Did you know that Shelly Irwin of WGVU does wonderful interviews with cast members, directors and producers of many of our local theatre productions? On Thursday, April 17th she interviewed Craig Hammerlind and Amy McFadden of God of Carnage.
You can take a listen on the WGVU website!
Cast of “God of Carnage” at Actor’s Theatre – Photo by Dave Kagan
Did you see Sue Merrell’s review for God of Carnage? Here is a quick excerpt:
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Behaving badly never looked so good.
From left actors Carrie McNulty, Amy McFadden, Craig Hammerlind and Sammy A. Publes perform during a dress rehearsal of ‘God of Carnage’ at the Actors’ Theatre in downtown Grand Rapids on Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The performance opens April 17 and goes through April 26. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com)
“God of Carnage,” which opened Thursday, April 17, at Actors’ Theatre, is a pithy little play that quickly strips away any sham of civility and exposes humanity’s baser instincts. But it is done so artfully, with such witty retorts and physical humor, that you don’t know what hit you. […]
Head on over to mlive to read the complete review. If you have already seen the show – leave a comment on the article and let them know what you thought!
There is one more weekend left to see this fantastic show! Tickets can be purchased on the Actors’ Theatre website at atgr.org. Performances are April 24-26 at 8PM
Filed under Actors' Theatre Reviews, Plays and Productions
“God of Carnage” is getting great reviews! Make sure you pick up your tickets for this upcoming weekend right away! Want a sneak peak? Take a look at our video on YouTube:
The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company brings Shakespeare’s comedy of magic and confused love to Dog Story, April 17-20 and 24-27. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream features four Athenian lovers and a band of amateur actors who get more than they bargained for when they venture into the woods outside of Athens. When these human characters encounter a group of mischievous fairies and feel the effects of fairy magic, hilarity ensues. The cast of this production features Steven Anderson, Kathleen Bode, Antonio Copeland, Kimi Griggs, Amanda Heeren, Janelle Mahlmann, Chad Marriott, Kristin Ripley, Janna Rosenkranz, Sarah Stark, Brad Sytsma, Kate Tubbs, and Kyle Westmaas.
Production dates are April 17/27. Tickets are $14 / $7 student & senior. More information can be found on the Dog Story Theatre website.
The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company is holding auditions for its summer productions of Coriolanus and The Two Gentlemen of Verona on April 22 and 23 at 7 p.m.
Coriolanus will be directed by Dennis Henry. Dennis holds an MFA in directing from the University at Nebraska Lincoln, and has extensive experience as a Shakespearean actor. A member of Actors’ Equity, he spent eight years touring with the world-renowned American Shakespeare Center.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be Pigeon Creek’s first ever Workshop Production, designed to provide acting experience and training for actors who may not have previously acted in Shakespearean plays. College students and others who are eager to get training in Shakespearean text, voice, and movement techniques would be ideal candidates to audition for this production.
Visit Pigeon Creek’s website for more information.
Filed under Around Town, Plays and Productions
Actors’ Theatre is so excited about our next upcoming production, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza!
The New York Times has this to say about God of Carnage:
“A study in the tension between civilized surface and savage instinct, this play is itself a satisfyingly primitive entertainment with an intellectual veneer. God of Carnage may be a familiar comic journey from A to B, but it travels first class.”
And just take a look at this cast!
Amy McFadden (Annette) has been performing all over Michigan for over 20 years on stage, TV and in film. She is a founding member of Dog Story Theater in downtown Grand Rapids, an Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator and taught 2nd grade for a bunch of years before “retiring” to act full time. She is a graduate of GR Catholic Central and Saint Mary’s College and Notre Dame, where she earned BAs in Theater and Education.
Carrie McNulty (Veronica) has theatrical experience that has taken her to Toronto, London, Ireland, and nearly every state in the country, from touring to regional theatre. Select credits include: Frozen, The History Boys, Chicago, The Drowsy Chaperone, Always, Patsy Cline, To Kill A Mockingbird, 9 to 5,The Beaux Stratagem, Twelfth Night, and The Good Doctor. Work in West Michigan includes: Kiss of the Spiderwoman(Grand Award), A New Brain (Grand Award Nomination), andThe Wild Party (Grand Award), all with Actors’ Theatre. She earned her MFA in Acting fromPennsylvania State University
Craig Hammerlind (Michael) is thankful for the many opportunities he has had in the Grand Rapids Theatre Community; “Sometimes it’s nice to become someone else in another person’s story.” Craig has been in many productions at Actors’ Theatre including: The Beauty Queen of Leenane,Looking for Normal – GA nomination, Rabbit Hole, A Man of No Importance – GA Nomination, Angels in America Part 1, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire DeLune, Les Laisions Dangereuse and Co-Directed The Wild Party – GA Winner for Best Direction of a Musical. Craig is a graduate of Grand Rapids Junior College (now Grand Rapids Community College) and Western Michigan University. He also studied at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts and the Stella Adler Conservatory.
Sammy A. Publes (Alan) started his theatrical studies at GRCC and graduated with a BA in Arts and Sciences from Western Michigan University. He moved to Chicago after graduating where he performed at Steppenwolf Theater in Our Lady of 121st, Teatro Vista/Goodman Theater’s Two Sisters and a Pianoas well understudying at Lookingglass Theater this past summer. Sammy has also worked in TV and Film; film credits includeStone, Things Fall Apart, and Scream 4. TV credits include, (NBC) Chicago Fire, (NBC) Chicago PD (Ep. 12 airing thisApril),(FOX) Chicago Code, (SHOWTIME) Shameless, (STARZ) Boss, and (AMC) The Beast. His theater credits include Topdog Underdog, Jesus Hopped the A Train, Lady of the Camellias, Sideman (all for Actors’ Theatre) Chaim’s Love Song, and Shmulnik’s Waltz (for Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids).
Huge thanks to our underwriters:
**Don’t forget, We will have a special Talk-back following the performance on Friday, April 18th. Some of the topics that will be covered include communication and conflict management.
Filed under Plays and Productions
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!
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