FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/20/08
PRESS CONTACT: Bridget Bean, Gorilla Theatre (813) 765-1486 info@gorillatheatre.com
PUBLIC CONTACT: Reservations (813) 879-2914 www.gorillatheatre.com
THE GORILLA THEATRE PRESENTS SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION by John Guare
December 4-21 at the Gorilla Theatre
The Gorilla Theatre presents John Guare’s masterwork, Six Degrees of Separation, December 4-21, at its freshly renovated theatre at 4419 N Hubert Ave, Tampa.
ABOUT THE PLAY
Six Degrees of Separation was first performed in New York at the Lincoln Center, and later reached a wider audience with its movie version starring Will Smith.
The plot revolves around rich art dealers Flan and Ouisa Kittredge, who are called upon by a charming young African-American stranger, who says he’s a friend of their kids' from Harvard. They offer him a bed for the night; he enchants them with a home-cooked meal and magnificent conversation. This encounter is just the beginning of a series of unexpected — and often hilarious — events that raise important questions surrounding the issues of art, power, race and sexuality.
"The plot is full of twists...every line comes at you like a screwball or a split-fingered fastball." — The New Yorker
The Gorilla Theatre production is suitable for audiences of high school age and up.
Run time is approximately 90 minutes (no intermission).
No late admission.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
American dramatist John Guare was born in New York City on February 5, 1938. Educated at Georgetown University and Yale University, Guare first debuted off-off-Broadway in 1964 with To Wally Pantoni, We Leave a Credenza. His first real success, however, did not come until 1968 when a one-act entitled Muzeeka won him an Obie Award. In 1971, the young playwright shot to the forefront of American theatre with House of Blue Leaves, a semi-autobiographical play which firmly established Guare's unique vision. In the foreward to an anthology containing House of Blue Leaves, Louis Malle writes:
"Guare practices a humor that is synonymous with lucidity, exploding genre and clichés, taking us to the core of human suffering: the awareness of corruption in our own bodies, death circling in. We try to fight it all by creating various mythologies, and it is Guare's peculiar aptitude for exposing these grandiose lies of ours that makes his work so magical."
Guare's plays are highly theatrical. He finds the bizarre and comic in the human condition, magnifies it to massive propotions, and from this extracts the germ of his writing. He once stated that he has tried to expand the theatre's boundaries "because I think the chaotic state of the world demands it."
Other works by Guare include Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971), Rich and Famous (1974), The Landscape of the Body (1977), Bosoms and Neglect (1979), and Six Degrees of Separation (1990) which won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award, and an Olivier Best Play Award.
THE DIRECTOR
Nancy Cole’s work with the Gorilla Theatre includes The Man of Destiny in the Shaw Doubleheader (2000); Side Man (2002), Christmas Gremlins (2004), Copenhagen, Talking Heads and Shirley Valentine (2005), Orson’s Shadow (2006), and Jane Eyre (2007). Nancy is professor emerita at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
THE CAST
The Gorilla Theatre is proud to contribute to the arts in our community and to provide financial compensation to the artists who work with us. Six Degrees of Separation has a large cast of fifteen actors, all of whom are paid. Fourteen of these actors are local to the Tampa Bay area. Two (asterisked *) are members of Actors Equity Association.
Bechir Sylvain (Paul)
Drew DeCaro (Flan) *
Ami Sallee Corley (Ouisa)
Petrus Antonius (Geoffrey) *
Carol Robinson (Kitty)
Bill Karnovsky (Larkin)
Curtis Beltz (Ben & Policeman)
C David Frankel (Dr Fine)
Joel Gennari (Doug)
Kyle Porter (Woody/Hustler)
Madeline Voges (Tess)
Betty Jane Parks (Elizabeth)
Chris Jackson (Rick)
Phillip Gulley (Trent)
Caroline Jett (Detective)
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
WEEK ONE
Thur Dec 4 at 7pm
Fri Dec 5 at 8pm
Sat Dec 6 at 8pm
Sun Dec 7 at 3pm
Sun Dec 7 at 7pm
WEEK TWO
Thur Dec 11 at 7pm
Fri Dec 12 at 8pm (Sold Out!)
Sat Dec 13 at 8pm
Sun Dec 14 at 3pm
Sun Dec 14 at 7pm
WEEK THREE
Thur Dec 18 at 7pm
Fri Dec 19 at 8pm
Sat Dec 20 at 7pm (please note the early show time)
Sat Dec 20 at 10pm (late night performance)
Sun Dec 21 at 3pm
WHERE: Gorilla Theatre, 4419 N. Hubert Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33614
"Behind Steinbrenner Field"
TICKET PRICES (unchanged for the past three seasons):
Full price: $20 on Thursdays /$25 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
Seniors (age 55+) and Students (with ID):
$15 on Thursdays / $20 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
Student rush: $10, thirty minutes before the show when available.
Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended.
RESERVATIONS: www.gorillatheatre.com (813) 879-2914
ADDED VALUE PEFORMANCES
Added Value Performances include additional programming after the show (free with admission).
Thu Dec 4 – Cake reception
Fri Dec 5 – Director's Q&A
Thu Dec 11 – Talkback with the cast
Fri Dec 12 (sold out)– Talkback with the cast
Thu Dec 18 – Meet the designers
Fri Dec 19 – Talkback with the cast
Early reservations are recommended for Added Value Performances.
HELP THE HOMELESS
Because homelessness is a theme in the play, donations of non-perishable food items will be collected in the lobby pre-show and will be distributed to Metropolitan Ministries and/or Second Harvest in time for the holidays.
Living theatre for thinking minds!
Tucked away in the same Tampa location for over 15 years, the Gorilla Theatre boasts an intimate, welcoming environment and a fascinating season of plays and music.
Isn't it time you discovered the Gorilla Theatre? Call us today for season information and directions to your new favorite venue.
PRESS CONTACT: Bridget Bean, Gorilla Theatre (813) 765-1486 info@gorillatheatre.com
PUBLIC CONTACT: Reservations (813) 879-2914 www.gorillatheatre.com
THE GORILLA THEATRE PRESENTS SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION by John Guare
December 4-21 at the Gorilla Theatre
The Gorilla Theatre presents John Guare’s masterwork, Six Degrees of Separation, December 4-21, at its freshly renovated theatre at 4419 N Hubert Ave, Tampa.
ABOUT THE PLAY
Six Degrees of Separation was first performed in New York at the Lincoln Center, and later reached a wider audience with its movie version starring Will Smith.
The plot revolves around rich art dealers Flan and Ouisa Kittredge, who are called upon by a charming young African-American stranger, who says he’s a friend of their kids' from Harvard. They offer him a bed for the night; he enchants them with a home-cooked meal and magnificent conversation. This encounter is just the beginning of a series of unexpected — and often hilarious — events that raise important questions surrounding the issues of art, power, race and sexuality.
"The plot is full of twists...every line comes at you like a screwball or a split-fingered fastball." — The New Yorker
The Gorilla Theatre production is suitable for audiences of high school age and up.
Run time is approximately 90 minutes (no intermission).
No late admission.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
American dramatist John Guare was born in New York City on February 5, 1938. Educated at Georgetown University and Yale University, Guare first debuted off-off-Broadway in 1964 with To Wally Pantoni, We Leave a Credenza. His first real success, however, did not come until 1968 when a one-act entitled Muzeeka won him an Obie Award. In 1971, the young playwright shot to the forefront of American theatre with House of Blue Leaves, a semi-autobiographical play which firmly established Guare's unique vision. In the foreward to an anthology containing House of Blue Leaves, Louis Malle writes:
"Guare practices a humor that is synonymous with lucidity, exploding genre and clichés, taking us to the core of human suffering: the awareness of corruption in our own bodies, death circling in. We try to fight it all by creating various mythologies, and it is Guare's peculiar aptitude for exposing these grandiose lies of ours that makes his work so magical."
Guare's plays are highly theatrical. He finds the bizarre and comic in the human condition, magnifies it to massive propotions, and from this extracts the germ of his writing. He once stated that he has tried to expand the theatre's boundaries "because I think the chaotic state of the world demands it."
Other works by Guare include Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971), Rich and Famous (1974), The Landscape of the Body (1977), Bosoms and Neglect (1979), and Six Degrees of Separation (1990) which won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award, and an Olivier Best Play Award.
THE DIRECTOR
Nancy Cole’s work with the Gorilla Theatre includes The Man of Destiny in the Shaw Doubleheader (2000); Side Man (2002), Christmas Gremlins (2004), Copenhagen, Talking Heads and Shirley Valentine (2005), Orson’s Shadow (2006), and Jane Eyre (2007). Nancy is professor emerita at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
THE CAST
The Gorilla Theatre is proud to contribute to the arts in our community and to provide financial compensation to the artists who work with us. Six Degrees of Separation has a large cast of fifteen actors, all of whom are paid. Fourteen of these actors are local to the Tampa Bay area. Two (asterisked *) are members of Actors Equity Association.
Bechir Sylvain (Paul)
Drew DeCaro (Flan) *
Ami Sallee Corley (Ouisa)
Petrus Antonius (Geoffrey) *
Carol Robinson (Kitty)
Bill Karnovsky (Larkin)
Curtis Beltz (Ben & Policeman)
C David Frankel (Dr Fine)
Joel Gennari (Doug)
Kyle Porter (Woody/Hustler)
Madeline Voges (Tess)
Betty Jane Parks (Elizabeth)
Chris Jackson (Rick)
Phillip Gulley (Trent)
Caroline Jett (Detective)
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
WEEK ONE
Thur Dec 4 at 7pm
Fri Dec 5 at 8pm
Sat Dec 6 at 8pm
Sun Dec 7 at 3pm
Sun Dec 7 at 7pm
WEEK TWO
Thur Dec 11 at 7pm
Fri Dec 12 at 8pm (Sold Out!)
Sat Dec 13 at 8pm
Sun Dec 14 at 3pm
Sun Dec 14 at 7pm
WEEK THREE
Thur Dec 18 at 7pm
Fri Dec 19 at 8pm
Sat Dec 20 at 7pm (please note the early show time)
Sat Dec 20 at 10pm (late night performance)
Sun Dec 21 at 3pm
WHERE: Gorilla Theatre, 4419 N. Hubert Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33614
"Behind Steinbrenner Field"
TICKET PRICES (unchanged for the past three seasons):
Full price: $20 on Thursdays /$25 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
Seniors (age 55+) and Students (with ID):
$15 on Thursdays / $20 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
Student rush: $10, thirty minutes before the show when available.
Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended.
RESERVATIONS: www.gorillatheatre.com (813) 879-2914
ADDED VALUE PEFORMANCES
Added Value Performances include additional programming after the show (free with admission).
Thu Dec 4 – Cake reception
Fri Dec 5 – Director's Q&A
Thu Dec 11 – Talkback with the cast
Fri Dec 12 (sold out)– Talkback with the cast
Thu Dec 18 – Meet the designers
Fri Dec 19 – Talkback with the cast
Early reservations are recommended for Added Value Performances.
HELP THE HOMELESS
Because homelessness is a theme in the play, donations of non-perishable food items will be collected in the lobby pre-show and will be distributed to Metropolitan Ministries and/or Second Harvest in time for the holidays.
Living theatre for thinking minds!
Tucked away in the same Tampa location for over 15 years, the Gorilla Theatre boasts an intimate, welcoming environment and a fascinating season of plays and music.
Isn't it time you discovered the Gorilla Theatre? Call us today for season information and directions to your new favorite venue.
