Kate Kawkes Brings Performing Wellness to the CMT July 23, 24

Join Kate Hawkes when she brings Performing Wellness^TM, an extraordinary event that meshes the writing of everyday people living with a life threatening experience with the power of live performance to Arizona for the first time.

This very special evening of Readers Theatre is drawn from the stories of ten of the many writers with whom Kate has created over seven years. They were participants in the Performing Wellness process that she developed in 2000 and facilitated with many different groups in Oregon. A one-act show, all performances will be followed by an opportunity for discussion with Kate.
Kate will introduce you to men and women who live with cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, HIV/Aids, and war related PTSD. Far from depressing, these stories by real, everyday people, reveal, inspire and honor life.

Originally from Australia, Kate is a veteran of the stage, having worked as an actress, director, playwright, producer and theatre teacher for over thirty years. As a playwright she has had two commissioned works, Singing Our Way Home and Composers in Skirts. Her most recent work is Sky....Diamonds, a play about living with Alzheimer's Disease.

Combining this expertise and passion with healthcare, in which she works as an arts-in-healthcare consultant, she created Performing Wellness while she was the Education/Outreach Director at Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon. There Kate co-founded an organization dedicated to making the writing process available to small groups of individuals followed by public theatrical performances with professional actors at different venues in the community.

This production is directed by fellow Australian, actor/director Gerard Maguire. Gerard has had a long and distinguished career as an actor, writer, director and teacher since graduating from NIDA, Australia's leading drama school at the University of New South Wales, whose alumni include Kate Blanchette, Mel Gibson and Judy Davis. He has had leading roles in film, television and the theatre as well as providing his voice for numerous commercials and documentaries. His theatre work includes leading roles for Australia's major theatre companies, as well as a stint in London's West End. He has directed plays in Sydney and Melbourne including The Dreamer Examines His Pillow by Tony winning playwright John Patrick Shanley. Gerard is familiar to CMT audiences for his performances in many plays at Canyon Moon, including Art, The Lion in Winter, and The Importance of Being Earnest. He recently directed CMT's The Business of Murder.

Witness the power of the Performing Wellness stories which evolved under a remarkable process, performed by a skillful and versatile actress with intimate knowledge of the writers and how these works came to the stage. Performing Wellness:1 Woman, 10 Stories on Stage is a unique theatrical experience. Visit Kate's website at www.wellnesswithkate.com for more information on Performing Wellness^TM.

This is a special co-production by Canyon Moon Theatre Company and Theatrikos Theatre Company. It is not suitable for children under the age of 16.

CMT performances are Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24 at 7.30pm. Ticket prices are $8 and group rates are available. To purchase tickets, please call 928-282-6212.Tickets are also available at Bashas' in West Sedona and Marketplace Café in the VOC. Canyon Moon Theatre is located in the Oak Creek Factory Outlets, three doors down from The Gap, on State Route 179 in the Village of Oak Creek.

Theatrikos performances are Saturday, July 17 at 7:30pm and Sunday, July 18 at 2pm. For more information, please call 9287-774-1662. Theatrikos resides at the Doris Harper-White Community Playhouse, 11 West Cherry Street in Historic Downtown Flagstaff.

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