The Boulevard Theatre, 2252 South Kinnickinnic, opens its 26th season with the Wisconsin premiere of playwright Annie Baker's charming, quirky comedy " CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION" (running Wednesday, August 17 through Sunday, September 4, 2011).
For information on this exciting production, call the Boulevard's 24-hour voice mail system at 414. 744. 5757 or visit the Boulevard Theatre website at: www.boulevardtheatre.com.
This delightful snapshot of the travails of a community center's acting class features local Milwaukee actors Jaime Jastrab, Beth Monhollen, Christine Pollnow, Kate Sherry and Michael Weber.
Ms. Pollnow recently appeared with First Stage Theatre with their "COMPANY CLASS" of Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT ("Celia") and has also tackled the challenging role of "Emily" in OUR TOWN. She makes her debut with the Boulevard in the production of CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, type-cast as a questioning teenage girl ("Lauren").
However, Milwaukee audiences may recall the many previous Boulevard appearances of the other actors in this exciting production. Mr. Jastrab and Mr. Weber recently performed in a critically-acclaimed May, 2011 production of TWO 2 GO (a double-bill of George Bernard Shaw and Thornton Wilder plays).
Jaime Jastrab appears as possibly meandering husband ("James") in CIRCLE and his other Boulevard credits include Moliere's THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES, A.R. Gurney's INDIAN BLOOD and Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
Playing a recently divorced loner, the other man in Baker's quirky script ("Schultz"), is Michael Weber. Weber's previous appearances with the Ensemble include Shakespeare's PERICLES, Stephen Adly Guirgis' THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT and Terrence McNally's FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE.
The other performers are Boulevard "veterans," as well. Local performer Kate Sherry tackles the role of the group's instructor ("Marty"), Ms. Sherry last appeared at the Boulevard in Douglas Carter Beane's AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN and in the standing-room-only, extended smash hit comedy about restaurants entitled STATIONS OF THE CROSS (co-authored by Ms. Monhollen and Boulevard Artistic Director Mark Bucher!).
Actress/playwright Beth Monhollen appears as a flighty actress ("Theresa") and Ms. Monhollen has appeared in William Luce's THE BELLE OF AMHERST, Noel Coward's NUDE WITH VIOLIN, and Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE and countless other shows with the Boulevard.
Rounding out the talented ensemble is Hugh Blewett who makes his co-directorial debut with the Boulevard and Donald Madden (Stage Manager), Joe Fransee (Set Construction) and Holly Blomquist (Lighting Designer). Local emerging actors Rick Frecska and Tom Hanley assisted with the rehearsal process of this charming production.
But playwright Annie Baker takes "center stage" amidst this talented roster as her disarming theatrical "exercise" has bowled over critics on both coasts and in-between.
