Lisa Barton Directs BYE BYE BIRDIE at Desert Stages Theater, Now thru 5/4

At the tender age of 10 Lisa Barton stepped onto the stage at Desert Stages Theater and never looked back. She grew up in that theater and it set the course of her life as an adult. Barton has directed 7 consecutive On Stage shows at DST including the currently playing Bye Bye Birdie, now running through May 4th.

This is her second go around with Birdie, her first when she was only 15 and the late Audrey Johnson insisted that she audition for a strong comedic role. When she landed the role she spent hours on the phone with her grandmother in Long Island to perfect her accent and dove right into the character. "It was the first role I had where I truly became the character" Barton says, "That weird trance like place that you get into."

Barton continued her secondary education in the arts when she went on to receive a B.A. in Theater from the University of Tampa and her M.A. in Educational Theatre with a concentration in directing youth from New York University. But she knew that home truly is where the heart is and came back to Scottsdale to direct and perform with Desert Stages. Barton is one of these rare few who has taken the gifts and talents she has been so blessed with and given back to a whole new generation of young actors and future directors.

Come see Bye Bye Birdie playing at Desert Stages Theater in Scottsdale through May 4th. Show times are Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm and Saturdays & Sundays at 2pm. For tickets call the box office at 480-483-1664 or go to desertstages.org.

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