DTC Presents THE TEMPEST/Celebrates Project Discovery with $25 Tickets

Dallas Theater Center launches its 2011-2012 season with Shakespeare's beloved final play, The Tempest, at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Sept. 9 - Oct. 9. Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty will direct The Tempest, which is DTC's third production in three years to receive the National Endowment for the Arts' Shakespeare for a New Generation grant. The grant underwrites ticket costs to The Tempest for students participating in the Project Discovery program, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this season.

"Shakespeare's scope and vision as a writer and his ability to capture the human experience, from the personal to the political, in a relatable way are unparalleled," says Moriarty. "The theatricality of The Tempest, provides DTC the opportunity continue exploring the unique capabilities of the Wyly Theatre to create a provocative start to the season and a truly vivid theater experience. This production won't introduce DTC patrons to a new seating arrangement in the Wyly Theatre, but there are several exciting elements for them to look forward to."

Shakespeare's magical masterpiece follows the great wizard Prospero and his daughter Miranda who have been banished to an isolated island. Prospero uses his sorcery to cause a shipwreck and lure the survivors to the heart of the island, where they are drawn into a web of magical spells, love at first sight and old revenges that only Prospero's forgiveness - and some otherworldly assistance - can remedy.

Brierley Resident Acting Company member Chamblee Ferguson leads the cast as Prospero in his 31st production with DTC. Other Company members include Abbey Siegworth, who is reprising her first-ever professional role as Miranda; DTC Associate Artist Lee Trull as Stephano; and Steven Michael Walters, who was recently named D Magazine's Best Actor in 2011, as Ferdinand.

DTC alums include J. Brent Alford (Arsenic and Old Lace, A Christmas Carol) as Antonio; Christopher Carlos (A Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet) as Sebastian; Southern Methodist University MFA student Cliff Miller (Henry IV, Death of a Salesman) as Trinculo; Joe Nemmers (A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Good Negro) as Caliban; and Jerry Russell (Of Mice and Men) as Gonzalo. Making their DTC debut are Matthew Tomlanovich as Alonso and Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as Ariel. Born and raised in Dallas, Herdilcka recently starred on Broadway for two years in A Little Night Music. Also making their DTC debuts are SMU undergraduate students John Paul Green as Adrian; John Dana Kenning as Francisco; and David Price as Boatswain/Master of the King's ship.

The scenic and costume designs are by Beowulf Boritt, who was nominated for a Tony Award this year for The Scottsboro Boys and whose previous DTC designs include The Who's Tommy, A Midsummer Night's Dream and It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman. Original music and sound design for The Tempest is by Broken Chord Collective, who also designed the sound for DTC's Henry IV in the 2010-2011 season. The artistic team also includes Clifton Taylor for lighting design and Thom Jones as speech/vocal Coach.

In addition to being the first production of DTC's 2011-2012 season, The Tempest kicks off the 25th anniversary of the Project Discovery program. More than 5,500 students from 33 North Texas schools will attend select performances of DTC's mainstage productions and A Christmas Carol. Prior to attending the performance, students discuss the plays in their classroom and attend an hour-long work shop about the play. In the workshop for The Tempest, students will breakdown Shakespearean dialogue and learn unique stage techniques while engaging in "on your feet" activities with a member from the cast. Almost 1,000 students will participate in the Tempest portion of this season's Project Discovery, which is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts' Shakespeare for a New Generation grant. This grant aims to encourage the next generation of audiences in the U.S. to attend and appreciate live theater. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Project Discovery program, all single tickets to The Tempest are priced at $25 each (tickets in Area 4 and Youth tickets are $15). Single tickets go on sale Thursday, August 18 at 10 a.m.

"Normally, when teenagers think about Shakespeare, they moan and groan and expect the show to be the most boring show they've ever seen," says Athens High School student Channing Horton. "When Shakespeare's plays are brought to life at Dallas Theater Center, they turn into the most magical performance I have ever seen."

"DTC believes in creating quality theater that is accessible to every member of our North Texas community. Shakespeare's funny and moving play provides a solid foundation for this goal and Project Discovery and the Shakespeare for a New Generation grant allow us to reach as many schools and teachers as possible," says Moriarty.

The Tempest is the third play in a four-year cycle of Shakespeare's works. Under the direction of Moriarty, DTC presented the first in the cycle, the comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, as the company's inaugural production at the Wyly Theatre. Shakespeare's history play, Henry IV followed in the 2010-2011 season. After the romance The Tempest, DTC will end the cycle with a tragedy in the 2012-2013 season.

All performances of The Tempest will be held in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center located at 2400 Flora St., where it runs Sept. 9 - Oct. 9. Preview performances are Sept. 9 - Sept. 15. Opening night is Friday, Sept. 16 at 8:00 p.m. Performance times are Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. (except for Sept. 20); Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.; and select Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Project Discovery, ticket prices for all performances are $25. Youth tickets and tickets in Area 4 are $15. Single tickets will be on sale beginning Thursday, August 18 at 10 a.m. and are available by calling the box office at 214-880-0202 or by visiting www.DallasTheaterCenter.org. The Pay-What-You-Can performance of The Tempest will be Friday, September 9 at 8 p.m. PWYC tickets will be available online the week of the performance at www.DallasTheaterCenter.org and at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre Box Office beginning Friday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. Pay-What-You-Can allows patrons to purchase ANY seat in the house for ANY amount they choose. For as little as a penny, theatergoers can see world-class live theater created by Dallas Theater Center for North Texas residents.

J. Brent Alford (Antonio) DTC: Arsenic and Old Lace; A Christmas Carol. Brent most recently appeared as Teddy Brewster in DTC's hit production of Arsenic and Old Lace and as Henry Higgins in Lyric Stage's acclaimed production of My Fair Lady. Brent's work has been seen in the DFW area at Theatre Three, WaterTower Theatre, Stage West, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare in the Park (FW), and Casa Mañana. Brent is a former company member of Houston's Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre and has performed Off-Broadway and at regional theatres across the country. Brent is the recipient of numerous awards and currently chairs the department of performing arts at Tarrant County College - NW Campus.

Christopher Carlos (Sebastian) A long-time member of the Dallas theater community, Mr. Carlos made his professional debut in DTC's 1983 production of Amadeus. Other DTC credits: A Christmas Carol (1997; 1999; 2000); Romeo and Juliet; The Tempest (1987-88 season). Chris is Co-Artistic Director of Kitchen Dog Theater where he was most recently seen in the title role of Macbeth. An award-winning actor/director, he also serves as a faculty member at The Winston School and is active in the broadcast industry with several television, film, and
commercial credits. Chris is represented by The Horne Agency.

Chamblee Ferguson (Prospero) is a long-time performer at DTC and a member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company. DTC roles include: Scrooge and Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol (but not at the same time); Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream; Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night; and Professor in South Pacific to name a few. He's performed at Florida Stage, Stage West, WaterTower Theatre, Casa Mañana, Circle Theater, and Lyric Stage, among others. Film/TV credits include: Friday Night Lights; Chase; Prison Break; A Scanner Darkly; The Newton Boys; Walker-Texas Ranger; Wishbone. Mr. Ferguson was thrilled to be recently named a 2011 Lunt-Fontanne Fellow, and has also received Leon Rabin, Dallas/Ft. Worth Theater Critic's, and Austin Circle of Theater awards.

John Paul Green (Adrian) John Paul is very excited to be joining DTC for the first time. Credits include The Farnsworth Invention (Stan Willis) and The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Joey) both at the Alley Theatre in Houston.

Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (Ariel) is thrilled to return home to Dallas after almost two years starring on Broadway in the Tony Award Winning revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music playing opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, followed by Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. Selected credits include Othello and Fiddler on the Roof with the Utah Shakespearean Festival as well as three seasons with the West Virginia Public Theatre. Hunter's one-man show I Happen To Like New York has enjoyed two sold out runs at New York's famed nightclub Feinstein's where he will return in the fall. Hunter is a 2009 graduate of Carnegie Mellon.

John Dana Kenning (Francisco) is a senior BFA Acting major at SMU and is thrilled to be performing with DTC. A San Francisco area native, his past work includes A Christmas Carol (Center REP); Ten Shades of Magenta (Magic Theater); Playground (Berkeley REP). Past Dallas productions include End Days (Nelson) with Echo Theater and Our Town (George) at SMU.

Cliff Miller (Trinculo) Cliff is excited to return to DTC after appearing in Henry IV as Poins and Death of a Salesman as Bernard. He is a graduate of Southwestern University and former Austin resident who has worked with Capital T Theatre Company and Austin Playhouse. Cliff is a third-year MFA Acting student at SMU.

Joe Nemmers (Caliban) is thrilled to return to the DTC stage. Favorite roles at DTC include Rowe in The Good Negro and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Joe is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and a co-founder of Kitchen Dog Theater. He has been seen on numerous Dallas stages and in dozens of films, televisions shows and commercials. In his free time he s a proud associate of Ebby Halliday, Realtors and father to two beautiful sons, Ryan and Ben.

David Price (Boatswain/Master of the King's ship) is a senior at SMU and is excited to be making his debut at DTC. He has been seen in a number of shows at SMU and is currently working on their upcoming production of Othello.

Jerry Russell (Gonzalo) has appeared previously at DTC in The Front Page; Of Mice and Men; Our Town; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; and Accidental Death of an Anarchist (a co-production with Pittsburgh Playhouse). Mr. Russell is the founder and current Producing Director of Stage West Theater in Fort Worth. He is a veteran of over 150 productions as actor or director and was most recently seen as The President in David Mamet's November. Shakespeare appearances include Hamlet; Twelfth Night; A Midsummer Night's Dream; King Lear; Taming of the Shrew.

Abbey Siegworth (Miranda) is a proud member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company. DTC: Arsenic and Old Lace; A Christmas Carol; Henry IV; The Beauty Plays (Shape of Things, reasons to be pretty); A Midsummer Night's Dream and In the Beginning. She has also worked regionally in Montana and the Chicago/Milwaukee area. Education: BFA University of Illinois; MFA Southern Methodist University.

Matthew Tomlanovich (Alonso) Matthew has worked as an actor, teacher, director and voice coach in LA, New York, Europe and Dallas. Dallas acting and voice coaching credits include; Casa Mañana, Dallas Shakespeare, Theatre Three, Classical Acting Company, Kitchen Dog Theater, Plano Rep and Circle Theatre. Other credits include The Irondale Ensemble Project, various Off-Broadway theatres, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, St. Petersburg Salon (Russia) and Garden Grove Shakespeare among others. Currently Matthew coaches individual clients needing voice or speech work.

Lee Trull (Stephano) is a member of the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company and an Associate Artist at DTC where his credits include: Cabaret; Arsenic and Old Lace; The Beauty Plays; A Midsummer Night's Dream; In the Beginning; A Christmas Carol; and 365 Days/365 Plays. Work at other theaters includes: Classical Acting Company; Theatre Three; WaterTower Theatre; Stage West; Dallas Children's Theater; and Shakespeare Dallas. As a playwright: Huck Finn; Gift of the Magi (CAC); Puppet Boy (Stage West). Mr. Trull is a member of the Artistic Company at Kitchen Dog Theater, an artistic consultant for Second Thought Theatre, and he serves on the National New Play Network's Ambassador's Council.

Steven Michael Walters (Ferdinand) A member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company and co-founder of Second Thought Theatre, Steve is thrilled to be returning to DTC after appearing in Henry IV; The Beauty Plays and The Good Negro (a co-production with The Public Theater in New York). Theatrical Credits: Love's Labour's Lost; The Cherry Orchard (Peterborough Players); Proof; Arcadia (Lost Nation Theatre); Jesus Hates Me (Kitchen Dog Theater); Thom Pain (based on nothing); King Ubu; The Glory of Living; Humpty Dumpty (Second Thought Theatre); Romeo and Juliet; As You Like It; A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare Dallas). Television: Chase; My Generation; Friday Night Lights; Trauma; Prison Break.

Kevin Moriarty (Director, The Tempest; Artistic Director, DTC) joined Dallas Theater Center in 2007 as the theater's sixth artistic director, where he has directed productions of Henry IV, It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman, Fat Pig, A Midsummer Night's Dream, In the Beginning, and The Who's Tommy. Before joining DTC, Kevin served as the artistic director of the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY for seven years, where he directed world premieres of plays by Itamar Moses, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Kenny Finkle and Kathryn Walat, as well as a variety of classics and musicals. From 2002-2007 Kevin was the Head of Directing for the Brown University MFA program in Providence, RI, and he was an Associate Artist at Trinity Rep Company, where his productions included: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Elliot Norton Award: Best Director), Richard II, Richard III, A Delicate Balance and Nickel and Dimed. Kevin has also directed plays off-Broadway and at regional theaters nation-wide, including the Lamb's Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Virginia Stage Company, Queens Theatre in the Park, the Flea Theatre, HERE, Theatreworks/USA, and the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar starring Sebastian Bach and Carl Anderson. He is a recipient of a Drama League directing fellowship and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

Beowulf Boritt (Set Designer - Costume Designer) DTC: A Midsummer Night's Dream; It's a Bird... It's a Plane ... It's Superman; The Who's Tommy; Give It Up!. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys (Tony Nomination); Rock of Ages; Sondheim On Sondheim; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Lovemusik; The Two and Only. Off-Broadway: More than 50 shows including The Last Five Years; The Toxic Avenger; Miss Julie. Public Theater; Roundabout Theater; Manhattan Theatre Club; Second Stage; Vineyard; New Group; Pearl; American Palace; Keen Company. Other designs: The Seven Deadly Sins (New York City Ballet); Paradise Found (London); Reel To Real (Beijing); and two editions of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He received a 2007 OBIE Award for excellence in set design.

Broken Chord Collective (Sound Design) Broken Chord is a sound design and music production group that composes music and designs sound for theater. The sound design and original music for The Tempest was created by Daniel Baker and Aaron Meicht. New York: The Atlantic Theater, Cherry Lane Theater, CSC, Keen Company, LaMama, ETC., MTC, Primary Stages, Rattlestick Theater, Second Stage, Women's Project. Regional: Dallas Theater Center, Berkley Rep, Geva Theater Center, Hartford Stage, The Huntington Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Long Wharf Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Passage Theater, People's Light, Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, DC), Weston Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse.

Clifton Taylor (Lighting Design) Broadway: Jay Johnson: The Two and Only (Ovation Award and LA Drama Critics Circle Nomination), Frozen (Lortel Nomination); Hot Feet (Henry Hewes Nomination). Off-Broadway credits include: Freud's Last Session (currently in its second year running Off-Broadway); On the Town; Face the Music and many others. Previously at DTC: Avenue X. Regional: Alley Theatre; Arena Stage; Huntington Theater; American Ballet Theater; San Francisco Ballet; American Conservatory Theater and theatrical consultation for the new Teatro del Lago opera house in Southern Chile.

Thom Jones (Speech/Vocal Coach) is the Head of Voice and Speech for The Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company M.F.A. programs in Acting and Directing. Theatrical credits include: The Long Wharf Theatre; The Alabama Shakespeare Festival; The Hangar Theatre; Rites and Reason; The Actor's Theatre Of Louisville; Dallas Theater Center; The Huntington Theatre; The McCarter Theatre; Yale Repertory Company; The Public Theatre. Film/Television: Brotherhood; Black Irish with Brendan Gleeson and Melissa Leo; Edge of Darkness with Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone; Rabbit Hole with Nicole Kidman (Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress); Just Go With It with Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman; Trespass with Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Cage and
Ben Mendelson.

ABOUT PROJECT DISCOVERY:
Dallas Theater Center created Project Discover in 1986 in order to build bridges between our theatrical programming and the educational work being taught in local schools. Since then, Project Discovery has helped over 250,000 students and teachers to experience and study the finest in live professional theater at little or no cost. Participation in Project Discovery is made possible through grants available to any state-accredited teacher in North Texas, pending a completed application and support materials. Through Project Discovery, students are introduced to the power of the theater - a mirror by which they may come to better know themselves and the world they live in. Students attend evening performances and learn first-hand the importance of their role as participating audience members, as they engage in a communal dialogue with the artists onstage as well as fellow patrons. Students' perception of theater, education and their futures are enhanced, as they see, interact and discuss plays with peers, artists and teachers. Inside information on how each production is crafted, and special spotlights on theater professionals, may kindle students' vocational interest in the arts and humanities.

ABOUT Dallas Theater Center:
One of the leading regional theaters in the country, Dallas Theater Center (DTC) performs to an audience of more than 90,000 North Texas residents annually. Founded in 1959, DTC is now a resident company of the AT&T Performing Arts Center and presents its Mainstage season at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, designed by REX/OMA, Joshua Prince-Ramus and Rem Koolhaas. DTC also presents productions at its original home, the Kalita Humphreys Theater, the only freestanding theater designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. The mission of DTC is to engage, entertain and inspire our diverse community by creating experiences that stimulate new ways of thinking and living. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty and Managing Director Heather Kitchen, DTC produces a six-play subscription of classics, musicals and new plays and an annual production of A Christmas Carol; extensive education programs including Project Discovery, Summer Stage and partnerships with Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Arts and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; and community outreach efforts including leading the DFW Foote Festival and collaborations with the Dallas Holocaust Museum, North Texas Food Bank and Dallas Black Dance Theater. Throughout its history, DTC has produced many new works, including The Texas Trilogy by Preston Jones in 1978, Adrian Hall's All the King's Men in 1986 and recent premieres of The Trinity River Plays by ReGina Taylor, the revised It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, Give it Up! (which later became Lysistrata Jones off-Broadway) by Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Finn, Sarah Plain and Tall by Julia Jordan, Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and The Good Negro by Tracey Scott Wilson.

DTC gratefully acknowledges the support of our season sponsors: American Airlines, The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, Lexus, National Endowment for the Arts, TCA, Texas Instruments and WFAA.

 

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