A Play by Ted Tiller

October 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27*, 28.

*( Gala Halloween Costume Fundraising performance, fully tax-deductible donation $35).

A play by Matthew Barber.

Tentative Schedule:

July 28, 29;

August 3, 4, 5, 10, 11*, 12.

*( Gala Fundraising performance, fully tax-deductible donation $35)

Showing now through April 29, 2012

The traditional Gala Performance is on April 28 at 7:30 PM.

Thats a special night featuring complimentary Korbel champagne, wines, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, non-alcoholic beverages, and an evening of acerbic laughs and matchless wit. Your $35 donation is Tax-deductible.

All other performances are:
* Fridays & Saturdays at 8PM
* Sunday matinees at 2PM
* Fridays are “Pay What You Can”
* all other performances are $15 General admission and $12 Seniors over 60 and Students with ID
* Still the lowest priced live theater experience in Sonoma County!

Watch “The Lion in Winter” Slide Show

Comedy on the Edge

A play about a dysfunctional family? Nothing new about that. In this family, however, things are just a little different. For one thing, the year is 1183 AD; and for another, these family members are English royalty (with a French king and his sister thrown in for good measure).

Welcome to James Goldman’s The Lion in Winter, where Henry II dukes it out with his estranged and rich queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, along with their scheming sons, John, Geoffrey and Richard (yes, that’s the Lionhearted one). There’s plenty of psychological weaponry here, but also plenty of potential knife-play, imprisonment, decapitation, warfare and banishment: all the fun toys that royals like to play with.

And play they do, with plots and counter-plots, witty dialogue, threats, lies and betrayals, a ll worthy of the Bard himself. But they also engage in very Shakespearean moments of biting humor, emotional beauty and endearment that we have grown to cherish.

Henry, Eleanor, and their twisted offspring are ancient historical figures from the distant past. But they remind us of people we know. They are, in a word, accessible; and quite potently so. They speak in modern language — embellished with a few contemporary metaphors and random anachronisms along with smart alliteration and clever descriptions of each other—so that we can readily identify with them, and even care about them. We also get to chuckle and laugh at them, an excellent way to develop an understanding of ourselves in the process.

The play takes place on Christmas Eve for a family get together. Henry allows Eleanor one day out of prison for the Sacred Holiday. (Yes, she’s been there for ten years). This offers her the opportunity to plot against him once more with the help of her favored son, Richard. Yes, Richard is an ambitious warrior who is willing to go along with her ploys to grab everything he desires.

Geoffrey, the least favored, is “a device…he’s wheels and gears” always plotting with whoever has the advantage in order to gain power for himself and maybe become king after all have fallen. John, Daddy‘s favorite, is too indolent and a profligate to guard the advantages his father keeps planning for him. He’s always “ruining everything” and will “never learn”.

Throw in French Princess Alais, another attractive prize, and Richard wants everything for himself. But the King has other plans for Alais. Sounds familiar?

Curtain Call Theatre has assembled a fine cast of actors from its growing roster of talent:
mavericks Mark Gregory and Gretchen Belgrave; add new comers to CCT John Rowan, Diz Struffles, Clay Matthews, Crystal Carpenter, and Jake Hamlin; and you have a memorable and distinguished cast.

Directed by Michael Tabib and stage managed by Joe Potter, The Lion In Winter opens April 14. 2012 and plays on weekends for eight performances only through April 29 at Russian River Hall, 20347 Hwy. 116, Monte Rio (one block East of Rio Theater).

For reservations and more call 707-524-8739.

By Bob Hornback

Curtain Call Theatre at the Russian River is planning a splashy production of the bloody (and funny) horror play “Count Dracula” by Ted Tiller for the entire month of October 2011.

The production will culminate at the last performance on Saturday October 29, Halloween Weekend with an exquisite Champagne Gala with hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and other non-alcoholic beverages for all ages.

We are seeking serious actors whose passion for the stage gives them the satisfaction of working with dedicated theatre persons in a safe and substance0free environment.

OPEN Auditions are being held next Monday and Tuesday July 25 and 26 at 7PM Russian River Hall (The HALL), 20347 Highway 116, Monte Rio, Ca. 95462. No appointment necessary. See attachment for details and call to confirm your participation and or request a copy of the script.

If you are interested or you know someone else who might be interested, please feel free to forward this message to them.

We look forward to meeting you there soon.

Join us for this year’s Halloween Season for the entire month of October , culminating in a Blood Fest of fabulous food and champagne Gala on Saturday October 29 for the closing night performance. This is Halloween Weekend and will be a fun blood curdling event. DON’T MISS IT !!!

Check our website periodically for further details. You’ll HOWL with delightful fright. See you then.

That’s how critics and audiences describe this British comedy by the amazing playwright Joe Orton.

Curtain Call Theatre at the Russian River proudly features many new faces in this sparkling show of biting wit and wise-cracking humor.

What starts out as a somber funeral winds up as a send up expose of police corruption, bank robbers, funeral parlors, murderous nurses, and religion, not to mention innocent by-standers…

Two clumsy young punks rob a bank and need a place to hide the money. The mother of one of them has just died and her funeral is in progress when they decide to hide the money in her coffin. But what to do with her body?

Her nurse is suspicious of the boys and has eyes for the father, the police inspector is parading as a civil employee with his own hidden agenda, the funeral procession encounters an accident with a truck, and all hell breaks loose. All this in the midst of straight faced double entendres and naughty references to many of our sacred cows.

Not your garden variety of stale comedies, this play is a cross between Oscar Wilde‘s  witty humor and Harold Pinter’s absurd plays. Humor with a sharp knife for the attentive audience. Not to be missed.

Produced and Directed by Michael Tabib.

Dates: July 23, 29, 30, 31, August 5, 6, 7, 12, 13.

Times: Fridays and Saturdays 8 PM; Sunday Matinees 4 PM.

Admission: Friday “Pay What You Can”; Saturday and Sunday $15 General; $12 Seniors over 55 and Students with ID.

Closing Night August 13 is our Gala Benefit. Come and enjoy complimentary Korbel Champagne, premium wines, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, non-alcoholic refreshments, and a great night at the theatre. Tax deductible donation $35.

Reservations: 707-524-8739; The HALL: 20347 Highway 116, Monte Rio.

Featuring: Bob Dougherty, Betsy Glincher, Kevin Kieta, Joseph Potter, Taylor Stearley, Travis Stecher.

Stage Managers: Candi Coleman and Joseph Potter.

Set Builder: Dan Vanek.

Props and Costumes: The Cast.

A full evening of entertainment, “FOURPLAY” appears for eight (8)  performances only.

Thrill to the antics of the successful new Bank Manager, his twittery wife, his crew, and a demanding old lady when all his plans fall apart in “The Festivities” by Anton Chekov.

Find out how a lion eats a librarian in John Guare’s odd comedy “A Day For Surprises”, followed by a man who reveals his own bizarre surprise with a personal past relationship in “Days Ahead” by Lanford Wilson.

We conclude our evening with “Postcards” by James Prideaux, when a couple spend a lifetime  (almost)                  of joy, disappointment, and renewed joy, writing postcards to celebrities.

This exceptional evening is produced and directed by Michael Tabib, and  performed by Gretchen Belgrave, Dee Buechy, Mark Gregory, Shawn O’Docharty, Lisa Posternak, Joe Potter, and Dan Vanek.

“FOURPLAY” opens with a Champagne Gala on Saturday May 7 at 7PM, Curtain at 8PM. Enjoy delectable Hors d’oeuvres and special Desserts by chef  Tim Kane, complemented by Korbel champagne and Korbel premium Wines. We will also feature a select coffee from Coffee Bazaar and a variety of tea selections along with non-alcoholic beverages. This is a benefit for Curtain Call Theatre with a Tax-Deductible Donation of $35.

We continue our performances during the following dates: May 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, June 3 & 4.   Fridays & Saturdays at 8PM; and Sundays at 4PM.

ALL performances are at Russian River Hall, 20347 Highway 116 in Monte Rio, 95462.

Box Office Prices are as follows:

Fridays: “Pay What You Can”, Saturdays and Sundays: $15 General; $12 Seniors over 55 and students with ID.

Won’t you come and share in this delightful evening of laughter and self revelation?

Our Reservations number is 707-524-8739. Leave a message and we will confirm by telephone only.

Thank you. We look forward to your continued patronage.

The Management of Curtain Call Theatre at te Russian River.

Start off with an eccentric lady who has a room full of lamps of all kinds, table lamps and standing lamps. She will tell you all about it as she prances among this odd collection of memories.

Proceed to a man who is lost in a dream and finds himself as an actor on a stage full of strangers from two centuries ago and bossy stage manager. Lots of laughs and many absurd surprises ensue.

The second half of the evening begins with a reluctant actress preparing to go on stage and recounts her funny experiences in other productions before she decides to go onto her next stage role. Hurray for Broadway.

Next, you have two older ladies lost in their own world of Victorian Romanticism, only to be intruded upon by a couple from Milwaukee; a matronly woman and her drunken husband. Pandemonium follows when the Mardi Gras intrudes from the outside and the fun is interrupted.

And last, a Rodeo woman sings her heart out and informs us about how the Rodeo has gone to Hell in a Basket.

All are strange and zany and will make you laugh, feel, and smile. You will leave changed in a small or big way.

There are nine performances November 13 through December 4. *Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM and Sunday Matinees at 2PM. Seats are $15 General and $12 Students with I.D. and Seniors over 60.
*Fridays are “Pay What You Can”. So everyone can enjoy this zany night of fun.

Our Opening Night Gala features Champagne, premium wines, delicious hors d’ouevres, delectable desserts, special coffees, teas, and non-alcoholic refreshments. Admission is $35 and since this is a fund-raising event for the Curtain Call Theatre at the Russian River, $20 from your ticket can be tax-deducted as a donation. Just keep your theatre stub.

RESERVATIONS: Call 707-5248739. Leave your name and number, performance you wish to attend, and the number of tickets you want to reserve. We will call back with a confirmation.

Reservations by phone only. Please call: 707-524-8739

Coming soon in November 2010:
Three One-Act plays by celebrated authors and a cast of distinguished actors.

Coming up in 2011:
We’re also in the process of compiling three major productions for the year 2011. Stay tuned to RussianRiverHall.com for regular updates. If you are interested in adding your name, address, and e-mail to our mailing list, please call our office voice mail 707-524-8739 and leave your information.

Fundraiser October