Press Release

Heads Will Roll in Feminist Dark-Comedy THE REVOLUTIONISTS

Saint Paul, MN. March 1, 2023: Park Square Theatre & PRIME Productions presents THE REVOLUTIONISTS directed by Shelli Place and written by award-winning playwright Lauren Gunderson, on Park Square’s Proscenium Stage March 31 – April 16, 2023.

THE REVOLUTIONISTS is a riotous comedy about four very real women who find themselves caught up in the French Revolution. Playwright Olympe De Gouge, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle find friendship, plot murder, fight for their rights, and lose their heads in The Reign of Terror. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, feminism and terrorism, art, and how we actually go about changing the world.

THE REVOLUTIONISTS originally premiered at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in February of 2016, where the Cincinnati Enquirer called the production, “…a wild ride, filled with verbal gymnastics that come racing at you so quickly it’s occasionally hard to keep up. Listen closely, though, and hang on tight. If you do, you’ll be treated to an invigorating and enlightening journey.”

Director and PRIME Productions co-founder Shelli Place says, “After a two year wait, we are excited to bring Lauren Gunderson’s comedy, THE REVOLUTIONISTS, to the main stage of Park Square. Comedy is about contrast. When I first read the play, I loved the “mash up” between the French Revolution and the smart, sassy, 21st century dialogue. The designers agreed, and this will be seen in the scenic, sound, and costume designs. This is a smart play, with smart women who declare their rights, at their own peril, regardless of age or race. We selected this play because of its reflections on society, past and present… but mostly because it’s a comedy!”

PRIME Productions was founded in 2016 as a response to the scarcity of substantial roles in theatre for mature female actors in the Twin Cities. PRIME believes that mature women of all cultures must be seen as fully drawn, proactive characters in an accessible way, on the stage, for the vision of their roles in society to materialize in real life.

The cast of THE REVOLUTIONISTS brilliantly tells the untold stories of the women who were at the forefront of the French Revolution. This production features the talents of Alison Edwards* as Olympe De Gouges, Tia Tanzer as Marianne Angelle, Jasmine Porter as Charlotte Corday, Jane Froiland* as Marie Antoinette, with understudies Laini Beth Devin and Julie Ann Nevill.

The creative team for THE REVOLUTIONISTS includes Shelli Place (Director), Ashley Raper* (Stage Manager), Keara Lavandowska (Assistant Stage Manager), Megan West (Producer), Anita Kelling (Sound Designer), MJ Leffler (Set Designer), Karin Olsen (Lighting Designer), Andrew Isaacson (Projection Designer), Lily Isaacson (Co-Projection Designer), Marc Berg (Properties Designer), Bee Tremmel (Wig Designer), Sonya Berloviz (Costume Designer), and Annie Enneking (Fight Choreographer).

*Members, Actor’s Equity Association

CALENDAR INFORMATION: 

 

Park Square’s Proscenium Stage

Opening Night: Friday, March 31

Performance Run: Friday, March 31 – Sunday, April 16 

Open Captioning: All Performances

Audio Description: Friday, April 7

Pay-As-You’re-Able: Sunday, April 2

ASL: Sunday, April 2

Post-Show Discussions: Sunday, April 2; Thursday, April 13 

Masked Performances: Thursday, April 6; Saturday, April 15

TICKET PRICES: Regular Run: $40 – $55. Discounts are available for students and educators, seniors, military personnel, those under age 30, and groups of 10 or more. Tickets are on sale by phone at 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday – Friday) or online at https://parksquaretheatre.org/box-office/shows/2022-2023/the-revolutionists/

 

PARK SQUARE THEATRE. 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul

Ticket Office: 651.291.7005. www.parksquaretheatre.org 

Mark Ferraro-Hauck to transition to Executive Director Emeritus

The Park Square Theatre Board of Directors announces that Executive Director, Mark Ferraro-Hauck, plans to step down from the role in Spring 2023.  The Board’s Executive Committee has initiated a plan to move forward which includes an interim leadership strategy and finding a permanent replacement. Once interim leadership is in place, Mark will transition to the role of Executive Director Emeritus. 

Mark had previously served as Executive Director of SteppingStone Theatre and assumed the joint position of Executive Director of both SteppingStone and Park Square Theatres in 2020. The two theatres completed an exciting merger in September 2022, which enabled them to bring their strengths into a combined organization which creates outstanding theatrical experiences for people of all ages.

“It has been such a joy and honor to serve Park Square and SteppingStone as Executive Director and to come to know the community that surrounds these remarkable organizations. Over the next few months, I will be shifting my perspective as a theatre-maker. I have accepted the position of Executive Director of Theatre Nova Scotia, a member organization of the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia, providing support, programming, education, and advocacy across the province,” says Mark Ferraro-Hauck.

We honor Mark Ferraro-Hauck for his skillful managerial direction throughout the merger process. His achievements in combining the staff and operations of the two theatres have set us on a promising course. He has made extraordinary contributions toward our merged theatre’s vision of being “Your Theatre for Life”, integrating the youth theatre focus of SteppingStone, the daytime educational offerings of Park Square aimed at high school students, and Park Square’s evening programming targeting general audiences. We look forward to continuing this momentum under new leadership.

Cancellation of 2023 Productions of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Dear Park Square Patrons,

The last few months of producing live theatre after months of darkness through the COVID-19 pandemic have been wonderful. The importance of experiencing stories on stage feels even more relevant than before. Returning audiences have been enthusiastic to feel the energy and joy of gathering together as each show begins.

However, audiences have returned in lower numbers than anticipated, and building back to pre-pandemic audience numbers is going to take time. According to the Theatre Communications Group, theatres saw an 88% drop in total ticket income from October 2020 – September 2021. This drop is still affecting theatres across the country and it will take time to bounce back from these financial pitfalls. Additionally, COVID-19 is still a very real budget item in our industry. Ongoing testing, COVID Compliance Officers, and extra understudies have added thousands of dollars in cost for each production.

With this in mind, we are sorry to announce that after long deliberation, we have decided to cancel this season’s productions of The Diary of Anne Frank and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Regarding The Diary of Anne Frank, we know that there is grief that comes with letting go of this production with this particular cast. The up-front cost of production, coupled with the slow return to in-person programming, both from patrons and schools, makes this the best decision for Park Square Theatre as we work to continue steering the organization toward a vibrant, supportive, and sustainable future.  We rely heavily on school matinees for these performances and, unfortunately, do not have the ticket sales to sustain these productions this season.  It would be irresponsible for us as an institution to proceed with these productions. We are producing in an evolving world, and it is not clear if current trends with school groups are permanent, or simply a painful step in the post-COVID/post “everything-that-has-happened” process. We are so grateful for our community and offer our deepest apologies that we have to come forward with this message.

Our transparency in our decision making is of utmost importance and we prioritized intentional discussion of these changes with the cast and crew of these productions first, followed by notifying subscribers, schools and ticket holders before sharing this message with our community at large. We appreciate everyone’s understanding of the realities we and the theatre community at large are facing and look forward to seeing audiences at Park Square Theatre this coming March.

Sincerely,

Park Square Theatre

Experience the Wonder of Being a Kid Again With THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES

Saint Paul, MN. November 14, 2022: Park Square Theatre & SteppingStone Theatre for Youth presents THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES (December 2 – December 23) directed by Ansa Akyea, written by Jerome Hairston based on the books by Ezra Jack Keats. This ensemble-driven production will explore the joy of being a child through movement and storytelling.

This production follows Peter throughout Keats’s collection of stories, The Snowy Day, Goggles, Whistle for Willie and A Letter to Amy. Together, the audience gets a glimpse of what it’s like to be a child as Peter experiences the world around him for the first time. This show is specifically designed for children ages 3-10, but the whole family will enjoy the wonder of being a kid again! “Theatre is for everyone,” says Director Ansa Akyea. “Park Square is all about creating community, and we would love for people to come to the theatre together and experience THE SNOWY DAY.” This show helps us to remember some of our first childhood memories, like the excitement of seeing snow for the first time, making a new friend, and learning how to whistle. 

A timeless classic, The Snowy Day is the most checked out-volume of all time in the New York Public Library and was the first picture book featuring an African American child to win the Caldecott Medal. THE SNOWY DAY ensemble reflects this with a young, diverse cast. “Diversity is always so important when it comes to productions like these, and I think that we have an extra big responsibility being a children’s show,” says Actor Maje Adams, who plays Peter’s father. “Kids really need to see people that look like them or people who have similar experiences and backgrounds like them on stage. People aspire to be stories that they see in front of them.” Actor Latanya Boone, who plays Peter’s mother, says, “I never considered myself in the space of someone who would be on stage until I saw another person of color on stage. [The cast is] beautifully diverse in all aspects that you can think of. I think that it’s really important for other people to see that they can envision themselves in this space.” 

The cast of THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES stars Joe Charley as the beloved character Peter and a talented ensemble including Maje Adams, Jaeden Allen, Latanya Boone, Sophie Dannersmith, Nyla Spika , Jas Wade , and Mason Yang. In addition to playing many characters in the production, the ensemble works with puppets to bring even more characters to life. “The Park Square Team is awesome,” says Akyea. “Working with puppetry shows you how anything is possible if you spend some time thinking about it.” These incredible, life size puppets were created in partnership with Properties Designer Tyler Stamm, from Adventures in Cardboard, an organization set on inspiring creative and imaginative play through creating props and new worlds out of cardboard.

Akyea adapted THE SNOWY DAY to be set in St. Paul, creating custom visuals and elements of sound to portray the setting. Projections Designer Maxwell Collyard says, “attendees should look for local elements in the projections which they may recognize.” Collyard and the creative team researched how various St. Paul neighborhoods could best represent the different books and pieces of the story. “The North End of St. Paul feels like the neighborhood Peter is in, with the industrial areas flowing into more business districts.”  Sound Designer Anita Kelling provides insight on what to listen for. “When we first started talking about locating the show in Minnesota and specifically the Twin Cities, I started thinking about iconic Twin Cities sounds, like the light rail, the Farmer’s Market, or the State Fair. I have been capturing sounds around the Twin Cities for years, and I hope you will hear some of those sounds embedded in the soundscape for THE SNOWY DAY.” When adapting the music for this show, Akyea and the creative team took inspiration from influencers like Prince and indie music “…to give it that home grown feel and capture what’s unique about the Twin Cities.” 

The incredible creative team for THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES includes Ansa Akyea (Director), Mikell Sapp (Assistant Director), Dane Stauffer (Music Coach), Erik M.C. Gonzalez (Composer), Mark Ferraro-Hauck (Set Designer), Jeni Tolifson (Assistant Scenic Designer),  Maxwell Collyard (Projections Designer), Joe Samuel Burch III (Costume Designer), Anita Kelling (Sound Designer), Mikayla Paul (Lighting Designer), Tyler Stamm (Properties Designer), Pete Talbot (Puppets), Amm-Ra Seka (Puppets), Hannah Marh (Movement Director), Jaya Robillard (Stage Manager), and Olivia Nyman (Assistant Stage Manager).

 

CALENDAR INFORMATION: 

THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES

Park Square’s Proscenium Stage

Opening Night: Friday, December 2

Performance Run: Friday, December 2 –  Friday, December 23 

Sensory Friendly: Saturday, December 10

Audio Description: Friday, December 23

Pay-As-You’re-Able: Sunday, December 11

ASL: Sunday, December 11

Open Captioning: Saturday, December 17

Post-Show Discussions: Sunday, December 11 

 

TICKET PRICES: Regular Run: $16 – $20. Discounts are available for students and educators, seniors, military personnel, those under age 30, and groups of 10 or more. Tickets are on sale by phone at 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday – Friday), or online at https://www.steppingstonetheatre.org/series/snowy-day-2022/

 

PARK SQUARE THEATRE. 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul

Ticket Office: 651.291.7005. www.parksquaretheatre.org 

Introducing the Company of FIRE IN THE NEW WORLD!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACTS: Quinci Bachman and Emily Halstead 

Press@fullcircletheatermn.org | 612-799-0641

halstead@parksquaretheatre.org

fullcircletheatermn.org

 

Park Square Theatre Presents A Full Circle World Premiere Production of

Fire in the New World

Written and Directed by Rick Shiomi

at Park Square Theatre in the Historic Hamm Building in Downtown Saint Paul

October 19 – November 6, 2022

A world premiere detective comedy with plenty of sly intrigue and a dash of social commentary.

Full Circle Theater’s first mainstage production of the season will be the World Premiere of Fire in the New World, written and directed by Full Circle Co-Artistic Director Rick Shiomi. Fire in the New World will run from October 19 – November 6, 2022 as part of Park Square Theatre’s 2022-23 Season.

To reserve complimentary press tickets contact: press@fullcircletheatermn.org | 712-830-7826

Ticket information and general audience safety protocols are available on Park Square’s website.

About Fire in the New World:  Written and directed by Rick Shiomi, this World Premiere is the third installment of Shiomi’s noir-style detective comedies featuring Sam Shikaze, the hard-boiled private eye who fights crime in Vancouver’s Japantown and beyond in the years after WWII. This time, Sam is up against a big time developer intent on bulldozing his community. But Sam is also hired to find the developer’s missing Japanese American wife. The play is a smart and fun detective comedy chock full of social commentary and sly intrigue.

The award-winning Yellow Fever was the first play in Shiomi’s trilogy featuring Sam Shikaze. It has been produced Off-Broadway, across North America, and in Japan. The New York production received a rave review in the New York Times:

“As a playwright, Mr. Shiomi is his own crafty private investigator, making his points through indirection and with droll humor. . .Mr. Shiomi’s Yellow Fever is so captivating that it makes one eager for further adventures of the inimitable Sam Shikaze.” -Mel Gussow, The New York Times.

Fire in the New World is recommended for ages 12 and up. If it were a movie, we would rate it PG-13. This hard-boiled detective caper contains gunshots and frank talk about anti-Asian racism. Imagine if Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade (of The Maltese Falcon) had lived through the Japanese internment camps of WWII and was fighting crime in the 1960s. That’s the world of Sam Shikaze, private eye!

Fire in the New World Cast

Come see it October 19 – November 6, 2022 at Park Square Theatre’s Proscenium Stage.

About Playwright/Director R.A. Shiomi: Rick Shiomi has been a leader in Asian American theater for over thirty-five years as a playwright, director and artistic director and has written over twenty plays, including the award-winning ​Yellow Fever​, ​Rosie’s Cafe, and Mask Dance​. In 2019 he directed the hit production of Christopher Chen’s Caught for Full Circle at the Guthrie Theater’s Dowling Studio.

For Theater Mu he has directed many plays including ​Into The Woods​ set in Asia, ​The Mikado​ set in Edwardian England (with Skylark Opera), and ​Yellow Face​ at the Dowling Studio. He was a co-founder of Theater Mu and Artistic Director there from 1993 to 2013.

He also directed Chen’s play ​Caught​ and ​Mia Chung’s You For Me For You for InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia, which both received Barrymore Award Nominations and Awards .

He has received the Sally Ordway Irvine Award for Vision, the Ivey Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award.

https://rickshiomi.com/

About Full Circle Theater Company: Founded in 2014, Full Circle Theater is led by a  Core Artist Leadership Group made up of Co-Artistic Directors Rick Shiomi and Martha B. Johnson and Core Artists Stephanie Lein Walseth, Lara Trujillo, and Siddeeqah Shabazz (Full Circle’s 2022-2023 Resident Core Artist.)

The MISSION of Full Circle Theater is to produce heartfelt, groundbreaking theater that artfully addresses issues of diversity and social justice for 21st century audiences.

 

Full Circle Theater expresses its gratitude to The McKnight Foundation for its general operational support of our company. 

This project is supported by the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and by the F. R. Bigelow Foundation.

This activity is funded, in part, by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund.

 

 

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Introducing the Company of THE HUMANS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT
Rachel Wandrei |wandrei@parksquaretheatre.org
Emily Halstead | halstead@parksquaretheatre.org

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON FAMILY IN THE HUMANS

Saint Paul, MN. August 25, 2022: Park Square Theatre’s 2022-2023 Season opens with the Tony Award-winning comedy-drama THE HUMANS (September 14 – Oct 9, 2022) by Stephen Karam, directed by Lily Tung Crystal. A one-act performed in real time, the play takes place as three generations gather for Thanksgiving at the new apartment of one of the children. Blisteringly funny but with a dark underside, Karam offers a stunning portrayal of a family navigating the challenges of everyday life.

Audiences are likely to come away commenting about how they relate to one or all of the family members. “This play is deeply and delightfully about family,” shares director Lily Tung Crystal. “What I love about THE HUMANS is that it fully captures the joy, humor, and dysfunction of family in all its nuances. The characters are doing the best they can to get through this one Thanksgiving dinner and everything else life throws at them–the trauma of 9/11, economic hardship, health challenges, broken relationships, old age, the effects of a hurricane. No one is perfect, but no one is a villain either, and somehow their love for one another helps bind them together, for better or worse.” 

After premiering in Chicago in 2014, THE HUMANS opened on Broadway in 2016 where it became a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play, but Tung Crystal is busy thinking about how to interpret it for a Minnesota audience in 2022. “There are a lot of Asian adoptees around the country, but particularly in Minnesota, and portraying a family of White parents with Korean adoptee daughters seemed to make a lot of sense. In fact, that choice has opened up many new ways to think about the play, which the audiences here in the Twin Cities will understand and resonate with. People often have a monolithic perception of what it means to be an ‘American family,’ but we are approaching this show with a 2022 lens, embracing a blend of different ethnicities, backgrounds, and beliefs, rather than the ‘traditional’ family construct. Portraying the family in this way allows us to embrace all the diversity that family can be.” 

Three generations will by played by John Middleton* and Charity Jones* as parents Erik and Deirdre Blake, Laura Anderson* and Dexieng “Dae” Yang as their daughters, Aimee and Brigid, Angela Timberman* as grandmother Fiona “Momo” Blake, and Darrick Mosley* as Brigid’s boyfriend, Richard. Lori Constable, Gary David Keast, James Rodriguez, and Janet Scanlon will understudy.

Examining human relationships and the bonds that tie people together is a through-line in the Park Square 2022-2023 Season. Executive Director Mark Ferraro-Hauck notes that THE HUMANS and BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY (at Park Square May 24- June 18, 2023) both specifically portray American family life. “A large part of the USA’s contribution to theatre is the exploration of family,” says Ferraro-Hauck. “It is really important to recognize that these two plays are in the same vein. While the central storytelling is told with different voices and comes from different lived experiences, they both show us ways in which our lives are bound together through the common experiences of family life.” 

Ferraro-Hauck also appreciates the deft hand in which Karam crafts the play. “What is amazing about THE HUMANS is how it weaves its way through both the best and worst of family experience but does so without judgment. It embraces us as flawed beings trying to make community and family together. It allows us to laugh at it, get angry, and cry over it simultaneously.” Who hasn’t felt that way after a holiday spent with their own family?

The production team for THE HUMANS includes Roshni Desai (Assistant Director), Erik Paulson (Set Designer), Matthew LeFebvreᐩ (Costume Designer), Katharine Horowitz (Sound Designer), Karin Olson (Lighting Designer), John Novak (Properties Designer), Katie Bradley (Dramaturge), Andrea Moriarity (Wigs Designer), Isabella Dawis (Music Director), Shae Palic (Intimacy Director), Keely Wolter (Dialect Coach), Lyndsey R. Harter* (Stage Manager), and Em Friedman (Assistant Stage Manager).
* Member, Actors’ Equity Association, ᐩ Member, USA Union 829

CALENDAR INFORMATION:

THE HUMANS

Park Square’s Proscenium Stage

Previews: September 14, 15

Opening Night: September 16

Regular Run: September 16–October 9

Audio Description: September 23

Pay-As-You’re-Able: September 25

ASL: September 25

Open Captioning: October 7, 8, 9

Post-Show Discussions: September 25, 29

TICKET PRICES: Previews: $27-$37. Regular Run: $40-$55. Pay-As-You’re-Able on Sunday, Sept 25. Discounts are available for students and educators, seniors, military personnel, those under age 30, and groups of 10 or more. Tickets are on sale by phone at 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday), or online at parksquaretheatre.org.   #pstHumans

PHOTOS: As available, production photos will be posted at: PST The Humans_FOR PRESS.

BIOGRAPHIES:

LILY TUNG CRYSTAL (she/her) is a director and actor and the artistic director of Theater Mu. She is grateful to be collaborating with such talented and generous artists. In the Twin Cities, she has directed Jiehae Park’s peerless, Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band, and the live film-theater production of Susan Soon He Stanton’s Today Is My Birthday at Mu and Art is a Verb (Harrison Rivers, librettist) at MNOpera. Other shows include David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish and Flower Drum Song at Palo Alto Players, and the world premiere of Leah Nanako Winkler’s Two Mile Hollow at Ferocious Lotus. For all three shows, she was named a Theatre Bay Area Award Finalist for Outstanding Direction. As an actor/singer, Lily has performed at theaters across the country, including Cal Shakes, Crowded Fire, Magic Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, New World Stages, Playwrights’ Center, Portland Center Stage, SF Playhouse, and Syracuse Stage. She is a YBCA 100 honoree, named by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts as a “creative pioneer making the provocations that will shape the future of culture.” theatermu.org; lilytungcrystal.com

PARK SQUARE THEATRE. 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul
Ticket Office: 651.291.7005. www.parksquaretheatre.org

# # #

KEEPING UP WITH THE HOLMESES

KEEPING UP WITH THE HOLMESES

Park Square’s summer mystery will keep audiences guessing ‘who is the real Sherlock?’

Saint Paul, MN. June 9, 2022: Park Square Theatre’s summer tradition of cozy suspense returns to the Proscenium stage with the regional premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher’s HOLMES AND WATSON (July 12 – August 21, 2022), directed by Michael Evan Haney. Set in a tumultuous period when Holmes is presumed dead, pushed over a waterfall by his archnemesis, the play begins when Dr. Watson receives a telegram from a mental asylum: three patients are all claiming to be the famous detective. Who’s the real detective and who are the imposters? This time it’s up to Watson to unravel the case.

The three patients will be played by Pearce Bunting*, Paul de Cordova*, and Peter Simmons* with Bruce Roach* as Watson and a company of fantastic local talent including Kirby Bennett, Peter Christian Hansen*, and Daniel Petzold*, with understudies William Edson, Jeffrey Goodman, and Anna Olson

“Is one a Holmes or a Watson?” ponders Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher. “This is the question that came to mind a few years ago when casting another play based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s immortal characters. Their height, weight, voice, features, manner, persona. Many fit the profile, but only one can be the real thing.” The production follows in the footsteps of other popular Holmes adaptations by Hatcher at Park Square, most recently SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE ICE PALACE MURDERS (2015) lauded as “peppered with witty ripostes and humorous allusions” (Star Tribune). If Hatcher’s mastery of characterizing the famous resident of 221B Baker Street was ever in question, his catalog also includes the screenplay of “Mr. Holmes.”

How to cast not one but three Holmeses was a thoughtful decision for Director Michael Evan Haney**, who deliberately chose actors who have not played Sherlock before in order to avoid giving the audience any tip offs. (Steve Hendrickson, who has played the sleuth in many Park Square productions, is set to return to the role in 2023 in HOLMES/POIROT, which he co-wrote with Hatcher). ”I’m really looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to this carefully wrought tale,” says Haney. “It reads like part of the Conan Doyle canon and is such a fun ride!” A relative newcomer to Twin Cities stages, Haney brings over 50 years of professional theatre experience to the production, including 15 years as associate artistic director with The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. His 2016 production of Beckett’s HAPPY DAYS at Open Eye Theatre was acclaimed as offering “hope in the face of absurdity” (Star Tribune

“We are eager to welcome back to the theatre our many summer mystery aficionados, and some new fans, for this exciting new work rooted in a long tradition at Park Square.” says Executive Director Mark Ferraro-Hauck. After being delayed a full two years from its spot in Park Square’s 2020 season, HOLMES AND WATSON promises to be the perfect evening out for mystery buffs, literature lovers, and anyone looking for a cool plot twist on a hot summer night.

The production team for HOLMES AND WATSON includes Erik Paulson (Set Designer), Matthew LeFebvreᐩ (Costume Designer), Montana Johnson (Sound Designer), Mary Shabatura (Lighting Designer), Sadie Ward (Properties Designer),  Andrea Moriarity (Wig Artisan), Annie Enneking (Fight Director), Keely Wolter (Dialect Coach), Laura Topham* (Stage Manager), and Austin Schoenfelder (Assistant Stage Manager).

* Member, Actors’ Equity Association, ** Member, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, ᐩ Member, USA Union 829

CALENDAR INFORMATION:

HOLMES AND WATSON

Park Square’s Proscenium Stage

Previews: July 12, 13, 14
Opening Night: July 15
Regular Run: July 15 – August 21
Audio Description: July 22
Pay-As-You’re-Able: July 24
ASL: July 24
Open Captioning: August 5, 6, 7
Conversation with Jeffrey Hatcher: July 17
Post-Show Discussion: July 24

TICKET PRICES: Previews: $27-$37. Regular Run: $40-$55. Discounts are available for students and educators, seniors, military personnel, those under age 30, and groups. Tickets are on sale by phone at 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday), or online at parksquaretheatre.org.   #pstHolmes

BIOGRAPHIES:

Jeffrey Hatcher’s Broadway credits include: NEVER GONNA DANCE (book). Off-Broadway credits include: THREE VIEWINGS and A PICASSO at Manhattan Theatre Club; THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR at Red Bull Theater; SCOTLAND ROAD and THE TURN OF THE SCREW at Primary Stages; LUCKY DUCK (book w/ Bill Russell) at the New Victory Theater; TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE (w/ Mitch Albom) at the Minetta Lane Theatre; MURDER BY POE, THE TURN OF THE SCREW, and A CONNECTICUT YANKEE AT KING ARTHUR’S COURT at the Acting Company; TEN CHIMNEYS at Peccadillo Theater Company; NEDDY at American Place; and FELLOW TRAVELERS at Manhattan Punchline. 

Other theatre credits include: COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY, MRS. MANNERLY, MURDERERS, MERCY OF A STORM, SMASH, ARMADALE, KORCZAK’S CHILDREN, WORK SONG (w/ Eric Simonson), TO FOOL THE EYE, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SUICIDE CLUB, JEFFREY HATCHER’S HAMLET, THE SCARECROW AND HIS SERVANT, DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, THE CRITIC, HOLMES AND WATSON, and others at the Guthrie, the Old Globe, Yale Rep, the Geffen, Seattle Rep, Huntington Theatre Company, the Shakespeare Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Arizona Theatre Company, San Jose Rep, the Empty Space, Indiana Rep, Children’s Theatre Company, History Theatre, Madison Rep, Intiman Theatre, Illusion Theater, Denver Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Asolo Repertory Theatre, City Theater, Studio Arena, and dozens more in the US and abroad.

FILM/TV: “Stage Beauty,” “Casanova,” “The Duchess,” “Mr. Holmes,” “The Good Liar,” “Columbo,” “Murder at the Cannes Film Festival,” and “The Mentalist.” GRANTS/AWARDS: NEA, TCG, Lila Wallace Fund, Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Barrymore Award (Best New Play), and the 2013 Ivey Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a member and/or alumnus of the Playwrights’ Center, the Dramatists Guild, the Writers Guild, and New Dramatists.

Michael Evan Haney is celebrating his 51st year in the professional theatre. He has directed plays off-Broadway (AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS), internationally in Vienna and Frankfurt (THE SYRINGA TREE) and in regional theatres including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Open Eye Theatre (Beckett’s HAPPY DAYS), Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Cincinnati’s Ensemble Theatre. He was the Associate Artistic Director for the Cincinnati Playhouse for fourteen years directing among many others BLACKBIRD, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, THE CLEAN HOUSE, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL (for 25 years).

He has acted in over 100 plays including on  Broadway in Elie Wiesel’s Zalman, at the Moscow Art Theatre in OUR TOWN, in the U.S. premier of Charles Dickens’ NICHOLAS NICKELBY, and in seasons at The Arena Stage, Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, The Missouri Repertory Theatre and others. On screen with his wife, Amy Warner he has appeared with Cate Blanchette in “Carol” and with Mark Ruffalo in “Dark Waters.”

Awards: Best Directing Acclaim Awards in Cincinnati for THE HISTORY OF INVULNERABILITY (a play about Superman and the Holocaust), LOVE SONG and 80 DAYS, an L.A Dramalogue Award for Jeffery Hatcher’s SCOTLAND ROAD, a Kevin Kline Award for SOUVENIR, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the League of Cincinnati Theatres. Member, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

PARK SQUARE THEATRE. 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul
Ticket Office: 651.291.7005. www.parksquaretheatre.org

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AIRNESS BRINGS ROCK GLORY TO SAINT PAUL

Air guitar crosses into theatre with an epic feel-good comedy at Park Square

Three people all doing air guitar moves.

Neal Skoy, Julia Valen and Michael Terrell Brown are ready to rock out in Airness.

Saint Paul, MN. April 11, 2022: For its first full production since March of 2020, Park Square Theatre offers a breath of fresh air with an uplifting story about air guitar enthusiasts. AIRNESS, by Chelsea Marcantel, directed by Angela Timberman will be staged on Park Square’s Proscenium Stage, May 11 – June 5, 2022. (link to photos)

A righteous and smile-inducing comedy, AIRNESS begins as newcomer Nina enters her first air guitar competition. She thinks winning will be easy, but as she befriends a group of charismatic fanatics all committed to becoming the next champion, she discovers that there’s more to the art form than playing pretend; it’s about forging friendships, finding yourself in your favorite songs, and performing with raw joy. 

“Have you ever tried to find something you really want and then you accidentally find what you really need instead?” ask director Angela Timberman. “That’s what this play is about.” With samples of favorite rock anthems threaded throughout, including hits by Queen, the Ramones, Pat Benetar and many more, AIRNESS is an exuberant reminder that everything we need to rock is already inside us.

“An all-out comedy that’s fricking funny, hella heartfelt, and badass brilliant.” — DC Metro

A  group from Park Square fell in love with the play when it premiered at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville in 2017. The original January 2021 production was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, so it is with a roar of rock catharsis that AIRNESS at last makes its shredding, stage ascension. 

“I love how AIRNESS doesn’t take itself too seriously,” says Park Square Artistic Associate, Ellen Fenster. “It’s even better after the pandemic, it’s the breath of freshness which we all need right now, and yet, it really resonates today in terms of trying to ‘figure out how the skin I’m in connects to others.’ It portrays a place, physically and emotionally, where the characters really feel seen, when they are usually not seen in that way. It celebrates the human capacity for strange and unique passions, things people find to make meaning in their lives, connect with others, and find a place of belonging. Who knew air guitar was such a serious business?”

The play’s title comes from the three judging criteria of competitive air guitar: technical merit, stage presence and airness. “The last criteria is the most difficult to define yet often the most decisive of all,” according to the US Air Guitar Association’s website. “Airness is defined as the extent to which a performance transcends the imitation of a real guitar and becomes an art form in and of itself.” Minneapolis hosted the U.S. Air Guitar Championships in 2012, but anyone looking to get involved in 2022 will have to travel as the nearest competitions (at time of writing) are in Cleveland and Nashville. So put on your coolest power outfit, grab your best friend or a new crush, and head to Park Square to rock out with a play for everyone whose inner rock-god is waiting to break free.

The cast for AIRNESS includes Shae Palic* (Astrid “CANNIBAL QUEEN” Anderson), Daniel Petzold* (Mark “FACEBENDER” Lender), Neal Skoy (Ed “SHREDDY EDDY” Leary), Michael Terrell Brown (Gabe “GOLDEN THUNDER” Partridge), Julia Valen (Nina O’Neal), and understudies Berto Borroto and Maggie Cramer.

The production team for AIRNESS includes Angela Timberman* (Director), Dorian Brooke (Assistant Director), MJ Leffler (Set Designer), Ash M. Kaun (Costume Designer), Eric M. C. Gonzalez (Sound Designer), Alex Clark (Lighting Designer), Christopher Heilman (Props Designer), Jess Rau (Wig Designer), Kathy Maxwell (Projection Designer), Leslie Ritenour (Assistant Projection Designer), Ashley Raper* (Stage Manager), and Jaya Robillard (Assistant Stage Manager).

*Member, Actors Equity Association

TICKET PRICES: Previews: $27-$37. Regular Run: $40-$55. Discounts are available for students and educators, seniors, military personnel, those under age 30, and groups. Tickets are on sale by phone at 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday), or online at parksquaretheatre.org.   #pstAirness

COVID-19 vaccinations or negative test results as well as masks are required at all performances. 

PHOTOS by Richard Fleischman Photography on the Park Square website HERE, or in Google Drive HERE.

A Season of Perspective and Sharing

Park Square and SteppingStone Theatres Announce Joint Season

MEDIA CONTACTS
Mark Ferraro-Hauck: 952.220.2178 mark@steppingstonetheatre.org
Rachel Wandrei: 617.543.5770 wandrei@parksquaretheatre.org

Saint Paul, Minn., April 20, 2022 – Park Square Theatre and SteppingStone Theatre for Youth announced their 2022-2023 season plans today, continuing the process of bringing the two companies together in one downtown Saint Paul home. The two organizations will retain their names for their first united season, but are planning to become a single legal entity this fall.

For Park Square’s 48th season, the cohort of five artistic associates has worked to select plays that come from many points of view, with the goal of creating theatre filled with both meaning and entertainment. “We strive to be a place where everyone is able to tell their story, and where we can hear and see each other with open hearts, particularly as we rebuild connections and communities after these years apart,” says Executive Director Mark Ferraro-Hauck. The season includes two world premieres, two regional premieres, a Tony Award winner, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and the 25th anniversary of a play that has become central to Park Square’s youth education programs. The SteppingStone performance calendar will include a winter-themed play, Shakespeare performed by young people, and a touring production for very young audiences.

A slightly smaller season than in previous years, the theatres are aiming to reset and organically rebuild after the pandemic. Each play will have a slightly shorter run, have fewer preview performances and a modified rehearsal schedule that eliminates the “10 out of 12” rehearsal days that are notoriously grueling for the artists involved. 

The theatre year will open with the 2016 Tony Award winner for Best Play, THE HUMANS (Sept 14 – Oct 9, 2022), by Stephen Karam. Three generations of the Blake family have assembled for Thanksgiving and everyone is determined to make the best of it, but as they attempt to focus on the positive, old wounds, current mistakes, and future fears threaten their stability. Both blisteringly funny and deeply chilling, the play offers a stunning portrayal of the human condition; a family at its best and worst navigating the challenges of everyday life.

Next, Park Square deepens its relationship with Full Circle Theater Company with a co-production of FIRE IN THE NEW WORLD (Oct 19 – Nov 6, 2022), written by Rick Shiomi, who is a co-founder of Full Circle and serves as an artistic associate for Park Square. In this world premiere noir mystery, Sam Shikaze, hard-boiled private eye, fights crime and discrimination in Vancouver’s Japantown in the years after WWII. When the beautiful Japanese American wife of an ambitious real estate developer goes missing, Sam is on the case in a savvy detective caper that mixes social commentary with plenty of sly intrigue.

For the holiday season, SteppingStone will present THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES BY EZRA JACK KEATS (Dec 1 – 23, 2022). With a script by Jerome Hairston, and based on the books by Ezra Jack Keats, this magical tale will explore the wonder of a fresh snowfall, the delight of whistling for the first time, the awe in finding special treasures, and the joy of making new friends. A timeless classic, THE SNOWY DAY is the most checked-out volume of all time at the New York Public Library and is known for being the first book featuring an African American child to win the Caldecott Medal. This new ensemble-driven production will explore connections to water and the changing of the seasons through movement and storytelling.

Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett’s adaptation of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK has become a core part of Park Square’s educational offerings over 25 years, with over 265,000 students having experienced Anne Frank’s story at the theatre. To commemorate the anniversary, the company will present an all-new production. As the Frank family hides in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, Anne shares both her everyday teenage challenges and the terror of the Holocaust. Now more relevant than ever, this resonant story of hope and imagination in the darkest of times illuminates a part of history that must not be forgotten. On the Park Square Theatre mainstage for all audiences Jan 18 – Feb 12, 2023, with an extended run for education groups.

In February, SteppingStone will produce its first ever Shakespeare featuring a cast of actors ages 16-21. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Feb 8 – Mar 5, 2023) will bring a genuinely youthful perspective to some of the bard’s most well-known young characters. Available to both school and public audiences, this production will be a new variation on the theme of literary classics that have been at home on the Park Square stage for many years. 

Collaboration continues in the spring with a co-production with PRIME Productions of THE REVOLUTIONISTS (Mar 29 – Apr 16, 2023), by Lauren Gunderson. In this riotous comedy four women find themselves caught up in the French Revolution: an assassin, a spy, a playwright, and, of course, Marie Antoinette. They plot murder, find friendship (and do some good writing), in an irreverent, poignant comedic romp that considers how we go about changing the world.

A comedy-drama exploring fatherhood, loneliness, and the complexity of justice, BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY (May 24 – Jun 18, 2023), by Stephen Adly Guirgis, won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The New York Times describes it as “a rich new play… Mr. Guirgis has a splendid ear in blurring lines between the sacred and profane and it is a dizzying and exciting place to be.” Surrounded by a beautiful and eclectic stream of family and houseguests, ex-cop and recent widower “Pops” is barely holding on to his stability and his once-grand apartment on Manhattan’s Riverside Drive. This production features a cast of well-known local artists led by James A. Williams as Pops.

SteppingStone has two titles yet to be announced for the spring and summer. In May, the theatre will devise a new work for very young audiences. The work will be hugely interactive and travel to schools, libraries, museums and other hot-spots of the under-5 set. Later, SteppingStone will bring back its annual summer musical performed by some of the Twin Cities’ most talented young performers.

Summer rolls in with some firebrand comedy as Park Square presents ANN (Jun 7 – Jul 2, 2023), a no-holds-barred portrait of Ann Richards, the legendary governor of Texas. This inspiring and hilarious solo play brings us face to face with a complex, colorful and captivating character bigger than the state from which she hailed. ANN takes a revealing look at this impassioned woman as she grows into her power and holds fast to her convictions while enriching the lives of her followers, friends, and family.

Finally, Park Square concludes its season with a world premiere mystery by Jeffrey Hatcher and Steve Hendrickson. HOLMES/POIROT (Jul 19 – Aug 20, 2023) is based on “Murder on the Links” by Agatha Christie with characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, bringing not one, but two of the greatest detectives of all time to the stage in a tour-de-force of cunning plot twists and deft storytelling. Separated by 25 years, the two master sleuths examine a related case, each employing their signature methods and indelible personalities. 

SEASON TICKETS are on sale now for the Park Square season. Subscriptions include seven or five show packages, as well as choose-your-own packages. Subscription prices begin at $66 and offer discounts up to $100 over single tickets. SINGLE TICKETS will be available on a rolling basis, with the fall productions becoming available July 5. SteppingStone’s THE SNOWY DAY is available for school bookings now. General audience tickets will become available July 5. 

The ticket office is open Wednesday and Thursday, noon-5pm, at 651.291.7005, or at tickets@parksquaretheatre.org.

Suspending production of MARIE AND ROSETTA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT
Rachel Wandrei | wandrei@parksquaretheatre.org

PARK SQUARE SUSPENDS PRODUCTION OF MARIE AND ROSETTA

Saint Paul, MN. Jan 13, 2022: Park Square Theatre announced today that its production of Marie and Rosetta, originally scheduled to open January 19th, will be suspended due to concerns regarding COVID-19. The company is currently considering all options available for the future of the production, and will be issuing full refunds to everyone with tickets to the production.

Executive Director, Mark Ferraro-Hauck commented, “For months, while eagerly anticipating the full return of live theatre, our goal has been for artists and audiences to connect and celebrate; for theatre to offer healing and inspiration as we collectively recover from the hurts of the pandemic. While we have to press “pause” yet again, when we reopen we want it to be with hope and joy.” He continued, “We have been hearing the anxiety from our patrons, as well as facing challenges in the rehearsal room due to COVID-19. As we prioritize the health and safety of both our artists and audiences, everything is telling us to take a breath and return when we can do so with enthusiasm and positivity.”

Kim Vasquez, the theatre’s Producing Director added, “The theatre is immensely grateful to Director, Wendy Knox, Music Director, Gary D Hines, and the incredibly talented cast and company of the production. Under incredibly difficult conditions, they have been working passionately to create something beautiful and powerful.”

The January 24th performance by The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society will continue as planned with both an in-person and streaming audience. Later productions of Chelsea Marcantel’s air guitar comedy, Airness, directed by Angela Timberman, and the long-awaited Jeffrey Hatcher mystery, Holmes and Watson, directed by Michael Evan Haney are scheduled to continue as planned, as well as Augusto Federico Amador’s  evocative and moving Atacama, a partnership with Full Circle Theater Company.

Ticket holders are being notified by email and phone to ensure communication of the changes and refunds.

PARK SQUARE THEATRE. 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul. Ticket Office: 651.291.7005. www.parksquaretheatre.org

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