FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2004

ROUGH MAGIC and THE ANGELS to present SUMMERSTOCK

(Lincoln, Nebraska)-The Angels Theatre Company, a Lincoln-based performing arts organization, is teaming up with independent theatre company Rough Magic Productions to present SUMMERSTOCK, "A Night of Short Plays, Music and Visual Art." Performances will be at The Loft at the Mill, 800 P Street, Suite 301 in Lincoln; June 16 through 20 and 23 through 26 at 8:00 PM with a pre-show beginning at 7:30 PM.

The three short plays are LEFT TO RIGHT by Steven Dietz, directed by Judith K. Hart, DUET FOR BEAR AND DOG by Sybil Rosen, directed by Gregory Peters, and THE LAST TIME I SAW TIMMY BOGGS by Catherine Butterfield, directed by Tammy Meneghini. Some of the visual artists who will display work that will also be for sale are Susan Brasch, Amador Garres, Meghan Stratman, Marcus Tegtmeier, and students from the Lincoln Public Schools Arts and Humanities Focus Program. Modern Arts Midwest, the Larry Roots gallery that shares the Loft's third floor, will be open on Friday, June 18.

Hart said that, "The three short plays revolve around the theme of contemporary communication, or lack thereof." According to Peters, "DUET FOR BEAR AND DOG is a crackling postmodern farce about nature, civilization and eating. A dog may tree a bear, but has the dog trapped the bear or have humans trapped the dog?" Meneghini describes her production as "the third part of playwright Catherine Butterfield's 1991 trilogy of interlocking plays, LIFE IN THE TREES. In the play, ten New Yorkers' lives are subtly intertwined through three stories. Each examines loneliness, relationships and success through intelligent and thoughtful views on surviving life while dealing with all of its disappointments and insecurities. In this third piece, Butterfield pulls together her overriding theme of the entire play that mental freedom liberates ones creative soul and is that which truly allows us to connect with another human being."

Rough Magic and The Angels have assembled a company of about twenty-five Angels members, and interns who are University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Theatre Arts students.

Company members include Betsy Bobenhouse, Jack Carpenter, Will Heafer and Lettie VanHemert in THE LAST TIME I SAW TIMMY BOGGS; Dani Bradstreet, Kate Burger, Ryan Lueders, Kim Moore, and Jordan Warren in DUET FOR BEAR AND DOG; and Mandi Harner, Gregory Peters, Emily Swedberg, and Frank Ward in LEFT TO RIGHT. Erin Dineen will perform original monologues written by Toberlin Burger who is the Production Assistant. Matt Bross is the Sound Designer, Margaret Minary acts as stage manager for DUET FOR BEAR AND DOG, and Mark Romano is Production Stage Manager. Bridgit Peters is Costume Coordinator, and Dan Stratman is the Lighting Designer.

Peters, who is Executive Director of Rough Magic and an Angels Company member, said that "this production is a blessing as it plays to both our strengths as companies and draws artists together that might not otherwise have the opportunity to work on the same show. Collaboration is a necessity in theatre as it is always a cooperative effort, and the more we develop the ability to be flexible and make these sorts of connections, the better we become as theatre artists. Peters calls a collaboration of this sort "a rare opportunity to share our work."

Tickets are available at the door or may be reserved by calling 474-2206. Tickets are $15 regular and $7 students and senior citizens.

Company members have varied performing and creative experience to bring to the production. Selected background information includes:

Betsy Bobenhouse is the flute instructor at Concordia University. She maintains a private studio in Lincoln and frequently performs with Rusty Banks as Duo Primo. Bobenhouse has sung with the Abendmusik Chorus and is the former director of the Lincoln City Ballet.

Kate Burger says she "likes walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and passion." Her passion has led her through high school theater experiences, a couple of college theater classes, teaching high school business and roles in the recent VAGINA MONOLOGUES and THAT TAKES OVARIES.

Writing is Toberlin Burger's passion. Although Burger earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he says it's creative writing he truly loves. SUMMERSTOCK is Burger's first venture into writing for the theatre.

Erin Dineen is a 21-year-old from Cordova, Nebraska who has a passion for theatre, weather, and politics and hopes to add a Political Science major to her Theatre Performance major.

Tammy Meneghini is an active member of the Angels Theatre Company and an Actors' Equity Association actress. She has been a part of the Angels' BEHIND THEIR EYES, and THE AFGHAN WOMEN. Meneghini is currently performing in the Nebraska Repertory Theatre's production of LEND ME A TENOR and will be heading to Chicago later this summer to direct and act at the Chicago Dramatist Workshop.

Gregory Peters has directed FOOL FOR LOVE, SICK: A LOVE STORY, BEARSKIN, LOBSTER ALICE, and TAPE for Rough Magic, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, TI JEAN BLUES, and ALICE IN WONDERLAND at UNL, and AS YOU LIKE IT and MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL for other companies.

Frank Ward will begin his junior year by studying abroad in London. Frank credits his role as a nine-foot Ghost of Christmas Future as his "most exciting and fun character."