.”
In addition to such iconic moves as the Bump, the Funky Chicken, and the Hitchhiker, the students had to master new dances that could only take place in Wonderland—for instance, the Lobster Quadrille, sort of a beach party hand-jive with everybody in bright red lobster mitts.
“Bill made it clear that he wanted to keep everyone on stage as much as possible,” Engstrom says. “This meant that the entire performance has to be performed very much like a dance, where it’s crucial to focus on transitions through awareness of body movement. It requires great mental and physical stamina to do a production like this. The actors also have been given many props to use, which adds a greater challenge to learning choreography.”
For adapter/director Bill Conrow, bringing Disco Alice to life has been “exhilarating, and not just for me as the storyteller,” he says. “Our talented cast hasn’t even blinked in the face of the daunting challenge of performing in every scene. The kids are like, ‘What’s next? Bring it on, old man. Hurry up!’ Since January, the cast has been working at an amazing pace, with focus and true grit. We couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Show info
Disco Alice: The Wonderland Remix, adapted and directed by William Conrow
Synopsis: When 13-year-old Alice escapes a garden party, impulsively following a stressed-out White Rabbit down a rabbit hole, she enters an enchanted realm full of strange characters and maddening misadventures—all ruled by one very crabby Queen of Hearts. An irresistible 1970s-era soundtrack and a psychedelic design scheme take Lewis Carroll’s classic coming-of-age tale to a whole new level of fantasy and fun.
Run: March 1-3 and 8-10 in the Phoenix Theatre at Perseverance, 914 Third Street in Douglas.
Show times: 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets: $15 for all ages. Seating in the Phoenix is very limited; advance reservations strongly recommended. Call (907) 463-TIXS or follow the ticket link on our website, www.ptalaska.org.
Q&A with the cast: Talkbacks with the Disco Alice company and creators will follow both Sunday matinee performances.
Parent advisory: Disco Alice is a nonstop performance in an intimate space, full of madcap action, loud music, strobe and other dramatic lighting effects that might be frightening for young children or those with sensory issues. Recommended for ages 6 and up.
March 17th & 18th at The Alaska Center For The Performing Arts
The ALASKA ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL (#1MPF) returns to for its sixth year, in partnership with Perseverance Theatre, at the Alaska Center For The Performing Arts. The 6th Annual Alaska 1MPF runs two performances only; Sunday, March 17th & Monday, March 18th at 8pm. All performances are at The Alaska Center For The Performing Arts (621 West 6th Ave, Anchorage AK 99501). Tickets, priced at $20, are available at centertix.com, or by calling 907-263-ARTS (2787).
The 6th ANNUAL ALASKA ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL will feature brand new one-minute plays by:
Rudy Ascott, Gregory Aldrich, Caleb Bourgeois, Joshua Branstetter, Allen Bailey, Amy Cropp, Matt Collins, Nathan Hall, Jason Hodges, Steven Hunt, Matt Jardin, Matthew Kress, Geoff Kirsch, Elisa Hitchcock, Frank Katasse, Heather Laverne, Joshua Lowman, Thomas Moran, Mark Muro, Dawson Moore, Jill Neimeyer, Andréa Onstad, Amy O’Neill Houck, Richard Perry, John Parsi, Paul Rios, Heath E. Robertson, Mollie Ramos, Kristen Ritter, Lucas Rowley, Michael Shaeffer, Carey Seward, Vera Starbard, Holly Stanton, Warren Weinstein Allison AkootchookWarden, & Carl Young
Directed by:
Darryl Akins, Joshua Branstetter, Amanda Cantrell, John Kendall, MaryAlice Lovel Larmi, John Parsi, Paul Rios, & Warren Weinstein
Curated and led by Dominic D’Andrea & Caitlin Wees
THE ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL (#1MPF) is America’s largest and longest running grass roots theatre company, founded by Producing Artistic Director, Dominic D’Andrea . #1MPF is a social barometer project, which investigates the zeitgeist of different communities through dialogue, consensus building and a performance of 50-100 short moments generated by each community. #1MPF works in partnership with theatres and/or social organizations sharing playwright, educational or community-specific missions across the country. The aim is to create locally sourced playwright-focused community events, with the goal of promoting the spirit of radical inclusion. #1MPF represents playwrights of different age, gender, race, cultures, and points of career. The work attempts to reflect the theatrical landscape of local artistic communities by creating a dialogue between the collective conscious and the individual voice.
In each city, #1MPF works with partnering organizations to identify programs or initiatives in each community to support with the proceeds from ticket sales. The goal is to find ways give directly back to the artists in each community. Supported programs have ranged from educational programming, youth poetry projects, theatre program in prisons, playwright residencies and memberships, playwrights salaried commissions, community access projects, arts workshops and other social and artistic initiatives.
Annual partnerships have been created with theaters in over 20 cities including: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Trenton, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Boston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Seattle, Dallas, Austin, Indianapolis, Anchorage, Honolulu, St. Louis and more, with partnering institutions including Primary Stages, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, New Georges at New York City Center, Z-Space, A.C.T., Trinity Rep, Victory Gardens Theater, Cornerstone Theatre Company, The Playwrights Foundation, Boston Playwrights Theatre, Actor’s Express, InterAct Theatre, Mixed Blood, Walking Shadow Theatre, Passage Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theatre, Salvage Vanguard & ScriptWorks, ACT Seattle, Perseverance Theatre, Round House Theatre, Honolulu Theatre For Youth and others.
Notable #1MPF contributors have included: David Henry Hwang, Lynn Nottage, Neil LaBute, Tina Howe, Donald Margulies, Nilaja Sun, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Robert Schenkkan, Lydia Diamond, Phillip Kan Gotanda, Kristoffer Diaz, Rajiv Joseph, Samuel D. Hunter, Karen Hartman, Robert Askins, Colman Domingo, José Rivera, Craig Lucas, Mike Daisey, Greg Kotis, Michael John Garcés and over to 1400 celebrated, emerging, and midcareer playwrights. For more information visit: www.oneminuteplayfestival.com
