Hello!

I hope everyone likes the new layout of the blog. It was interesting getting all of the bits and pieces together. Coding can be so fun and so frustrating without Global Head overrides! I hope everyone has their tickets ready for the first ever Young Professionals Event! This Wednesday night is when we're all going to be meeting out at the Brew Pub for dinner at 5:30 then coming to the theatre to see Over the Tavern. Everyone has been raving about this show. It has to be one of the funniest plays I've seen lately and the family reminds me of home. They really know how to put the fun in dysfunctional in this play with Rudy's helpful questioning. So come out and meet us for dinner and a play. You can even get your tickets at the door that night if you're like me and tend to forget till the last minute.

Also, for the college aged people in our midst, we have a new, hopefully recurring, program aimed at bringing the fun of the theatre to you! I'm putting together a College Tour with the local colleges so in a couple of weeks you could be seeing me at your school! Then, on April 24th, we're having a special after-party after a showing of Romeo and Juliet. The play begins at 7:30 with food provided by Eastside Grille and entertainment by Clint Darby of the Clint and Kip duo. You do have to come see the show to be at the after-party so hurry up and get your tickets because this is going to be one night you don't want to miss!

As always, if you need to know anything more or want to grab the good seats before anyone else, then call the box office at 334-271-5353 or check us out on the web at www.asf.net.

See you there!

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Hi! For those of you who have been reading the blog, Jessica Skarda has been your faithful editor for these past few months. In fact, she's the one who created this blog to begin with to connect our audiences with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in a way that goes beyond just attending the plays (which we highly encourage!) to a level where they feel that they belong to the ASF family (which you do!). It's with a bit of sadness and alot of excitement that we here at ASF bid adieu to Jessica as she starts her new world travels in Europe and China.

So that naturally leads us to an introduction.

I'm Abby Bryson, the new editor, and I'm here to continue bringing you information and behind the scenes coverage about all the activity that goes on here at ASF. If you've been watching the blog then you're already acquainted with some of what I do. I've been filming and editing all the podcasts that make their way onto the web.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to remind everyone that we've got a great event coming up! The first Young Professionals event on April 2nd will begin at The Brew Pub at 5:30 with dinner being $10-25 and then the show, Over the Tavern, will begin at 7:30 with tickets being a discounted $26.00. If you fall between the ages of 25-45, grab a friend and come out and see this great show with many of the other professionals from the area.

And let me say what a pleasure it is to meet all of you. The blog may go through a bit of a face lift soon so bookmark the page and keep checking back for your connection to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Leave a comment with a question or email me at abryson@asf.net for more information on the blog, podcasts, or shows we have coming up.

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Okay you guys, here are some photos from the show that's been all the buzz--- Over the Tavern. The last show is on April 6th, but you can order your tickets NOW by visiting our website at www.asf.net!

I mean come on--- how often do you get to see a girl wearing a bee hive nowadays?

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Avery Clark (Romeo) & Adriana Gaviria (Juliet)

Come see Romeo and Juliet in the Festival on April 11th!

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Hey everyone! Just wanted to share with you what The Aumnibus' Editor-in-chief Candis Calvert (photo) had to say about Over the Tavern in the March 12th Edition of the Aumnibus. Oh, and P.s. she's right about bringing a jacket! :)

<--- (Written by Candis Calvert, Aumnibus Editor-In-Chief)

OVER THE TAVERN WILL SEND YOU OVER THE TOP

Entering the Octagon Theatre at Alabama Shakespeare Festival for “Over the Tavern”, I was prepared for a great many things: cold (which it was), crowded (almost full), and funny (absolutely hilarious).

I got one surprise. Not simply a darkly funny trip down memory lane, this play is a story of redemption. Sitting in the intimate theatre, we watched a man disappointed by life struggle with raising a family. Calling forth “Death of a Salesman” for the poignant look at a life lived unimpressively, “Tavern” offered salvation in an unlikely form. A 12-year-old agnostic.

Tom Dudzick’s semi-autobiographical story opens a window on Buffalo, NY in 1959; a time of unrepressed hope and vitality for the burgeoning city. Following the adventures of the very Catholic Pazinski family, the play reveals the burdens and hilarity that result from ingesting too much religious dogma.

Rudy, the 12-yr-old doubter, hell-bent on avoiding his Confirmation and questioning his teacher into an early grave, shines as the undeniable comic relief of this tale. Portrayed by Seth Meriwether, a Montgomery native, the character comes to life with a believable amount of wit and innocence.

Pazinski patriarch, Chet, dominates his family with mood swings, if not fists. Struggling with his own lost dreams of playing professional baseball, Mr. Pazinski vents his frustration on a submissive, yet strangely spunky family. Thomas Borillo, a veteran actor and writer, gives a commanding performance in this simultaneously painful and hilarious character.

ASF veteran Greta Lambert shines as the strong-willed Ellen. Matriarch of the clan, understanding liberal of the house, Ellen provides a much needed comfort for the family, as well as the audience.

Drawing on the considerable talents of the ASF staff, Gavin Cameron-Webb (Director), has created a sublimely painful look at the turbulent life of a Catholic family. With a well-imagined and nuanced set, precisely crafted costuming, and creative staging, the Pazinski family saga comes alive.

Religious humor abounds, making this a play that strikes the fallen-away-Catholic funny bone the hardest. All audience members will be forced to laugh at the stereotypical nun, Sister Clarissa, who seemingly delights in striking Rudy with a ruler, or anything else handy. Not being a Catholic, I deferred to the judgment of my companion on some matters of accuracy. I was assured that everything represented has grounding in truth: from the hasty unrolling of the schoolgirl skirt before coming home to the desperate search through the catechism to learn one’s eternal fate, that’s life for the Catholic family of yesteryear.

After years of patronizing ASF, I am delighted to find such a wonderful, thoughtful, and unusual play being performed to large crowds. In true critic form, I must make one small complaint: You could hang sides of beef in the theatre. Take a jacket, parka, or fireplace. Maybe all three.

Truly deserving of acclaim, Dudzick’s “Over the Tavern” will run until April 6 at Alabama Shakespeare Festival on Vaughn Road. Ticket prices are $42.00 for adults and $26.00 for ages under 25. To purchase tickets or for more information see asf.net.


*** This article can be found in the Aumnibus, Auburn University Montgomery's Campus Newspaper, Issue 24, Volume 23, dated March 11th. Posted with permission. All rights reserved. ***

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Sneak Peak of R&J Life Continued

Before one p.m., my mother is dead, it was my fault my best friend got killed, I’ve been banished, I killed a couple of people, and then myself on my wife’s supposed corpse. The day can only get better.

Juliet and I disappoint a theater full of children by not telling them our age at the talk back, they guess 22 and it makes us feel good. Next I have a two-hour lunch break that consists of me making excuses why not to go to the gym.

I’m called for five hours of rehearsal for the next show—The Count of Monte Cristo. I spend most of the time on a couch thinking of witty things to say in this blog, while Mercutio (now Mondego) and Paris (now Benedetto) tune their guitars.

At night the troops wander back to the apartments. I do laundry at Lady Capulet's, and some of us get together to watch Lost. We bring a hodgepodge of food: leftovers, chips, spinach balls, cheese, crackers, chocolates and plenty of wine. We fill in the less die hard followers, trade conspiracy theories, laugh in our camaraderie, complain about the day, and revel in the fact that we are working.

When we walk back to our separate apartments, Juliet, my next-door neighbor, invites me over. Enjoying the novelty of the fireplace, I build a fire as she makes us Root Beer floats. We sit on the floor around the coffee table and she teaches me a card game. I manage to win the first game, then she alters the rules and I lose the second.

Midnight roles along, I say goodnight to my star crossed lover and take the 6-step walk back to La Casa de Montague. I lay out my clothes for the following morning, brush my teeth, grab my science fiction novel and hop into bed. With excitement I open up my book and search for where I left off. After a couple minutes, I toss it aside and turn out the light. I smile as I drift off to sleep when I realize that the book, without Juliet’s voice buzzing in my ear, is surprisingly empty.

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A Must See Rehearsal!

Hey everyone! Over the Tavern is a must-see, especially if you, too, are a little Polish boy named Rudy who constantly has faith pounded into you by a certain Sister Clarissa. To see an Over the Tavern Rehearsal clip posted by the Montgomery Advertiser, click here.

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Over the Tavern Actors Unite!

Hey everyone! Check out our latest podcast featuring Over the Tavern Actors Seth Meriwether, Trey Christopher, and Elizabeth Bemis. Seth attends Baldwin Arts & Academics Magnet School in Montgomery, Elizabeth attends Montgomery Academy, and Trey attends Auburn Junior High in Auburn, Alabama.



If you are interested in buying tickets to Over the Tavern, you can do so online at www.asf.net or through our Box Office by calling (334) 271-5353 or 1-800-841-4273.

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Mark your Calendar for April 5th!

4/5 Open House

Come and browse the theatre at no cost to you from 10 a.m. to one p.m.!There will be food and children’s activities, and a free backstage tour of the Festival. For more details, please contact jskarda@asf.net

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