American Stage Announces Their December Schedule

American Stage Theatre Company has announced its schedule of December performances for the Susan R. Hough Cabaret Series, "After Hours" Series and Hot Off the Press Playreading Series in the Raymond James Theatre. These are 321, A VERY MERRY UNAUTHORIZED CHILDREN'S SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT, THE SANTALAND DIARIES, A NOT SO SILENT NIGHT, HOLIDAY HAM, SECTION 60 and BAIT.

A VERY MERRY UNAUTHORIZED CHILDREN'S SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT

by Kyle Jarrow and Alex Timbers

"After Hours" Series

December 9 through 22

Tickets: $25.

A VERY MERRY UNAUTHORIZED CHILDREN'S SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT begins with six children gathering on a cold winter night to rejoice in telling the story of L. Ron Hubbard during their holiday pageant. A narrator notes, "Today we relate the life of L. Ron Hubbard: Teacher, author, explorer, atomic physicist, nautical engineer, choreographer, horticulturist and father of Scientology!" And so begins what Variety called, "A breezy one-hour show that is equal parts adorable and creepy, hilarious and unsettling, making it way more compelling than your average holiday entertainment." Learn about Scientology and its creator in musical form, including special appearances by many of the churches greatest practitioners as puppets and the possible arrival of the almighty Xenu himself. See why the president of the Church of Scientology tried to shut this play down (before we get closed down).
THE SANTALAND DIARIES

by David Sedaris

"After Hours" Series

December 9 through 22

Tickets: $25.

The holiday season has been called the most wonderful time of the year. Not so says Crumpet, the unemployed, chemically dependent writer who takes a job as a "helper elf" at Macy's Santaland in NYC! His tale of mass marketing, stressed out sales clerks, drunken Santas, screaming kids and the general insanity of the holidays is hilarious and meant for mature audiences only. A favorite of NPR, and award-winning author of such books as "When You Are Engulfed in Flames," Sedaris' cutting, sardonic wit is on full display with this one-man show starring local favorite Brian Shea (Othello). A must see hit for anyone who views the holiday season a little differently from what the television wants us to believe.

321

featuring Gavin Hawke and Ricky Wayne

"After Hours" Series 1ST Sunday Improv

December 5 at 8 p.m.

All tickets: "Pay What You Can" at the door, $15 in advance

A world premiere from the minds of Hawk & Wayne, the creators of THE DUMB SHOW, comes American Stage's new long-form comedy improvisation show, 321. Starting with the audience suggestions of 3 character relationships, 2 improvisors will create a piece that takes place in 1 location. Gavin Hawk and Ricky Wayne weave all of these elements into a hilarious, amazing, and poignant one-act play that is sure to delight the audience

A NOT SO SILENT NIGHT
featuring Becca McCoy with James Weaver on piano

Susan R. Hough Cabaret Series

December 9 and 10 at 7 p.m.
December 11 at 3 and 7 p.m.

Tickets:
$15 or "Pay What You Can" with any donation of canned goods or personal care items to benefit Hands4Hope.

 

This sixty-minute show features traditional carols, original music, old favorites in new arrangements by James Weaver and the best of contemporary holiday music. A singer with a big sound, huge range and inimitable style, Becca's expressive treatment of the holiday classics will put you in the "Spirit of the Season," no matter what the Florida weather is doing.

 

HOLIDAY HAM
featuring Jayne Trinette and Matthew McGee

Susan R. Hough Cabaret Series

December 17 and 18 at 8 p.m.
December 19 at 6 p.m.
December 20 thru 23 at 7 p.m.

Tickets:
"Pay What You Can" at the door and $15 in advance.

Join American Stage cabaret as they ring in the holiday season with a fabulous and frothy evening with first-class entertainers. Okay, so the people we had in mind weren't available. Instead, join Matthew McGee and Jayne Trinette for a little HOLIDAY HAM! This hilarious and irreverent Christmas cabaret features the vocal styling of one of Florida's favorite jazz vocalists, as well as the madcap antics of one of the Bay Area's most popular funnymen. Combine classic Christmas tunes, audience participation, a cooking segment and a sit-down interview with one of Tampa Bay's most notorious politicians and you've got a show that is sure to not win a single end of year award (it's going to be that entertaining)! Get ready to laugh and Deck the Halls with Matthew and Jayne as they welcome you to their table and carve up a little HOLIDAY HAM!

SECTION 60, a rock musical
Music by Waldo John Wittenmyer
Lyrics by Waldo John Wittenmyer and Todd Olson
Book by T. Scott Wooten and Todd Olson

Hot Off the Press Playreading Series

Tickets: "Pay What You Can" at the door

December 18 and 19 at 3 p.m.

 

A new soldier comes to be buried in Section 60, the plot of land in Arlington Cemetery recently dedicated to the incoming dead from Iraq and Afghanistan. But he is not alone. There reside the ghosts of the newly dead, lamenting the freshness of their sacrifice, searching for answers and reaching out to comfort the mourners who walk among them. Driven almost completely by Waldo's eclectic rock score, SECTION 60 is at once a song cycle of protest and a requiem for heroes.

BAIT
"After Hours" Series 3RD Sunday Improv

December 19 at 8 p.m.

All tickets: "Pay-What-You-Can" at the door and $15 in advance.

With improv becoming more popular due to shows like "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" audiences have been exposed to short-form, or game-like improv. BAIT's foray into the improv world is an attempt to break away from that more common form and experiment with mid- and long-form improv. That means scenes and unscripted theatre. They do mostly on-the-spot scenes, midform scene/play experiments and longform unscripted theatre. Of course, they usually work in a few quick games. They can do it with audience member participation or as a theatrical production where the audience can just sit back and watch and laugh!

Please call the American Stage Box Office at (727) 823-PLAY (7529)
or go to www.americanstage.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

American Stage Theatre Company is located at the Raymond James Theatre, 163 3rd Street North in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

American Stage Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1977. The company's mission is to create the most satisfying live theatre in the Tampa Bay area, accessible to all members of the community. Their vision is to preserve the greatest human stories from our past, while creating the most defining stories and storytelling of our time. American Stage presents its six play Mainstage Series in its brand new, 182-seat Raymond James Theatre each year. The theatre's other programming includes: "After Hours" Series, Susan R. Hough Cabaret, American Stage in the Park, Hot Off the Press Playreading Series, School Tour and camps and classes for children. The Hough Family Foundation is the Season Sponsor, Raymond James is the Mainstage Sponsor, Bank of America is the Education Partner, WEDU is our Television Sponsor and WUSF 89.7 is the Radio Sponsor of American Stage. "After Hours" series sponsor is ABC Bicycles.

 

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