Theatre Critics vs. Vampires - ST. NICHOLAS at AGL

AGL's St. Nicholas poster

There really are not enough good things I can say about St. Nicholas playing this weekend at Actors Guild, but here are some main bullet points:

1. The playwright. Conor McPherson is an exceptional storyteller. I first saw McPherson's The Weir on Broadway in 1999. It was a life changing experience. A play, that on the surface, seems to be a mere collection of stories that evolves throughout the evening into a complex and haunting piece of theatre. Serious and deep, but still immensely funny. It was one of the best nights I've ever had in a theatre, and it sent me on a search for more scripts and more stories as good as it was. Obviously many of those great scripts were penned by McPherson as well. Shinning City, The Seafarer (being produced by AGL Dec. 1st-11th directed by Anthony Haigh of Centre College) and St. Nicholas where our hero is that scourge of the performing arts: The Critic.

2. The actor. Jerome Davis, who joins us from his post as artistic director of Burning Coal Theatre Company in Raligh, NC nails it in his perfectly presented performance of the down and out critic facing off with the undead. Jerome is the brother of Tim "X" Davis who run BCTC's theatre program, and it was Tim who first let me know that his brother was interested in tackling the show again after a successful run at Burning Coal. It took only one phone conversation to know that St. Nicholas would be the show launching AGL's second year of second stage programing. The BETA Stage program that we have created at AGL is focused on both looking into new and under produced works, but also into creative collaborations with other arts groups. (Previously we partnered with BCTC for last April's production of The Rocky Horror Show.) So I was particularly thrilled to have an opportunity to partner with such a fantastic organization as Burning Coal, and to have Jerome join us in the Bluegrass for some haunting and hilarious Halloween fun.

and...

From the Burning Coal production. © The Right Image, Inc

3. The space. As many of you know I often mention how we walked into The South Elkhorn Village on Jan. 5th, and opened AGL's new performance space there on the 13th. There was so much work to do it was mind boggling to think about. Demolition, construction, painting, electrics...the list goes on and on. And with every show we've tried to improve and grow the space, and what we can do with it. More detailed sets and technical magic tricks like with End Days,  ambitious staging such as the revolve in Breathing Corpses. But something I've wanted to do since day one was play with the audience seating. I've imagined that each show might have it's own unique seating, but this far we've had one set of risers, and that's been that. The titles so far haven't allowed us the chance to break out of the audience riser configuration, and while that might seem unimportant, from a storytelling standpoint it can be everything. St. Nicholas is so intimate, the audience and storyteller must be clearly in the room together. There is no barrier other than experience. He is watching you as you watch him. So for the first time we're trying out a three quarter arrangement at South Elkhorn and I'm very excited about it. Seeing the audience surround the performer, and then watching what that performer does with it, well that's part of what makes live performing arts so much fun.

And did I mention the THEATRE CRITIC VS. VAMPIRES storyline? Did I? Well frankly, I don't think I can say it enough.

Actors Guild of Lexington & Burning Coal Theatre Company present
St. Nicholas by Conor McPherson
Originally directed for Burning Coal by Randolph Curtis Rand
Starring Jerome Davis*
Oct. 28-30 (LIMITED ENGAGEMENT)
Tix: 1.866.811.4111 or www.actors-guild.org
(There will be a special talk back for the audience after the performance on the 30th)
St. Nicholas contains adult language-viewer discretion advised

This show is not to be missed. Great theatre performed by a great actor, and all with some extra bite for the hoilday...(couldn't help myself).

Cheers,
Eric Seale


*Indicates Actor is a member of Actors Equity Association, The union of professional actors in the United States

28th Season Launch

Tonight begins my second full season as Artistic Director at Actors Guild, and the theatre's 28th anniversary. I'm proud to be here, because there was a time when it was unsure if there would still be an Actors Guild. But here we are; we fought hard, worked hard, and never gave up on this organization.

We found a new home, and put on what turned out to be a hugely successful season for AGL: - Dead Man's Cell Phone, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, Belle Brezing and End Days. It was a hell of a year of late nights and hurried meals, paint covered clothes and disappointed pets waiting at home. But from January to August we produced eight separate shows, and improved our new home along the way.

Well, there is just no rest for the wicked...

So here we are with Season 28 and a fantastic production of Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade to start things off right.

The Story: A teenage chambermaid, Amy, has discovered a body in a hotel room, again. Over at the Green Door Storage Company Jim is dealing with a strange smell coming from B16. And on the hottest day of the year Kate is losing her mind after spending all day being questioned by the police. Each of them has seen something they wish they hadn't, there's no going back for any of them now.

"When a man has lost all happiness, he's not alive. Call him a breathing corpse." -Sophocles.

Playwright Laura Wade crafts the story of Breathing Corpses in a clever, time bending circular nature. The seemingly unconnected characters, and multiple storylines, are in fact all part of a greater narrative.

"Laura Wade's play is like a crossword puzzle where all the clues have to do with death. Wade uses the play's shifting structure to make you feel disorientated, almost scared…The tension, the emotions and the sense of absurdity and fear are brilliantly handled…A terrifying tour de force." —The Sunday Times (London)

Part comedy, part drama, and part time bending mystery Breathing Corpses launches what should be a stellar season here at AGL.

For me this has been a great cast to work with in creating such an interesting piece of theatre. Back again is the ever popular Alex Maddox recently of End Days as Charlie the mysterious hotel guest along with Bethany Finley who appeared in last season's smash hit Belle Brezing playing the fragile and much put upon hotel maid Amy. (Bethany also recently did amazing work in One Flea Spare for Balagula Theatre just in case you missed it.) Sarah Tackett and Zack Hightower who last appeared for AGL back in our Shakespeare series at Equus Run absolutely rock the house as the dysfunctional couple Ben and Kate who are falling apart in the sweltering heat after a day of police interrogation. And then we have some wonderful newcomers to Actors Guild - Eddie Salone, Liz Telling, and Tanner Gray as the owners and staff of The Green Door Storage Company.

And THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE!

Tony Haigh of Centre college is already beginning rehearsals for this December's The Seafarer by Conor McPherson, and we'll be announcing some exciting information about that as well as some big news on our second stage season in the next few days. So stay tuned to our website, or sign up for our newsletter over on our homepage so you never miss out on what's happening here at AGL.

There's also still plenty of time to pick up a subscription for season 28. We offer two great packages; a full season pass or a show show pass. Both are designed for ultimate flexibility so you can use them for every show in the main stage season, or just a select few based on your schedule. To learn more visit our website.

We hope to see you for Breathing Corpses as well as all of the exciting shows this season.

Cheers,
Eric Seale