Where You Can Live, Work, and Enjoy Plays

Let the Plays Begin
The Humana Festival of New American Plays is here — February 21 through March 28 — and all Friends of Lou are invited to the “Opening Party” this Thursday, February 25.

The “Opening Party” will host food from surprise local restaurants — and by surprise we mean we know which ones, but you’ll have to come to the party to find out — and will run from 7:00 p.m. ‘til whenever.

If you want to hang out with the movers and shakers at this reception, click here to find out how you can attend.

The Festival Goes Local
Why all the celebrating? Because 2010 is the first time Actors Theatre is offering Louisvillians (and Southern Indianans) a special, all-access weekend of their own — The Humana Festival Locals Weekend.

As Oaks Day is to the Derby, the Locals Weekend is to the Humana Festival. You’ll see the plays first — before thousands of visitors from around the world! And get this: locals can attend as many plays as they want the entire weekend of March 5 for just $40.

Also, make sure you get the back of your pass stamped for each play you go to, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win something.  It could be a closing-night Actors party, it could be a complimentary night at 21c, it could be a handshake and a pat on the back. But considering you saw four never-seen-before plays for about $10 a pop, you’re already a winner.

For more details and to order your Locals Weekend pass, call the Actors Theatre box office at 502-584-1205, or click here.

Where’s the Best Place Place to See a Play in Louisville?
How about you tell the world (or at least other Friends of Lou) where you think the best place in Louisville is to experience a play? Here’s a list of the choices:

• Actors Theatre — For over 30 years Actors has been a major force in revitalizing American playwriting, with over 300 Actors-debuted scripts now in publication.

• Brown Theatre — Hearkening back to the glory days of Louisville's theater district, the Brown Theatre stands today as the Grand Dame of Louisville's artistic community.

• Bomhard Theater — Named for the man who helped organize and nurture opera in Louisville a half-century ago.

• Bunbury theatre — Creates enriching, diverse, live theatrical experiences for the community and its artists in an intimate and professional setting.

• Louisville Palace — The Louisville Palace offers live entertainment, musicals, movies and shows.

• Stage One — Providing high-quality, entertaining, professional theatre for young audiences that develops the whole child, supports the learning environment, and builds strong family bonds.

• Walden Theatre — Providing the opportunity for young people to grow and develop through the comprehensive study of theatre.

• Youth Performing Arts School — One of only 100 US schools of its type, it concentrates on various music, theatre, and dance disciplines for high school students.

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Don’t see your favorite place on this list? Add it in the comment section below.

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Breaking News: Dramatic Scenes in Louisville

Watch 350 Plays in 21.5 Seconds
The Great White Way? Puh-leez! Shaftesbury Avenue? What-EVER. Louisville is home to one of the world’s foremost festival of plays, the Humana Festival of New American Plays, and this month Actors Theatre of Louisville proudly welcomes theater-lovers, critics, producers, and playwrights from all over the globe.

How good is it? The Humana Festival plays have earned three Pulitzers, four OBIEs, and six American Theatre Critics Association New Play Awards.

And get these for some serious numbers:

* More than 2,000 scripts are received annually for consideration in the New Play Program.
* Nearly 75,000 scripts have been submitted since the festival began in 1976.
* Over 30 foreign countries are represented in the audience at the festival each year.
* Over 90 million Americans have seen additional productions — not including film and television audiences who’ve seen Humana plays adapted for the screen.

Incredible? That’s nothing, my friend. CLICK HERE to watch 33 dramatic years of top-class theater fly before your unbelievin’ eyes.

Applause
Five fortunate Friends of Lou have been selected at random to receive pairs of tickets to a show of their choice at Actors Theatre:

* Miriam Schulman, Weston, FL
* Jessica Deis, Louisville, KY
* Mackenzie Hanover, Orleans, IN
* Allison Cash Spiro, Washington, D.C.
* Amy Coultas, Shelbyville, KY

Standing Ovation
Be one of the first five people to tell us where in Louisville you’d be most likely to run into an actor (no, Tom Cruise doesn’t count), and win a FREE pair of tickets to Actors Theatre. E-mail us by CLICKING HERE.

A Bouquet of Red Roses
Another way to score free tickets (and to feel good in the process) is to volunteer during the festival. Call Alan Meyer at 502-584-1265.

Better yet, rub elbows with actors, witness schadenfreude first-hand with playwrights, and talk shop with producers by attending the opening party, Thursday, March 5 at 7:00 P.M. Sample cuisine from local restaurants, peruse memorabilia from festivals past, and enjoy performances by Specific Gravity Ensemble, Voces Novae, and Actors Theatre Apprentices. All at Actors Theatre of Louisville, 316 West Main Street.

It’s free, so don’t be a stranger. CLICK HERE to learn more about this and other free local, special events.