PERISHABLE THEATRE ANNOUNCES ITS 2009-2010 SEASON 

Perishable Theatre explodes with music with an all-musical season! 
 

Perishable Theatre Executive Artistic Director Vanessa Gilbert and the Board of Trustees announce Perishable Theatre’s 2009- 2010 season, chock-full of unique musicals and performances with music.  After reading a New York Times article on the declining audiences for straight-forward plays, Vanessa Gilbert envisioned a purely “Perishable” musical season,  showcasing solo and burlesque performances, a play with music and capping the season off with the award-winning rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  The season will also feature the return of successful Perishable series Live Bait: True Stories from Real People (2009 Motif Magazine award-winner for “Best Audience Participation Show”,) late-night puppet salon Blood from a Turnip, and the acoustic interactive concert series Live/Whirled as well as periodic work-in-progress showings from the Resident Artists at Perishable Theatre program.  

“As a research and development theatre, Perishable is well poised to undertake this exciting experiment of featuring modern day musicals in our 2009-2010 season.”  says Executive Artistic Director Vanessa Gilbert.  “At this time of uncertainty, we wanted to create a forum for laughter and reflection, and music is the most efficient medium to create that space.”  Not every show in the season is exactly a musical in the traditional sense of the word, but all performances will feature music heavily.  

The season starts off with visiting artist Stevie Jay performing his one man show; life * love * sex * death…and other works in progress from September 16-20, 2009.  Exploding with hysterical monologues, soulful skits, embarrassing observations, and intermittent go-go dancing, Stevie Jay paints a picture of real life on Earth with personal, uncensored stories about relationships, sex, working out at the gym, working out sexual relationships at the gym, and "the endless struggle to remain spiritually-oriented and irresistibly-gorgeous at all times." 

Perishable embraces the Halloween spirit with Anna Bella Eema, a ghost story for three voices by Obie-Award winner Lisa D’Amour (The Cataract).  When their trailer park is slated for demolition because of interstate highway expansion, Irene refuses to leave. In this moment of crisis, her ten-year-old daughter Anna Bella creates a new girl out of the mud behind their trailer home. This mud-girl helps Anna Bella and Irene channel the supernatural and face the life they must live in the world outside their trailer home. A richly imagined tale of a fierce mother/daughter bond, spoken and sung by three women.  Performances run from October 16-November 7, 2009. 

In response to overwhelming demand, Perishable will open 3 performances of its popular holiday burlesque revue Jingle Belles and a Few Balls to the general public this holiday season.    The theme of this year’s show is out of this universe as myriad local artists team up to bring you Jingle Belles and a Few Balls: A Space Odyssey from December 11-13, 2009. 
 

The final show of the season is the RI premiere of Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask, playing April 16-May 9, 2009.  Audiences everywhere are familiar with Hedwig, born a boy named Hansel in East Berlin, who fell in love with an American G.I. and underwent a sex-change operation in order to marry him and flee to the West. Unfortunately, nothing worked out quite as it was supposed to – and now Hedwig is stopping in Providence, RI on a tour with her band, The Angry Inch, following her erstwhile lover Tommy Gnosis as he plays a local arena.  This story of failed and redeemed love was made into a feature film by Killer Films. 

Ticket prices are staying at 2006 prices of $20 for general admission, $15 for students/seniors/military and discounts for groups.  For group inquiries please contact Marketing Director Donna Lee Gennaro at 401-331-2695 x103.   All other tickets available through ArtTix at www.arttixri.com or 401-621-6123.  Tickets to Perishable’s Late Night Series are available at the door or by calling 401-331-2695 x101. 

Perishable Theatre’s 2009-2010 Season at a glance is: 

September 16-20, 2009

life..love..sex..death & other works in progress

Written and performed by Stevie Jay (Charlottesville, VA) 

October 16-November 7, 2009

Anna Bella Eema: a ghost story for three voices

by Lisa D’Amour (playwright of The Cataract produced by Perishable in 2005)

directed by Kym Moore 

December 11-13, 2009

Jingle Belles and a Few Balls: A Space Odyssey

a holiday burlesque review to support Perishable Theatre Arts School 

April 16-May 9, 2010

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask

directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian 
 

for Recurring Series dates check www.perishable.org 

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