April 29 & 30, 2011 – 7:30pm, DeVos Hall
Sung in Italian with English translations
ZANY. BRILLIANT. CHARMING.
In what is probably the most beloved comedy in all of opera, pure silliness and hilarious situations abound, clothed in the brilliance of bel canto opera at its best! With the assistance of Seville’s famous barber, Figaro, the lovely Rosina tries to avoid the marriage intentions of her withered old guardian, Dr. Bartolo. She much prefers her handsome young suitor instead, who just happens to be Count Almaviva in disguise! With a zany plot full of mayhem, mistaken identities and madcap fun, matters of the heart come to a beautifully comic conclusion that will leave you laughing long after the final curtain comes down.
Feeling nostalgic? Click on the photo to see more photos of shows both past and present from Actors’ Theatre’s productions. These were posted as part of our celebration of Spotlight Award Recipient, Jean Reed Bahle.
Bitter Friends
by Gordon Rayfield
Directed by Chris Mahlmann
A compact, gripping drama that confronts important U.S.-Israeli issues and examines the personal conflict of divided loyalties experienced by many modern American Jews. Inspired by the 1987 conviction of Jonathan Pollard, playwright Gordon Rayfield’s imaginary geopolitical intrigue centers around David Klein. Rayfield packs his straightforward story with a wealth of political debate showing both sides of the issue. Though a convicted traitor, David Klein is admirable and unflinchingly loyal to his cause. There are no heroes or villains here but plenty of battle lines – Klein’s idealism vs. his rabbi’s effort to compromise. The play is personal, warm, and peppered with wry jokes and interesting spiritual parallels.
Location and Production Dates:
April 28 – May 8, 2011
Spectrum Theatre
160 Fountain St. NE
Thursdays. & Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Sundays at 3 p.m.
See the Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids website (www.jtgr.org) for more information on how to purchase tickets.
On April 16, 2011 we were proud to host our 2011 Spotlight Gala, honoring one of the founding actors of Actors’ Theatre: Jean Reed Bahle. Our spring Gala is our largest single fundraising event of the season and helps us to raise funds toward the pursuit of our mission: providing West Michigan with the best in entertaining, innovative, challenging and thought-provoking theatre.
Now is your chance to show your support for Jean and help out Actors’ Theatre! If you didn’t get a chance to attend the Gala event or would like to make a donation in honor of Jean, we encourage you to do so by clicking this link or the button below. Jean will receive personal notification of all donations made to Actors’ theatre in her honor. Donations made in honor of Jean Reed Bahle will be recognized separately online and in the upcoming playbill for Reefer Madness! The Musical.
If you didn’t get a chance to attend the event, you can see an online version of the video presented during the award ceremony here:
Jean Reed-Bahle
Jean Reed Bahle is one of the founding actors of Actors’ Theatre, having been heavily involved with the theatre throughout its 30 seasons. From her first performance in Actors’ first production, Side by Side by Sondheim to her most recent performance in the 2010 world premiere of Lines: The Lived Experience of Race, Jean has entertained and excited audiences with her talents on the stage.
Beyond the stage, she has been involved as a director, administrator, playwright, and has donated many hours of her time and talent as a teacher through the years. She and her husband, David, have been active as donors and subscribers since Actors’ inception.
Locally, Jean has performed in well over 50 productions throughout West Michigan and has been a professor in the Theatre Program for the past 16 years. On behalf of patrons, friends, and performers alike, Actors’ is proud to recognize Jean Reed Bahle as the 2011 Spotlight Award recipient for her many contributions to the success of the organization and its art!
Actors’ Theatre is committed to providing West Michigan with the best in entertaining, innovative, challenging, and thought-provoking theatre.
The views expressed in interviews, comments and editorials in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of Actors' Theatre or the Board of Directors.
We have recently been awarded an operations grant from the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
Thank you to both of these Councils for their support!
Behind the Curtain at... 