SPRINGFEST - COME IN FROM THE COLD!

                                              Media Contact: Dawn Kellogg

                                                            Communications Manager

(585) 232-1366 ext. 3059

dkellogg@gevatheatre.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COME IN FROM THE COLD!

GEVA PRESENTS

SPRINGFEST

Local Groups in Rotating Repertory in the Nextstage

February 11, 2009. Rochester, N.Y. – Last year’s TheatreFest (September 2007 – June 2008) was an exhilarating celebration of many cultural delights that this area has to offer. Over 14,500 tickets were sold to 14 different productions by local performing arts organizations and the turnover exceeded a whopping $250,000. Geva Theatre Center is pleased to announce that seven local groups have accepted an invitation to perform on the Nextstage from mid-February to early April in a rotating repertory program of theatre and dance - SpringFest.

Out of Pocket Productions presents A.R. Gurney’s popular Love Letters on Thursday, February 27; Friday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1. The production features local actors Stephanie Roosa and Jeff Siuda (most recently seen in Blackfriars’ acclaimed production of The Pillowman) and will be directed by Patricia Lewis. Gurney’s Love Letters traces the relationship between two sometime-friends, sometime-lovers whose life-long correspondence begins with birthday party thank-you notes and summer camp postcards, survives the characters’ teenage years and develops as adulthood takes over.  Love Letters is the inaugural production for Out of Pocket Productions which was formed as a not-for-profit theatre group dedicated to drawing on the talents of the Rochester community to raise money for various charitable causes.  Proceeds from this production will go to benefit Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Geva Comedy Improv presents their special brand of wacky, audience-driven comedy. Over the past six seasons, GCI has become a fixture of the Rochester comedy scene in the Geva Theatre Center Nextstage where they traditionally present a show each month. Over the years, GCI has made special appearances at Kilbourn Hall and the George Eastman House. Don’t miss the hilarious antics of Geva Comedy Improv on Friday, Feb 13; Saturday, Feb 14 and Thursday, Feb 19 – Saturday, Feb 21.

Irish Players of Rochester, a program of the Rochester Community Players return with Brian Friel’s Faith Healer. Three characters: Frank, the Faith Healer; Grace, his wife; and Teddy, the Cockney show-biz veteran and their business manager. The story they tell is the same: miracle cures, the boredom of the road, hope, abandonment, an Irish homecoming, betrayal, tragedy – but the stories vary in slight but significant details. Ultimately, it is up to each audience member to decide what actually happened and who these people really are. RCP presented All My Sons as part of TheatreFest last season and also presented the Irish International Theatre Festival which brought groups from all over the US, Canada and Ireland to the Nextstage. Four performances only: Friday, Feb. 13; Friday Feb. 20; Sunday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 28.

Till Death Do Us Part is a bittersweet story of abuse and survival presented by Saathi of Rochester. First produced in early January to great success at the India Community Center in Penfield, this play is a montage of three Asian women each grappling with an abusive situation. Till Death Do Us Part is a powerful, thought-provoking play on a difficult subject. Proceeds from this production will go to benefit Saathi of Rochester, a not-for-profit organization founded to help South Asian women who are facing domestic violence, emotional abuse or sexual assault. Four performances only: Thursday, March 5; Saturday, March 7; Friday, March 13 and Sunday, March 15.

Geomantics Dance Group, directed by Richard Haisma makes their Geva Theatre Center debut with Your Life is Not Your Own featuring special musical guests Night Gallery for three performances only: Saturday, Feb 14, Sunday Feb 15 and Saturday, Feb 21. Founded in 2002, Geomantics is a contemporary dance theatre distinguished in its edgy and entertaining choreography as well as the depth of the dancing. Five dancers, three classic and rock musicians, an animated heap of newspapers, a prisoner dancing in his own chosen cell, and a woman revving up for her day in a most unusual way, all give the audience a heart-felt and provocative evening of entertainment.

JCC presents Golda’s Balcony by William Gibson (The Miracle Worker, Two for the Seesaw) for four performances: Friday, March 6; Sunday, March 8; Thursday, March 12 and Saturday, March 14. The play follows the life of Golda Meir from Russian immigrant to American schoolteacher to a leader of international politics as the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Golda’s Balcony is the longest running, one-woman play in Broadway history and was nominated for both Tony and Drama Desk awards. In 2006 the play was adapted into a film starring Valerie Harper.

Downstairs Cabaret Theatre’s production on the Nextstage from Thursday March 18 to Sunday, April 5 is soon to be announced so watch this space!

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Friday 2/13/09 @ 7:00pm                    Faith Healer by Brian Friel – Irish Players of Rochester

Friday 2/13/09 @ 10:30pm                  Geva Comedy Improv

Saturday 2/14/09 @ 7:30pm                Geomantics

Saturday 2/14/09 @ 10:30pm              Geva Comedy Improv

Sunday 2/15/08 @ 1:30pm                   Geomantics

Thursday 2/19/09 @ 7:00pm                Geva Comedy Improv

Friday 2/20/09 @ 7:00pm                    Faith Healer by Brian Friel – Irish Players of Rochester

Friday 2/20/09 @ 10:30pm                  Geva Comedy Improv

Saturday 2/21/09 @ 7:30pm                Geomantics

Saturday 2/21/09 @ 10:30pm              Geva Comedy Improv

Sunday 2/22/09 @ 1:30pm                   Faith Healer by Brian Friel – Irish Players of Rochester

Thursday 2/26/09 @ 7:00pm                Love Letters – Out of Pocket Productions

Friday 2/27/09 @ 7:00pm                    Love Letters – Out of Pocket Productions

Saturday 2/28/09 @ 7:30pm                Faith Healer by Brian Friel – Irish Players of Rochester

Sunday 3/1/09 @ 1:30pm                     Love Letters – Out of Pocket Productions

Thursday 3/5/09 @ 7:00pm                  Till Death Do Us Part – Saathi of Rochester

Friday 3/6/09 @ 7:00pm                      Golda’s Balcony - JCC

Saturday 3/7/09 @ 7:30pm                  Till Death Do Us Part – Saathi of Rochester

Sunday, 3/8/09 @ 1:30pm                    Golda’s Balcony - JCC

Thursday, 3/12/09 @ 7:00pm               Golda’s Balcony - JCC

Friday 3/13/09 @ 7:00pm                    Till Death Do Us Part – Saathi of Rochester

Saturday 3/14/09 @ 7:30pm                Golda’s Balcony - JCC

Sunday 3/15/09 @ 1:30pm                   Till Death Do Us Part – Saathi of Rochester

Thursday 3/19/09 @ 7:00pm                Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Friday 3/20/09 @ 7:00pm                    Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Saturday 3/21/09 @ 7:30pm                Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Sunday 3/22/09 @ 1:30pm                   Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Thursday 3/26/09 @ 7:00pm                Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Friday 3/27/09 @ 7:00pm                    Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Saturday 3/28/09 @ 7:30pm                Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Sunday 3/29/09 @ 1:30pm                   Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Thursday 4/2/09 @ 7:00pm                  Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Friday 4/3/09 @ 7:00pm                      Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Saturday 4/4/09 @ 7:30pm                  Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

Sunday 4/5/09 @ 1:30pm                     Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

TICKET PRICES:                             Faith Healer presented by Irish Players of Rochester - $15

Geva Comedy Improv - $7

Geomantics - $15

Love Letters presented by Out of Pocket Productions - $15

Till Death Do Us Part presented by Saathi of Rochester - $20

Golda’s Balcony presented by JCC - $20

Downstairs Cabaret - $20

RESERVATIONS:    Website only: www.gevatheatre.org

LOCATION:              Geva Theatre Center, 75 Woodbury Blvd, Rochester, NY 14607

GEVA THEATRE CENTER

Geva Theatre Center is Rochester’s leading professional theatre and the most attended regional theatre in New York State. Founded in 1972, Geva attracts over 160,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students. The 552-seat Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage offers a wide variety of shows, from musicals to American and world classics.

The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Nextstage is home to Geva’s own series of cutting-edge drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva’s New Play Reading Series and the Hornet’s Nest - an innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. The Nextstage also hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown.

Geva Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. For the past thirteen years the organization has been led by Artistic Director Mark Cuddy.

*ENDS*