Festival of independent Theatres opens July 15, 2011
DALLAS, TX-The summer’s hottest event returns to the historic Bath House Cultural Centerfor its thirteenth exciting season. The 2011 Festival of Independent Theatres coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Bath House Cultural Center and the 100th anniversary of White Rock Lake. So we’re throwing a party!
Echo Theatre 2010
Joining in the celebration, sponsored by Performing Arts Initiative, The Bath House Cultural Center and The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs will be eight of the city’s very best independent theatres. This year’s showcase will feature comedies, dramas, classics, three new plays (two by local playwrights,) and a healthy dose of the avant-garde style that has become a hallmark of FIT productions over the years.
Anchoring this year’s festival are founding companies Echo Theatre and WingSpan Theatre Company. Echo, whose Bible Women was the toast of last season, brings to life one of the Arab world’s most beloved characters, Juha, in the commedia dell’arte production of Sylvia Whitman’s Juha and Me.
One Thirty Productions 2010
WingSpan Theatre Company offers DOUBLE BILL: A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot and The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year, two thoughtful and inspired one acts from Tennessee Williams and John Guare.
Barrett Nash and Josh Glover, the stars of last season’s WingSpan entry, Feeding the Moonfish, return to this year’s festival as two of the producers of Upstart Productions, who make their festival debut this year with Steve Martin’s raucous send up of the American Family, W.A.S.P. Also performing in the festival for the first time will be MaCa Latin Theatrical Group, presenting La Danza de Terpsicore, an all Spanish work by Frederico Roca.
White Rock Pollution 2010
Celebrated local performer and father to Barrett, Barry Nash opens the festival with Second Thought’s world premier of Bob Birdnow’s Remarkable Tale of Human Survival and the Transcendence of Self by local playwright Eric Steele and directed by Dallas Theatre center regular Lee Trull. Other returning Festival favorites include Rite of Passage Theatre Company, (Love Song of the Albanian Sous Chef) One-Thirty Productions, (The Madness of Lady Bright) and Pegasus Theatre’s Churchmouse Productions (Squirrels).
The thirteenth annual Festival of Independent Theatres runs July 15th through August 6th at the Bath House Cultural Center. (521 E. Lawther Drive. Dallas, TX 75218.) The four-week one-act play festival features eight shows, each less than sixty minutes in length, performed Thursdays through Sundays in two-show blocks. This year’s festival will introduce FIT Underground, live music and light refreshments available on the shore level of the Bath House Cultural Center as well as the return of the Fictional art exhibit in the Bath House Gallery. Fictional will showcase the work of local artists commissioned to create pieces inspired by the titles and themes of the festival shows.
The Drama Club 2010
Festival Passes and Individual Tickets will go on sale beginning June 20th and can be purchased by contacting the Festival of Independent Theatres Box Office at 1-800-617-6904 after June 20th. Four week festival passes for $69. Two week festival passes for $49. Individual Tickets $12-$16. (All sales subject to a $2 handling charge per ticket/pass.)
For more information visit www.bathhousecultural.com
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criticalrant.com Alexandra Bonifield 