Gorey Stories
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
The Jobsite Theater completes its fourth season of innovative programming with its annual Original Works festival, The Acropolis Project: Balance.
The Acropolis Project, is a post-apocalyptic adventure into the last days of a civilization much like ours. Following a format similar to Original Works 2000: The Ruins, the script was written by a team chosen by the director. Playwrights Neil Gobioff, Chris Holcom and Shawn Paonessa have taken the mythology, conceived by director Ami Sallee Corley and her husband Dickie, and created a tale that is both a poignant commentary on civilization and the Wests answer to the kung-fu saga.
Jobsites Original Works projects are devoted to bringing new ideas to the stage that might not be produced elsewhere. The Acropolis Project is not just an exploration of a new script; Corley has taken this opportunity to put some performance theories to practice also.
"I have always, as an actor, been drawn to the physical," says Corley, a USF graduate in Theatre Performance. "I wanted to create a working atmosphere in which all performers involved were required to have an advanced body awareness, without making it a performance art piece. Then it hit me, why not make it filled with combat choreography instead of dance choreography?"
Being one of the only two women to join the board of directors of the formerly dubbed Boys Club, Corley had no problem convincing other Jobsite members to jump on board this high energy, stage combat-filled, Jerzy Grotowski-influenced escapade.
Board member Jason Evans was one of the first to sign up as Combat Choreographer. Brian Smallheer said he would only design if he got a chance to fight, which has been written into the script. Katrina Stevenson, Jobsites other femme fatale, has taken charge of the costume design with a vengeance. Kevin Spooner, who has helped Jobsite both in front of and behind the curtain has taken control of the sound design.
The Acropolis Project promises to be suspenseful, funny and non-stop in action, so dont miss this latest installment of the Original Works series.