Red BranchTheatre Company Announces Special Events in Conjunction with HEATHERS the Musical

RED BRANCH THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES SPECIAL EVENTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH HEATHERS THE MUSICAL

Highlights include talkbacks, ASL-interpreted performance, and pre-show happy hours.

Red Branch Theatre Company (RBTC) will continue its 2016 season entitled Paint It Red with Heathers: The Musical. The upcoming staging marks the first production for this title in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area for the first time. The production will run at Drama Learning Center, where Red Branch is the theatre in residence, from August 5-27, 2016. Special events held in conjunction with the production have just been announced.

As with all Red Branch Theatre Company shows, an opening night reception for audience, cast, and crew will follow the performance on August 5th. In an effort to continue its core value of producing "theatre with a social conscience," Red Branch will partner with Stewart Zelman, Ph.D. of Centers for Motivation on August 14th to discuss topics brought to light throughout the show with a talkback entitled Psychology of a Mean Girl: Inside the Minds of The Heathers. Dr. Zelman will facilitate this discussion between the cast and creative team behind Red Branch's production of Heathers and Audience members in attendance at that day's performance. Dr. Zelman is a psychologist, trainer and founder of the Centers for Motivation. During his 25 years of professional practice he has developed a deep understanding of human potential and motivation. Red Branch will also introduce a new social initiative with this production: Thirsty Thursdays. Red Branch will provide a place for young professionals to gather and mingle an hour before the Thursday performances with a donation-based happy hour. The 8 PM performance on Saturday, August 20th will be ASL-Interpreted. As with all other mainstage productions at Red Branch, patrons receive a free dining certificate to restaurant partner The Iron Bridge Wine Company with their ticket purchase.

Based on the cult classic 1980's film by the same name, Heathers follows the social rise and fall of teenage misfit Veronica Sawyer in a fictional suburban Ohio town. On the heels of a growing romance with social outsider JD and her dismissal from the high school clique known as "The Heathers," things in Sherwood, Ohio take a deadly turn. Adapted for stage from the 1988 screenplay written by Daniel Waters, Heathers: The Musical brings together the creative forces behind Legally Blonde and Reefer Madness (Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy) for music, lyrics, and book. The musical played Off-Broadway at New World Stages from March to August 2014. Other productions in Red Branch's 2016 season include Evil Dead the Musical, and Harry Connick, Jr.'s The Happy Elf.

Heathers: The Musical is presented with permission through special arrangement with Samuel French. Red Branch Theatre Company's production is made possible in part through the generous support of production sponsor Centers for Motivation and artist sponsor M&T Bank.

Cast & Production Staff

Veronica - Vivian Cook
JD - Hasani Allen
Heather Chandler - Tiara Whaley
Heather MacNamara - Geocel Batista
Heather Duke - Megan Bunn
Martha - Amy Williamson
Kurt - Taylor Witt
Ram - Tendo Nsubuga
Ms. Fleming - Amanda Spellman
Big Bud - Keith Richards
Ram's Dad - Wil Lewis, III

Veronica's Mom - Annette Wasno
Ensemble: Jordan Campbell, Jasmine Hall, Lindsay Hopkins, Molly Janiga, Brandon Shaw McKnight, Allie O'Donnell, Marc Pavan

Directed by Amelia Acosta Powell

Music Direction by John C. Henderson
Choreography by Brandon Glass

Stage Management: Seth Fallon

Production Management: Dana Fleischer

Lighting Design: Lynn Joslin

Set Design: Cliff Hannon

Costume Design: Cierra Coan

Props Design: Kat Fleshman

Performance Dates and Times

August 5: Opening Night Post-Show Reception
August 11, 18, 25: Thirsty Thursday Pre-Show Happy Hours (6:30 PM)
August 14: Psychology of a Mean Girl: Inside the Minds of The Heathers - Post-Show Talkback with Dr. Stewart Zelman, Centers for Motivation (5 PM)

August 20: ASL-Interpreted Performance

Individual tickets available for purchase online at www.redbranchtheatrecompany.com or by calling the box office at (410) 997-9352.