GROUNDED, 'Playdate' Series and More Set for BETC's Season Nine

The Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC) announced their ninth season last spring. However, with its first opening fast approaching, the company is releasing details on an added production and new programming for parents, young theatregoers and those looking to deepen their theatre experience.

First up is the addition of "Grounded" by George Brant. This one-woman show, featuring critically acclaimed actress Laura Norman, will be BETC's second production in Denver. Currently one of America's most popular plays, the regional premiere of "Grounded" explores the human side of drone warfare.

This season BETC also begins Playdate, a series of youth classes for students grades 1-8, offered concurrent with select performances throughout the season. Parents see the show while kids engage in a great theatre class with the artistic ensemble.

"We have parents on our staff, in our audiences, among our artists," says Rebecca Remaly, Managing Director. "We understand the struggle and expense of finding a babysitter for parents who want to see a show. We decided to eliminate that problem and create a way for parents and children to experience theatre together."

If you are a student or young professional, BETC is offering you a way to see their shows for free. For Boulder shows, any remaining tickets will be available free of charge to anyone aged 25 and under. These tickets will be released five minutes before curtain. "I'm the youngest member of the company, and often in the audience," says PR and Marketing Manager Daniel Leonard. "We want to challenge other millenials to put down their phone, turn off the TV and come experience a real, live theatrical performance. It's a free ticket. What's to lose?"

BETC's patrons (they don't have to be "seasoned") can also join in on in-depth discussions of upcoming plays through Script Club. Program coordinator Heather Beasley says, "We are giving patrons the opportunity to read the script and then discuss it with our artists before they see the show. It's the chance to go beyond the usual experience and to engage the work at a deeper level."

All of these programs and offerings come on top of the already announced five-show season. BETC continues to emerge as a regional leader, not only by offering exceptional productions of regional premieres and new plays, but by diversifying both its programming and its audience. With something for everyone in the family, Season Nine at BETC promises to be one of Colorado's finest offerings.

Season Nine:

Grounded by George Brant
A regional premiere: September 11th - 28th, 2014 · betc.org/grounded

An unexpected pregnancy ends an ace fighter pilot's career in the sky. Reassigned to operate military drones from a windowless trailer outside Las Vegas, she hunts terrorists by day and returns to her family each night. As the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away. Winner of the National New Play Network's 2012 Smith Prize. Top 10 London Plays of 2013,The Guardian. A blistering one-woman show so good, we couldn't wait another season to share it with you

Ambition Facing West by Anthony Clarvoe
A regional premiere: October 9th - November 2nd, 2014 · betc.org/ambition

Don't look back. Three generations of one family move ever westward, restless, seeking. As they migrate from Croatia, through Wyoming, and onward to Japan, the land of opportunity keeps moving, and the past keeps catching up. This unforgettable family provides "an exquisitely rendered commentary on the human condition" (DC Theatre Scene). After the pain of saying goodbye, what wonders lie ahead?

The Aliens by Annie Baker
January 29th - February 22nd, 2015 · betc.org/aliens

Out back of a tiny Vermont coffee shop, long-time dropouts KJ and Jasper consider the finer points of Bukowski (and brownies), while high-schooler Evan Shelmerdine navigates the awkwardness of teenage turmoil. These unlikely mentors and the boy they befriend are the subject of Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Annie Baker's simple, compassionate observations of life between the lines and greatness found in the most unlikely of places.

Stupid F##king Bird by Aaron Posner
A regional premiere, sort of adapted from Chekhov's "The Seagull"
March 12th - April 5th, 2015 · betc.org/bird
You've never seen Chekhov like this. Aaron Posner's irreverent update of "The Seagull" lets us into a country house where unrequited desire is drowned in equal parts alcohol and sarcasm. In true Chekhovian fashion, actresses, playwrights, doctors, and novelists bare their souls as they search desperately for the truth of love and art. This guilty pleasure of a comedy even dares to ask our audience: "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Hysteria by Terry Johnson
A regional premiere: April 23rd - May 17th, 2015 · betc.org/hysteria

Sigmund Freud is dying. But before he does, there are visitors to be met, and reckonings to be made. A life-long friend insists upon a rewrite. A mysterious girl turns up in his study, demanding time on his couch. And once Salvador Dali himself arrives, the stage is set for a splendidly silly exploration of the subconscious that makes for "audacious and dazzlingly clever farce" (Financial Times, London).

BONUS BETC EVENTS:

The SantaLand Diaries by David Sedaris
November 28th - December 24th, 2014

Returning to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts!

BETC Generations

A play competition and reading (November 2014)