Ozark Actors Theatre Announces Directors For Season Of Strong Women

Ozark Actors Theatre is proud to announce that Artistic Director A.S. Freeman will be joined by two powerhouse female directors for OAT's Season of Strong Women. "It was very important to me from the moment we selected this season and this theme that we find directors totally equipped to tell these stories," said Artistic Director, A.S. Freeman, "and who would be better equipped than two incredibly strong women?" The Season of Strong Women includes Hello, Dolly!, Violet, and As You Like It this summer, and will conclude with an all-new professional Christmas show at Ozark Actors Theatre - a one-woman adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

"It's a very exciting time around the Cedar Street Playhouse," said Freeman, "in addition to all of the programming our audiences used to, we are expanding our offerings at the Christmas season. Our community show will still fill that space before Thanksgiving, but afterwards, we're very excited for our brand new one-woman Christmas Carol."

Hello, Dolly!, sponsored by Phelps County Bank, will open our summer under the direction of a woman who is growing very familiar to OAT audiences. Larissa Klinger returns to Ozark Actors Theatre for her third season, her first sitting in the directors chair. You may recognize her from Damn Yankees and last season's I do! I do! Larissa is the associate director as well as a performing member of the USO Show Troupe that tours worldwide entertaining the Military and their family members. With the USO she has directed and choreographed shows at Hard Rock NYC, Nashville, and Tulsa, the Durham Fair, and Maryland Live!

Taking the stage in July, Violet, will be under the direction of our Artistic Director A.S. Freeman. Violet is sponsored by A Slice of Pie and Forum Dental. Last season, Freeman directed our production of On Golden Pond, which was nominated for 4 BroadwayWorld.com St Louis awards, including Best Drama. Freeman holds an MFA in Directing from Western Illinois University, and has directed and performed across the state, country, and twice off-off Broadway. Later this season, Freeman will also be directing our one-woman adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

The summer season will close out in August with As You Like It, by William Shakespeare, but featuring the music of the 1960s. Brewer Science is proudly sponsoring this production. Director Jenny Male developed the concept. Jenny is Associate Professor of Theatre at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. She is a certified teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors and serves as Resident Fight Director for Rep Stage. Jenny is an accomplished director with a national reputation.

"In addition to these incredibly talented women," said Freeman, "the cast, technical crew, and design teams that we have assembled are out of this world. This is just the first of many very exciting announcements coming from OAT - about this season and beyond."

Season Subscriptions are available at www.OzarkActorsTheatre.org or by calling (573) 264-9523. Individual show tickets go on sale May 1.