***Press Release***
MEDIA CONTACT:
Julie Haralson ([email protected])
713.724.2846
STRATFORD PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES FALL MUSICAL
"Avenue Q School Edition"…part flesh, part felt and packed with heart!
HOUSTON (September 19, 2016) - The award-winning Stratford Playhouse opens their 2016-17 Season with the side
splitting hit musical comedy, "Avenue Q School Edition". This Broadway hit, with equal parts puppetry, comedy and a
great musical score, has been adapted for the school stage from the original production, which won the Tony "Triple
Crown" for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. "Avenue Q School Edition" is a laugh-out loud musical that tells the
timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way
out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that although the residents seem nice, it is clear that this is not your ordinary
neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive
purpose in life.
Directed by Marcie Baker and Christian Holmes, the show features music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx,
with book by Jeff Whitty, based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. "Avenue Q School Edition"
features a 15-member cast, that includes three human characters and 12 puppets who interact, much like on Sesame
Street, as if human. Student actors operate the puppets in full view, using both their hands while singing, acting and
dancing at the same time.
"In musical theatre jargon the term 'triple threat' is often used to describe a person who is good at acting, singing and
dancing. What makes the musical 'Avenue Q' stand out is that it includes all that - plus puppetry skills, which requires
intensive training for our student actors," said Baker. Recently, the Stratford Theatre Department conducted a twoday puppet training workshop in preparation for their upcoming production. Director's Baker and Holmes rented the
cast of puppets from Dallas Puppet Theater and hired their director, Pix Smith, to train the cast. "We knew we had to
bring in a puppet expert to help our actors learn how to bring the puppet cast to life," said Holmes. To begin the
workshop the actors were taught how to work with their specific puppet type. Princeton, a single-rod puppet, allows
Alex Parizot, a junior at Stratford, to manipulate one of its arms for gestures. Trekki Monster, a second puppet type, is
a live-hand puppet, and is worked by two people, the speaking puppeteer is Ethan Robinson, a sophomore at
Stratford. He controls the puppet’s left hand and head, while the second person, Amanda Williams, a junior at
Stratford, operates the right hand. The third puppet type is a double-rod puppet such as the Bad Idea Bears, which
requires the puppeteer to control the head and mouth with one hand while moving both arms with their other hand.
Regardless of puppet type, the theatre students learned there is a lot to think about when operating a puppet. During
day one of the workshop, Pix Smith used eyeball puppets strapped to the actor’s hand to teach them "eye-gaze"
techniques, basically learning where to point the puppet. Smith also demonstrated how to conduct proper handling
of the puppets as well as coordinated speech and mouth movements. Throughout the workshop Smith taught the
cast other special techniques like puppet "gravity" and walking, puppet acting and reacting, specific gestures,
interacting with props, synchronized head movement between actor and puppet, arm rod manipulation and so much
more.
What Cammie Aven, a sophomore at Stratford, remembers most is Smith's recommendation, " to rest your arms in
between puppetry practices so you don't develop muscle cramps," said Aven. "I never knew how heavy a puppet
could be. Lucy must weigh at least five pounds!"
"The actors have worked really hard to make puppetry seem effortless," said Kate Schagemen, "Avenue Q" Student
Director. "It is awesome knowing that their hard work has really paid off. I can’t wait for everyone to see this
amazing show. You really will laugh out loud!"
Tickets for "Avenue Q School Edition" are $16 in advance. Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m., October 20-22,
and October 27-29 with a matinee on October 29 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available online or can be purchased at the
Box Office at Stratford High School. For more information or to buy tickets visit www.shsplayhouse.org or call 713251-3449. “Avenue Q School Edition” is presented through special arrangements with Musical Theatre International
(MTI). *Parental guidance suggested for children under 13.
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About the Stratford Playhouse
The Stratford Playhouse is an award-winning theater program at Stratford High School that has been performing for
sellout crowds in the Memorial community for 33 years. Led by director CeCe Prudhomme, the student cast and crew
has had tremendous success delivering outstanding musical performance and technical expertise on nearly 90
productions during Prudhomme's 24 year career at Stratford High School. In 2016, the Stratford Playhouse students
garnered seven Tommy Tune Awards out of 15 categories for their performance of "Anything Goes", including Best
Musical, Best Leading Actress, Best Direction, Best Ensemble/Chorus, Best Stage Crew/Technical Execution, Best
Costume Design and Best Featured Performer. The 2016-2017 Stratford Playhouse Season opens with "Avenue Q
School Edition" followed by "Me and My Girl" and "Brighton Beach Memoirs". Visit shsplayhouse.org to learn more.
About the Tommy Tune Awards
Developed by Theatre Under The Stars in 2003, the Tommy Tune Awards honor musical theatre excellence at the high
school level.
Avenue Q Photos with Captions Below: Photos Courtesy of Hallie Keller Photography
Publicity Photo: Stratford Playhouse Presents the Cast and Characters of Avenue Q School Edition:
Front Row (L to R): Jalan Beck (as Gary Coleman), Cammie Aven (Lucy)
Second Row (L to R): Amanda Williams (Moving Box), Alex Parizot (Princeton), Marie Lauderdale (Kate
Monster), Nicholas Perdomo (as Brian)
Third Row (L to R): Jasmine Choi (as Christmas Eve), Abby Haralson (Girl Bad Idea Bear), Taylor Thorton
(Mrs. Butz), Mandy Hutchings (Moving Box)
Back Row (L to R): Hagen Bach (Boy Bad Idea Bear), Ezra Meyer (Rod), Colter Ivy (Nicky), Ethan Robinson
(Trekkie Monster), Brayden Yim (Newcomer)
Photos from Puppet Training Workshop held September 10 & 11, 2016 at Stratford High School:
Puppet Training Photo 1: In preparation for the "Avenue Q" production, students work on "eye gaze" technique
during puppet training taught by puppet expert, Pix Smith, of Dallas Puppet Theater .
L to R: Ezra Meyers, Amanda Williams
Puppet Training Photo 2: In preparation for the "Avenue Q" production, students work on "eye gaze" technique
during puppet training taught by puppet expert, Pix Smith, of Dallas Puppet Theater .
L to R: Cammie Aven, Marie Lauderdale, Ethan Robinson
Puppet Training Photo 3: Cast's reaction to working with their puppets for the first time during puppet
training held September 10 and 11 at Stratford High School.
L to R: Taylor Thorton (Mrs. Butz), Colter Ivy (Nicky), Cammie Aven (Lucy), Hagen Bach (Boy Bad Idea
Bear)
Puppet Training Photo 4: Alex Parizot gets his hands on his puppet Princeton for the first time during the puppet
training workshop led by Pix Smith of Dallas Puppet Theatre.
Front: Alex Parizot (Princeton)
Background: Abby Haralson (Girl Bad Idea Bear)
Puppet Training Photo 5: In preparation for the "Avenue Q" production, students work on a "reaction and
motion" exercise during puppet training taught by puppet expert, Pix Smith, of Dallas Puppet Theatre during the
September 10 & 11 workshop at Stratford High School.
L to R: Marie Lauderdale (Kate Monster), Cammie Aven (Lucy)