Wow! It's been a while

Last you heard from us, we were getting ready for I Hate Hamlet. The Paul Rudnick laugh-a-thon was nicely successful. We have spent the intervening weeks cleaning up and preparing for a new season which we will be announcing formally really soon.

Thank you to all the people who have helped us make BOP the best little community theater in Bisbee -- and, we'd say, Cochise County. And we do have good competition.

Hang in there. 2012-13 will be announced soon.

Great Fun Coming Soon!

We've been working hard on our next show, I Hate Hamlet, by Paul Rudnick. We have a great set by Pablo Pencil, a wonderful cast, carefully chosen from Bisbee's great pool of talent. We're down to the last few rehearsals, and we're still laughing. Rudnick has written a crazy comedy about a TV actor transported to NYC, his amazingly naive girlfriend, the ghost of John Barrymore, an actor's agent and a real estate agent (vying for "scum of the earth"), and a Hollywood producer.

Come see Alex O'Meara, Peter Gardner, Christa  Smith, Britt Hanson and more. You know these actors are good, but they are great in these roles. Get tickets now, so you won't be disappointed.

The info:

I Hate Hamlet will have seven performances only on the “Squffy” Theater stage at Central School Project, 43 Howell Ave. in Old Bisbee. Evening performances are scheduled for 7:30 pm on April 13, 14, 20, 27 and 28 with two matinees at 3:00 pm on April 22 and 29. There is no performance on April 21. Theater lovers are encouraged to get their tickets early to avoid missing this fabulous show. Advanced tickets are $10 at Atalanta’s Music & Books, the Bisbee Food Coop and by mail from BOP at Box 277, Bisbee, AZ 85603. For credit card sales (add $1) and more information, call 520-432-2901, or e-mail theaterbisbee@gmail.com. I Hate Hamlet contains mature themes and language, but much less than most TV shows, so please use your discretion.  

 

The Green Tomatoz Headline Bisbee Women’s Revue 2012

The Green Tomatoz are a reminder of fun times on Brewery Gulch when Theater in the Gulch gave us laughs based on the daily goings on around our town. The original Green Tomatoz, Chris Bovée, Judy Perry, and Nancy Weaver, helped form Theater in the Gulch and served as the venue’s house band. If you didn’t get to Bisbee in time to catch these women, you won’t want to miss a chance to see them now.

Bisbee’s Obscure Productions will bring The Green Tomatoz back to the Bisbee stage in this year’s Bisbee Women’s Revue. Judy and Nancy, and possibly a “fresh” tomato, will be featured in this year’s show, which celebrates International Women’s Day, March 8. BOP commemorates the date with a variety show featuring an all-woman cast and crew, though they do invite men to come out and cheer the performers on. The show is different every year and a good time is guaranteed for all.

Veteran Bisbee and BOP performers join the Tomatoz. Carol Park will lead the women of the Occasional Chorus. Sharon Strachan will spoof Stephen Sondheim’s, I’m Not Getting Married Today, with help from her company. BHS drama teacher, Elizabeth Henley, is on for Broadway tunes “to be named later.” Yvonne Grimm will perform with the “Banjolele Ladies,” Debbie Thompson and Debbie Lydon in three-part harmony. Debby Gardner will join Yvonne for Conversation in Heaven. Angelika Johnson and Abigail Stage will dance, and Liz Lockwood provides new comedic commentary. “Obscure” Rae Jones, emcee, will give her own Bisbee Women’s Timeline.

Be the most important part of community theater, yourselves, the audience! The Revue will be presented in three shows at Central School Project’s Squffy Theater, 43 Howell Avenue in Old Bisbee. There will be two evening performances at 7:30 p.m. on March 9 and 10, with a 3:00 pm matinee on March 11. Admission is just $5.00 at the door for this fun community event. For more information regarding the show contact Rae Jones at 520-432-2901, or theaterbisbee@gmail.com.

Great Show, Great Cast, Great Crew

And then there were none... by Agatha Christie is in the middle of a great run. Am I over-using the word? This is a fun show with both suspense and humor, and the cast makes the most of the opportunity. We've had one sellout, and another one coming for this Sunday. Please get your tickets soon, so you don't miss being part of this.

In the play, ten very different people have been lured to an island retreat off the coast of Devon, invited by an enigmatic Mr. or Mrs. Owen. A disembodied voice accuses each of an unpunished murder. Then, one by one the guests themselves are murdered, following the rhyme of “Ten little soldier boys went out to dine. One choked his little self, and then there were nine.” Who is the killer? Is it Emily Brent, the very religious spinster, played by Patricia Sherick-Gronlund? Is it Vera Claythorne, hired as Mrs. Owen’s secretary (Bisbee High School Drama teacher Elizabeth Henley)? Or is it Sir Lawrence Wargrave, played by Charles Feil? Who will survive until the suspenseful final scene?

Performances of And then there were none… will be February 3 & 4 at 7:30 pm with a 3:00 pm matinee on February 5. Tickets are going fast, so get yours now. All performances will be held in the O.G. Squffy Theater at Central School Project, 43 Howell in Old Bisbee. Bisbee’s Obscure Productions is grateful for the support of the Bisbee 1000 and Central School Project.

Tickets are $10 in advance at Atalanta’s Music and Books and the Bisbee Food Coop, or by mail from BOP. Tickets at the door will be $12 for adults and $6 for students with ID. For more information or credit card sales, call BOP at (520) 432-2901, email theaterbisbee@gmail.com or mail to PO Box 277, Bisbee AZ 85603.

Seeking a Few Good Men

We're still seeking a few good men for And then there were none... by Agatha Christie. All of Christie's roles are great, and we have a couple of men who die early (meaning not so many lines) and a couple who make it into the third act.

Rehearsals will be on Thursday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. If everyone works smart, we won't have to work long.

Email us at theaterbisbee@gmail.com or call 520-432-2901.

Stay Tuned

We'll be posting pictures and videos from Slap Happy: The Second Dip soon. Keep an eye peeled.

Audition!!

We're having an open call for actors for And then there were none… by Agatha Christie. This is a classic mystery story: an odd group of characters has been invited to an island retreat by an unknown host. They die off one by one – whodunit? The cast features eight terrific men’s roles of all ages and three wonderful parts for women, two middle-aged and one to play mid-twenties. This play was pulled from production for years because of its earlier non-PC title, Ten Little Indians. Gilles will direct this show.

Auditions will be held in the O.J. Squffy Theater at Central School Project, 43 Howell Ave. in Old Bisbee on Saturday and Sunday, November 12 & 13, beginning at 1:00 each day.

Come prepared to deliver a one- to three-minute memorized monologue, not original work. We do need to know that you can memorize something, even a nursery rhyme. You will also read from the script. Rehearsals will be Thursday evenings and weekend afternoons through performance. Dress rehearsal and performance dates are scheduled for January 18-February 5, 2011. A copy of the script is available for reading at the Copper Queen Library. Actors may contact BOP at (520) 432-2901 or theaterbisbee@gmail.com for more information and to make arrangements for special audition appointments.

Director Rae Jones is also seeking one perfect male to play what may be the sweetest men’s role ever, the ghost of John Barrymore, in the hilarious comedy, I Hate Hamlet, by Paul Rudnick. The ideal candidate will have good movement skills and a big voice. To join our all-star Bisbee cast, contact Rae at theaterbisbee@gmail.com or at 520-432-2901 right away to schedule an audition. Rehearsals for I Hate Hamlet will be selected evenings and weekend afternoons February into April, with performances scheduled April 12-29. A script is available for reading at the Copper Queen Library.