It’s Time to Act Like a Louisvillian

Play Time in Possibility City
It’s that time of year again: This weekend Actors Theatre of Louisville kicks off its 35th Humana Festival of New American Plays with A Devil at Noon (February 27–April 3).

Since the Devil’s in the details, you can click here for a detailed festival line-up, or you can act like a winner and check out the contest below and win some free tickets.

Starring . . . You
Locals Weekend | March 11-13, 2011
The Humana Festival is the premier event of its kind in the nation . . . and it happens right here in Louisville. Each year thousands of dedicated theater admirers come here for a celebration of the newest creations in American theater. You should be among the first to see these new works and, when they go to Chicago, New York, or anywhere else, proudly proclaim: “I saw it first in Louisville!”

This weekend is your chance to see the plays before the rest of the world. Take advantage of behind-the-scenes tours, panel discussions, and more as we kick-off this month long celebration of new plays.

For a great deal on admission prices, check out the Humana Festival Locals Pass. Better yet, use your loaf to score a free pass by playing the contest that follows [exit stage right].

Can You Figure Out the Plot?
Before Tom cruised or Victor matured, Louisville was home to a veteran actor. For five decades he was a character performer of stage, screen, and television. His many feature film credits included Gangway (1937), He Walked by Night (1948), Battle Ground (1949), The Marriage Go-Round (1958), Global Affair (1964), Topaz (1969) and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).  On TV, he appeared in Cheyenne, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Dr. Kildare, Bonanza, and Mod Squad. He died in Louisville and is buried at Cave Hill.

So . . . what’s his name?

One lucky person will win a Locals Pass ($99 value) for the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

Post your reply on the Friend of Lou Facebook page by clicking here.

Did You Know . . .

• Three Humana Festival plays have won the Pulitzer Prize: The Gin Game by D.L. Coburn, Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley, and Dinner With Friends by Donald Margulies.
• More than 2,000 scripts are received annually for consideration in the New Play Program. Nearly 75,000 scripts have been submitted since 1976.
• Over 30 foreign countries are represented in the audience at the festival each year.
• Over 90 million Americans have seen additional productions of the many plays that originated in the Humana Festival, not including film and television audiences who have seen Humana plays adapted for the screen.

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.