Playwright Mercedes Kuhn
Photo courtesy of Theatre Wesleyan

• Wednesday, February 19 at 7:30 pm
• Thursday, February 20 at 7:30 pm
• Friday, February 21 at 7:30 pm
• Saturday, February 22 at 2:00 pm Matinee
• Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 pm & Post-Show Reception
• Sunday, February 23 at 2:00 pm Matinee

The post Theatre Wesleyan Presents World Premiere Play first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Miss Molly is an homage to Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, offering the same humor and charm of Wilde’s work while incorporating modern references and exploring queer themes (an act punishable by law during Wilde’s lifetime). This new comedy comes from Christine Carmela and will be directed by Evan Michael Woods, two TCU alumni who were roommates when Carmela first drafted Miss Molly. Since graduating, Carmela made her Off-Broadway debut at SoHo Repertory Theatre and has accrued 6.4 million likes on TikTok – all while gaining her Masters in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California. While Woods is known as a multidisciplinary theatre artist in DFW, Miss Molly marks his directorial debut. Christine tells us why she and Evan make the perfect team.

Scenic Design & Rendering by Paige Hathaway; Costume Design & Renderings by Aaron Patrick DeClerk

“To have Miss Molly premiere in any other city, at any other theatre, with any other director would feel blasphemous. DFW has always been an artistic home for me; it’s where I started my career as a writer and performer. Before USC and Off-Broadway, Amphibian was the first professional theatre to give me a chance when they hosted a staged reading of one of my early plays. There is not a single director better suited to bring Miss Molly to life than the person who lived in the room next door to me for most of my time in DFW, whom I consider a go-to collaborator, confidant, and friend,” says Carmela.

The ties to Texas Christian University don’t stop with Carmela and Woods. Not only are there several other “Horned Frog” cast and creative members, but Amphibian Stage was founded in 2000 by a group of freshly graduated Theatre TCU students. Now, 25 years later, seasoned playwright and Artistic Director Kathleen Culebro is offering her stage to a new voice from her alma mater. ”It’s a thrill to welcome Christine and her hilarious romp of a play to our stage. I couldn’t be prouder of my fellow Horned Frog, who is clearly about to become a huge sensation. Her talent is undeniable. If you like funny, fast-paced, sexy plays with gorgeous period costumes then this is the play for you.”

Logan Graye, Brayden Raqueño, and Luke Atkison make up the rest of the TCU grads involved in Miss Molly. Logan Graye, a New-York based performer, will play Genevieve Houseington. Brayden Raqueño, a Los-Angeles based performer, will play Aloysius Thurston. Graye and Raqueño were both in the first staged reading of Miss Molly at TCU in 2018. Luke Atkison, a Florida-based designer, performer, and drag artist, will act as the lighting designer.

(First Staged Reading at TCU, Fall 2018. Current Miss Molly team members pictured: First Row Left, Brayden Raqueño | Right of Raqueño (green shirt) Christine Carmela | First Row Right, Logan Graye | Top Row, Second from Right (Teal Jacket) Evan Michael Woods)

Parker Gray, Executive Director of Second Thought Theatre, will play the role of Matthias Manley. Well known Dallas-Fort Worth stage performers Laurel Collins, Shannon McGrann, and Emily Scott Banks will play the roles of Baroness Ella Manley, Baroness Bertha Thurston, and Viscountess Petunia Houseington, respectively. Aaron Patrick DeClerk, a DFW-based costume designer known for his work with Trinity Shakespeare Festival, will act as costume designer. DC based (and DFW native) Paige Hathaway will design the set. Nicole Alvarez, who recently worked on Broadway production of the Pulitzer-Prize winning play Fat Ham, will design wigs and hair. Patrick Emile, a DFW-based sound designer known for work with BBC, Aivson Young, and Benjamin Moore, will design sound.

The post World Premiere of New Play by TCU Alumna at TCU-Founded Theater first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Irving and his awe-inspiring tales are best known as some of the first works of fiction in the United States. His writings laid the foundation for some of the world’s most popular authors, including Charles Dickens, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allen Poe, and Stephen King. In perfect timing with the spooky season, Amphibian Stage will transform their Black Box theater into Irving’s eerie world, bringing the lore to life through ghostly stories and astonishing magical elements that underscore the 90-minute theatrical experience.

THE HOLLOW John Rapson (Writer_Actor)
Courtesy of Evan Michael Woods

At the heart of The Hollow is an homage and exalting of Washington Irving’s vast and sadly forgotten influence on the literary world. Literary lovers can dive deep into this exploration of the man often cited as the father of American Fiction. This new world premiere brilliantly weaves traditional text with new imaginings creating an entry point for curious contemporary audiences.

When asked about the importance of bringing this production to North Texas audiences, Amphibian Stage Founder and Artistic Director Kathleen Culebro said, “Amphibian Stage is honored to welcome this outstanding talent to Fort Worth for the second world premiere this season! Viewers will be blown away by this reimagining of Irvin’s stories. Irving was one of the country’s first creative voices, and it’s fitting that today’s leading visionaries would choose to tell his stories. It’s a rare gift to see fiction come full circle from early 19th-century literature to the 21st-century stage. The Hollow offers creative insight into two brilliant men [Irving and Rapson] centuries apart and shows Irving’s work still has relevance today. We’re thrilled to invite North Texas audiences to experience this humorous and frightful production – closing the season on an eerie note.”

Left – Jeremy Landon Hays (Director)
Right – John Rapson (Writer_Actor)_
Photo by Evan Michael Woods

The stellar creative team includes nationally recognized actor, producer, singer, and writer Jeremy Landon Hayes. Hayes, who is directing the production, has developed work for Broadway and acted in television, film, and stage. Together with playwright John Rapson, the duo propelled Irving’s work into the 21st Century, conceiving theatrical illusions and surprises that will accentuate the storytelling and have guest questioning their own senses. This uncanny experience is made possible by NYC-based designer Caite Hevner who designed the sets and projection. Her designs have been seen on Broadway, off-Broadway, across the United States, and internationally. Joining the superb team are Tony Award-winning Costume Designer Gregg Barnes and beloved local theater professional Joel Ferrel as producer, who’s directed and choreographed extensively around the country (including FW and Dallas).

The Hollow re-acquaints us with the prolific creator of America’s earliest ghost stories; Washington Irving. Our narrator spins Irving’s tales into vivid light…only to find himself entangled in his own web of paranormal terrors. John Rapson’s new stage adaptation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” brings horror and humor in equal measure, up close and in person in a new Halloween tradition.

Olivia King, John Rapson
Photo by Evan Michael Woods

In collaboration with visionary creatives such as Tony Award-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes (Kinky Boots, Mean Girls, The Drowsy Chaperone) and Broadway scenic/projection designer Caite Hevner (Derren Brown: Secret, In Transit), this chilling one-act play will have you watching your back long after the lights go down.

Showtimes: October 12 – November 6

• Wednesday & Thursday, October 12 & 13: Pay What you Want Previews
• Friday, October 14: $100 (Special Opening Weekend Event; Catered Reception)
• Saturday, October 15: $60 (Special Opening Weekend Event; Catered Reception)
• Sunday, October 16, $40 (General Admission with Catered Reception)
• Thursday, 8 pm curtain: $25 per ticket
• Friday, 8 pm curtain: $40 per ticket
• Saturday, 8 pm curtain: $40 per ticket
• Sunday, 2 pm curtain: $40 per ticket

General admission tickets can be purchased by visiting amphibianstage.com or calling the box office at 817.923.3012.

The post Amphibian Stage Closes Season with Worth Premiere first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the first new, full-length ballet Stevenson has choreographed since joining the nonprofit ballet company in 2003. The last full-length ballet he created was Cleopatra, choreographed in 2000 while Stevenson was Artistic Director at Houston Ballet.

“I’m so happy to work with the talented dancers of our Company while creating this full-length ballet,” Stevenson said. “I am working to make a whimsical and magical production that will enchant the audience.”

The ballet is based on Shakespeare’s story of the same name and will feature sets designed by famed theatrical costume and set designer David Walker.

Carolyn Judson, photo by Steven Visneau

The production is noteworthy for another reason: 19-year veteran Company Dancer Carolyn Judson will retire after the ballet’s run. She will originate the role of Titania, one of the lead characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Patrons may recognize Judson from her leading roles in many TBT ballets, including The Nutcracker and this season’s performances of Star Crossed and George Balanchine’s Serenade.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is family-friendly and has a run time of approximately two hours. Patrons can purchase tickets by visiting the website or calling the Box Office at 877-828-9200 option 1. Current COVID-19 safety policies encourage patrons to wear masks in the theaters, and policies are subject to change based on the public health landscape at the time of performances.

The post A Midsummer World Premiere first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.