For Immediate Release
February 16, 2015
Contact: Zachary Hines
Interim Director of
Marketing & Communication
(727) 823-1600 x 209
[email protected]
American Stage Announces 16-17 Season
Boundary Pushing New Season Invites Audiences to Adventure ‘In Search Of…America’
St. Petersburg, FL – American Stage announces their 2016-2017 Mainstage Series, marking Producing
Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte’s first season selection and a more progressive direction for the 39year-old theatre company. On offer will be a diverse collection of powerful and award-winning stories
featuring a diverse range of voices, a new American Stage adaptation of a classic work by Stephanie
Gularte, Tampa Bay area premieres, and the 10th and final installment of the popular August Wilson
Century Cycle Series.
FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
“Hold onto your seats: we’re going for a ride! American Stage’s 2016-2017 season is an exciting
exploration of the American experience with powerful stories full of ideas, humor, and heart. At a time
when profound questions are being asked about what America is…and what we will become, this season
we’ll go on a bold journey to investigate a dynamic range of American experiences, asking questions
about the world in which we live.
In our 2016-17 Season we invite you to think, laugh, cry and above all, to learn forward as we adventure
together IN SEARCH OF…AMERICA.”
-Stephanie Gularte, Producing Artistic Director
GOOD PEOPLE by David Lindsay-Abaire
September 07 – October 02, 2016
Moliere’s TARTUFFE a new American Stage adaptation by Stephanie Gularte
October 26 – November 20, 2016
JOE TURNER’S COME & GONE by August Wilson
January 18 – February 19, 2017
*The FINAL installment in our August Wilson Century Cycle Series
INFORMED CONSENT by Deborah Zoe Laufer
March 15 – April 09, 2017
THE INVISIBLE HAND by Ayad Akhtar
May 31 – June 25, 2017
SEX WITH STRANGERS by Laura Eason
July 12 – August 06, 2017
-MORE-
GOOD PEOPLE by David Lindsay-Abaire
September 07 – October 02, 2016
In Search of…THE AMERICAN DREAM
Is it strength of character or just a few lucky breaks that determine our fate?
Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of
bingo, where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills, and where Margie Walsh has just
been let go from yet another job. Facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break, Margie thinks
an old fling who’s made it out of Southie might be her ticket to a fresh new start. But is this
apparently self-made man secure enough to face his humble beginnings? Margie is about to risk
what little she has left to find out. With his signature humorous glow, Lindsay-Abaire explores the
struggles, shifting loyalties and unshakeable hopes that come with having next to nothing in
America.
“Wonderful…this isn’t a manipulative tear-jerker or a simplistic diatribe. GOOD PEOPLE is
poignant, brave and almost subversive in its focus on what it really means to be down on your
luck.” —NY Post
-MORE-
A New American Stage Adaptation of Moliere’s TARTUFFE
adapted by Stephanie Gularte
October 26 – November 20, 2016
In Search of…AN AMERICAN IDOL
How do you recognize an impassioned visionary from a cunning tyrant?
Considered by many to be Moliere’s strongest and funniest work, TARTUFFE gets a fresh update
in this brand new American Stage adaptation. Orgon, a wealthy American businessman entrusts
his reputation and his fortune to up-and-coming political leader, Tartuffe. As the cunning and lusty
imposter insinuates himself deeper into the household and family, the status-quo of Orgon’s world
gets turned thoroughly and hilariously upside-down.
-MORE-
JOE TURNER’S COME & GONE by August Wilson
January 18 – February 19, 2017
The 10th and FINAL Installment in our August Wilson Century Cycle Series
In Search of…A NEW BEGINNING
How do you discover your identity when your heritage has been stolen from you?
August Wilson’s JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE is set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1911.
Owners Seth and Bertha Holly play host to a makeshift family of people who come to stay –
some for days, some longer – during the Great Migration of the 1910s when descendants of
former slaves moved in large numbers from the South toward the industrial cities of the North,
seeking new jobs, new lives and new beginnings. Among those on the move are Herald Loomis
and his young daughter, Zonia. Haunted by the past, they are headed wherever the road takes
them in search of the long gone Martha, Herald’s wife and Zonia’s mother. Herald arrives at the
boarding house unsettled, dark and secretive. Seth Holly is suspicious and wants him out almost as
soon as he arrives, but Bertha and the others see him differently, and by action and example,
they help set him on the way to recovering his lost spirit and finding a new life.
-MORE-
INFORMED CONSENT by Deborah Zoe Laufer
March 15 – April 09, 2017
In Search of…A CURE
Is your DNA your destiny?
With genomic breakthroughs happening at breakneck speed, we can learn more about what our
futures may hold than ever before. But how much should we know? And who gets to decide?
Inspired by a recent court case between a Native American tribe and an Arizona University,
INFORMED CONSENT takes us into the personal and national debate about science v. belief, and
whether our DNA is our destiny.
CRITICS’ PICK!
A thoughtful and engrossing play…that raises questions about the potential conflicts between
scientific discovery and religious beliefs.” -The New York Times
-MORE-
THE INVISIBLE HAND by Ayad Akhtar
May 31 – June 25, 2017
In Search of…a FREE MARKET
What is the cost of American capitalism in the Middle East?
Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar (DISGRACED) once again tackles challenging
themes about the root of Islamic terrorismhis in this political thriller that follows a kidnapped
American investment banker, held for ransom in Pakistan, as he trades for his life. Pulitzer Prizewinning Ayad Akhtar’s suspenseful play is a chilling and complex look at how far we will go to
save ourselves and the devastating ramifications of our individual actions on global power and
politics.
“THE INVISIBLE HAND is a hand-wringing, throat-clenching thriller that rarely lets up over the course
of two hours…your focus is kept on the interplay of ideology and plot development, which is
Akhtar’s wheelhouse.” —New York Magazine
-MORE-
SEX WITH STRANGERS by Laura Eason
July 12 – August 06, 2017
In Search of…A CONNECTION
Has technology brought us closer together or made us virtual strangers?
From HOUSE OF CARDS writer Laura Eason, SEX WITH STRANGERS was one of 2015’s most
produced new plays in the U.S. A raging snowstorm traps strangers Olivia, an unsuccessful yet
gifted 39-year-old writer, and Ethan, a tech-addicted and wildly successful young blogger, in a
secluded cabin. Opposites instantly attract, and undeniable chemistry ignites. As the dawn rises,
however, what could have just been a one-night-stand transforms into something more
complicated when online exploits interfere with their real-life connection.
“Sexually and intellectually provocative … A HELL OF A LOT OF FUN!” —The Hollywood Reporter
-MORE-
Visit www.AmericanStage.org/16-17season for additional Season Announcement Media
SUBSCRIPTION INFO:
6-Play Series
Opening Night - $270 (Save 25%)
Weekend Evenings (Fri & Sat) - $222 (Save 24%)
Weekend Matinees (Sat & Sun) - $192 (Save 18%)
Weeknights (Wed & Thurs) - $186 (Save 21%)
Thursday Preview - $138 (Save 21%)
Freedom Pass - $222 (Save up to 24%)
The Freedom Pass gives YOU the flexibility to see all 6-shows, but on your own terms
to accommodate your busy lifestyle. Book your dates as you go or all at once – regardless you have
the freedom to see all six shows when you want.
5-Play Series
Opening Night - $235 (Save 17%)
Weekend Evenings (Fri & Sat) - $195 (Save 20%)
Weekend Matinees (Sat & Sun) - $170 (Save 13%)
Weeknight (Wed & Thurs) - $165 (Save 15%)
Box Office: (727) 823-PLAY (7529)
Online: www.americanstage.org
Walk-up: 163 3rd Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Group Ticket Pricing Packages are also available.
SERVICE & FACILITIES
Physical Accessibility: The theatre features accessible parking, entrances, restrooms, and
seating.
Benefits of a Valid Disabled Parking Permit: Displaying your valid disabled parking permit will allow
you to park at City metered spaces for FREE, for as long as your event requires, including those
posted with time limit signs (green signs). This does not apply to loading zones or otherwise restricted
parking signage (red signs).
Listening System: Theatregoers may enjoy the free infrared listening system from any seat.
AMERICAN STAGE
Since 1978 American Stage has been dedicated to telling meaningful, compelling stories with
integrity and professionalism. As the Tampa Bay area’s longest-running, most critically-acclaimed
professional theatre company, we seek to bring the power of quality live theatre to each
generation in our community. American Stage invites you to lean forward and experience the
most captivating stories of the moment and the most relevant stories of the past. All told with
passion and a commitment to excellence.
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