Flat Rock Playhouse' 2003
season is well under way, with performances Wednesday through Saturday
from now through December 14.
Check below for the schedule,
and contact the theater for tickets:
• Box Office (828)
693-0731 • Main Office (828) 693-0403 • Fax (828) 693-6795
• E-Mail frp@flatrockplayhouse.org
Remember
to ask about the Vagabond School of the Drama, and special programs for
children!
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 DEATH
IN ENGLAND -
A Supernatural Farce
by Sam Bobrick
Death’s not so bad, charming even, but he can sure be tricky. In
this exciting new mystery-comedy we find all of the usual elements…
a stormy evening, an assortment of “familiar” characters, a
candlelit dinner party in an upscale British home … with one tiny
caveat, Death drops in unexpectedly. Quirky, witty, enigmatic: he’s
all that you could want in a dinner guest, but who do you believe and
how much can you trust…this is the key to solving this tongue-in-cheek
puzzle. Don’t let the laughter fool you. Remember…he is Death
after all.
 DEATH
IN ENGLAND is a delightful comedy quite unlike any other. It's a parable
in the form of a British drawing room farce or thriller. In it, Death
shows up at the home of a wealthy family to claim his next victim. But,
in an unprecedented turn of events, he discovers that he has come to the
wrong house. When his intended victim dies anyway, Death becomes alarmed.
In short order, a police detective is summoned, along with a number of
people connected with the recently deceased, all of whom are potential
suspects. And then a stranger arrives, a man who says he's an undertaker
but is soon revealed to be none other than Life Itself. Can this be the
culprit?
Is it possible that Death could make a mistake? To err is human, but is
Death human? Can someone really usurp Death’s power? Is Death who
he says he is or is he actually just an ordinary man in need of a sanitarium?
Tricky things are afoot – foul play is suspected. The only person
capable of unraveling this tangled web is Inspector Mirabelle. Enigmas
are his life.
Written by veteran farceur Sam Bobrick, DEATH IN ENGLAND good-naturedly
pokes fun at the Agatha Christie-style murder mystery genre, along with
understated British manners, and various other rather easy targets. All
the clichés of the standard-issue mystery thriller get spoofed
here, from the hysterical and hyperactive maid, to the scrupulously sharp-witted
police inspector prowling about in search of clues, to the utterly non-plussed
upper class master and mistress of the house.
In addition to subtle comic moments, the play manages to remind us, gently
and modestly, to be grateful for our time on this planet. It's smart medicine,
delivered with more than a spoonful of sugar; for playwright Sam Bobrick
has a wickedly clever sense of humor, and the laughs pile up, vigorously
and hilariously, as DEATH IN ENGLAND makes its way through a remarkable
premise to the unexpected (and wholly satisfying) conclusion.
Sam Bobrick certainly knows a thing or two about writing comedy. He is
the author of such comedy classics as Norman, Is That You?, Murder At
The Howard Johnsons ,and Weekend Comedy. Mr. Bobrick also has extensive
television writing credits including The Andy Griffith Show, Get Smart
and The Smothers Brothers. He created the hit series Saved By The Bell,
which ran for ten years and continues to run throughout the world in syndication.
Bobrick has also written songs recorded by Elvis Presley and Brian Ferry
and the MAD magazine albums including the cult classic, It’s A Gas.
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 THE
JUNGLE BOOK
by Joseph Robinette
Based on the Mowgli Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Flat Rock Playhouse presents the Theatre For Young People production of
THE JUNGLE BOOK. One of literature’s most enduring classics, THE
JUNGLE BOOK is based on the Mowgli stories of Rudyard Kipling adapted
by Joseph Robinette. Filled with excitement and humor, the play highlights
the struggle of good versus evil, the worth of friendship, and the importance
of loyalty and other values required for surviving the "law of the
jungle."
“THE JUNGLE BOOK has lots of howling wolves and screaming monkeys
to delight youngsters," says Betsy Bisson, director of THE JUNGLE
BOOK and the Theatre For Young People program. "Young audiences will
thrill to the portrayal of the animals and the fast paced action, while
older audience members will be fascinated by the story.”
THE JUNGLE BOOK was first published in 1894 when author Rudyard Kipling
was 28 years old. It actually consists of several stories, including Mowgli’s
Brothers, The White Seal, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and Toomai of the Elephants.
The best known of these is the tale of the young Indian boy, Mowgli, who
was raised by wolves. On a warm moonlit night, in the Seeonee Hills in
the great jungle of India, a little boy - separated from his parents during
a stampede - wanders into the jungle, where a family of wolves protects
him from a traitorous tiger and hyena. The young and playful Mowgli grows
big and strong and with the help of the bear, Baloo and the panther, Bagheera,
he learns the Laws of the Jungle and how to protect himself.
In
Joseph Robinson's play, the tale of a young Rudyard Kipling, who is sent
from his home in Bombay to a British boarding school where he encounters
his own "jungle" runs parallel to the action-filled jungle scenes
in the story of Mowgli. The lonely boy, tormented by classmates, begins
writing stories of a boy raised by wolves in the jungles of India for
solace, entertainment; and ultimately with the help his kindly professors,
Rudyard earns scholastic achievement. Both young Rudyard and Mowgli, learn
lessons of strength as they encounter hard knocks and survive.
Kipling was the first Englishman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature
in 1907 and even today he continues to be one of the most widely read
British authors. He published hundreds of works for adults and children.
Among his literary offerings are Kim, Just So Stories, Captain Courageous,
and, of course, THE JUNGLE BOOK.
Joseph Robinette is the author of more than 30 published plays and musicals,
including The Fabulous Fable Factory, written with composer Thomas Tierney,
and Charlotte's Web, adapted from the novel by E.B. White, two of the
most widely produced children's plays in the United States. He has also
dramatized the authorized stage versions of The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe, The Paper Chase, and A Rose for Emily. The recipient of numerous
playwriting awards, Robinette was presented the 1976 Charlotte Chorpenning
Cup, given annually by the Children's Theatre Association of America to
"an outstanding writer of children's plays who has achieved national
recognition."
No
longer is the children's play a "throwaway"—a second-class
citizen to be performed in the basement while the "real actors"
are upstairs on the main stage. More theatres are doing more quality children's
plays with high quality production values. “Working with kids to
produce theater has challenges and rewards,” according to Betsy Bisson,
who directs the Theatre For YoungPeople program. "We try to present
a show that is of the caliber of the regular-season shows even though
the show is performed by young students - experience may be lacking, but
talent isn't,'' she says.
Share the magic that Mowgli experiences as he must choose whether to defy
the Law or leave the Jungle forever in a story sure to entertain the wildest
of imaginations.
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 DEAR
SANTA
by Norm Foster
Destined to be a classic, this US Premiere carries us to the magical,
timeless world of the North Pole, replete with offices, workshops, elves
and of course, the jolly old leader himself. The efficient-but-put-upon
Chief of Staff, the dizzy housekeeper, the high-pressure sleigh salesman
and the shop foreman who plays havoc with the English language are all
hysterically funny and yet endearing. These wacky characters keep the
place running like clockwork with the exception of a few in-house quirks
and foibles. So who knew that one child’s letter could throw a monkey
wrench into all of their plans? Don’t you and your family miss this
opportunity to rediscover the true meaning of the Christmas spirit.
THE
IMAGES ABOVE ARE PROPERTY OF THE FLATROCK PLAYHOUSE AND ARE USED COURTESY
OF THE THEATRE.
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 North
Carolina has lots to offer the culturally-inclined tourist. As you plan
your trip, check the North Carolina Arts Council webpage at http://www.ncarts.org
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