To be or not to be…
Play On! Theatre is Cville’s only all-volunteer, not-for-profit theatre in the area, with a full staff of non-paid and committed Cville theatre lovers. That commitment and dedication to community theatre is incentive enough to check out a show, not to mention their great line-up of performances.
Play On!’s current show is sure to entertain, with the satirized and only-just-a-little condenses production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).
What: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
Where: Play On! Theatre at The IX
When: 9.20, 9.21 and 9.22 @ 8p; 9.23 @ 2p
How much: Thursday, Pay what you will; Friday and Saturday, $18; Sunday, $16
In a brief email Q&A, Alex Citron, Executive Director of Play On!, shares about Play On!, the theatre community, and their current show.
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Q: How long has Play On! been a standing theater in Cville?
A: Play On! was founded in 2005 and produced its first show in September of 2006. “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)” is our 48th production.
Q: How have you seen it grow in the past years, even months?
A: Primarily, our recent growth has been a large increase in the number of volunteers we have involved in putting on our productions. In our first season, we had about 50 volunteers; in our most recently completed season, we had over 350 volunteers involved. Attendance growth has been somewhat slower to achieve.
Q: What about Play On! is unique to the other theaters in town?
A: Play On! is the only all-volunteer, not-for-profit community theatre in the area; we have no paid staff at all. Our mission is to provide a place where community members can come together to make friends and stretch their creative muscles by collaborating in the creation of live theatre.
Q: Describe The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) in 10 words or less.
A: Three over-matched actors present all of Shakespeare in 90 minutes.
Q: Who are some note-able actors/actresses in CWSa? New rising Cville stars?
A: The show features two Charlottesville comedy legends: Andy Davis and Jack Rakes, plus well-known local actor/director ‘Derby’ Thomas. Davis is the Artistic Director of Bent Theatre Company, one of Central Virginia’s most respected Improv Comedy troupes. Rakes is locally known as a brilliant musical satirist and songwriter, as well as a gifted comedian. Thomas has directed and acted in shows at Play On! and Four County Players.
Q: If someone who has never been to a local theater production is interested in CWSa but hesitant, what would you do to encourage he/she to come to the show?
A: This show is not like traditional theater – it is highly interactive; the audience becomes a big part of the show. The comedy is fast and irreverent and a lot of the show is unabashedly silly. The lights stay on for most of it as well – it’s not like sitting in a dark room and watching people act out a story… not at all.
Q: What future shows at Play On! should Cville know about?
A: Our next show is the Central Virginia premiere of the award-winning Broadway musical, “Jekyll & Hyde.” It has beautiful music, a chilling story (perfect for Halloween), and features a special guest performance by Broadway veteran T. Eric Hart as Jekyll/Hyde. It runs from October 26 thru November 11, including a special show on Halloween.
Posted on September 19, 2012 by Linnea White
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