FAC’s Theatre Company Opens New Season With ASSASSINS 9/29-10/23

The Fine Arts Center's Theatre Company kicks off its 2011-2012 season with Stephen Sondheim's groundbreaking American musical, Assassins, Sept. 29 - Oct. 23 in the SaG?Ji Theatre.

Bold, surreal, disturbing, thought-provoking, and alarmingly funny, Assassins lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, this 2004 Tony-Award winner bends the rules of time and space, and takes theatre-goers on a thrilling ride. Assassins contains adult language and situations and violence.

Assassins marks the directorial debut of Scott RC Levy, the new Producing Artistic Director of the FAC's Theatre Company. Prior to the FAC, Levy served in the same capacity at the Penobscot Theatre in Bangor, Maine, for six years, was the co-producer of the Playwrights Horizons Theater School at New York University (2001-2005), and was a teaching artist with the Guggenheim Museum (1999-2005).

"Assassins is one of my favorite musicals, and I am excited to begin my tenure here with this thrilling piece," said Levy. "The FAC has become known for our interpretations of Sondheim's work and I am honored to add this modern classic to our fabled history."

There are a number of notable cast members making their FAC debut, including Tom Auclair (Samuel Byck), Ben Bashinski (Leon Czolgosz) Cailin Doran (Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme), and JorDan Leigh (Charles Guiteau). Leigh is best known in Colorado for his record-setting run of 1,731 performances of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. A graduate of the UCLA School of Theatre, Leigh is also a filmmaker with Cinema Geeks Productions. His film, 46 Miles, was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Bashinski is a Platoon Leader in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

The cast of 14 also includes SaG?Ji veterans Marco Robinson (Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald), Jason Lythoge (John Wilkes Booth), Brantley Scott Haines (John Hinckley), Max Ferguson (Proprietor), and Miriam Roth Ballard (Sara Jane Moore). Robinson was named "2009 Best Actor" by the Gazette. He has appeared in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sweeney Todd and as Eugene Jerome in the Neil Simon Trilogy, all for the FAC.

The creative team includes Christopher L. Sheley (Scenic Designer), Janson Fangio (Costume Design), Jonathan Spencer (Lighting Design), and Roberta Jacyshyn (Musical Director), who leads the eight-member orchestra. The production stage manager is Katy McGlaughin. Spencer, making his FAC debut, was the Assistant Lighting Designer on four recent Broadway shows, including Sister Act, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Finian's Rainbow and Legally Blonde.

Tickets and Show times FAC Member Non-Members
Thursday Preview, 7:30p (Sept. 29) $18 $20
Thursday, 7:30p (Oct. 6, 13) $27 $30
Friday / Saturday, 7:30p $33 $37
Saturday / Sunday matinee, 2 p.m. $29 $32
Student Tickets (any night) $15 $15

Pay What You Wish, Get What We Got
The FAC is inviting the public to view the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday, Sept. 28, with a pricing system called, "Pay What You Wish, Get What We Got." Tickets are available the day of the show at the FAC Box Office and patrons set the price. This is a rehearsal, so the performance may be interrupted at various times at the discretion of the director.

First Sunday Forum
Join Producing Artistic Director Scott RC Levy and the company of Assassins for a free post-show discussion following the performance on Sunday, Oct. 3.

Pre-Theatre Dining
Enjoy a gourmet meal at Amuzé at the FAC prior to the show. The staff at the award-winning Amuze will prepare a prix fixe chef's menu that will match the theme of the production. Reservations are recommended and can be made at 719.477.4377. Visit the FAC website for the latest menu options.

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