SHIRLEY AND ME, Jan Wallace Brings 'Shirley Valentine' Back to Sarasota in New Autobiographical Play

SaraSolo Productions, Inc. announces the first SaraSolo Encore from the 2017 SaraSolo Festival, actress/artist/writer Jan Wallace brings her sell-out hit, SHIRLEY AND ME, back to Sarasota for one Encore show only, on Friday June 9 at 8:00pm, at The Starlite Room, at 1001 Cocoanut Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236. Tickets are $15 at door. Call for a Ticket Reservation at the SaraSolo Encore Box Office at 941-479-8084. To make pre-show Dinner Reservations, please call The Starlite Room at 941-702-5613.

THE PLAY--Sarasota actress/artist Jan Wallace's one woman play, SHIRLEY AND ME, is about her relationship over the years with the beloved theater and movie character "Shirley Valentine" (a not so young working class Liverpool lady who just takes off on holiday to Greece sans husband). Inspired from Jan Wallace's years of performing the award winning 1986 Willy Russell play, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, to theater audiences in Connecticut and the New York area. SHIRLEY AND ME allows Wallace to relive her experience of performing SHIRLEY VALENTINE with humor and honesty, exploring how it affected her then and how the character of "Shirley" inspires her now. She once again brings to life the character "Shirley Valentine" as she includes some memorable excerpts from this remarkable play.

ON Jan Wallace, Actress/Writer

Jan Wallace was thrilled to return to the 2017 SaraSolo Festival with her World Premiere of SHIRLEY AND ME. She presented an excerpt from an autobiographical piece as part of the "Flying Solo" creative program at the 2016 SaraSolo Festival. This experience planted the seed for what developed into SHIRLEY AND ME.

In addition to her professional work in SHIRLEY VALENTINE, Jan Wallace has worked off-Broadway and in New York Regional theatres. Some of her favorite roles include Noises Off (Dotty Otley/Mrs. Clacket), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Jean Brodie), and The Shadow Box (Maggie). Since moving to Sarasota Florida, she has performed at the Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Banyan Theater, the Glenridge Performing Arts Center and the Players Theater. She trained in London and New York.

ON THE SARASOLO FESTIVAL--The SaraSolo Festival is one of Sarasota's most exciting new arts festivals. Beginning in 2015, its third season just completed January 27-February 5, 2017, the SaraSolo Festival provides a unique theatre experience, which celebrates the solo artist, showcasing an eclectic mix of 45-90 minute solo performances by national and International Artists - featuring music, dance, cabaret, comedy, performance art, stand-up, and storytelling, as well as historical, biographical and poetic plays. The Annual SaraSolo Festival is held on two consecutive weekends in January and/or February. For the Schedule, Tickets and Festival information, visit us online at www.SaraSolo.org, or to contact the SaraSolo Festival Artistic Directors, email at gottavanorg@gmail.com. . Follow us on Facebook @SaraSolo Festival, on Twitter @SaraSoloFest, on Instagram @SaraSoloFest.

SaraSolo is the brainchild of SaraSolo Productions Inc. (formerly Gotta Van Productions, Inc.) a 501(C) (3) non-profit corporation. SaraSolo Productions believes in affordable theatre, in traditional and non-traditional spaces, that supports diversity, collaboration, and the transformative power of intimate theatre for both artists and audiences. SaraSolo Productions' venues include festivals, fringe theatre, educational outreach, video, and online media. SaraSolo Festival Artistic Director Ann Morrison and Associate Artistic Director Blake Walton are award winners in the world's largest solo performance festival, The United Solo Festival in NYC.

TAKING SHIRLEY AND ME TO NEW YORK June 17 - July 7

Jan Wallace is taking her play SHIRLEY AND ME to the New York's Planet Connections Theatre Festival later in June. She will be doing six performances from June 17 (5:15pm), June 19 (7:30pm), June 23 (5:30p), June25 (8:00pm), July 2 (3:45pm), and July 7 (7:00p). All performances are at the LATEA Theatre at 107 Suffolk Street #200, NewYork, NY 10002. The Planet Connections Festivity Inc. ?is New York's premiere eco-friendly/socially conscious not-for-profit arts festival. Fostering a diverse cross-section of performances, the festivity seeks to inspire artists and audiences both creatively and fundamentally, in a festive atmosphere forming a community of like-minded artists. At the heart of the festivity are individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theatre, film, music and art, while?supporting organizations that give back to the community at large. The organization Jan has chosen to support is the National Brain Tumor Society. Jan's husband Michael died from a Brain Tumor and she will therefore be dedicating her performances to him. The NBTS has created a web page for her and the link to donate is https://nbtsevents.braintumor.org/JanWallaceDonations . For information and reservations for Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, please go to www.planetconnectionstheaterfestivity.com.