Gainesville Theatre Alliance Kicks Off 35th Theatre Season with $10K Grant

Just in time to help fuel the Gainesville Theatre Alliance's 35th season, Governor Nathan Deal has announced that GTA has been awarded a $10,000 Partner Grant by Georgia Council for the Arts.

The Council has routinely ranked GTA among the top professional theatres in the state, though Georgia's 85% reduction in Arts funding since 2009 has severely limited grant awards.

"The financial award from the Georgia Council for the Arts will help provide GTA with the financial support to produce the most ambitious season in our 35 year history," Jim Hammond, Artistic & Managing Director commented.

The 2014-2015 GTA theatrical season provides both well-loved and new titles, classical and contemporary fare for theatre-goers in North Georgia. Performances kick off in September with the WonderQuest (theatre for young audiences) production of Sleeping Beauty and continue with a MainStage season of shows never produced on the GTA Stage before: Oklahoma in November, and then spring productions of In the Heights, Antigone and The Great Gatsby. Tickets went on sale July 1.

The Gainesville Theatre Alliance collaboration was forged in 1979 between the University of North Georgia (then Gainesville Junior College), Brenau University, theatre professionals and the northeast Georgia community and has yielded state and national awards for theatre excellence.

Over 25,000 patrons attended 156 GTA performances last season, with patrons remarking on the dazzling production values made possible by this hybrid professional company/theatre training program. The upcoming season promises nothing less, with theatre professionals directing, acting and designing alongside GTA's talented college theatre students.

Director/Choreographer, Barbara Hartwig, who was on board for last season's production of Guys and Dolls, returns to stage Oklahoma, and In The Heights will feature the work of choreographer Ricardo Aponte and actor Rick Gomez, who is also GTA's Musical Theatre Coordinator and an Assistant Professor at Brenau University. Award-winning Atlanta scenic designer Kat Conley will make her GTA debut with Antigone, which will be directed by GTA Resident Director and UNG associate professor Elisa Carlson.

"Thanks to the remarkable support of the University of North Georgia, Brenau University and the northeast Georgia community, the Gainesville Theatre Alliance has built a stellar reputation for quality, and this anniversary season promises to take our work to an even higher level," Hammond said.

Discounted package subscriptions and individual tickets to GTA performances can be purchased at www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org, where patrons can select their own seats, or by calling the Box Office, 678-717-3624.

Pictured: GUYS & DOLLS photo by Simpson Custom Photography.