Asolo Rep Celebrates THE HEIDI CHRONICLES' 25th Anniversary with Interactive Theatre Tonight

Happy Birthday, Heidi Holland! Asolo Rep will present a special evening of interactive theatre to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Heidi Chronicles tonight, February 11, 2013 at 7 p.m.

THE ROLES WOMEN PLAY: THE HEIDI CHRONICLES is an evening of scenes and monologues written by female playwrights, past and present, and performed by guest artists and students from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. The theatre pieces will be connected by conversation between the actors and the audience on the topic of how women are portrayed on stage and on screen. The discussion will include the application of The Bechdel Test, a set of criteria used to determine gender bias in fiction: (1) the work has to have at least two women in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man. The test has been described as "the standard by which feminist critics judge television, movies, books, and other media."

The performances will play Asolo Repertory Theatre at the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts 5555 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Fla. (on the grounds of the Ringling Museum of Art)

BRIAN HERSH, Asolo Rep's Director of Education & Outreach, will lead the program. The cast will feature Elizabeth King-Hall, Gail Rastorfer, Brian Sills, and Brittany Proia from The Heidi Chronicles and other artists of Asolo Repertory Theatre.

This program opens the door for members of the local community to engage in a discussion with the artists of Asolo Repertory Theatre about the various roles women play in our society-friends, lovers, mothers, sisters, daughters, caregivers, career professionals-and marks the 25th anniversary of The Heidi Chronicles, a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play by Wendy Wasserstein that asks, "Can women have a successful career and balance the demands motherhood at the same time?"

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Reserve a seat by contacting the Asolo Repertory Theatre Box Office at 941.351.8000. Complimentary wine and light refreshments will be served.

Pictured: Elizabeth King Hall and Gail Rastorfer. Photo by Barbara Banks.