Auditions for The Crucible:  Theatre Downtown is delighted to announce auditions for the first show of its groundbreaking fourth season, Arthur Miller's masterpiece, The Crucible.  Written as an indictment on McCarthyism, The Crucible chronicles the events leading up to the infamous Salem Witch Trials, when innocent women burned at the stake based on nothing but rumor, suspicion and hysteria. This stylized interpretation of Miller's classic will strip down the story and use multimedia elements to enhance the atmosphere and provide a more accurate and faithful re-telling of the intended themes.  Auditions are Sunday, August 9, from 1-3PM and Monday, August 10, from 6-9 PM at Birmingham AIDS Outreach (205 32nd Street South).  The director is casting all roles and is in need of 10 men and 10 women (ages ranging from 8 to 80).  Auditionees will read selections from the script -- no monologues required.  This production will be for mature audiences so all individuals under the age of 18 must come with parental permission and signed parental consent for participation in the show.  This production will perform in October and rehearse throughout the month of September, at least four nights per week, maybe five.  For more information, you can e-mail the director at:  theatredt@gmail.com or visit www.theatredowntown.com.


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Auditions for From Up Here:  Theatre Downtown is proud to announce auditions for the Alabama premiere of Liz Flahive’s fresh new comedy/drama From Up Here directed by Billy Ray Brewton.  Auditions are Sunday, September 13, from 1:30-3:30PM and Monday, September 14 from 6:30-9:30PM at Birmingham AIDS Outreach (205 32^nd Street South).  Synopsis:  Kenny Barrett did something that has everyone worried.  He wishes he could just make it through the rest of his senior year unnoticed, but that’s going to be hard since he has to publicly apologize to his entire high school.  At home, his mother is struggling with a rocky start to her second marriage and a surprise visit from her estranged sister.  A new play about a family limping out the door in the morning and coming home no matter what.  The director will be casting 4 females and 5 males (ages ranging from 16-60).  All interested actors will be reading from the script – no monologues required.  For more information you can e-mail the director at theatredt@gmail.com or visit www.theatredowntown.com. 

WE THREE QUEENS

Written & Directed By Billy Ray Brewton

In 1983, Cosmos was the most powerful super group in the world; that is, until the excesses of the rock-and-roll lifestyle tore them apart and sent them on their separate ways.  25-years-later, the three dynamic 'gals' couldn't be leading any more different lives.  Javelin left the group, got artificially inseminated with Jim Nabors' seed and now lives her life as a single mother desperate to keep her 'flowery' son from turning against the Lord.  Comet left the group and went right back home to her mother, where she now works at the local K-Mart and collects 'tampons from around the world'.  Goldstar couldn't leave the lifestyle behind and joined up with her two 'reasonably deficient' sisters to form a new group, Fluid, who perform at local bars and racetracks.  When the offer of a reunion is put on the table, the three 'ladies' of Cosmos must come to grips with their own personal demons, put the past behind and prepare themselves for the show of their lives!

STARRING:  Chuck Duck, Saxon Murrell, Scott Nesmith, Dianne Daniels, Penny Thomas, Will Rainer, Sally Montgomery, Micah Floyd and Bert R. Payne.

Performs JULY 9 - JULY 25, 2009 with performances Thursday - Saturday nights at 8:00 PM.  There will be a special performance on TUESDAY JULY 21, 2009 at 8:00 PM, with all proceeds benefiting Birmingham AIDS Outreach.

For more information, visit:  www.theatredowntown.com

It has been a while since I've posted any blogs on MySpace, so I thought now was the perfect time to do so, to catch everyone up on all things Theatre Downtown.:

The History Boys

Cast List for "Come Back to the 5 & Dime...":

Ellise Mayor - Mona
Pending Confirmation - Sissy
Debbie Smith - Juanita
Donna Littlepage - Joanne
Cindy deSa - Stella May
Dianne Daniels - Edna Louise
Jason Hendrix - Joe
Reagan Dickey - Mona (Then)
Carla DuMontier - Sissy (Then)

Director:  Billy Ray Brewton
Assistant Director:  George Scott

Cast List for The History Boys:

Glenn Shadix - Hector
Mark Castle - Irwin
Ellise Mayor - Mrs. Lintott
Ron Dauphinee - Headmaster

Chris Hicks - Dakin
Jack Williamson - Scripps
Trevor Clay - Posner
Daniel Jackson - Rudge
Alex Perkins - Timms
Wesley Glass - Crowther
D. Connor McVey - Akthar
Rush Brunson - Lockwood

Cast List for The 13th Friday: Ready, Set, Die!:

Franklin Slaton - Mark
Stephen Wade - Roger
Sylvester Little, Jr. - Benny
Rush Brunson - Tom
Gillian Puffer - Maureen
Amanda Maddox - Joann
Ashley Culpepper - Mimi
Michele Santiago - Angel

Camp Director - Pending Confirmation
The Killer - Pending Confirmation
Lee J. Green - Ira Levinson
Cook - Pending Confirmation
Edward Gurney - Janitor
Leslie Brown - Annabelle
Debbie Smith - Passing Motorist

Theatre Downtown revels in sand, surf, silliness with 'Psycho Beach Party'
Posted by Jeremy Burgess -- For The Birmingham News August 08, 2008 4:59 PM
Categories: Reviews

Review rating: Four out of five stars

"Psycho Beach Party"
Presented by Theatre Downtown
Through Aug. 23
Playhouse, 1816 Third Ave. North
306-1470

You have to give the guys at Theatre Downtown credit: They love to challenge themselves. And this month they are wrapping up their impressive second season with Charles Busch's "Psycho Beach Party," an over-the-top comedy as entertaining (and bizarre) as it sounds.

The play takes place in 1960s Malibu Beach and parodies the popular beach movies of the '50s and '60s while borrowing from Alfred Hitchcock as well.

The heroine of the play is Chicklet, a happy-go-lucky teenage girl who has, as her friend Marvel Ann tells her, "the sex drive of a marshmallow." Nonetheless, Chicklet spends all of her time on the beach in hopes that some of the local boys will teach her how to surf, although she doesn't have much luck at first.

Chicklet's luck changes soon. Kanaka, a local surfing legend, discovers that Chicklet has multiple personality disorder when he accidentally triggers her most prevalent personality (a dominatrix type) and becomes strangely attracted to her.

Throw in a B-list movie star, a cruel and unusual mother figure, and a handful of smooth-talking surfers and this party becomes one that shouldn't be missed.

Director Billy Ray Brewton took the safe (and smart) road with this production by casting actors that he knows. Six of the 11 cast members were seen in his February production of "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead," and all but two have been in a Theatre Downtown production before.

Amanda Maddox is the star of the show as Chicklet, and she deserves kudos for her success with a character that has countless different personalities to be channeled.

Reagan Dickey does a great job as well as Berdine, Chicklet's clumsy, existential best friend and the play's pseudo-narrator. But the evening clearly belonged to Chuck Duck whenever he hit the stage in lipstick and a dress as Chicklet's crazy mother, Mrs. Forrest.

Psycho Beach Party shouldn't be taken too seriously. As Brewton tells us in his director's notes, the play "doesn't attempt to make you do anything other than laugh." The show is campy, hilarious and strange -- much of it doesn't make any sense, but that's all part of the plan.

"Being a beach bum is a tall order," says Kanaka (played by J.J. Marrs) in the beginning of the show. "Only a few make the grade." In that case, put the Theatre Downtown crew on the honor roll.

Well..."Torch Song Trilogy" ended its run tonight to a sold out audience, officially making it the most successful Theatre Downtown show yet...and that's saying something! Who would have thought a three and a half hour comedy could do so well? Well, when you've got a terrific cast and one hell of a script, it doesn't seem to hard to believe.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the show a whopping success, from the talented actors and actresses and crew people to the wonderful audiences who kept coming out to support the show! We couldn't do it without all of you, and I guess we're doing something right?!

Now...on to "Psycho Beach Party"...and then SEASON THREE!

Billy Ray
Theatre Downtown