THE CUTTING BALL THEATER NEWSLETTER
The Cutting Ball’s Macbeth has extended through July 16 at the EXIT on Taylor For reservations and information: “Director Rob Melrose and Cutting Ball Theater take a bold, innovative approach in a slightly cut, intriguingly rearranged, inventively staged version of Shakespeare's great tragedy that looks at the Macbeths as the parents of a dead child and internalizes much of the witchcraft” - Robert Hurwitt, S.F. Chronicle The Cutting Ball’s Production of Macbeth was made possible in part by a generous grant from The Mental Insight Foundation and support from the San Francisco Arts Commission.
The Cutting Ball Joins a National Effort to Increase Younger AudiencesThe Cutting Ball has often been celebrated as a company that appeals to a broad range of theater audiences. Our season of classic plays mixed with new experimental works typically draws an intellectual and artistic crowd. However, we are hardly exempt from an issue that plagues theater companies of all sizes: How do we keep theater alive and appealing for the young generations? In this era of fast-paced, MTV-style entertainment, even musical groups find the need to add television monitors and strobe lights to their performances in order to pull in a young crowd. We have been questioned as to why there is such a focus these days to attract the younger generations to the theater, but without this concentrated effort, we enter into the future on unsure footing. If a younger generation is not cultivated to appreciate risky and thought-provoking theater, small and mid-sized theater companies like The Cutting Ball, who fund their seasons primarily from individual donations and box office revenue, will not be sustained. The daring and challenging theaters will have to give way to for-profit companies like Disney, whose physical presence on Broadway far outshines its less-flashy counterparts like the not-for-profit Roundabout Theatre Company across the street. In an effort to encourage a new generation of theater-goers, The Cutting Ball is exploring new ways to provide them affordable seats. As part of our extension of Macbeth, we are proud to reveal a new $15 ticket option specifically intended for audience members under 30. This is the beginning of a long-standing commitment to developing a younger national theater audience. Our new Under-30 rate will remain a part of our exciting 2005-2006 season. We were happy to discover that the Signature Theater Company in New York made known last week that they were able, through a partnership with Time Warner, to price every ticket for their upcoming season at $15.00. This dedication to finding affordable ticketing options is not unique to The Cutting Ball and The Signature. We are very excited to be part of a larger national movement announced by Theatre Communications Group’s Executive Director Ben Cameron (www.tcg.org) at TCG’s 2003 National Theatre Conference in Milwaukee. On October 20, 2005, San Francisco and a handful of cities across the country will be host to National Free Theater Day. The Cutting Ball, among many other local companies, will open our doors and provide free seats to anyone who has never been to a live theater event before or cannot otherwise afford tickets. We hope that this is just the beginning of developing strong relationships with new theater audiences. – Adriana Baer, Associate Artistic Director (Thanks to Laura Davis for aiding in the development of the $15 Under-30 Project.)
The Cutting Ball Recommends… foolsFURY’s WHAT YOU WILL (or 12th Night) “WHAT YOU WILL (or 12th NIGHT) is Shakespeare’s meditation on love, in all of its guises. Often played as a rollicking comedy, our production focuses in on the sultry underside and the raw frayed emotions of this amazing play.” –Fool’s Fury For more information, please visit www.foolsfury.org
The Wish List The Cutting Ball Theater relies on donations from individuals to continue producing the high-quality, energetic work on which we pride ourselves. Like most performing arts organizations, the majority of donated funds come from individual theater-lovers, not government agencies or corporate foundations. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit: http://cuttingball.com/donate.php We are also seeking the following in-kind donations:
The 2005-2006 season has been announced! If you would not like to receive email announcements of events from The Cutting Ball, please send an email to newsletter@cuttingball.com with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. |
