Wednesday, January 24, 2001
|
Wednesday, January 24, 2001 |
| Theater
galore in Atlanta area By MICHAEL
BOYLAN If you are a theater lover, there are a lot of new plays starting in Atlanta this week, ranging from the zany to the touching. Theatrical Outfit will present "The Moviegoer" at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts from Jan. 24-28. The performance is a world premier adaptation of Walker Percy's novel of the same name. It is set in New Orleans during the week prior to Mardi Gras, 1961. The story revolves around an introspective stockbroker and a war veteran, Binx Bolling, who describes himself as a seeker. In his words, "The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life." Tom Key, the adaptor and director, describes the play this way: "The Moviegoer's journey, the adventure into the meaingless and the chaotic to find a treasure in a hero's journey, deserves our particular attention in 2001." Evening shows are at 7:30 and the Sunday matinee is at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $12-$50. Call the Rialto Box Office for tickets at 404-651-4727. Also starting this week is the Alliance Theatre's production of "Hearts." The play focuses on Donald Waldman, a tough talker who is haunted by memories of World War II. Spanning 50 years, "Hearts" moves back and forth in time, from the liberation of the camps in World War II to the baby boom generation of the 1950s to Waldman's autumn years in the 1990s. The play is directed by Kenny Leon and this will be Leon's last production with the Alliance Theatre. Waldman will be played by Allan Miller, who has been in moer than 60 plays. He will be recognized for his roles on television from "Maude" and "Barney Miller" to "NYPD Blue" and "Judging Amy." Other members of the cast include Audrie Neenan as Waldman's wife, Don Mayo, back in Atlanta after his appearance in Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida, John Seidman and Traber Burns. "Hearts" will be presented on the Hertz Stage from Jan. 27 to March 18. Performances are Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., selected Saturday matinees at 2:30 and Sundays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. The play will be audio described Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $21-$27. Call 404-733-5000 to order tickets or visit www.alliancetheatre.org. The final play opening in Atlanta this weekend is "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)." Written by Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor the zany trio also known as the Reduced Shakespeare Company, "The Bible" is a roller coaster ride from Genesis to Revelation. The play combines shtick, wordplay, sight gags, audience participation, music and physical humor. "The Bible" has tickled funny bones at the White House, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center's Serious Fun Festival and in countless theaters abroad. It is a fast and furious production that tackles questions like, "Did Adam and Eve have navels and did Moses really look like Charlton Heston?" The play will run at the Horizon Theatre from Jan. 26 to March 11. Performance times are at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 8:30 p.m. saturdays, and 5 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $16 Wednesdays and Thursdays, $20 Fridays and Sundays and $25 Saturdays. Call 404-584-7450 for tickets or visit www.horizontheatre.com. There are obviously more than just these three plays being performed in Atlanta, but these plays are varied enough that whatever your tastes are, they will be satisfied. |
