Florida Rep's Stage@Home Virtual Talkback Series Returns Friday

Florida Repertory Theatre will bring back its popular Stage@Home Virtual Talkback Series for four episodes beginning on Oct. 2nd at 3:30 PM. Held live on Zoom, the series takes audiences behind the scenes and introduces them to ensemble members, staff, technicians, and popular guest artists. The cost to register is $20/episode and $75 to access all four episodes.

Hosted by Associate Artistic Director, Jason Parrish, the first episode features three musical leading ladies from recent Florida Rep productions for an in-depth discussion and some powerful performances. The panelists are Jillian Louis, who played Sally Bowles in "Cabaret," Susan Haefner, who dazzled in the title role from "Tenderly: the Rosemary Clooney Musical," and Bethany Gwen Perkins, who starred in last year's season opener, "Always...Patsy Cline."

The series was so popular over the spring and summer," said Artistic Director, Greg Longenhagen, "that we knew we had to bring it back this fall. We announced the postponement of our professional live theatre season earlier this month, and Stage@Home is just one of many ways we're pivoting to alternative content while we cannot gather. Nothing replaces the magic of live theatre, but we think projects like Stage@Home will help to deepen our audience's appreciation of it when we make a return to our stages in 2021."

The four-episode run of Stage@Home begins Friday, Oct. 2 and runs every week at 3:30 through the end of the month. The series takes a break on Oct. 23 in order to allow its Education Department to return to its Virtual Reading Series, and is excited to announce the title for October later this month. In addition to Stage@Home, the theatre is working to make an announcement of even more virtual content in the coming days!

"Please stay tuned," Longenhagen said. "Keep watching our website, your inbox, and all of our social media platforms because that's the fastest way we can communicate with you. While you're at it, subscribe to our YouTube channel so you get up-to -the-minute updates as we produce more and more virtual content this fall."

The fall Stage@Home series is also excited to welcome ensemble members like Michelle Damato, Viki Boyle, Rachel Burttram, and more. Burttram will talk about her upcoming appearance as Betty Grissom on the National Geographic series, "The Right Stuff," set to premiere on Disney Plus later this month. The October 9 episode reunites the cast and authors of the 2015 production of "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti," where Damato starred in a one-woman-show and cooked a three-course Italian dinner for the audience. That episode also welcomes the play's author, Jacques Lamarre, and the author of the best-selling memoir, Giulia Melucci.

New to Stage@Home this fall, each episode carries a generous sponsor whose support makes the programming possible. Please join Florida Rep in thanking the following Stage@Home sponsors: Alexandra & Eunice Bremner (Oct. 2), Ballantine Drone Services (Oct. 9), Judy Weiner and Barbara Waldman (Oct. 16), and Emily Eason (Oct. 30).

Digital tickets are available now at www.FloridaRep.org. Each episode is $20 or patrons can buy them all for $75. All proceeds go to helping Florida Rep sustain itself through Season 23. Events are held on Zoom every Friday at 3:30 PM and the virtual doors open at 3:15 PM. The first episode features a toast to commemorate what Oct. 2 as what would have been the opening night of Florida Rep's professional season.

Follow Florida Rep on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and subscribe on YouTube for the most up-to-date- information. Call the box office at (239) 332-4488 Monday to Friday 10 AM to 1 PM.

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