Student Play Reading at Opera House
Post date: Jan 03, 2012 11:34:28 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Linda Nelson, Director
Issued: 01/03/12 lnelson@operahousearts.org 367-2788
“TOM SAWYER” IN STAGED STUDENT READING AT STONINGTON OPERA HOUSE
STONINGTON – Opera House Arts’ is proud to present a staged student reading of Mark Twain’s classic, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” in an adaptation by Laura Eason, as its annual student playreading January 11 at 7 p.m. at the Stonington Opera House. Deer Isle-Stonington High School senior Esther Adams selected the work and will direct the reading, which will include a post-show Talk Back of this complex American favorite.
The production will feature student actors Emily Cormier, Allison Cormier, Sasha Zembrusky, Jadyn Ladeau, Amy Bolton, Alyssa Chesney, and Marvin Merritt.
This presentation of “Tom Sawyer” was selected in conjunction with the 2012 Hancock County Big Read of Twain’s novel sponsored by Island Readers & Writers. Additional Big Read events kick off on Deer Isle on January 17. For more information on these events please visit http://islandreadersandwriters.org/authors/the-big-read-2012-the-adventures-of-tom-sawyer/. Laura Eason's adaptation was commissioned and first produced by Hartford Stage in May 2010.
Director Esther Adams is a senior at Deer Isle-Stonington High School. She participated in a recent professional development workshop for teachers on Readers Theater with Opera House Arts' teaching artist Ryan Conarro, with whom she began to conceptualize this production. Adams has appeared numerous times on-stage at both the Opera House and the Reach Performing Arts Center. Last January she adapted and directed “Red,” a 2007 collection of personal essays by 58 of the next generation of writers--teenage girls--on what fires up their lives. Theater is among her many interests and talents, which also include music and sports. She is also the Assistant House Manager for Opera House Arts.
Tickets for the “Our Own” Community Playreadings are $7, available only at the door the evening of the show. The “Our Own” Community Playreading Series is in its 12th year. As an important component of this program, each year a local student is given a chance to select and direct the material of their choice. Everyone, regardless of experience, is encouraged to participate in the “Our Own” playreadings, which require only 15 hours of rehearsal time and no memorization. The series presents an excellent opportunity to read new plays with their writers present; and to explore drama, direction, and performance through scripts. Past student performances have included “The Straight and Crazy Doped Up World” and “The Laramie Project.” For more information please go towww.operahousearts.org.
Opera House Arts (OHA) is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Stonington Opera House, on the National Register of Historic Places, in 2012. OHA is a nonprofit small professional theater noted for its original productions and artist commissions, including 2010’s Burt Dow, Deep Water Man, which will be reprised in August 2012.