At Arizona Theatre Company we get to bring amazing artists and creators together to manifest wonderful pieces of art. In the upcoming production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, Lillie Richardson has joined our team to play the one and only Amanda Wingfield. We sat down with Richardson to get to know her a little […]
Mimi Kennedy Will Lead Award-Winning Production Pru Payne Arizona Theatre Company is excited to announce that Mimi Kennedy, best known for her roles on the television series Mom and Dharma & Greg, will be returning to the stage for the first time in over a decade as the title character in ATC’s world premiere of […]
In any stage production, as soon as our eyes hit the stage we’re met with the careful collaboration of each element of design. The lights, sound, and scenic design work together to transport us into the world of the play. And if done well, the world outside of the play begins to disappear. At ATC, […]
When you have a classic such as “Pride and Prejudice,” it’s hard not to get swept up in the romance and drama that occurs between characters like Wickham and Lydia. However, in Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon’s The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, we get a closer look at the people who were supposed to be […]
Grant funds to be distributed to Arizona Opera, Arizona Theatre Company, Ballet Tucson, and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 Four Arizona performing arts organizations that serve the Tucson community have been awarded grants ranging from $250,000 – $750,000 as part of a $2 million COVID relief funding distribution from […]
The Glass Menagerie is often described as a memory play. Just what does that mean? In the stage directions, Tennessee Williams writes, “The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic. Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details, others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for […]
The Glass Menagerie takes place in 1937, during The Great Depression. The Depression had been ongoing for some time and its effects were widespread and deeply felt by the American public. Below are some additional events that were happening … Social Trends:• Popularity of the movies (by 1930, 90,000,000 people attended the movies weekly, including […]
Thomas Lanier Williams was born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi, to parents Cornelius and Edwina Dakin Williams. From an early age, Thomas, often called Tom, felt he did not belong anywhere. His father was often abusive, repeatedly taunting his son as a “sissy boy.” Edwina was a woman desperately holding onto a southern […]
Distinguished Broadway Director, Educator to Take Helm of ATC’s Artistic Process Arizona Theatre Company today announced that Matt August has been named the Kasser Family Artistic Director of the 55-year-old professional theatre company. An artistic leader, distinguished director and educator with more than 27 years of theatre experience, August has worked in diverse markets including […]
By Kathy Allen. Originally published by the Arizona Daily Star. The drama isn’t always upstairs at Pemberley, the elaborate estate where Darcy and his wife Elizabeth live. It’s definitely downstairs, in the servants domain, as well. And that’s where the action takes place in Arizona Theatre Company’s “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley.” This is the second […]
A couple dashes of sawdust and a few splashes of ale and you’ve got one seriously out of sorts jacket. We asked Resident Costume Designer Kish Finnegan about her process distressing George Wickham’s military coat and here’s what she had to say. “This was a fun one! In theatre we do a lot of ageing […]
The theatre is a thing that many people are passionate about. They spend endless hours rehearsing lines, writing scripts, designing sets, etc. Some might say that the theatre is their life, so much so that they are still around long after they are gone … Spooky Tale #1 – David Belasco Lives and Dies Theatre […]
NOTE: ATC will present Playwright Matthew Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride in Tucson June 3-24 and in Phoenix June 29-July 16. By Felicia Fitzpatrick. Originally Published on BroadwayDirect.com With a number of movie adaptations playing on Broadway over the last decade, the industry has been deep in discourse about the balance of shows that […]
During The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, ATC will be collecting new or gently used books for children up to 18 years of age as part of Make Way for Books’ Blue Book House Project. Storybooks (board books, picture books, chapter books) and children’s literature can be dropped off in the lobby during any performance of the […]
We’re excited to announce that ATC’s metropolitan Phoenix productions beginning in October 2023 will take place in our new home at the Tempe Center for the Arts! While tickets are not yet on sale for next season, we wanted to let our loyal patrons know about this upcoming change. Watch this video to hear from […]
Max Alexander-Taylor dazzles with commanding simplicity.By Robert Encila-Celdran. Originally published on BroadwayWorld.com. If a work of art is inspired by one’s real-life travails, there’s no bigger catalyst for a masterpiece than one’s ruthless fray with desolation and mortality. That’s what we’re privy to in ATC’s one-man musical that launches the company’s 55th season: a stirringly intimate recounting […]
One-man show comes to Arizona after an acclaimed London stint. by Robert Encila-Celdran. Originally published on BroadwayWorld.com. Last summer for me was one for the books. I had the good fortune to visit London and absorb the city’s renowned theatre scene — a significant item off the proverbial bucket list. From revered classics at Shakespeare’s Globe to […]
Arizona Theatre Company announced today that its Kasser Family Artistic Director, Sean Daniels, will be leaving ATC in Spring 2023 to pursue a new opportunity as Florida Studio Theatre’s new associate director. Daniels has served as ATC’s artistic director and co-CEO since 2019, where he has helped produce and present award-winning dramas, comedies, musicals, world […]
For each show, Associate Artistic Director Chanel Bragg highlights a member of the cast or creative team who is not only local to Arizona but exemplifies excellence within their field. There is such incredible talent within our community, and as the state theatre of Arizona, we love to highlight it. In August, Bragg interviewed Emily Mohney, who is starring as Cassie in ATC’s highly […]
We’re delighted to share several sound improvements you’ll notice when you return to the theatre this fall, including additional microphones, sound mixing improvements, assistive listening device options at every performance, and open captioning at a select performance of every show. Sound Supervisor Mathew DeVore and his team will be approaching all six shows as they […]
What do we do about the servants? As evidenced in British programs such as Upstairs, Downstairs or Downton Abbey, and the more recent Hotel Portofino, the long-suffering members of the upper class have to contend with their servants as much as their own foibles. Remember Rose Buck, who was in the service of the Bellamy […]
Recently, ATC Staff members had the chance to virtually sit down with the cast and creatives of The Lion. Check out this conversation between Co-Director Alex Stenhouse and Actor Max Alexander-Taylor about how they got involved with the project.
Traditional music theater scores are said to need a good old fashioned “I want” song – remember “Wouldn’t it be Loverly” from My Fair Lady: All I want is a room somewhereFar away from the cold night airWith one enormous chairOh, wouldn’t it be loverly? Or maybe you are more familiar with “If I Were […]
Arizona Theatre Company is excited to announce that Dominican-American playwright, performer and theatremaker, Erlina Ortiz, has won the 2022 National Latine Playwrights Award with her dramedy La Egoista, for which she will receive $2,500 and a professional workshop. In conjunction with ATC senior artistic staff, panelists included director, playwright and Associate Artistic Director for Syracuse […]
World Lion Day is celebrated on August 10! ATC is celebrating as we prepare for the opening show of our 55th Season, The Lion. Enjoy this animated music video of the title song, “The Lion,” performed by Benjamin Scheuer!
Classic comedy replaces The White Chip for the fifth show in ATC’s 55th Season As Arizona Theatre Company closed its first complete two-city, six-play season in three years on July 17, the State Theatre announced that it will be producing Noël Coward’s Private Lives as its fifth show in the coming 2022/2023 Season. The beloved […]
THE LION plays to rave London reviews; will open 2022-23 season at Arizona Theatre Company by Robert Encila-Celdran. Originally published on BroadwayWorld.com. The year was 2013. Sean Daniels met singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer at Goodspeed Musicals, where the Johnny Mercer Foundation launched The Writers Grove: a veritable sanctuary for gifted writers to create and develop new musicals. […]
Christopher Oscar Pena delivers a riveting new play at Arizona Theatre Company by Robert Encila-Celdran. Originally published on BroadwayWorld.com. Occasionally a critic comes across a production that impairs his sense of objectivity. Indeed I’m guilty as chris peña’s play hits a little too close to home. how to make an American Son is a provocative immigration story, […]
To know chris peña is to come face to face with a hurricane — intense, relentless, focused, and deliberate. To know chris peña is to know passion, humor, generosity, and spirit. To know chris peña is to know talent. His play how to make an American Son is fueled by these emotions and a point […]
Titan CEO and headline sponsors, Class VI Partners and Wipfli LLP, are pleased to announce Arizona Theatre Company’s Managing Director Geri Wright as a 2022 Phoenix Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes Phoenix’s Top 100 CEO’s & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes […]
A behind-the-scenes look at Arizona Theatre Company’s world premiere musical Justice. The play examines the friendship between Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, what it means to be the first and how the court continues to move forward thanks to their efforts. Playwright Lauren Gunderson also created a third character, Vera, […]
Recently, Associate Artistic Director Chanel Bragg sat down with christopher oscar peña, ATC Artistic Associate and playwright of the upcoming production how to make an American Son, which is premiering at ATC and this summer. In addition to being a playwright, peña is currently a television writer for several shows on HBO, Hulu, and ABC. […]
The White Chip, a New York Times Critics’ Pick, shows a path to recovery that is poignant, funny, and uplifting. The White Chip will be in Scotland this May for two co-produced readings in Edinburgh and Glasgow! A dry comedy about drying out, the show follows the main character Steven as he forms a new bond […]
Arizona Theatre Company’s 55th season is taking the stage to inspire positive change, celebrate the spectrum of human emotion, and entertain even after the curtains close. Single tickets will go on sale in August 2022. Subscriptions, including six-play packages and flex passes that allow patrons to choose the shows that fit their schedules, will be available […]
Thank you to The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation for their Social Impact Theatre Grant! Our Production of Nina Simone: Four Women was one of ten productions selected for its commitment to bringing different viewpoints together on challenging subjects, reaching new audiences and partnering with organizations, community members and subject matter experts to help amplify its […]
Originally published on pbs.org by Linda Hirshman. Despite their differences, the first and second female Supreme Court justices found common ground on women’s equality. By the time the nation celebrates the birth of its democracy each Fourth of July, the nine justices of the Supreme Court have mostly left town. But before departing the capital […]
Originally published by Frontdoors Media. The Event: Season 54 Gala The Cause: Arizona Theatre Company Event Date: March 12, 2022 Location: Temple of Music and Art in Tucson Presenting Sponsor: RBC Wealth Management Honorees: Char Augenstein – Georgy Award Recipient & Chef Janos Wilder – Rainmaker Award Recipient Co-Chairs: Marcia Meyer & Anastasia Palmer Johnson Dollars Raised: $370,000+ Entertainment: Annaleigh Ashford, The Cast of Nina […]
Meet Kish Finnegan, the talented costume designer for the world premiere of Justice! At the beginning of this year, Associate Artistic Director Chanel Bragg interviewed Arizona Theatre Company’s very own Kish Finnegan, the talented costume designer for the world premiere of Justice. Finnegan is one of ATC’s main costume shop attendants and identifies as a […]
On Sunday, April 3, ATC proudly celebrated the perseverance of our local theatre-makers with Industry Night for Nina Simone: Four Women. The Arizona theatre community is resilient, passionate, and beautiful. The evening consisted of a reunion of local theatre-makers and a coming together of multiple organizations including members Arizona Equity Members & Supporters (Equity Night Out) and United Colours […]
Originally published by ABC15. By Venton Blandin Taking to the stage for Women’s History Month! The Arizona Theatre company is hosting a historic production. The story of Nina Simone, a 20th century icon of American music, who was deeply affected by the experiences of Black people during the civil rights movement is about to come […]
There are The Supremes (Florence Ballard, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson). And then there are THE Supremes – Thurgood Marshall, Warren Burger, Earl Warren, et al. Both are recognized for their lasting impact on the world they inhabit. Both have been given to periodic internal dissent. Both sometimes slide a tad too close to the political. […]
Protest Songs have been around for centuries. These songs are usually associated with a movement for social change and, at their core, they draw people together to inspire action and/or reflection. It is no secret that Nina Simone used her voice and songs to support the civil rights movement and speak out against racism in the United States. […]
In early November, Associate Artistic Director Chanel Bragg interviewed Arnel Sancianco, the talented scenic designer for Nina Simone: Four Women. Arnel is a professor at Arizona State University and identifies as a first-generation Asian scenic designer of Filipino descent who is now a proud Arizona transplant! Chanel and Arnel spoke over Zoom while Arnel was in Washington […]
Christina Ham’s Nina Simone: Four Women gives us a glimpse into the artistry and activism of one of the most powerful voices in American song history, Nina Simone. By looking at her life’s work through the lens of three other women – a housekeeper, an activist, and a prostitute on the day of the Birmingham church bombing on […]
Thank you to Scottsdale Fashion Square’s Shop It Forward Program and to all those who supported Arizona Theatre Company! We are thrilled to share, we placed 1st! Shop It Forward is a grassroots community program that allows participating nonprofits in the program to earn points from qualified purchases. Under the Shop It Forward Program, nonprofit […]
Crime and punishment. Law and order. Wine and cheese. One of these is not like the others, except in Wendy MacLeod’s Women in Jeopardy!, a perfectly structured mash-up of a police procedural and Real Housewives, but with a bit more heart. MacLeod, noted playwright, essayist, and professor at Kenyon College in Ohio, gives us three women – […]
As we voyage into rehearsals for the next show in our 54th season, we are delighted to feature another Arizona artist, Arizona State University professor (and award-winning design extraordinaire) Connie Furr. We are ecstatic to take this moment to feature the local design staple as our costume designer for Women in Jeopardy!. Connie’s iconic designs have been […]
ATC is proud to partner with STEM SWAG during our 54th Season! Throughout the season they are supplying us with beautiful floral arrangements for our opening night celebrations in Phoenix. As a locally owned and operated company, STEM SWAG is proud to support the State Theatre and realizes the importance of what arts and culture brings to […]
Dear ATC Family, The wait is over. The silence that befell the theatre has lifted. The darkness that filled our stage has been banished, and the emptiness that filled both our seats and hearts has once again been filled. Theatre is back and better than ever at Arizona Theatre Company, and the timing has beautifully coincided with […]
Off The Record … Mr. and Mrs. Darcy’s chemistry sizzles on stage and off! Newlyweds John Patrick Hayden and Alexis Bronkovic met in Minneapolis while working on Born Yesterday at the Guthrie Theatre. Since then, they have appeared together on stage in the Off-Broadway Production of The Big Broadcast and Cape May Stage’s Chapter Two. Experience their real life romance in Miss Bennet: Christmas […]
On December 3, University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television junior, Camden Stankus, went on stage to play the role of Elizabeth Darcy with thirty minutes notice! This was a role that she had not understudied for, but with a script in hand, she earned a standing ovation during curtain call! She learned dances at […]
Thursday, November 18 marked another great day in the return of live theatre at ATC! Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley welcomed over 500 students from around Tucson for our first Student Matinee in almost 2 years. It was a rousing success, everyone was engaged, laughing, clapping, and “oohing and aahing” throughout the show. It was everything we love […]
Orignially published in the Arizona Daily Star. by Cathalena E. Burch Poor Mary Bennet. Jane Austen barely gave her any ink in her 19th century novel “Pride and Prejudice.” Mary, the middle of the five Bennet sisters, kind of didn’t deserve any. She was dull, her nose was always stuck in a book and she was judgmental […]
Is it the setting, England during the Regency, where a prince instead of a king ruled and empire waist dresses were introduced by another “Emma”? Is it the language, where women speak up and men listen? Where irony and social commentary meld effortlessly together? Is it characters like Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, Emma Woodhouse, and so […]
SHOP IT FORWARD TO HELP BENEFIT ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY! Join us in celebrating Scottsdale Fashion Square’s 60th Anniversary by Shopping it Forward from October 15 – December 15. Shop, dine, and enjoy entertainment anywhere at Scottsdale Fashion Square, and then submit your receipts to raise money for ATC, one of six participating nonprofit organizations. To […]
Meet Seth Tucker Seth conducted this interview while working at Barnstormers Theatre in New Hampshire. Renowned as the oldest summer stock of 91 years in the country, he is currently performing in a reimagined telling of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. In this new work titled “Far From Canterbury,” he is […]
Check it out! The Production Department has been busy working on the set of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. Follow along in this time lapse video, see the backdrop and flooring of the set come to life!
Meet Elena Quach Elena expresses that’s she is so freaking excited, and that her students are ecstatic about her being cast. Upon telling them on the first day of school that she would be missing some of the winter session, her students excitedly exclaimed, “Miss, this is so much fun, you are like famous!” Elena shared […]
Originally published on ONStageAZ.com. A new direction, mission and leadership team advance ATC into its 54th season. Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) puts artists and audiences at the heart of all it does. ATC performances bring people together to experience essential stories, from reimagined classics to contemporary plays, original works, and innovative musicals. The theatre’s mission is to […]
Originally published on BroadwayWorld.com.By Robert Encila-Celdran It’s rush hour on a Friday afternoon and I have the good fortune to locate a parking spot across the lane from the Temple of Music and Art. I don’t recall parking this close to the building in my years as a patron of Arizona Theatre Company. Of course, my sense […]
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Awards Surprise “Now is the Moment Grants Commemoration” to 71 Nonprofits, including ATC—the Largest Single-Day Grant Initiative in Arizona History The grants were presented to the awardees throughout the day on September 13, 2021—as a complete surprise. Trustees personally met with the CEOs and Board Chairs of the organizations to […]
This summer, as we prepared to get back on the mainstage, Arizona Theatre Company’s Production Department cleaned all of our lighting instruments.In doing so, we discovered we had equipment to share! Last week, ATC donated 44 Colortrans lighting instruments, barrels, and replacement bulbs to three Tucson area high schools – Tanque Verde High School, Palo […]
The Temple of Music and Art in Tucson was filled with laughter, friendship and joy on Saturday, September 4 as nearly 150 volunteers gathered for an orientation to prepare for ATC’s long-anticipated 54th Season. A celebration as much as it was an orientation, the event brought together ushers from all 24 series’ to hear about […]
Rachel Lynett, a playwright, producer, and teaching artist, has won Arizona Theatre Company’s 2021 National Latinx Playwrights Award for Black Mexican. Set against current questions of inclusion and representation, Lynett’s play compels audiences to also ask: Who defines identity? Lynett, the recipient of the 2021 Yale Drama Prize for the play, Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry (You Too August Wilson), will receive $1,000 and a workshop of Black Mexican at Arizona […]
Live theatre can boost empathy and pro-social behavior, according to new research by Eric W. Dolan, published in PsyPost July 25, 2021. Watching a live theatre production can increase empathy for the groups depicted in the plays and may even result in real changes in charitable behavior, according to new research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. […]