Little Ghost, 3 Oranges&Brooklyn Bridge-PlayGround Theatre

DURING THE HOLIDAY MONTH OF DECEMBER THE

PLAYGROUND THEATRE WILL PRESENT IN REPERTORY

BRAZILIAN MARIA CLARA MACHADO'S "PLUFT, THE LITTLE GHOST," ITALIAN COUNT CARLO GOZZI'S "THE LOVE OF THREE ORANGES," AMERICAN MELISSA GIBSON'S "BROOKLYN BRIDGE"

 

Continuing its commitment to repertory theatre for young audiences, THE PLAYGROUND THEATRE will present three productions in December; from December 7 -23 at the Shores Performing Arts Theater and two performances of "The Love of Three Oranges" December 17 & 18 at the Dave and Mary Alper JCC at the Jay Morton-Levinthal Campus. The schedule includes weekday performances for schools and community groups.

Oleg Kheyfets will direct famed Brazilian children's author Maria Clara Machado's modern fairy tale "PLUFT the LITTLE GHOST," with Emil Kapelush, one of Russia's most applauded theatre artists, designing the sets and costumes. Lighting designed by Jeff Quinn. The play is the work of the late Maria Clara Machado, Brazil's most important children's author. Actress, director, writer and teacher, Machado wrote and directed 29 plays, and founded Tablado in Rio de Janeiro, a theatre and school that nurtured several generations of actors. PLUFT has been staged world-wide, and was further honored by the Brazilian government when its main characters, "Maribel" and "Pluft," were pictured on a national stamp dedicated to Machado.

Kheyfets will also direct Melissa Gibson's contemporary adventure "BROOKLYN BRIDGE" with set designed by Simon Pastukh and costumes designed by Galina Solovyeva, both award winning designers. Lighting design is by Jeff Quinn. Originally produced at Minneapolis' Children's Theatre Company, the development of the play by Melissa James Gibson was the result of a collaboration between the CTC and New Dramatists to foster new work for young audiences. Gibson, who is currently working on commissions for La Jolla Playhouse and the Adirondack Theatre Festival, has, among others, written ("sic"), which won an Obie for playwriting, the Kesslering Prize, and is included in The Best Plays of 2001-2002.

Stephanie Ansin will direct a new adaptation of Count Carlo Gozzi's classic comedy "THE LOVE OF THREE ORANGES," sets and costumes designed by Emil Kapelush. Lighting designed by S. Ryan Schmidt. Translated by Dr. John DiGaetani, a professor of English at Hofstra University whose publications include a biography of author Gozzi and several books about composer Richard Wagner. THE LOVE OF THREE ORANGES was adapted by Gozzi from an old fairy tale in an attempt to revive commedia dell'arte. The play's success prompted Gozzi (1720-1806) to continue to write plays based on children's stories, fables, and Spanish dramas, including "Turandot," which like "Oranges," was to become the basis for internationally acclaimed and continually performed operas. Oleg Kheyfets hails from the dynamic world of Russian theater where, following his graduation from Moscow's prestigious Vakhtangov Theatrical Academy, he would soon receive international festival honors via his productions of "The Beast," by V. Sinokevitch. Kheyfets went on to direct and teach in Russia, Italy, and Norway. Since his arrival in the U.S., he has led acting/directing workshops in Boston, Chicago and New York, has taught acting and directing workshops at Columbia University's School of the Arts, the Stella Adler Conservatory, Duke University, and New York's Acting Center. Kheyfets staged the Off-Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's "The Creation of the World and Other Business" which he will recreate in January for The PlayGround Theatre.

Stephanie Ansin, who with her husband, Oleg Kheyfets, launched The PlayGround Theatre three years ago, found directing THE LOVE OF THREE ORANGES offered a special challenge having adapted the work from DiGaetani's translation which she delighted in doing with input from her cast.. Earning her BA degree in Theatre Arts at Brown University and her MFA in Theatre Directing at Columbia University, Ansin had earlier directed scripts by emerging writers at Fordham University, as well as well known works such as  "The Seven Year Itch," "Abingdon Square," Twelfth Night," and "Okay." In her home state Florida, Ansin directed "Matterhorn" for City Theatre, Summer Shorts 1999 which scored a Carbonell Award for Best Ensemble.

Emil Kapelush has designed more than 180 productions in Russia, Europe, Asia and the U.S. Among his many awards, Kapelush counts a Gold Mask, (the Russia Tony) for Shakespeare's "The Father," and Golden Mask nominations for Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex," Strindberg's "The Father," Chekhov's "Platonov," and Gozzi's "Turandot." Over twenty years ago, Kapelush and PlayGround Co-Artistic Director Producer Kheyfets collaborated on a production of "Pluft, the Little Ghost, which ran for seven years at Tomsk, Russia's State Theatre for Young Audiences. "Simon Pastukh has designed sets and/or costumes for over 120 ballet, opera, and theatre productions in Russia, Europe, Australia, Asia, and the U.S. Awards include a Golden Mask (Russia's Tony) for Prokofiev's Semyon Kotko (Kirov Opera) and the State Prize of Russia for Slonimsky's Maria Stuart (Maly Theater). Pastukh's current projects include Shostakovitch's The Bolt and Rossini's The Barber of Seville (Bolshoi Opera) and Swan Lake (Kirov Ballet).  In 2001, Pastukh and director Oleg Kheyfets collaborated on the off-Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's The Creation of the World and Other Business

Galina Solovyeva has designed costumes for over 100 ballet, opera, and theatre productions in Russia, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S. She was awarded a Golden Sofit, one of Russia's most prestigious honors, for Semyon Kotko (Kirov Opera). A long-time designer for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, recent projects also include Swan Lake (Kirov Ballet) and The Bolt (Bolshoi Opera). She often collaborates with her husband, set designer Simon Pastukh. 

PLUFT, THE LITTLE GHOST will be performed at the Shores Performing Arts Theater, 9806 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores Thursday, December 7 at 10 A.M; Friday, December 8 at 10 A.M.; Saturday, December 9 at 11 A.M. and 3 P.M.; Sunday, December 10 at 3 P.M. Recommended for 6 and up. THE LOVE OF THREE ORANGES will be performed at the Dave and Mary Alper JCC at The Jay and Morton Levinthal Campus, 11155 S.W. 112 Street, Miami, Sunday, December 17 at 3 P.M..; Monday, December 18 at 10 A.M.; at the Shores Performing Arts Theater, 9806 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, Saturday, December 23 at 11 A.M. Recommended for 6 and up.  BROOKLYN BRIDGE will be performed at the Shores Performing Arts Theater, 9806 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores Wednesday, December 20 at 10 A.M.; Thursday, December 21 at 10 A.M. Recommended for 10 and up.

The productions, whose targeted audiences are youthful theatre-goers, will feature an ensemble cast of accomplished actors: Melissa Almaguer, Meshaun LaBrone Arnold, Linda Bernhard, Kameshia M. Duncan, Steve Gladstone, Jeff Keogh, Raul Martinez, Kristen Dawn McCorkell, John Page, David Potter, Jesús Quintero, Valerie Stanford, and Ricky Waugh.

Tickets to all plays are $15 each; $10 each for groups of 20 or more; Culture Shock rate: $5. Free tickets are available for schools and community groups. 

Tickets are available by calling The PlayGround Theatre (305) 751-9550 ext 231; via fax: (305) 751-9556; via e-mail: info@theplaygroundtheatre.com or website: www.theplaygroundtheatre.com.

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