SPINNING INTO LIGHT to Play B Street Theatre, 11/30-1/4

B Street Theatre, Sacramento's Resident New Works Theatre, is pleased to present its 19th Mainstage world premiere for the holidays: Spinning Into Light, a musical. The production runs November 30, 2014 - January 4, 2015.

Book by B Street producing artistic director Buck Busfield, and original music by Noah Agruss, Spinning Into Light takes place in a small Southern mill town in post-war 1950's when 'times are good'. Peace abounds, production is up and love is in air; but not for all. When middle aged bachelor Vassar (Greg Alexander) declares that fellow line-worker Sally (Melinda Parrett) is a 'fine looking woman', something happens. But that something is quickly challenged by the arrival of Sally's reformed and repentant ex-husband Kenny (Jason Kuyendall) and Vassar's own cryptic reticence. A young and ebullient fellow line worker, Mindy Sue (Tara Sissom) complicates matters by her tireless quest for attention and love, and a burning pursuit of country music stardom.

B Street Theatre is a theater for and about writers. B Street's writing staff has written an astonishing 160 world premiere productions: 22 for the Mainstage, 27 for the Family Series, 110 for the School Tour and 3 for Sketch Comedy.

In addition, B Street has produced world premieres by non-staff writers such as Tony Award Winner Joe DiPietro (The Virgin Weeps in 1994; Men the Musical in 2000); Obie Award Winner James McLure (The Agent in 1994; A Southern Christmas in 1996); Academy Award Winner Aaron Sorkin (Hidden in this Picture in 1992); Jack Gallagher (Just the Guy in 2003; What He Left in 2006; A Different Kind of Cool in 2011; Complete and Unfinished in 2013 and his upcoming 5 Songs in 2015); Kira Obolensky (Lune Pronounced Looney); Mark Swivel (Water Falling Down in 2013); David McGregor (The Late, Great Henry Boyle in 2003); Elyzabeth Wilder (Provenance in 2014). In the summer of 2015, B Street will produce Bars and Measures, a world premiere drama by Idris Goodwin, author of How We Got On.

'What sets B Street apart from other theaters in the country is our company of writers and actors', says B Street producing artistic director, Buck Busfield. 'We have researched this and can find no other theater company in the country that produces as many original plays as B Street, and is fortunate to bring them to life with a marvelous resident, acting company'.

Spinning to Light is the latest in B Street's commitment to new plays; written by a staff writer and performed by four members of its much sought after acting company.

BIOGRAPHIES

The Director and Librettist:

Buck Busfield has worked for the B Street since its creation in 1986. He selects and casts all plays and has directed more than 100, working with some of the nation's finest actors and playwrights. As a playwright himself, Buck has written more than 20 plays; many having received productions at B Street Theatre. He is the recipient of the Arts and Business Council of Sacramento's Executive of the Year award and a senior fellow of the Mountain Valley chapter of the American Leadership Forum, Class IX. He makes his home in Sacramento with his wife Mehera, and their daughter, Priya.

The Composer:

Noah Agruss is known as a skilled and congenial collaborator whose credits are as varied as his score for the Lionsgate feature FIVE FINGERS (starring Laurence Fishburne and Ryan Phillippe), theater music for children, music for NBC's broadcast of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and cutting edge pop string arrangements for Vitamin Records and singer-songwriters such as Pixie Lott, Natasha Slayton, Hello Astronaut, Josh Rifkin etc. "As a small boy, in Northern California, I fell, big-time for music watching the Wizard of Oz on TV," Agruss says. "It wasn't just the songs that caught my attention, though. All of that brilliant underscore and orchestration really opened my ears to beautiful film scoring early on."

In addition to scoring duties, these days Agruss also enjoys bringing rich music to today's kids, writing catchy songs for Children's Musicals, premiering collaborations with the creatives at B Street Theatre, "It's so gratifying to watch those little faces light up in an audience packed full of kids on opening day," Noah says.

The Cast:

Greg Alexander (Vassar) - Greg Alexander has appeared in numerous B Street Theatre productions including I Am My Own Wife, The Big Bang!, Around The World In 80 Days, Escanaba In Da Moonlight, and Outside Mullingar. Most recently he wrote and directed Walk In Our Shoes - a show promoting mental health awareness - for B Street Theatre's School Tour. Sponsored by the California Mental Health Services Authority, Walk In Our Shoes was performed at over 100 schools throughout the state. Additional regional theatre credits include work at The Jewish Theatre of San Francisco, Sacramento Theatre Company, Capital Stage, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Philadelphia Theatre Company and People's Light and Theatre Company in Malvern, Pa. Greg lives in Sacramento with his wife Sean and their Westies Milo and Magoo.

Melinda Parrett (Sally) - This marks Melinda's third adventure with B Street, after having been seen in rx, The 39 Steps, and The Ladies Foursome, and she's always grateful to return to her hometown to play and create with friends! Most recently, she appeared as Diana in two back-to-back productions of Next To Normal, for StageWorks Fresno, and for Sacramento's own New Helvetia Theatre. Melinda has worked at theatres all over the country, including Denver Center Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Goodspeed Opera House, Geva Theatre, PCPA Theaterfest, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, and Odyssey Theatre Ensemble LA. Sacramento appearances include [title of show] and It's Only Life for New Helvetia Theatre, Graham-A-Rama, and as Scrooge for Albert Schweitzer Elementary (6th grade play). She can be seen this summer at Utah Shakespeare Festival as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, and as Ariel in The Tempest.

Jason Kuyendall (Kenny) - A member of B Street Theatre's acting company and sketch comedy troupe, Jason has performed in many new works at the theatre, including Last Train To Nibroc, The Adventures of Sherlock, The Flying Machine and most recently The Ugly One, Detroit, and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike for the Maistage Series. Outside Sacramento, he starred on stage with Tyne Daly in a production of Big Maggie and he played Oswald in the world premiere of a new Lanford Wilson translation of Henrick Ibsen's Ghosts. Jason also has had roles in TV's General Hospital and State of Grace and appeared in the feature film Homeland. He also starred in the feature film Moments, directed by his wife and fellow company member Elizabeth Nunziatio. his local work includes Of Mice and Men at Sacramento Theatre Company and The Elephant Man at Theatre Works.

Tara Sissom (Mindy Sue) - Tara is a B Street Theatre company member and former intern who was seen most recently in The Ladies Foursome for the Mainstage Series. Tara lives in Chicago, where she recently appeared in the Goodman Theatre production of The Iceman Cometh, with Brian Dennehy and Nathan Lane. She also is a company member of the New Colony, with whom she's written two plays - Pancake Breakfast and 11:11. She received a Joseph Jefferson Award for original music composition for That Sordid Little Story. Other B Street credits are Make Someone Happy, Jack Goes Boating, Gulf View Drive, Go, Dog, Go! and Cinderella. In Chicago, Tara has appeared in Frat, Tupperware: An American Musical Fable and 11:11 with the New Colony, andLiterally Sexy II, III and IV, One-Minute Play Festival and Walk of Shame with the Fresh-Squeezed Series at Victory Garden's Biograph Theatre. Regional credits include The Man Who Came to Dinner, Children of Eden and Beauty and the Beast at Flat Rock Playhouse. Tara has a bachelor of fine arts degree in music theatre from Elon University. She studies improvisation and sketch comedy at the Improv Olympic Theatre (in Chicago) and the Annoyance Theatre. She's also a member of a bluegrass band, the Family Gunn.

More about B Street Theatre: B Street Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre company producing primarily new work for adults, families and children. The two-theatre playhouse on B Street in Midtown Sacramento is home to the Mainstage Series, B3 Series and Family Series, each created to feature intimate, quality theatre for audiences year-round. Recognized as one of the nation's top professional theatres, B Street Theatre has produced more than 100 new plays, 60 of which are world, national, West Coast or regional premieres.

B Street Theatre was originally founded in 1986 for the purpose of bringing the excitement of live performance to children through the B Street Theatre School Tour. This educational outreach program serves over 200,000 students in Northern California annually.

B Street Theatre programs include the Mainstage Series, B Street Theatre Family Series and Family Series Student Matinees (for school field trips), the B3 Series, Sketch Comedy, B Street Acting Conservatory and Studio for Young People, and the B Street Theatre Internship program for pre-professional/post-college training.

B Street Theatre has produced over 250 professional productions since 1986. The mission of B Street Theatre is to promote education and literacy, social interaction, and cultural enrichment by engaging children and adults in the highest quality theatre arts and playwriting.

More information at www.bstreettheatre.org.

Pictured, clockwise from top left: Tara Sissom, Greg Alexander and Jason Kuykendall. Photo by B Street Staff.

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