Sunday, April 13, 2014

"Barefoot In The Park" At Raue Center May 2 -- May 11

Williams Street Repertory (WSR), winner of four BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards, will end their 2013/14 Season with comedy: Neil Simon’s "Barefoot in the Park".. Directed by Regina Belt-Daniels, the charmingly engaging production opens May 2 at 8:00 pm, and runs for select dates and times through May 11 at Raue Center For The Arts in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Paul and Corie Bratter are newlyweds in every sense of the word. He's a straight-as-an-arrow lawyer and she's a free spirit always looking for the latest kick. Their new apartment is her most recent find-too expensive with bad plumbing and in need of a paint job. After a six-day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Corie's loopy mother and decide to play matchmaker during a dinner with their neighbor-in-the-attic Velasco, where everything that can go wrong, does. Paul just doesn't understand Corie, as she sees it. He's too staid, too boring and she just wants him to be a little more spontaneous.
New York Times calls Barefoot in the Park “a bubbling, rib-tickling comedy.” 
Regina Belt-Daniels is back for her second directing endeavor with WSR. Her most recent directing credit with the company was I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change during WSR’s 2011/12 Season. A transplant from upstate New York, Regina has been a Crystal Lake resident for 34 years.  Her career in theater has followed the road of stage managing, producing, set building, acting and directing, while also teaching Communication Disorders class for the Special Education District of McHenry County for 28 years and serving as Reading Recovery Specialist for District 47 for five years. Regina serves on the Raue Board for Directors as the Vice-President.  She also served on the TownSquare Players Board for 30 years and has had four childrens’ plays published with writing partner Mary Fetzner.  She has directed 12 shows at the Woodstock Opera House and other shows at ECC and MCC.
Playing the adoring newlyweds, Paul and Corie Bratter, are David Lowenthal and Amanda Flahive respectively.  Making up the rest of the cast are a mix of WSR core ensemble members and veterans:  Mark Mahallak as Victor Velasco, Shannon Mayhall as Ethel Banks (Corie’s mother), Ryan McNerney as the Delivery Man (Cliff) and Rob Scharlow as the Telephone Repair Man.  
Behind the scenes, the production crew includes, Pat Henderson (Stage Manager), Richard Kuranda (Founding Artistic Director), Mike Vandercook (Director of Production), John Dwyer (Production Coordinator/Sound Supervisor/Sound Designer), Steven Spera (Technical Manager/Lighting Supervisor/Lighting Designer),  Bill Schmiel (Scenic Designer), Jeremy Floyd (Costume Designer) and Heather Olcott (Production Assistant/Props Master).
Over the past year Raue Center has attracted regional and national attention from media powerhouses like Playbill.com and BroadwayWorld.com.
Steve Cochran of WGN Radio praised WSR calling its work, “Challenging, provocative and, oh yeah… Fun.”
Rick Kogan formally of WGN also had rave reviews of Raue Center and WS Rep saying, “You must, must see this amazing work at this beautiful theater. Outstanding.”
Tickets start at $25 and group pricing is available! Tickets can be purchased online at WWW.WSREP.ORG, WWW.RAUECENTER.ORG or via the Box Office at 815.356.9212 or 26 N. Williams Street in downtown Crystal Lake.
 Sponsored by Centegra Health Systems, Crystal Lake Bank & Trust, Countryside Flower Show, Garden Center & Nursery, RFP Photography, Inc. and WSR’s official lighting sponsor is ComEd.
Thank you to the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
They will continue programming this summer with a month long run of Suds: The Rockin’ 60’s Musical Soap Opera in July of 2014. The company will also continue it’s monthly reading series, Get Lit(erary).
ALSO:-- (This advertising information is provided on The Town Crier free .of charge for Raue Center).

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