City Theatre Austin Presents THE SPOON RIVER PROJECT

Leaping in 2021, City Theatre Austin celebrates the spirit of community with a virtual theatre performance adapted from the critically acclaimed American poetry of Edgar Lee Masters.

Speaking from the past in a small Illinois town, thirty Austin actors perform the most revered of Masters' collection poignantly capturing the politics, passion, love, betrayals, secrets, failures, and hopes of its citizens, and expressing true stories about death and life to reveal a moving portrait of what - and who - creates a place called home. Staged and filmed at Mueller Park in Austin, Texas.

Spoon River voices have been speaking for over a century...who is still listening?

When Spoon River Anthology was published in 1915, Edgar Lee Masters shattered the myth and virtue of small-town America. Nationwide, it was acclaimed by literary critics. But, in this thinly veiled fictional hamlet, its hardworking, churchgoing, corrupt, failed, and unfulfilled, they now had to see themselves, and it was quickly condemned and banned. His collection includes 212 separate characters, in all providing 244 accounts of their lives and losses and creating an unabashed tapestry of who is a part of every community.

Thirty actors - Thirty poems - Thirty performances.

The Spoon River Project is conceived and directed by Artistic Director Andy Berkovsky, with filming and editing by J. Kevin Smith, and project management by Cris Skinner. The production features Zach Barrett, Terri Bennett, R. Michael Clinkscales, Lori Cordova, Mike Dellens, Gabriel Diehl, Sunshine Garrison, Stacey Glazer, Anne Hulsman, Tracy Hurd, Samantha Brewer-Insogna, Craig Kanne, Moses Kutz, Bonnie Lambert, Steve Lawson, Valencia Lee, Judy Lee, Christina Little-Manley, McArthur Moore, Jane Newchurch, Bill Newchurch, Meredith O'Brien, Bobbie Oliver, Larry Oliver, Beau Paul, Scott Poppaw, Patrick Wheeler, Ty Wiley, Chuck Winkler, and Ben Woods.

The City Theatre Company is excited to be celebrating its 14th anniversary season of live theatre entertainment in Austin. CTC is an Austin-based, not-for-profit arts organization and is sponsored in part by the Austin Creative Alliance and the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin. Founded in 2006, the company has been recognized by the Austin Critics Table Awards, the B. Iden Payne Awards, the Central Texas Excellence in Theatre Awards, Austin Live Theatre, BroadwayWorld Austin and has twice been voted "Best Theatre Company" by Austin American-Statesman's Austin 360. CTC is dedicated in providing a quality, reputable, and diverse public theatre and Stage Entertainment experience that is accessible to all artists and the entire Austin community. In 2021, CTC will continue to offer its discount ticket program with $10 Thursday seats and $12 student seats for any show. Put a little theatre in your life!

Learn more at www.citytheatreaustin.org.