Monday, September 1, 2008

Echo Theatre opens season with American Cassandra: Déjà vu this week

By Pegasus News wire

American Cassandra

Echo Theatre, the Southwest's only theater company dedicated to producing plays written by women, will begin its 11th year of readings and performances in Dallas. This season features 6 readings and 2 fully produced plays, and opens with American Cassandra: Déjà vu, a co-production with SMU, developed by Rhonda Blair and directed by Pam Myers-Morgan. The show runs September 5 - 27.

American Cassandra: Deja Vu will preview Septmber 4 at 8:00 p.m. and performances continue Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., with one Sunday matinee (Sept. 14 at 5 p.m.). The preview along with Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays are pay-what-you-can. Fridays and Saturdays are $20. For reservations, call 214-904-0500 or purchase online (no fees for online ticket purchases).

After years of fruitful collaboration with SMU Professor Rhonda Blair, SMU and Echo are deepening that relationship with a full-fledged co-production. Combining the performing and design talents of Echo, one of Dallas' premiere theater companies, and the city's major educational institution, Southern Methodist University, will provide a creative explosion to usher in the Fall election.

It's been four years since Echo "got political" with its hugely popular Dreaming America: In The Bunker With George, and Echo is at it again! In the tradition of the mythological Cassandra, Echo has been issuing theatrical warnings since 1999. Will Echo be heard - and heeded - this time?!?

Kateri Cale and Rhonda Blair star with three SMU students: Mirela Selimovic, Regina Bonifasi, and Meredith Alloway. Russell Parkman is designing the set. The piece will include monologues, video, singing and dance.

Concurrent with American Cassandra will be readings of Nine Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo on Wednesdays and Thursdays (10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25) and all readings are pay-what-you-can. This portrait of extraordinary (and ordinary) lives delves into the conflicting aspects of what it means to be a woman in the age-old war zone that is Iraq.

Posted by Shawn

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• Two new hires start at Dallas Symphony Orchestra this week (Sept. 7, 2008)

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