Asolo Rep to Present 'THICKER THAN WATER: Exploring the American Family', 3/3

"Thicker Than Water: Exploring the American Family," a special interactive evening of live theatre and discussion, will explore these questions as well as the second season of Asolo Rep's American Character Project. The one-night-only event will be held on Monday, March 3, 2014 at 7pm in Asolo Rep's Cook Theatre, located at 5555 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243.

Tickets for this event are $15 for the general public and $10 for students. Tickets are available by calling the box office, 941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388, visiting www.asolorep.org or by visiting Asolo Rep's Box Office, located in the lobby of the theatre.

The event will examine family themes inspired by the four season productions, which were written and set in the 21st-century, Other Desert Cities, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, 4,000 Miles, and Hero: The Musical. The evening will combine brief scene excerpts and facilitated discussion, which will utilize playful formats such as an adaptation of the game show "Family Feud" and audience surprises inspired by television talk shows. The interspersed scene excerpts are taken from Fences by August Wilson, Dead Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl, Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play by Anne Washburn, 33 Variations by Moisés Kaufman, Fire in the Garden by Ken Weitzman and Evie's Waltz by Carter W. Lewis. These scenes, performed by local actors, were selected to not only provoke discussion, but to reflect on the familial joys and challenges that are so intricately woven throughout Asolo Reps' 2013-14 season. The event is conceived both for those who have attended performances from the winter repertory season as well as those who have not; it is certainly not necessary to have seen any of the season productions referenced to participate and enjoy this special event.

"This season reveals so many familiar and thought-provoking family dynamics, in the audience I often wish that I could hit the 'pause' button and turn to the people sitting next to me to ask their opinion about what we just heard," said Education and Outreach Director Kathryn Moroney. "While each Asolo Rep production is complimented by pre- and post-show discussions, we decided to create a special event that addresses the ideas and overlapping motifs from the entire season. 'Thicker Than Water' is our night to do that, to pause recognizable and universal moments of family relationships, and to use them as our springboard to hear from each other and evaluate our own assumptions."

"Thicker Than Water" continues Asolo Rep's dedication to creating compelling and thought-provoking public programming for its patrons and the Sarasota community as a whole. The event follows last year's highly successful "The Roles That Women Play" performance, a guerrilla theatre event inspired by last season's The Heidi Chronicles.

"Our public programming events provide a rich layer of insight and discussion for patrons, providing the opportunity to make connections, ask questions and further discover the poignant theme of family that has emerged within the second season of the American Character Project," said Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards.

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