tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25821717731384711352024-03-13T15:21:02.560-06:00Backstage Theatre Blog- Breckenridge, ColoradoBackstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-76533137853583520542013-05-03T07:58:00.001-06:002013-05-03T07:58:38.993-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-47720046765590225262013-05-03T07:56:00.001-06:002013-05-03T07:57:15.292-06:00KidsPlay Summer Workshops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvNlEGpWs0xDsMAshC674c5GY9S23dr1g3jMTu4rOvNgtATBTrEeJdVvewuC-1cH-rcHqQodEFrGUB838RMtfaQXD0q3cSR5tGWryJn-TTAp0O71BZWManUN3F8aj0EQO1NCcyJdWdGY/s1600/Summer+Workshop+Poster+jpg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvNlEGpWs0xDsMAshC674c5GY9S23dr1g3jMTu4rOvNgtATBTrEeJdVvewuC-1cH-rcHqQodEFrGUB838RMtfaQXD0q3cSR5tGWryJn-TTAp0O71BZWManUN3F8aj0EQO1NCcyJdWdGY/s640/Summer+Workshop+Poster+jpg.JPG" width="250" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-38907664604362576502013-05-03T07:53:00.002-06:002013-05-03T07:53:45.029-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfl8Ait6ac2JCQXF4dg1cCqMLP8ObUzydYxdHX6SD_F4Bjxh6Y1N8RZ8yVogZksWH2MFZrwbDJB_SSm3nrdN9RYMdvQ93U9OiuNQOJfC4SqhtfQwCN35-rnuPQ433X4wHmtgh5_QaKV1Q/s1600/Lucy+poster+cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfl8Ait6ac2JCQXF4dg1cCqMLP8ObUzydYxdHX6SD_F4Bjxh6Y1N8RZ8yVogZksWH2MFZrwbDJB_SSm3nrdN9RYMdvQ93U9OiuNQOJfC4SqhtfQwCN35-rnuPQ433X4wHmtgh5_QaKV1Q/s640/Lucy+poster+cc.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-83403792785277348462013-05-03T07:49:00.001-06:002013-05-03T07:49:57.071-06:00AVENUE Q coming to Backstage Theatre<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> BRECKENRIDGE BACKSTAGE THEATRE PRESENTS </b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>THE BROADWAY HIT <i>AVENUE Q</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Avenue Q</i></b></div>
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<b>by Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, Jeff Whitty</b></div>
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A Breckenridge Backstage Theatre Production</div>
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Starring: <b>Charlie Schmidt, Carolyn Lohr, Arlene Rapal, Josh Nelson, Tyra Dixon, Cory Wendling, Leslie Randle Chapman</b></div>
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Director: <b> Christopher Willard</b></div>
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Music Director: <b> Donna Debreceni</b></div>
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Choreography: <b>Kelly Van Oosbree</b></div>
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Set Design: <b> Tina Anderson</b></div>
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Costume Design: <b> Rae Klapperich</b></div>
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Puppet Design: <b>Cory Gilstrap, Imagined Creations</b></div>
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<b><i>Avenue Q </i>opens at the Breckenridge Theatre on Thursday, June 20 at 7:30 PM.</b></div>
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<b><i>Avenue Q </i></b>is the smash-hit Broadway musical about real life in New York City, as told by a cast of people and puppets through a hilariously irreverent, Tony-winning book and score. Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad, moves to NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. The only apartment he can afford is way out on Avenue Q, where everyone’s looking for the same things he is: a decent job, a stable relationship, and a “purpose.” Eventually, Princeton learns to embrace the ups and downs of city life and realizes that “the real world” isn’t so bad after all!</div>
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The New York Times hailed <b><i>Avenue Q </i></b>as “a breakthrough musical of a very different stripe. Savvy, sassy and delicious!” and Entertainment Weekly claimed it was “one of the funniest shows you’re ever likely to see!”</div>
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<b><i>Avenue Q </i></b>features music and lyrics by Robert Lopez (<i>The Book of Mormon</i>) and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty (<i>Bring It On</i>), based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx.</div>
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Due to adult situations (language, adult situations, full-puppet nudity), <b><i>Avenue Q </i></b>may be inappropriate for kids. Parental guidance is advised.</div>
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<b><i>Avenue Q </i></b>stars <b>Charlie Schmidt </b>(Backstage’s <i>Cannibal</i> and <i>Reefer Madness</i>) as Princeton and Rod. <b>Carolyn Lohr </b>(Vintage’s <i>Avenue Q</i>) plays Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut. <b>Arlene Rapal </b>(Henry award-winner for her role as Christmas Eve in the Vintage production) reprises her role for Backstage. <b>Cory Wendling </b>(<i>Hidden, Easy Living</i>) plays Nicky, Trekkie Monster, and a Bad Idea Bear. <b>Leslie Randle Chapman </b>(<i>Nunsense, The Hobbit</i>) plays Mrs. T and a Bad Idea Bear. Newcomers <b>Josh Nelson </b>and <b>Tyra Dixon </b>play Brian and Gary, respectively. The show is directed by <b>Christopher Willard </b>(<i>The Full Monty</i>), music directed by <b>Donna Debreceni </b>(<i>Office Space</i>), choreographed by <b>Kelly Van Oosbree </b>(<i>Guys on Ice</i>), designed by <b>Tina Anderson </b>(The Wedding Eve), and costumed by <b>Rae Klapperich </b>(<i>Out of Order</i>). Puppets are designed by <b>Cory Gilstrap </b>(<i>The Hobbit, A Christmas Carol</i>) from Imagined Creations. </div>
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<b><i>Avenue Q </i></b>will play June 20-July 14 at the Breckenridge Theatre, 121 S. Ridge Street in Breckenridge. Full performance schedule is: June 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, July 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13 at 7:30 PM and June 23, 30, July 7 and 14 at 6:30 PM. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for youth 18 and younger. Tickets are available online at backstagetheatre.org, by calling 970.453.0199, or by visiting the box office one hour before showtime.</div>
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For more information on the Backstage Theatre’s Lucky ‘13 Summer Season, please visit our website at <a href="http://www.backstagetheatre.org./"><span style="color: #3c00ff; font: 12.0px Helvetica; text-decoration: underline;">www.backstagetheatre.org.</span></a> Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or read behind-the-scenes events on our Backstage Blog. Be part of the Backstage’s social media life at one of these exciting sites, and thanks for supporting Summit County’s premiere community and</div>
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professional theatre group.</div>
Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-6778172882247518382013-03-02T11:45:00.000-07:002013-03-02T11:45:07.383-07:00Coming next to Breckenridge's Backstage Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8WfCSNxsl9Ba_BMf6FGnzDjGwmeT5Nqc5Zl84AC6DFRhyphenhyphenG8wltmZ_rV6t1tkTPM5_PYvlRWM1-cVoWNBznVPowTgCGyxxDusb3q15KRk5YsxNgmpU89Pqxu2bbp0KRXBSyt1OauZ54w/s1600/THE+YEAR+OF+MAGICAL+THINKING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8WfCSNxsl9Ba_BMf6FGnzDjGwmeT5Nqc5Zl84AC6DFRhyphenhyphenG8wltmZ_rV6t1tkTPM5_PYvlRWM1-cVoWNBznVPowTgCGyxxDusb3q15KRk5YsxNgmpU89Pqxu2bbp0KRXBSyt1OauZ54w/s640/THE+YEAR+OF+MAGICAL+THINKING.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-25892446669243518822013-03-02T11:43:00.001-07:002013-03-02T11:43:56.457-07:00Final three weeks of OUT OF ORDER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-29035571545800757422013-03-02T11:41:00.001-07:002013-03-02T11:41:40.650-07:00Bash tickets on sale March 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ7qsZPcnUVPOPbzuDKGZAmshlbonEcBm-VKYYLPfLQNYjRTpZF0G-5f8tTRy1SRYGdurh1gW0LXUwVaSxdeOlqSxd9jOUQvrpeQDIeNw_4k72eJmZsRpwNuFHPNYqq3nIcYsqV85Evc/s1600/Bash+One+Sheet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ7qsZPcnUVPOPbzuDKGZAmshlbonEcBm-VKYYLPfLQNYjRTpZF0G-5f8tTRy1SRYGdurh1gW0LXUwVaSxdeOlqSxd9jOUQvrpeQDIeNw_4k72eJmZsRpwNuFHPNYqq3nIcYsqV85Evc/s640/Bash+One+Sheet.JPG" width="438" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-15038633119408759972013-03-02T11:39:00.002-07:002013-03-02T11:39:51.136-07:00Auditions announced for Labor Day production of Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tc9N1LU0IcTGhDfR7gBH5fKL9QZqfO2AX3Z1oNHezD8wn9CTVZxDhDg_x_3hsbUvPkdSniDWfEtlWIbTzPkahMapmzm_kElyDRTVQq0mvDLqVHq8B510oYDLP-trWBtTrNHk2vAA1fQ/s1600/B&TB+audition+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tc9N1LU0IcTGhDfR7gBH5fKL9QZqfO2AX3Z1oNHezD8wn9CTVZxDhDg_x_3hsbUvPkdSniDWfEtlWIbTzPkahMapmzm_kElyDRTVQq0mvDLqVHq8B510oYDLP-trWBtTrNHk2vAA1fQ/s640/B&TB+audition+poster.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-79393303192394164232013-01-25T07:48:00.001-07:002013-01-25T07:49:25.131-07:00LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE Cast - Jan. 24-26<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-22703389992605179782013-01-25T07:47:00.003-07:002013-01-25T07:47:43.455-07:00OUT OF ORDER Opens February 8<br />
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If there is one form of theatre guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages, all tastes, and</div>
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all nationalities, then it must be the Great British Farce. And if there is one contemporary </div>
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playwright who simply excels in the art, it would be Ray Cooney, author of seventeen shows</div>
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presented in London’s West End to huge UK and international success. Breckenridge’s</div>
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Backstage Theatre is pleased to present one of his best, <i>Out of Order </i>(winner of the</div>
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prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy in its original UK run), opening February</div>
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8 and running until March 23.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The story: When Richard Willy, a government junior minister, plans to spend the</div>
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evening with Jane, an administrator for the opposition, things go disastrously wrong – beginning </div>
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with the discovery of a “body” trapped in the hotel’s only unreliable window. Desperately trying </div>
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to get out of a potentially headline-making situation, Richard calls for his administrative </div>
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assistant, George. However, with a conniving waiter, a suspicious hotel manager, an alert </div>
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private detective, and angry wife, a furious husband, an unconscious nurse, and a dead body to </div>
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deal with, this is not the romantic evening Richard had planned! Out of Order has premiered to</div>
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great critical acclaim. Among the reactions: “Gleefully funny.” – Guardian</div>
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“Made me laugh more than any play I have seen in the West End this year.” – Evening Standard</div>
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“A classic.” – Today. “A triumph.” – Financial Times. “Brilliant.” – Observer. “A textbook</div>
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model of pyramiding lunacy.” – Variety. “Wildly funny.” – Telegraph</div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></i>The Backstage production is directed by Seth Caikowski, recently seen on our stage as</div>
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Jerry in <i>The Full Monty</i>. Caikowski also handles the set design with assistance from Joel Adam</div>
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Chavez. Costume design is by Rae Klapperich. Property design is by Terry Green (<i>The Wedding Eve</i>). </div>
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Lighting design is by Christopher Willard (<i>Love, Loss, and What I Wore</i>). Stage Manager is Torie </div>
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Richardson-Salaymeh. The cast of <i>Out of Order </i>includes Eric Mather, who played Rick</div>
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Steadman in our hit production of <i>The Nerd </i>a few summers back. Also featured are Raja and</div>
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Cathy Salaymeh, Jason Tyler Vaughn, Owen Niland, Jenny Weiss, Mauri Cohen, Kevin </div>
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Schwarz, Kevin Lowry, and Joel Adam Chavez. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Out of Order </i>opens February 8 and plays through March 23 at the Breckenridge Theatre,</div>
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121 S. Ridge Street in Breckenridge. Showtimes are 7:30 PM on Fridays and </div>
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Saturdays, and 6:30 PM on Sundays. Tickets are $22 for Adults and $17 for Youth 18 and</div>
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under. Please note that this performance contains some mature situations. The Backstage offers</div>
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mixed drinks from its bar and will be serving a specialty drink during the run of this production. </div>
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Save money by buying online at <a href="http://www.backstagetheatre.org./"><span style="color: #3c00ff; font: 12.0px Helvetica; text-decoration: underline;">www.backstagetheatre.org.</span></a> Group tickets are available. Phone</div>
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orders may be placed by calling 970.453.0199. Walk-ups are welcome. Tickets available for</div>
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purchase on day of shows, one hour before curtain time. Full performance schedule is: Feb 8, 9, </div>
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10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, March 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There will be a special Champagne Opening on February 8 with appetizers, dessert items</div>
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and champagne. Special pricing applies. Food and beverage will be served beginning at 6:30</div>
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PM. Showtime is at 7:30 PM. There will also be a special Valentine’s Evening show on</div>
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February 14 at 7:30 PM, with desserts and champagne served at 6:30 PM and showtime at 7:30</div>
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PM. Please consult the Backstage Theatre website for details.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Out of Order </i>is proudly sponsored by <b>Peak One Pain and Spine </b>and <b>The Lodge and</b></div>
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<b>Spa at Breckenridge</b>.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For more information on the Backstage Theatre’s 39<sup>th</sup> Season, please visit our website at</div>
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<span style="color: #3c00ff; font: 12.0px Helvetica; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.backstagetheatre.org./">www.backstagetheatre.org.</a></span> Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or read behind-the-</div>
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scenes events on our Backstage Blog. Be part of the Backstage’s social media life at one of</div>
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these exciting sites, and thanks for supporting Summit County’s premiere community and</div>
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professional theatre group.</div>
Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-86916366449289973272012-11-22T13:32:00.001-07:002012-11-22T13:32:59.875-07:00Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Future in A CHRISTMAS CAROL.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHniZrQbXcLW_xFI1gk6E8LpQ2Vl2TGIkgh9XFcTWJSJy3DkFqm9WJfRfyGqvTsQ2eV9RmnFMZgK9dFenYpe7sEJWgvZbBcgVeThQimseihAaR7fKc-mxAVYU6hRcr1fNkqRDF7OwevT8/s1600/Scrooge+and+Xmas+Future.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHniZrQbXcLW_xFI1gk6E8LpQ2Vl2TGIkgh9XFcTWJSJy3DkFqm9WJfRfyGqvTsQ2eV9RmnFMZgK9dFenYpe7sEJWgvZbBcgVeThQimseihAaR7fKc-mxAVYU6hRcr1fNkqRDF7OwevT8/s640/Scrooge+and+Xmas+Future.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-12249616170896040432012-11-22T13:31:00.001-07:002012-11-22T13:31:15.092-07:00The Ghost of Christmas Present reveals Want and Ignorance in A CHRISTMAS CAROL.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv21PkALQ9IcbaZ8WK7-_EtVfTeG9cXOU_sWqkwlx1AUR8r_OxFe8yiUn33L29gnMkAJGnMQpVJdyptf2mkRdgCdckh9u1KF_lPUOiCL8PIww2tiUIWMlmsWXZ0y6vEObG7UM22T2Cq3o/s1600/Want+and+Ignorance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv21PkALQ9IcbaZ8WK7-_EtVfTeG9cXOU_sWqkwlx1AUR8r_OxFe8yiUn33L29gnMkAJGnMQpVJdyptf2mkRdgCdckh9u1KF_lPUOiCL8PIww2tiUIWMlmsWXZ0y6vEObG7UM22T2Cq3o/s640/Want+and+Ignorance.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-83063123588460021922012-11-22T13:29:00.003-07:002012-11-22T13:29:28.058-07:00The Ghost of Christmas Past coaxes Scrooge to journey with her.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aOTqOI7-sKbGZ1395Fb982dnUHnbJxZGt3PzWTHKzO6zLoy_2cg0mdnw76GjV1zYKqJBFyiTSK6HMH7rpikFxWsbLZ8NRDsnCo_MkvtbNXM722demVboE2epX4wa__Qc-7Z3WQuUazA/s1600/Xmas+Past.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aOTqOI7-sKbGZ1395Fb982dnUHnbJxZGt3PzWTHKzO6zLoy_2cg0mdnw76GjV1zYKqJBFyiTSK6HMH7rpikFxWsbLZ8NRDsnCo_MkvtbNXM722demVboE2epX4wa__Qc-7Z3WQuUazA/s640/Xmas+Past.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-59677216277385254172012-11-22T13:25:00.002-07:002012-11-22T13:25:58.838-07:00The Ghost of Jacob Marley pays a visit to Scrooge in our current production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NUsPW4ovkTuOuJuABK-wtyYn1fMxTD2aDQvQ0JzQnmcacwI0awvwXJAq26AIUgPJKDHRcSUUKdGav3pDSFxUUZAeg2TrjpL6l2WJzNX-NiBUGeV3XvlhV0MRwpHQKViZeHh1_L1XrLw/s1600/IMG_4208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NUsPW4ovkTuOuJuABK-wtyYn1fMxTD2aDQvQ0JzQnmcacwI0awvwXJAq26AIUgPJKDHRcSUUKdGav3pDSFxUUZAeg2TrjpL6l2WJzNX-NiBUGeV3XvlhV0MRwpHQKViZeHh1_L1XrLw/s640/IMG_4208.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-87624249137961703822012-11-02T06:59:00.002-06:002012-11-02T06:59:29.365-06:00Images from Haunted Hearthstone, Oct. 31. 2012.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGx4V5_wfGVA1UriEQcjPuyD8JblcywalCz2SOHoO2n-dA0a0JrwBolzXvnhpFBUYZAwmWixUITHJjj_Dxk7xEWydnovB7vLlJK32minVELxPXMDDdriGPH7lRnbKcAUa-lK07221Avvg/s1600/PhotosfromOct21,2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGx4V5_wfGVA1UriEQcjPuyD8JblcywalCz2SOHoO2n-dA0a0JrwBolzXvnhpFBUYZAwmWixUITHJjj_Dxk7xEWydnovB7vLlJK32minVELxPXMDDdriGPH7lRnbKcAUa-lK07221Avvg/s640/PhotosfromOct21,2012.jpg" width="364" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-41807076398382295192012-11-02T06:58:00.001-06:002012-11-02T06:58:19.108-06:00Scrooge (Jim Hunt) and Bob Cratchit (Josh Hartwell) in the Backstage production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, opening Nov. 16.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XVB4B7nerQN25KnBoPcEvd9IapuAjZOwOESthDuOkeCpZxk_f5Ti4r3bMcO_zJ2wcNhgHg5f50HaWHSeaOpB6F-uS0mBNiAH8tqdzzTWeuxuy1UcCX1b5LrQJYMwetc_j-R5unPjFis/s1600/IMG_4129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XVB4B7nerQN25KnBoPcEvd9IapuAjZOwOESthDuOkeCpZxk_f5Ti4r3bMcO_zJ2wcNhgHg5f50HaWHSeaOpB6F-uS0mBNiAH8tqdzzTWeuxuy1UcCX1b5LrQJYMwetc_j-R5unPjFis/s640/IMG_4129.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-22362076597207540992012-11-02T06:54:00.002-06:002012-11-02T06:54:13.681-06:00Bob Cratchit (Josh Hartwell) and Tiny Tim from the Backstage's new production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, opening Nov. 16.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22GCOr9F0N6OMwTIT5pA04YHTGnTbOMMbqR80XQ9bM2_rY-CkNhY_JLtHDlHuCIby_fouwYzBeNbzY1L1aNTinhcwVAKK2-Yaw4DwtI5JI_RNSG3OjVNZoR3asw454CV3J6MDHVp2qt0/s1600/IMG_4145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22GCOr9F0N6OMwTIT5pA04YHTGnTbOMMbqR80XQ9bM2_rY-CkNhY_JLtHDlHuCIby_fouwYzBeNbzY1L1aNTinhcwVAKK2-Yaw4DwtI5JI_RNSG3OjVNZoR3asw454CV3J6MDHVp2qt0/s640/IMG_4145.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-77460676200198581902012-11-02T06:51:00.002-06:002012-11-02T06:51:54.684-06:00<br />
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Breckenridge’s Backstage Theatre is proud to present the world premiere production of <i>A</i></div>
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<i>Christmas Carol</i>, featuring puppet and mask creations by Imagined Creations - Cory Gilstrap,<i></i></div>
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designer.</div>
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Exclusively commissioned by the Backstage Theatre, this new adaptation of the Dickens</div>
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classic is by Josh Hartwell, Curious Theatre Company member and writer for Buntport’s <i>Trunks</i>. </div>
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Hartwell’s adaptation compresses the familiar tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s road to redemption for</div>
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a cast of five actors. In addition, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future are</div>
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represented by elaborate and inspiring puppets created by Cory Gilstrap (designer for </div>
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Backstage’s multi-award-winning production of <i>The Hobbit)</i>. A host of other characters -</div>
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including Tiny Tim - are portrayed through Gilstrap’s lifelike and detailed puppets. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<i>A Christmas Carol </i>features Jim Hunt, award-winning Denver actor, in the role of</div>
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Ebenezer Scrooge. He is joined on stage by four other actors who portray the rest of the</div>
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characters utilizing puppets and larger-than-life masks. Josh Hartwell (BETC’s</div>
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<i>Shipwrecked</i>) plays Bob Cratchit, Young Ebenezer, Riggs, and more. Brian Landis Folkins</div>
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(recently seen at the Backstage in <i>The Wedding Eve</i>), plays Topper, Fred, Marley and Dilber,</div>
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among others. Mackenzie Paulsen (Vintage’s <i>Avenue Q</i>) plays a variety of roles including</div>
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Fundraiser, Emily and Ghost of Christmas Present. Lindsey Pierce (BETC’s <i>Morisot Reclining</i>) </div>
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plays Gertrude, Martha, Ghost of Christmas Past and more.</div>
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<i>A Christmas Carol </i>is produced and directed by Christopher Willard, artistic director of</div>
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the Backstage Theatre and director of last year’s sold-out hit, <i>A Christmas Story</i>. The Tim</div>
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Burton-inspired set design is by Tina Anderson (<i>The Wedding Eve</i>). The evocative lighting</div>
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design is by Jacob Welch (<i>The Syringa Tree</i>). Costumes are by new Backstage company</div>
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member, Karen Billingsley. Stage management is by Sasha Wanger. Charge artist is Megan</div>
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Schaefer. </div>
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<i>A Christmas Carol </i>opens November 16 and plays through December 29 at the</div>
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Breckenridge Theatre, 121 S. Ridge Street in Breckenridge. Most showtimes are 6:30 PM.</div>
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Tickets are $25 for Adults and $17 for Youth 18 and under. Save money by buying online at</div>
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The full performance schedule is: Nov. 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 30, Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19,</div>
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20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 at 6:30 PM and Dec. 24 at 1 PM.</div>
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There will be a special Champagne Opening on November 16 with food provided by Salt</div>
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Creek in Breckenridge. Special pricing applies. Consult the Backstage website for details.</div>
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Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-74708733293618503572012-09-26T19:44:00.003-06:002012-09-26T19:44:56.285-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xzN5NVmSWZymv0x1-fyhDwFtrRFBGHgGbRQaiGg52itKDZdE5pRPBf_x_j8MxhqrJgz1B0b6WwOortLSHR0aZD8nXIGsYmIO1wNQw13jCurmE4F1_iaDsdqD7dIniZGqTxEIDQZpjX0/s1600/BELLE+cc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xzN5NVmSWZymv0x1-fyhDwFtrRFBGHgGbRQaiGg52itKDZdE5pRPBf_x_j8MxhqrJgz1B0b6WwOortLSHR0aZD8nXIGsYmIO1wNQw13jCurmE4F1_iaDsdqD7dIniZGqTxEIDQZpjX0/s640/BELLE+cc.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-32815821480900764142012-09-26T19:42:00.000-06:002012-09-26T19:42:55.996-06:00Notes on THE BELLE OF AMHERST - Opening Friday<br />
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<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 13.5pt;">I. THE AUTHORS</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">In <i><u>The Belle of Amherst</u></i>, William Luce brings to life the poetry and the person of Emily Dickinson. Lucy Komisar, an American Reporter Theater Critic, points out that Luce "has a special talent for crafting one-person shows that focus on the lives of accomplished artists." He has also written plays about novelist Charlotte Bronte, writer Baroness Karen Blixen (pen-name Izak Denesen), General Patton, actor John Barrymore, etc.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Although William Luce is technically the author of <i><u>The Belle of Amherst</u></i>, he cannot take credit for single-handedly writing this play. At least half of the lines are taken directly from Emily Dickinson's letters and poems. In fact, in his preface to the play, Luce states that Emily Dickinson "was writing for theater as surely as she breathed." It is difficult to imagine that she intended for her poems and letters to be quoted on a stage in front of hundreds of people. On the other hand, she did not hide all of her poems away in a box and dream of posthumous publication. She often sent poems to relatives and friends as part of letters. Such poetic correspondences puzzled and delighted many who received them. Emily says in Act One of the play that her "little notes are becoming collector's items in the village. People compare them to see who has the strangest one." In a way, she was already giving theatrical entertainment to her neighbors in Amherst. To build his play, William Luce consolidates this entertainment into an hour and a half of conversations between Emily and her contemporaries.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">When the play first opened in Seattle, Washington in 1976, Julie Harris played Emily Dickinson. William Luce commented that for Julie Harris, "familiarity with Emily resulted from years of dedicated research into her life and works; she also recorded two albums of the letters and poems for Caedmon Records." In <b><i>The New York Times</i></b> on Friday, April 39, 1976, Mel Gussow wrote the following: "Rather than present simply a staged reading of her verse, Mr. Luce and Miss Harris (together with Charles Nelson Reilly as director) have attempted a dramatic interpretation. One can question the interpretation, but the reasons behind it are understandable." Every line and scene of the play would not necessarily meet with Dickinson's approval. Yet the play can give people motivation to learn more about Emily Dickinson through her poems.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 13.5pt;">II. THE PLOT</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><i><u>The Belle of Amherst</u></i> does not have a linear plot. In fact, it does not have a traditional plot at all. Therefore the play fits the character of Emily Dickinson. When Emily introduces herself to the audience, she announces "My sister Lavinia says I tend to wander back forth in time." In a similar way, the incidents of the play wander back and forth in time. Act One focuses on events earlier in her life and Act Two focuses on events later in her life. But the conversations that she remembers and tells the audience do not always fall into an orderly timeline. Their thematic connections are more important than their chronological connections. Emily confesses to the audience that she did not know how to tell time until she was older. Perhaps this slower learning was a blessing. Because she did not know the time, she focused on words and people instead of concentrating on events. In Act One, the audience hears a great deal about Emily's love of literature. Emily explains her definition of poetry:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">If I read Keats, Shelley, Shakespeare, Mrs. Browning, Emily Bronte -- oh, what an afternoon for heaven, when Bronte entered there! -- and they make my whole body so cold, no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry. Have you ever felt that way? If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Not only poems but also individual words bring Emily delight. For instance, she says that "Circumference" and "Phosphorescence" are "words to lift your hat to." Because words are sacred, she does not approve of eliminating any words through censorship. So she announces to Tutor Crowell that she will not cross out the "questionable passages" in her Shakespeare book.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">In Act One, Emily also shows us how much she loves people. She asks us: "Do you know that every one of you is, to me, a poem?" Since people are poems, people are sacred as well. She must give each person her full attention and respect. Thus even when she is describing her father's lack of "esthetic sense" concerning the Jenny Lind concert, she still seems to speak of her father with admiration. At the end of Act One, Emily eagerly awaits the "reading" of a new "poem": Thomas Wentworth Higginson. On the outside she is most excited about what he thinks of her poetry. But in her heart she may be more excited about how Higginson will react to her paradoxical personality.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Act Two concentrates less directly on words and poetry. Emily becomes occupied with narrating pivotal conversations, such as the ones with Higginson and with Charles Wadsworth. But a love of poetry continues to function as a subtext underneath the description of events. And when Emily describes her father's death, a poem takes center stage:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">My life closed twice before its close;</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">It yet remains to see</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">If Immortality unveil</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">A third event to me</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So huge, so hopeless to conceive</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">As these that twice befel.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Parting is all we know of heaven,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">And all we need of hell.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Just as the audience is getting to know Emily more fully, she must part company with us. Just as we are hearing more chapters of her life, the book closes in our faces. But Emily has shown us how much she loves life, so our visit with her is successful. At the end of the play, she quotes the poem "This is my letter to the World." All of the words and remembered events in this play contribute to that letter. This play asks the audience to "Judge tenderly" of Emily Dickinson.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 13.5pt;">III. THE CHARACTERS</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Emily Dickinson is quite a character. The moment you think you have figured out how her mind works, she says something which seems to contradict everything she has said before. For instance, in this play, especially in the first act, Emily talks a lot about the publication of her poems. The thought of publication consumes her energy when she awaits Higginson's visit at the end of Act One. But then, after Higginson has left, she shows the audience that she is not hurt by his indifference to her poetic style:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">My business is to sing! What difference does it make if no one listens? Perhaps you laugh at me! Perhaps the whole United States are laughing at me too! I can't stop for that! Just to have been made alive is so chief a thing, all else inevitably adds. I find ecstasy in living. The mere sense of living is joy enough. Take all away from me, but leave me ecstasy!</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Most of this quotation comes directly from Emily Dickinson's letters. It shows that she will continue to write poetry no matter what the critics of her time think about her poems. Moreover, she will continue to be herself no matter who criticizes her personality. She has this determination because of her secret ecstasy in living. Perhaps Higginson would not publish her poems. Perhaps the audience of this play will not go home and read her poems when they leave the theatre. But, audience or no audience, Emily will continue to sing.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The character who the audience gets to know best, besides Emily herself, is her father, "Squire Edward Dickinson." Throughout the play, Emily talks about him more often than she talks about any other character. "Father was the only one in the house to say 'damn.'" This is a curious statement. It suggests that her father had one set of rules for himself, and different rules for everyone else. He was strict and stern and insisted that the temperature in the house always be exactly to his satisfaction. But as she grew older, Emily upset this static climate.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">You see this change in the scene in which she has stayed up too late writing. Her father does not rebuke her for staying up so late. In fact, after hearing two of her poems, he decides that he will "cancel the rule" for her! On another occasion, Emily tells us that her mother does not understand her delight in thought and in poetry. But she begins to appreciate her mother more later in her life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Emily Dickinson admired her brother Austin. She only tells one vivid story about Austin in this play. She yells at him: "How many valentines has my handsome brother received?" and wants him to ask his friends to send her Valentines. But she says that she and Austin have also discussed serious issues. For instance, to the chagrin of their mother, they converse on "the extension of consciousness after death."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">After Austin married Emily's close friend Sue, Emily did not have as much communication with either Austin or Sue (Susan Gilbert Dickinson) -- even though they lived in the Evergreens next door to her. Emily began to rely on Helen Hunt Jackson for literary advice and she did not send so many poems to Sue. Yet she became good friends with the children of Austin and Sue. In fact one of them, Martha (Mattie) Dickinson Bianchi, helped to edit an edition of Emily's poems in 1924.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Thomas Wentworth Higginson takes a role of great importance in this play that perhaps he does not deserve. William Luce leads the audience to believe that Emily was so distraught at Higginson's reception of her poems that she "became ill" after she talked with him for the first time. In actuality, Emily Dickinson was disappointed that Higginson did not find literary merit in her work. But she reasoned that he did not find as much fault with her poems as he might have found. Moreover, Emily Dickinson's goal in life was not to publish her poems. She wanted most to have good neighbors, both on earth and in Heaven. She recognized God as an essential part of her life even on earth. She remembers that "When the family went to church, I was never alone. God was sitting right there -- looking into my very soul." Thankfully God was a more frequent visitor than Higginson.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">But there is one character who Emily may have wanted to see more often. This is the Reverend Charles Wadsworth. She only spoke with him twice: the first time when she heard him preach in Philadelphia and the last time when they said good-bye. For decades, biographers have argued about whether Charles Wadsworth was the mysterious "Master" of Dickinson's poems and letters. In this play Luce assumes that Wadsworth was "Master." Perhaps this is a big assumption. But Luce does justice to the paradoxical friendship that Dickinson shared with Wadsworth. She may have been thinking about him when she wrote the lines: "So We must meet apart --/ You there -- I -- here --" (from the poem "I cannot live with You --").</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Finally, we the audience act as a character. When Emily first sees us, she becomes frightened. In a letter to this wife, Higginson describes a similar frightened reaction from her on the occasion of their first meeting. She introduced herself to him with lilies, just as she says to us: "This is my introduction. Black cake." Emily opens the door of her house to the audience right away. But she opens the door of her heart more gradually. Sometimes she says to us: "I probably shouldn't tell you this." Clearly Emily Dickinson would not tell just anyone all of these personal anecdotes. Perhaps she hopes that some "Nobodys" are sitting in the audience.</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I'm Nobody! Who are you?</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Are you -- Nobody -- too?</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Then there's a pair of us!</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Don't tell! They'd advertise -- you know!</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">How dreary -- to be -- Somebody!</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">How public -- like a Frog --</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">To tell your name -- the livelong June --</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">To an admiring Bog!</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 13.5pt;">IV. THEMES</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Death is one of the most perplexing themes in this play. Sometimes Emily speaks of death as "an old friend" who helps her on "the most arduous of journeys" to Paradise. At other times, Death doesn't seem so friendly. He takes her father away, so that she must keep wondering "where he is." Emily's small nephew Gilbert also dies. Near the end of Act Two, Emily gives the audience a vivid description of Gilbert's death scene:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">His last cry in delirium was "Open the door, open the door! They're waiting for me!" Quite used to his commandment, his little aunt obeyed. Who were waiting for him? All we possess we would give to know. All this and more, though is there more, dear friends? More than Love and Death? Tell me its name!</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Because he was the one dying, Gilbert seemed to know more about the everlasting than his "old" Aunt Emily does. Gilbert's words introduce two more important themes: childhood and love. These themes are interlocked because Emily Dickinson loves children. Towards the end of the play, she tells the audience that children "keep my imagination keen and alive." In Act One, after she narrates her experiences at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, she admits that "I wish we were always children." Perhaps in some ways, fifty-three year-old Emily is still a child herself. She never loses her childlike wonder at nature and at all of God's creations. She never stops asking the unanswerable questions, such as -- will neighbors on earth be neighbors again in Heaven?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">One of Emily Dickinson's poems begins: "I sing to use the waiting --." Here she is talking about waiting for her time to depart from this world. Who is Gilbert referring to when he says "They're waiting for me"? Waiting can be related to God's love for his children as He waits for them to return to Heaven. Waiting also plays a part in the love between two people. In the play, Emily describes this kind of waiting when she remembers a conversation with Charles Wadsworth:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Oh, no, say I may wait for you. I waited a long time, Master. But I can wait more. Till my hazel hair is dappled -- and you carry the cane. Then I can look at my watch, and if the day is too far declined, we can take the chances for heaven!</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Emily recognizes the truth that "Love is patient" (The King James Bible) She tries to wait patiently to find out the answers to her hundreds of questions about this world and the next. Emily's relationship with God gives thematic structure to the play. In Act One, she talks about how Miss Lyon, the "dragon" of Mount Holyoke, showed her that religion was not "very attractive." But she does admit that Miss Lyon "had a pure heart." In Act Two, she discusses many of her fears about God and eternity. She never claims to understand God fully. But she hopes that after death, "if God is willing, perhaps we are neighbors again."</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 13.5pt;">V. THE SETTING</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The geographical setting of this play is Amherst, Massachusetts. Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, grew up there and died there. Since her death in 1886, people have criticized her for remaining always in her house in Amherst. She did not leave her house for the last fifteen years of her life. Biographers have diagnosed her with agoraphobia (fear of society) and other psychological problems. But no one has any proof for these diagnoses. Her poems and her letters suggest that she chose to stay in her house because she found inspiration there. Towards the end of the play, Emily is looking at stereopticon pictures of European scenes that her friends have visited. She says: "Everyone is somewhere, but Emily. Emily is here. Always here." Is Emily looking at the pictures with envy, wanting to be somewhere other than Amherst, Massachusetts? Many people would be envious of world travelers. But Emily Dickinson quickly drops the images of Scotland and Capri in order to quote this poem:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I never saw a Moor --</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I never saw the Sea --</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Yet know I how the Heather looks</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">And what a wave must be.</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I never spoke with God</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Nor visited in Heaven --</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Yet certain am I of the spot</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">As if the Chart were given --</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">This poem sheds light on the other setting in this play: Emily Dickinson's mind. Although she does not change places geographically, her mind is constantly whizzing through time and space. One reviewer of a production of <i><u>The Belle of Amherst</u></i> makes a comment about the scenes indicating this movement. Sometimes her meandering mind takes the audience to happy scenes, such as when her father rang the church bell so that the whole town would look at the aurora borealis. At other times sad scenes take center stage. For example, the audience may cry with Emily as she remembers Charles Wadsworth telling her he cannot visit again. But no matter what circumstances she is describing, Emily's imagination is never restricted by the four walls of her house. As she describes in the poem "I dwell in Possibility --," her house is "Superior for Doors" and it has "an Everlasting Roof." What larger setting could you wish for than an everlasting one? Fortunately, she lets the audience into her house of thought and poetry for a few brief moments.</span></div>
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Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-25226193619512977332012-09-21T17:08:00.002-06:002012-09-21T17:08:30.037-06:00Joey Wishnia in rehearsal for SHAKESPEARE AND ME, playing Sept. 21-23 only!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-57476534484884000652012-09-20T12:59:00.002-06:002012-09-20T12:59:40.129-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-34428983884524725052012-09-17T08:08:00.001-06:002012-09-17T08:08:44.540-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-916844771320042472012-09-09T14:03:00.001-06:002012-09-09T14:03:24.900-06:00<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
Breckenridge’s Backstage Theatre hosts two stellar productions to entertain you through</div>
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September and October. </div>
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In <i>Shakespeare and Me</i>, playing September 21-23, Joey Wishnia shares his personal,</div>
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dramatic and often hilarious experiences with all things Shakespeare. Throughout his long</div>
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career, Joey has appeared in nineteen of Shakespeare's plays and directed five of them on three</div>
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different continents. From his first school play through his most recent readings, he shares the</div>
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trials and tribulations of an actor working with the Bard, including his encounter with the</div>
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greatest Shakespearean actor of the last century - Sir Laurence Olivier. Joey is a master</div>
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storyteller weaving Shakespeare's words effortlessly into, and through, his own stage</div>
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experiences.</div>
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Joey Wishnia, recipient of the 2010-2011 CTG Henry Award for Lifetime Achievement</div>
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in Theatre, was educated at Rhodes University and received a Teaching Diploma (Licentiate) in </div>
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Speech and Drama from Trinity College, London. He has worked in practically every facet of</div>
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the entertainment industry, having been actor, director, and teacher and appeared in music hall,</div>
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opera, cabaret, revues, movies, TV and many radio dramas, serials and soap operas.</div>
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<i>Shakespeare and Me</i>, produced last April at the Byers-Evans House in Denver, will be</div>
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presented for three shows only at the Breckenridge Theatre, 121 S. Ridge Street in Breckenridge,</div>
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at 7:30 PM on September 21 & 22 and 6:30 PM on September 23. The show is performed</div>
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without intermission. All seats are $15.</div>
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Beginning September 28, Paige L. Larson reprises her critically acclaimed turn as</div>
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Emily Dickinson in William Luce’s one-woman play, <i>The Belle of Amherst</i>. The play </div>
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delicately explores the life of America’s greatest woman poet, Emily Dickinson, at various </div>
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stages in her experience from the age of 15, when she was full of hope and success, until shortly </div>
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before her death. Making a conscious choice to isolate herself from society, she shares her joys,</div>
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her fears, her inspirations and her disappointments in this autobiographical expose of the</div>
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uniquely brilliant woman. Her life is recreated with liberal excerpts from her poetry and by</div>
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flashing back through time portraying various influential characters in her life.</div>
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<i>The Belle of Amherst</i>, a recent hit for Miners Alley Playhouse in Golden, performs at the</div>
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Breckenridge Theatre at 7:30 PM on September 28, 29 & October 4, 5, 6 at 7:30 PM and at 6:30</div>
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PM on September 30. All seats are $18. For reservations, go online to</div>
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www.backstagetheatre.org or call 970.453.0199. </div>
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For more information on the Backstage Theatre’s 39<sup>th</sup> Season and to learn how to get</div>
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tickets for future shows, please visit our website at <a href="http://www.backstagetheatre.org./"><span style="color: #3c00ff; font: 12.0px Helvetica; text-decoration: underline;">www.backstagetheatre.org.</span></a> Like us on</div>
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Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or read behind-the-scenes events on our Backstage Blog. Be</div>
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part of the Backstage’s social media life at one of these exciting sites, and thanks for supporting</div>
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live theatre in Summit County Colorado.</div>
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Backstage Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02155908374753360413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2582171773138471135.post-9943548306469832552012-08-27T17:06:00.002-06:002012-08-27T17:17:46.038-06:00<br />
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<b> Breckenridge’s Backstage Theatre Receives TAFF Grant To Expand and Re-develop KidsPlay Program</b></div>
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TAFF, a Plano, Texas-based family foundation, has awarded a generous grant to the Backstage Theatre in<br />
Breckenridge for the purpose of helping the theatre expand and redevelop KidsPlay, its popular children’s theatre<br />
workshop program.</div>
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Children’s workshops have been a cornerstone of the Backstage Theatre’s community involvement. The<br />
programs were consolidated and re-named KidsPlay in the early 1990's. According to Backstage Theatre Artistic<br />
Director Christopher Willard, the goal of the KidsPlay program is to grow participation in and instill love of the<br />
performing arts in children. “We hope to foster curiosity in the arts, develop skills, and along the way, create an<br />
arts patronage and talent base for the future,” Willard states, “but this program has been seriously wanting for a<br />
little help, and the TAFF grant is a very timely and welcome rescuer.”</div>
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Formed in 2000, The Andrea Mennen Family Foundation is a private foundation established by Christina Mennen<br />
Andrea to enhance the quality of life and to build a positive foundation for children and young adults to meet and<br />
overcome life’s mental and physical challenges. The foundation offers support for educational programs like<br />
KidsPlay to afford children and young adults the opportunity to make a difference in their lives and the lives of<br />
others. The Andrea family, who have a home in Breckenridge, see this investment in the important work of the<br />
Backstage Theatre as way to garner more involvement from the community. Christina Andrea hopes others<br />
will support the Backstage's efforts. "Sometimes a little push from one philanthropic person or organization,"<br />
according to Ms. Andrea, "can have a positive snowball effect (no pun intended for Breckenridge snow balls)!"<br />
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The $16,000 grant from TAFF will allow the Backstage to expand its KidsPlay program to encompass three<br />
different age brackets (6-9, 10-12, and 13-14) for the Fall and Spring sessions. KidsPlay will also add two<br />
summer workshop programs that will incorporate music and dance to give children and youth more rounded<br />
instruction in all disciplines of the performing arts. “I’ve been hoping to create separate age brackets of learning<br />
for quite some time now,” says Willard. “Having students learn with their peers will allow for more challenging<br />
skill- and age-appropriate curriculum to be introduced that will correspond with the maturation level of the students<br />
in each workshop.” The TAFF grant will also allow the Backstage Theatre to lower its tuition cost for the<br />
KidsPlay program in order to make the program more affordable to families of varying incomes. The grant also<br />
means the KidsPlay classes will be able to present performances, free of charge, to their family and friends at<br />
the end of each session. “All the things we’ve been wanting to do with this program we can now do, thanks to<br />
TAFF.” The Backstage Theatre is in the process of hiring instructors for the upcoming workshops and will<br />
make announcements soon regarding the individual sessions set to begin in mid-September. </div>
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“We are tremendously grateful to the Andreas for this generous gift,” Willard says. “It truly is a next-level type of grant that<br />
gives the program a chance to spread its wings and welcome more children to the theatre. But we’ll need assistance to keep<br />
the program flourishing, and we hope donors will jump onboard to help the program continue to grow.” The Backstage<br />
Theatre is a 39 year-old arts institution in Summit County. It is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) whose community programs include<br />
adult and youth workshops, and year-round productions and special events. The Backstage’s annual Labor Day musical,<br />
a fundraiser for the theatre, will perform at the Riverwalk Center on August 31, September 1 & 2. You can contribute to<br />
the Backstage Theatre’s KidsPlay program by logging on to <span style="color: #3c00ff; font: 12.0px Helvetica; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.backstagetheatre.org/">www.backstagetheatre.org</a></span> and clicking on the “Donate Now”<br />
button. </div>
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