Auditions Slated for BOP’s “The Fisherman’s Clever Daughter”!

Auditions are coming up for BOP’s “The Fisherman’s Clever Daughter” by local artists Jeremey Caron, Samuel R. Caron, Ph.D. and Benjamin J. Caron. This is an operetta based on Vít Horejš’ new translation of an ancient Czech folktale. It’s the story of “a far away village, in a far away kingdom, in a land far, far away. The villagers lived hard, simple lives, yet they were very happy and were ruled by a wise king...” What happens when the king asks a very difficult question, and the villagers’ happy lives might be turned upside down?

Auditions are Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10, 2016, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm each day . Those who can’t make the scheduled auditions are encouraged to email or call director Ben Caron for an appointment. Auditions will be in Central School Project's Squffy Theater, 43 Howell Avenue, Old Bisbee. 

BOP is seeking singers and actors, ages 16 and up. Actors should dress to move and bring a 1-3 minute memorized monologue or verse (not original work) and a song with piano or karaoke accompaniment. They are also seeking musicians: keyboards, violin, bass, flute, clarinet, drums and horns. Musicians should bring instruments and a one-minute solo, or they can email a video or audio demo.

“The Fisherman’s Clever Daughter” will rehearse July through the opening on September 23, selected weekday evenings and weekend afternoons. Performances are September 23 – October 2, 2016.

To see a video of a previous production, go to YouTube and search for “The Fisherman’s Clever Daughter.”

For more information and audition appointments email benski2@gmail.com or call 520.234.1850. There is a cast breakdown at http://bit.ly/fisherfbpr.

The Fourteenth Season is a-Brewing

Mark your calendars for September 23. That's when BOP will be opening our 14th season. And we'll be opening with a bang. First up is The Fisherman's Clever Daughter, an operetta based on a Czech folk tale and brought to the stage by Jeremey Caron, Ben Caron, and their talented father, Samuel R. Caron, Ph.D.

We're still auditioning plays for slots two and four.

Slot three, opening February 17, 2017 (yikes!) will be another Agatha Christie, nothing anyone in Bisbee has done before. Christie was quite prolific, and, as a master of dialogue, loved to write plays. Stay tuned to find out which great whodunnit we'll choose.

We hope to see you all in September, and to entertain you throughout the year.

Oh, yes, and you will get to entertain us! We'll have Open Stage nights between the shows, and we're looking forward to seeing what you bring to us.

TTFN!

The Dixie Swim Club Opens April 15

Taxes in? Celebrate on April 15th at Opening Night of The Dixie Swim Club at Central School Project's Squffy Theater. As always for festive Fridays, BOP Bakers will cater this Opening Night. For this show, the Bakers are going with a beach theme with summery drinks and snacks by donation. 

Bisbee's Obscure Productions cast and director of The Dixie Swim Club are deep in rehearsal and are thrilled to be working on such a great show. Director Mitchell A. Reed-Tattan says, "I have been truly blessed to work with such an incredible cast on my very first show as a director! This show will offer up the perfect balance of comedy and drama for our loving BOP audiences!"

Today we all know what BFFs are. This "squad" of funny women demonstrates that being friends forever needs humor, forgiveness, charity, and much more humor. Five Southern women met on their college swim team and reunite every August -- without kids, jobs and husbands – to refuel those friendships. Team leader is Sheree (Cheri Wiens), the organized one, hanging onto a “perfect” life. Dinah (Debby Gardner) is an overachieving attorney with a less-than-stellar life at home. Lexie (Suzi Pretty) is hanging onto youth for dear life through serial marriages. Vernadette (Daphne Ross) turns her humor back onto herself, while sweet Jeri (Nikki Heinrich) surprises all by becoming a mother. The writers, “America’s Playwrights” Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, are veterans of Off-Broadway, regional theater and television.

"Dixie Swim Club was a play I knew I wanted to do as soon as I heard the story line." says Nikki.  "I love the idea of having life-long friendships," she continues, "of women sticking by each other through thick and thin, despite their obvious differences. Theater is a place where you can dream of what you wish the world was like, what you wish your life was like or maybe to remind you how wonderful your life is compared to a character's life on stage. I'm excited to be able to create art on stage and embody a character who may or may not have any similarities to myself.  Dixie Swim Club is something you won't want to miss. Be ready to laugh, cry, and reminisce."

Dixie Swim Club plays at Central School Project, 43 Howell Ave, in Old Bisbee. The show continues evenings at 7:30, April 16, 22 and 23, with two Sunday matinees at 3:00 on April 17 and 22.

Do buy your tickets in advance. You'll save some money, and we'll feel confident you'll be there to see this wonderful show. $10 advance tickets are available at Mimosa Market and Finders Keepers in Old Bisbee, at The Bisbee Food Coop in Lowell, and by mail from BOP at Box 277, Bisbee, 85603. Credit card purchase is available by phone or mail (plus $1 each). Tickets will be $12 at the door for adults and $6 for students. For more information contact BOP at theaterbisbee@gmail.com, or at 520.366.7257.

OPEN STAGE March 25!

Announcing the final Open Stage nights of the 2015-2016 season! These “who knows what will happen next?” performance art events are coming up soon, on March 25 and April 8. Both exciting evenings begin at the earlier start time of 7:00 pm, and both take place on our home stage at Central School Project, 43 Howell Avenue in Old Bisbee. Contact “Obscure” Rae for venue and technical information and needs. Call 520-432-2901 or theaterbisbee@gmail.com. Come early to sign in.

If you enjoy an evening of grassroots Bisbee-style entertainment and fun, Open Stage is the place to be, whether on stage or in the audience. Either spot, or both, costs a dollar, so BOP can pay the rent. You can’t afford to miss it!

BOP Auditions for Dixie Swim Club

Bisbee's Obscure Productions, in partnership with Central School Project, is happy to announce auditions for The Dixie Swim Club Saturday, February 20, 2016 and Sunday, February 21, 2016 both 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM! Please come prepared to present a one to two minute memorized comedic or dramatic monologue and read a bit from the script. We are looking for five women, eighteen and up! The Dixie Swim Club is written by the witty team of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, Jamie Wooten. Great characters, wonderful dialogue.

THE STORY: Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina's Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other's lives. THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of thirty-three years. Sheree, the spunky team captain, desperately tries to maintain her organized and "perfect" life, and continues to be the group's leader. Dinah, the wisecracking overachiever, is a career dynamo. But her victories in the courtroom are in stark contrast to the frustrations of her personal life. Lexie, pampered and outspoken, is determined to hold on to her looks and youth as long as possible. She enjoys being married—over and over and over again. The self-deprecating and acerbic Vernadette, acutely aware of the dark cloud that hovers over her life, has decided to just give in and embrace the chaos. And sweet, eager-to-please Jeri Neal experiences a late entry into motherhood that takes them all by surprise. As their lives unfold and the years pass, these women increasingly rely on one another, through advice and raucous repartee, to get through the challenges (men, sex, marriage, parenting, divorce, aging) that life flings at them. And when fate throws a wrench into one of their lives in the second act, these friends, proving the enduring power of "teamwork," rally 'round their own with the strength and love that takes this comedy in a poignant and surprising direction. THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB is the story of these five unforgettable women—a hilarious and touching comedy about friendships that last forever...

For more information, contact Director: Mitchell A. Reed-Tattan at MitchellBOP@aol.com

Kya Teskey will be Mitchell's able assistant, and Blu Butch will, as always, ably handle lights and sound.

Lots of Chances for Fun. Don’t Miss Yours

It seems quiet at BOP right now, but don’t be fooled. Behind the holiday business, BOP’s actors, singers, musicians, dancers, and techies are beginning rehearsals for the second musical of our lifetime. This one is “Honk!,” the story of the ugly duckling, a tale that reminds us of just how OK it is to be different. Our cast of characters from 8 years of age to 80 is looking for one mature soprano to fill out the cast. Are you her? Do you know her? Come on around and have some fun. Great music, great show, fun cast! The show opens February 26, so there’s plenty of time to learn the part. Call or e-mail Gilles now at 520.432.2901, theaterbisbee@gmail.com

After a rousing start, Open Stage will take a month off in January while we regroup. February 19 will be the next chance to join or to encourage these talented performers, so get off the couch and polish up an act. We want to see it!

After a hiatus, BOP’s brave improv actors will be trying to stir up interest in a group again, perhaps for performance, perhaps just for fun, whatever the participants decide. Former and new players are invited to our first “reboot” gathering on January 29, 2:00 at Central School Project’s Squffy Theater, with further dates to be set at that time. Come to play, to get quick on your feet, just for fun, or for show, but come! No experience necessary -- we are making it up! Rae can give you more improv and Open Stage info at 520.432.2901 or theaterbisbee@gmail.com

Bring your best to the New Year, to BOP, and to Bisbee! You will get the best back.

In the pic: In rehearsal for Honk! Rosa Miller as Queenie, Lizzy Heinrich as Lowbutt and Nikki Heinrich as Cat.

Jeremy Heisner as Tom, Kya Teskey as Laura,
Gabriel Gast as Jim and Kathleen Shaughnessy as Amanda