Circle Theater Announces OPUS As Season Opener, Runs 2/11-3/13

Circle Theatre, a professional theatre located in Sundance Square, presents the regional premiere of Opus by Michael Hollinger. Preview performances for the show are Thursday, February 11; Friday, February 12; and Saturday, February 13 (matinee). The production will officially open Saturday evening, February 13 at 8:00pm, followed by a post-show party with the cast & crew.

Opus opens on the Saturday evening of Valentine's weekend, so Circle suggests making this event an extra special treat for friends, family, and "sweethearts". Theatre patrons can enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants in Sundance Square before the show and top the evening off with a sparkling champagne toast after the performance. (Advance reservations are strongly recommended. This will be a busy week for restaurants and the Theatre.)

Under the direction of Alan Shorter, Opus features Jakie Cabe*, Mark Shum* David H. M. Lambert**, Meg Bauman** & Elias Taylorson**. Jordan Andrews* will serve as stage manager for the production.

Producer, Rose Pearson, says, "Michael Hollinger has reached the status of 'beloved playwright' at Circle Theatre. Circle's recent production of his medieval farce, Incorruptible, was a highlight in our 2009 season. We feel extremely lucky to be among the first to produce Hollinger's new play. Opus takes audiences into the behind-the-scenes world of a Grammy Award-winning string quartet. It is as different in style from Hollinger's Incorruptible as Bollywood is to Beethoven."

Circle Theatre is partially supported by the City of Fort Worth; The Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County; The Texas Commission on the Arts; and The National Endowment for the Arts.

* Member of Actors Equity Association
** Equity Membership Candidate

Circle Theatre

230 W. Fourth Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Sundance Square
Entertainment District

When: February 11 - March 13

Shows: Previews: February 11, 12,
& 13 (matinee)

Opening Night: Saturday, February 13, 8:00pm

Performances:
Thursdays at 7:30pm
Fridays at 8:00pm
Saturdays at 3:00pm and 8:00pm

Tickets: Previews Thursday and Saturday matinees: $10
Preview Friday evening: $15
Opening Saturday Night: $30

Thursday evenings: $20 - $25
Saturday matinee: $20 - $25
Friday/Saturday evenings: $25 - $30

Students and seniors (65+) receive a $5 discount on any full-priced ticket.

Student Rush tickets are available for half price, at half hour before show time (on standby).

Groups of 10 (or more) receive a $5 discount on each full-priced ticket.

Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. Call 817.877.3040 or stop by Circle's box office,Tuesday through Friday, from 12:00pm to 5:00pm or one hour before show times. This season, Circle Theatre will offer "24/7" online ticketing at www.CircleTheatre.com. The link to ticketing is currently under construction and should be up within the next 2-3 weeks.

Circle Theatre accepts Bell Helicopter coupons, the KERA Member Rewards Card, Sundance Square Insider coupons and the Star-Telegram Press Pass.

Opus contains some adult language and content. It is recommended for mature audiences.

Production Team:

Production team members for Opus are: Jordan Andrews*, Stage Manager; Clare Floyd Devries, Set Designer; Drenda Lewis, Costume Designer; David H. M. Lambert, Sound Designer; John Leach, Lighting Designer; and Cathy O'Neal, Props Designer.

*Actors' Equity Association

Playwright:

Michael Hollinger is the author of Opus, Tooth and Claw, Red Herring, Incorruptible, An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf, and Tiny Island, all of which premiered at Philadelphia's Arden Theatre Company and have enjoyed productions around the country, off-Broadway, and abroad. These plays are all published by Dramatists Play Service. Tiny Island also appears in New Playwrights: Best Plays of 1999, published by Smith and Kraus. His latest play, Tooth and Claw, was commissioned by the Ensemble Studio Theatre / Alfred P. Sloan Science and Technology Project, and received its world and New York premieres in the spring of 2004 at the Arden and EST, respectively. Michael has written seven touring plays for young audiences, as well as the 3D Laser Show, Extreme Choices, for New Jersey's Liberty Science Center. He has written three short films and co-authored the feature-length Philadelphia Diary for PBS. Awards include Harold & Mimi Steinberg New Play Citation from the American Theatre Critics Association, a Roger L. Stevens Award from the Kennedy Center's Fund for New American Plays, a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award, the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Theatre Artist, two Barrymore Awards for Outstanding New Play, nominations for Lucille Lortel and John Gassner Awards, and fellowships from the Independence Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Michael is a resident playwright of New Dramatists and Assistant Professor of Theatre at Villanova. He holds a Master of Arts (Theatre) from Villanova University and a Bachelor of Music (Viola Performance) from Oberlin Conservatory. He shares a life with his wife, actress/director/educator Megan Bellwoar, and their children, Benjamin and Willa.

Director:

Alan Shorter is a member of the performance faculty in the Department of Theatre at TCU and has served as stage director for their productions of Doubt, The Laramie Project, and Anything Goes, as well as playwright and director for outreach productions of The Best of Intentions and It's Just the Way Things Are. Other academic and professional directing credits include Wings, Cabaret, Children of Eden, The Good Doctor, The Diviners, and Lonely Planet, to name a few. Alan also served as Musical Director for TCU's productions of A Chorus Line and Little Women. As a composer, his work has been seen internationally at numerous venues, including Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. As an actor, Circle Theatre audiences may remember Alan as Father Stanley in our production of Hail Mary! Alan holds a BA in Theatre and Drama from Indiana University and an MFA in stage direction from Minnesota State University.

Theatre:

Circle Theatre is a professional regional theatre located in the historic Sanger Building in Sundance Square's Entertainment District, Fort Worth, TX. The Theatre's mission is to present contemporary and innovative plays in its intimate 125-seat setting. Circle offers salaries and benefits to theatre artists who wish to pursue their careers while living in Texas. As a producing member of the Equity Membership Candidacy Program, Circle provides qualifying performance weeks to actors and stage managers. The Theatre also offers internships and apprenticeships in arts administration and production. Circle Theatre presents a season of five main stage productions each year to an audience of 10,000 - 15,000 patrons.

For more information, please visit www.circletheatre.com.

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