THEATRE + COMEDY

GET READY FOR A BRAND NEW MAME!  Stages opens its 2010-2011 season with an adventurous new production of Jerome Lawrence's and Robert E. Lee's beloved classic stage play Auntie Mame, playing September 15 - October 10 in Stages' Yeager Theater. Extended through October 17!

Starring Sally Edmundson in the role she was born to play, the Stages production features a zany cast of 15 versatile actors covering the more than 45 roles demanded by the Lawrence/Lee script. Stages Producing Artistic Director Kenn McLaughlin directs, and the entire show is underscored with a live soundtrack performed by Chicago street musician Martin Saville.

"This play is one of the greatest lost gems of the American theatre," Stages Producing Artistic Director Kenn McLaughlin said. "Because of the amazing popularity of the musical version and the extraordinary film adaptation, the original play has been sadly overlooked by the professional theatre.

The play demonstrates a depth of character and a range of great comedy and drama within brilliantly constructed scenes," McLaughlin continued. "It was way ahead of its time and thus feels as fresh and relevant today as a brand new work - I can't wait to share our take on it with Houston audiences."

Patrick Dennis' 1955 novel Auntie Mame imagines a series of outrageous escapades involving an orphaned boy and his wildly unconventional aunt. The extraordinary popularity of the book inspired the stage play as well as Broadway and Hollywood musicals and the iconic film starring Rosalind Russell. Stages audiences will encounter all the familiar characters from previous incarnations, brought to life with a decidedly 21st century spin.

"To some degree we are rescuing the play from its mythology," McLaughlin said. "The core idea of this play is to open yourself to possibilities and not be trapped by convention, and that's exactly how we approached this production. We intend to surprise and delight the audience by playing against every possible expectation."

One example of Stages' stamp on this classic is the addition of a live electric guitar underscoring the play's action. McLaughlin first heard musician Martin Saville playing for rush-hour commuters in a Chicago 'L' station. McLaughlin was so taken by Saville's extraordinary talent that before leaving Chicago he spent several hours riding the train in search of Saville in order to invite him to join the Stages production.

"For me, the ideas of this play transcend time and place and I hadn't quite found the way to communicate that with the design elements alone. When I heard Martin sing, I knew that his sound was at once popular and classic, and it was just what I was looking for-his sound freed my mind to see the whole design in a new way. An elegant, free-wheeling style took over and we just let it lead us to exciting new places," McLaughlin said.

Of Special Note: The Mame Event and Ouisie's Table Dinner Packages
In addition to the play itself, Stages presents one glamorous, elegant evening of revelry in the form of The Mame Event, an intimate fundraiser hosted by Judy and Charles Tate along with Event Chairs George and Bonner Ball, Susan and Sanford Criner, Sally and Philip Edmundson, Molly Hipp and Ford Hubbard, Patricia Hubbard, George Lancaster, and Kate McConnico. This grand opening gala garden party on September 18 celebrates Sally Edmundson's turn as Auntie Mame and includes a cocktail reception and private Auntie Mame performance at Stages, followed by an after-party and buffet dinner at the Tate residence.

Stages also will offer patrons the opportunity to purchase a special Auntie Mame dinner package in partnership with Ouisie's Table. The package includes a ticket to the show and a mouth-watering prix fixe menu at Ouisie's. For the patrons' convenience, all reservations are made through the Stages Box Office - it's one-stop shopping at its best! Dinner packages are $65 each.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Previews
Wednesday, September 15 & Thursday, September 16, 2010

Press Opening
Friday, September 17, 2010

The Mame Event
Saturday, September 18, 2010

Post-performance Q&A
Sunday, September 19, 2010

NEW Closing
Sunday, October 17, 2010

PERFORMANCE TIMES
Wednesdays & Thursdays 7:30 PM
Fridays 8:00 PM
Saturdays 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sundays 3:00 PM

DIRECTOR
Kenn McLaughlin

CAST
Sally Edmundson as Mame Dennis
David Heaton as Young Patrick/Michael
Zachary Lewis as Patrick/Bishop Eleftharoses/Lord Dudley/Dr. Feuchtwanger
Rutherford Cravens as Mr. Babcock/Mr. Loomis/Osbert/Vet
Kate Revnell-Smith as Vera Charles/Sally Cato MacDougel
David Matranga as Ralph Devine/Cousin Jeff/Brian O'Bannion/Reginald
Eva Laporte as Agnes Gooch/Cousin Fan/Stage Manager
Josh Morrison as Beau Burnside/Claude Upson/M. Lindsay Woolsey
Fong Chau as Ito/Theater Manager
Terri Brenda Carter as Norah Muldoon/Doris Upson/Mother Burnside
Bethany McCade as Gloria Upson/Aunt Euphemia/Girl at Party
Courtney D. Jones as Pegeen Ryan/Edna/Lizzie Beaufort
Adrian Coco Anderson as Girl at Party/Maid
Ian Tonroy as Emory MacDougal/Customer's Son
Shawn Everiss as Mr. Waldo/Cousin Moultrie

with music performed by Martin Saville

SCENIC DESIGN
Joseph Blanchard, Jodi Bobrovsky, Kenn McLaughlin & Josh Morrison

COSTUME DESIGN
Macy Perone

LIGHTING DESIGN
Devlin Browning

SOUND DESIGN
Bryan Ealey

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Krissy Larson

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Bradley Winkler

About Stages Repertory Theatre
Characterized by courage, generosity, ingenuity, and intimacy, Stages Repertory Theatre advances theatre and enlivens culture by producing new work, interpreting established work in new ways, and nurturing talent for the performing arts field. In addition to its MainStage season of plays, Stages presents the EarlyStages series, introducing young audiences to the power and magic of live theatre. Stages also offers a range of additional education and outreach programs that encourage conversation about important ideas and issues, provide insight into other cultures and viewpoints, and help develop each new generation of citizens, artists and audiences.

Now entering its 32nd season, Stages is a member of the Fresh Arts Coalition and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for not-for-profit theatres. Stages operates under an agreement with Actor's Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Pictured: David Heaton as Patrick Dennis and Sally Edmundson as Mame Dennis.  Photo by Mark Lipczynski.