Arts & Culture Magazine - November/December 2007 - (Page 50)

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE By Judy Pokras What could be more fun and enriching than indulging in a panoply of events that bring to life the same classic novel that a whole community is reading? The Asolo Repertory Theatre is establishing that for the second year in a row. This year, its “Beyond the Book: Read it, See it, Live it,” focuses on Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The premise of Beyond the Book is “What would happen if everyone in the community read the same book?” Much more than just a book club, the program is designed to inspire reading and community connection. “Everyone is supposed to read the novel, then see the events happening around town and see the musical here,” says Asolo’s Education Director Carrie Mills. One of the most unforgettable love stories ever told, A Tale of Two Cities takes place in the late eighteenth century leading up to the French Revolution. The thrilling tale about the best and worst aspects of humanity in a terrifying era is in production in its world premiere as a pre-Broadway musical at the Asolo through November 18, with sets by the Tony-, Emmy- and Oscar-award winning set designer Tony Walton. Beyond the Book’s events, expected to run through March, relate to the novel’s themes of poverty, class struggle, revolution, oppression and subject matter, like wine, and range from book discussion groups to lectures to things like French cooking classes; all to make it possible for people to “live the book,” says Beyond the Book Coordinator Lynn Riechmann. “We’re tying into events that other organizations already have going on,” she says. One such event is the Publix Aprons Cooking School’s crepes class, because one of the places where the book unfolds is Paris. “The possibilities are almost endless for events,” Riechmann says. To further foster a sense of community, this fall Asolo has added a new element to Beyond the Book, an online discussion board that local groups can use. The website also has a Bits & Pieces section featuring trivia, quizzes and the latest community news. Asolo’s production of A Tale of Two Cities is outside the theater’s normal operating procedure as “a little bit of a special case,” Mills says. While normally the company has only four to six visiting artists per season, for this production they have brought in 25 to 30 people, most from New York City, including performers who have starred on Broadway. Asolo Repertory Theatre uniquely boasts a great number of people in the company who work at the theater and live locally, as well as third year graduate acting students from the Florida State University Conservatory for Actor Training, who are residents at the theater. “It’s a fantastic partnership that lets us do things other regional theaters aren’t able to do,” Mills says. “Except for Tale, we don’t normally do our shows in a straight run. We’re a rotating repertory, doing a different show every 50 : : arts and culture magazine

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Arts & Culture Magazine - November/December 2007 Contents Extra! Extra! Modern Times Gallery Interview - Jopseph Caulkins Exhibitions Dodi Reifenberg and Bradley Wester Profiles Center Stage Carnevale Horse Feathers Grill & Lounge Dancing on the Stage of Life Gallery Guide Calendar of Events

Arts & Culture Magazine - November/December 2007

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