TOWARD ZERO, 'FOUR WEDDINGS' & More Set for Rover Dramawerks' Sweet 16 Season

By: Jun. 22, 2015
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Rover Dramawerks has announced their SWEET 16 Season of plays "off the beaten path." Rover will present eight mainstage plays, two festivals, and a One Day Only as part of the season, plus a bonus Valentine's Day murder mystery (not included in the season).

The season begins with a little-known Agatha Christie mystery, Toward Zero, directed by Rover's Executive Artistic Director Carol M. Rice, running October 22 - November 14, 2015. Neville Strange insists it won't be a problem for his ex-wife Audrey to visit Lady Tressilian at the same time as he and his new wife Kay, but tensions are understandably high from the start. When Lady Tressilian is brutally murdered, Inspector Battle is on the case to solve the crime. This is Dame Agatha at her finest!

As always, Rover does not produce holiday shows, choosing instead to take that time off. However, the theatre is available for rent by other organizations during late November through the month of December.

The comedy Four Weddings and an Elvis by Nancy Frick, directed by Matt Stepan, will run January 7-30, 2016. Anything can happen in a wedding chapel in Las Vegas...and does! From a couple getting married by the King himself as revenge on their exes, to arrogant, aging stars tying the knot as a publicity stunt, to a ceremony that really needs to happen before the police arrive, to the nuptials of the wedding chapel owner herself, what happens in Vegas...is hilarious!

Rocket Man by Steven Dietz, directed by Jason Rice, follows, running February 25 - March 19, 2016. In this serious comedy, Donny believes that somewhere in the universe is a place where all the roads we never chose converge. He is so determined to find this parallel world he has placed everything he owns on his front lawn with a sign that reads: "Here's my life. Make an offer." Will he find what he's looking for?

When Did You Last See Your Trousers? by Ray Galton and John Antrobus, directed by Andi Allen, is next, running March 31 - April 23, 2016. While Howard and Penny are asleep, a burglar climbs through the window and steals Howard's suit. How is he supposed to make it back to the suburbs to his wife in his underwear? Add to this a punk with rainbow colored hair, a flasher, and a singing telegram Gorilla and you have the ingredients for an outrageous farce!

Rover is excited to once again present our 365 Women a Year Festival, running for two weekends this time, May 5-14, 2016, and this year, the festival is included in the regular season. Rover again partners with international playwriting coalition, 365 Women A Year, to present short plays about historical women by area playwrights. The project's focus is to write plays about extraordinary women in past and present history, bring women back into the social consciousness, and plant seeds of herstory around the country.

Next we have the World Premiere comedy, Crisis by Larry Herold, directed by Paul McKenzie, running May 26 - June 18, 2016. When a corporation screws up - like, for instance, when the CEO is seen doing questionable things in a viral YouTube video - they bring in a crisis expert. Someone to circle the wagons. Handle the media. Control the panic. That would be Margot Euston. All she needs is for CEO Jack Carville to be completely honest. But honesty is not a part of Jack's business plan.

The winners of Rover's second annual 10-minute play contest will be featured in our 10-Minute Play Festival, running June 30 - July 9, 2016. Rover receives more than 300 comedies for this contest from playwrights all over the world, and this year the festival will be included as part of the regular season.

For the second year in a row, Rover has hosted a new full-length play contest, only this year the submissions could only have been produced once. Heels Over Head by Susan Goodell is our Rover SECONDS Play Contest Winner. Directed by Frances Seman, this new comedy will run July 21 - August 13, 2016. Two total strangers have eloped after an ecstatic first meeting at a bungee jump, but neither suspects a future with terrifying roommates, unbreakable leases, an internet stalker, an ex-boyfriend, and nomadic bouncing between two extreme households.

One Day Only 26, the twenty-sixth installment of Rover's signature one-day festival in which five short plays go from concept to curtain in just 24 hours is next on August 27, with two performances at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m.

Kong's Night Out by Jack Neary follows, directed by Carol M. Rice, September 8 - October 1, 2016. This is the story of what happened in the hotel room next to the hotel room where Fay Wray was whisked out into the Manhattan night by King Kong. There's always a backstory, and in this case, it's a door-slamming farce meticulously coordinated with the events depicted in the classic 1933 movie.

Closing out the season October 20 - November 12, 2016 is the mystery Think Twice by Ayn Rand, directed by Lindsey Humphries. A seemingly altruistic man uses his brilliant ideas to gain power and control over everyone in his life, giving all of them compelling motives for his murder. Just keep in mind that you'll have to "think twice" when deciding who you think did it!

Between the runs of mainstage shows and festivals, Rover Dramawerks will also continue their Adventure Nights series on most Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m.

SWEET 16 Season tickets are now on sale for just $160.00 for 11 shows, as well as Rover's popular 6-admission Punch Cards for $110.00. The 15th Anniversary Season also continues with the currently running farce Suite Surrender by Michael McKeever, through June 27; Neil Simon's Come Blow Your Horn running July 16 - August 8, One Day Only 25 on August 29, and the classic comedy Cactus Flower by Abe Burrows running September 10 - October 3.

For more information about Rover Dramawerks' SWEET 16 Season, to purchase season or single tickets, and for information on renting the theatre over the holidays or between shows, please visit the website at www.roverdramawerks.com or call 972-849-0358.

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