Open Circle Theatre Presents:

Story Theatre

By Paul Sills

“In the depths of the despair, there lies the spark: the transformation of reality.” –Paul Sills

SAVE THE DATE:  Press Night Satuday, August 23 – 8PM at Round House Theatre Silver Spring
8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910

SILVER SPRING, MD (July 25, 2008) -- Open Circle Theatre announces its seventh production: Story Theatre by Paul Sills will run from August 23- September 13.

With this first ever directorial collaboration between actor, producer and sound designer Ian Armstrong, and Helen Hayes Outstanding Director nominee Suzanne Richard, Open Circle steps away from its recent history of musicals and returns to its theatrical roots by embracing the improvisational, transformational style of story theatre.  The son of acclaimed teacher and writer Viola Spolin, Paul Sills grew up in an environment rich with educational theatre experiences.  In 1968, his Tony award winning production of Story Theatre took this same-named style of theatre to new levels as they explored the growing discontent with such political issues as the war in Vietnam and the Democratic Party through the use of fairy tales and fables.  Open Circle uses this same text to explore our country’s and our species’ recent struggles with increasingly frequent and ferocious natural disasters such as hurricanes and flooding.  Why do we tell each other stories? 

As Open Circle Theatre has demonstrated in the past, accessibility is a key part of our production values.  American Sign Language and captioning are incorporated into the performance, making it accessible to deaf audiences. As always, OCT offers assistive listening devices for people who are hard of hearing, and all shows are audio described on demand for the blind and low vision population.  And, of course, OCT is lucky to continue its artistic partnership with Round House Theatre and to have the wonderfully accessible space of Round House Theatre Silver Spring for people with mobility disabilities.

Open Circle would like to acknowledge the special contribution of Professor Paul Ferguson and Liz Lerman Dance Exchange to this production.  Paul Ferguson, Professor of Communication Studies at The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, was gracious enough to spend time with Story Theatre’s cast reviewing and teaching principles of story theatre, improv, and Viola Spolin’s theatre games.  Liz Lerman Dance Exchange spent also worked with the OCT cast as a part of their All-Abilities Dance Workshops.  Both of these contributors served to weave this diverse ensemble into a cohesive whole of actors with and without disabilities.

Press Performance:

Satuday, August 23 – 8PM

General Performance Information:

Thursday (Sept. 4 & 11), Fridays, & Saturdays at 8pm

Saturdays and Sundays 2pm matinees

Sundays at 7:30pm

Abbreviated Labor Day weekend schedule:

Friday Aug. 29 at 8pm

Saturday Aug. 30 at 8pm

Sunday Aug. 31 at 2pm

All performances will be: 

                                                Sign interpreted/Captioned

                                                Assisted Listening

                                                Audio description on demand

Ticket Information:

• Thursday & Sunday shows are $15.
• Friday shows are $25.  $5 discount for students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more.
• Saturday shows are $30.  $5 discount for students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more.
• 2-FOR-1 PRICING FOR ALL SHOWS WITH A MILITARY ID

To reserve tickets and pay cash or check at the door, please call 240/683-0305 or email director@opencircltheatre.org
To pay with a credit card, please go to: http://www.boxofficetickets.com/

Theater Location:

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

8641 Colesville Road,

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Production Team:

Co- Directors:                                    Suzanne Richard & Ian Armstrong

Assistant Director:                            Adin Walker

Sign Master:                                      Jill Owens

Production Designer:                       Marie Audrey Désy

Light Designer:                                  Marianne Meadows

Costume Designer:                          Tina Weich & Allie Lidie

Stage Manager:                                Kate Kilbane

Dramaturge:                                      Meghan Reich

Multi-Media:                                       Matt Mahaney

Cast:

Greg Anderson

Elver Ariza

Michelle Banks

Jamie Boyd

Lori Boyd

Ra-Ra Boyd

Linda Gabriel

Tiffany Garfinkle

JP Illarramendi

Joe Lewis

Karen Novack

Erica Siegel

Kim Tuvin