2015 End-Of-Year Sustaining Drive Underway!
". . . but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born. Cousins, God give you joy!"
(Much Ado about Nothing, IIi)
BSB’s Annual Sustaining Drive plays a major role in helping meet expenses such as costumes, sets, lighting, directors', designers' and artists' fees, printing and promotional materials, and securing venues for our productions.
Happy winter and holidays to you all! The frost, the chill, and the anticipation this time of year brings, do seem to make the "stars dance." Likewise, we at Brigit Saint Brigit feel the same as we prepare for the remaining productions of our 23rd Season, all being mounted this February through May. It's because of this out-of-the-ordinary scheduling that BSB has chosen to commence its ANNUAL SUSTAINING DRIVE now.
Since November 2014, we've had an exciting, well-attended, and critically-acclaimed calendar year. From ancient Greek through the most contemporary American classics, the Brigit stage transported playgoers from the trivia of the everyday world, to feel and think and question and remember--to imagine and relate to themselves and others.
The Theatre's production last fall of AN ILIAD was perhaps one of our biggest undertakings and was simply magical. Daniel Dorner and Max Stehr as the Poet and his Muse brought home the visceral and heartbreaking reality of war, reminding us that the beauty of inspired writing is timeless.
To contrast, December's HOLIDAY LIGHTS at the Joslyn Castle showcased three short works: Capote's "A Christmas Memory," Florence Gibson's "Tomato Butter," and Welty's "Why I Live at The P.O." A fine troupe of actors guided us from the charm of memory to contemporary loneliness through hilarious Southern Gothic. "Serious talent on display… reaffirms just how impressive theatre can be when you have fine stories and fine actors to tell them" (OWH).
In March, Brigit returned to the haunting and heartrending humor of Conor McPherson, with THE WEIR, the lynchpin of the SECOND ANNUAL IRISH FESTIVAL ("It feels like truth," The Reader). Our other offerings, "McBreen's Heiffer or 'Are Ye Right There, Michael'" celebrated the songs and parodies of Irish raconteur Percy French, while "Music of The Bards," featured live performances of original arrangements by little-known Irish composers.
May saw the production of one of BSB's most provocative offerings, Wallace Shawn's THE DESIGNATED MOURNER. This 3 person tour-de-force took us on a journey to an unnamed future time and place in which contemplation is negligible and standards arbitrary--a truly frightening tale.
As for the 23rd Season, we just wrapped up our opening production of Shaw’s ARMS AND THE MAN. This silly, funny piece was wildly successful, "A wonderful opener...a quality production of a classic play" (OWH). We look forward to John B. Keane’s Sive, the full-length anchor production of BSB’s Third-Annual Irish Festival which will alternate with collateral productions on this year's Festival theme, the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising and Ireland's independence. In Spring, we present Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee’s INHERIT THE WIND, and finish the season with TYGER'S HEART--SHAKESPEARE FOLIO FEST: "Naked in The December Snow," "Lincoln's Shakespeare," "Shakespeare's Dark Lady." For the first time ever outside the UK, an exhibit of Shakespeare's original Folio will be featured on tour at the Durham Museum. Congruently with the exhibit, BSB will mount three uniquely original productions, each with its own set of perspectives, characters, and scenes.
Brigit Saint Brigit’s mission from its inception has been to provide the Omaha metro-area with the very best classic and classically-inspired theatre. We choose authors and their works that not only entertain, but also engage! All of this is not possible without you, always our strongest supporters.
Our medium is live theatre, providing an alternative to the daily digital blast of sound bites, tweets and noise that is so prevalent today. Unplugged, genuine storytelling elicits authentic reactions from our patrons, and we thrive because you also believe that is so important to the community.
Please join us today by sending your tax-deductible donation- CLICK HERE.
We at the Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre Company thank you for your past support and invite you once again to join us as we bring professionally-acted and directed, classic theatre to Omaha for the 23rd year!