Theater

Casting Call: Darien Arts Center Wants 6th, 7th, 8th Graders for Short Version of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ at Stamford’s Palace Theatre

‘Elf, the Musical’ Holiday Show Playing at Curtain Call in Stamford Through Dec 15

Theatre 308’s ‘Our Town’ Thursday Performance Postponed to 2 PM Saturday

Theatre 308: Our Upcoming Production of ‘Our Town’ Will Be ‘Entirely Different’ From Your Expectations

Darien Seniors Invited to Dress Rehearsal of Theatre 308’s ‘Our Town’ Nov 14

Staged Reading of Madeleine L’Engle’s ’24 Days Before Christmas’ on Nov 3 at DAC

Paula Abdul Coming Nov 30 to Norwalk’s Wall Street Theater — and Here’s Its Fall Lineup

Workshop Series for Teens Who Want to Sharpen Theater Auditioning Skills

Kids of Ages 8 to 15 Invited to Audition for ‘Broadway Beat’ Variety Show

Darien Arts Center’s New Middle School Theater Program Now Accepting Students

New Playwriting Workshop Offered by Darien Arts Center: Starts Sept 20

Summer Season of 50 Shows Starts at Westport’s Levitt Pavilion This Week

DAC Announces New Theatre Program Director; She’ll Help Teach Upcoming Audition Workshops

Theater 308 Rocks Awards Season

Auditions

By DARIENITE.COM | January 13, 2019

Holidays

By DARIENITE.COM | November 20, 2018

Holidays

By DARIENITE.COM | November 18, 2018

Education

By DARIENITE.COM | November 16, 2018

Teens

By DARIENITE.COM | November 6, 2018

Seniors

By DARIENITE.COM | October 29, 2018

Darien Arts Center

By DARIENITE.COM | October 21, 2018

Arts & Entertainment

By DARIENITE.COM | September 19, 2018

Classes

By DARIENITE.COM | September 7, 2018

Darien Arts Center

By DARIENITE.COM | August 28, 2018

Classes

By David Gurliacci | August 27, 2018

Classes

By DARIENITE.COM | August 25, 2018

Arts & Entertainment

By David Gurliacci | June 24, 2018

Darien Arts Center

By DARIENITE.COM | June 19, 2018

Education

By MARC MARIN | June 5, 2018

Drama in and around Darien

Casting call for 6th, 7th and 8th graders: the Darien Art Center’s Theatre Department is producing a 35-minute version of A Wrinkle in Time, adapted by Morgan Gould from the novel by Madeleine L’Engle. — an announcement from Darien Arts Center

This one-act production will be ensemble-driven, and casting will be audition-based. 6th through 8th graders may audition by emailing DAC Theatre Director, Maria Pizzarello at maria@darienarts.org by Feb. 4. To prepare for an audition, read the full script for free on YourStagePartners.com.

A Charlie Brown Christmas Palace Theatre 2018 Facebook dimensions

A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Emmy and Peabody award-winning story by Charles M. Schulz, has warmed the hearts of millions of fans since it first aired on television over 50 years ago. Now the classic animated television special comes to life in this faithful stage adaptation featuring all of your favorite characters and classic Vince Guaraldi score. — an announcement from the Palace Theatre

Join, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the Peanuts gang as they mount a play, save a tree and uncover the true meaning of Christmas. The performance takes place at 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24.

Elf the Musical Kweskin Theatre Curtain Call

In Elf, The Musical, a fish-out-of-water comedy based on the cherished 2003 holiday movie, we follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to find his true identity. Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. — an announcement from Curtain Call Theater

With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh realities that his father is on the naughty list and his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Due to the weather and the school district decision to cancel after-school and evening activities, the Thursday evening Theatre 308 performance of Our Town has been rescheduled for this Saturday, Nov.17 at 2 p.m.

Tickets purchased for Thursday will be honored for the 2 p.m. Saturday show. Separately, the play is being performed Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.

— an announcement from Darien High School

There are a limited number of additional seats available for this performance. They can be purchased on SeatYourself.com/theatre308. As a reminder, please note that late seating is not possible due to the onstage seating arrangement for this production. About Theatre 308’s Show
Republished (with new photos and updates on show times) from Darienite on Nov. 6:

Darien High School Theatre 308 would like to invite you to their production of Our Town by Thornton Wilder.

Darien High School Theatre 308 would like to invite you to their production of Our Town by Thornton Wilder on Nov. 15 to 17. Andrew Rejan directs the show, and here is what he notes:
“Sometimes regarded as the quintessential high school play, Our Town is often staged as a bland, nostalgic museum piece, obscuring the essence of one of the most experimental, radical, and provocative works in the American theatrical canon,” said Andrew Rejan, director of the show. “While the absence of a traditional set initially may make the play appear simple, Thornton Wilder’s masterpiece — still shocking 80 years after it premiered — is layered, complex, disturbing, and sometimes beautiful,” Rejan said. — an announcement from Theatre 308
The show is entirely different from any traditional view of Our Town you may have, and you do not want to miss it.

Darien High School’s Theater 308 has kindly invited Darien seniors to attend the dress rehearsal of Our Town at Darien High School On Wednesday, Nov. 14. Seniors can enjoy the show free of charge without the crowds expected at performances over the weekend. Free transportation to and from the Darien High School is also available through At Home in Darien. (Reservations are required.)

— an announcement from At Home in Darien

Using volunteer drivers in conjunction with their professional drivers, At Home In Darien has arranged for transportation at about 6:30 p.m. Seniors can be picked up at their homes and will be returned home safely after the show.

24 Days Before Christmas square thumbnail DAC 2018

The Darien Arts Center is presenting a staged reading of Madeleine L’Engle’s The 24 Days Before Christmas on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m.

Refreshments and a holiday craft for ages 5 and older will be available at 4:30 p.m. and a talkback takes place after the performance at 6:15 p.m. with Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter, Charlotte Jones Voiklis. — an announcement from the DAC

The play was adapted for the stage by internationally produced playwright Jason Pizzarello and is directed by Carole Claps, director at Curtain Call. In The 24 Days Before Christmas, the Austin family has a cherished tradition of doing something special every day counting down to Christmas — from baking cookies to decorating the tree. This year is a stressful one for Vicky Austin as she’s cast as the youngest angel in the Christmas Pageant.

Paula Abdul takes the stage Nov. 30 at the the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk, and Blue Oyster Cult will play there on Halloween night. Those are the most prominent entertainers in this fall’s lineup of acts at the venue, an old theater that was refurbished and reopened a year ago.

Here’s an excerpt of the announcement from the Wall Street Theater:

Having made her mark on the industry as a 90’s pop icon with her signature dance moves and #1 hit songs including “Straight Up” from her multi-platinum record Forever Your Girl, Abdul continued a career path that would garner her two Emmy Awards, a Grammy, and an American Music Award. In addition to her singer, songwriter, dancer, and choreographer hats, Abdul would go onto to entertain a whole new generation producing and staring in such ground breaking reality talent shows such as American Idol, Live to Dance, X·Factor, and So You Think You Can Dance. In 2017, Abdul made her momentous return to touring with Live Nation’s The Total Package Tour where she hit over 40 cities in the US alongside Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block.

DAC Weatherstone Studio entrance daytime Thumbnail square

The Audition Workout, an intensive workshop for high school students at the Darien Arts Center, promises to hone auditioning skills and give participants the tools to make every audition a positive experience. _____________

— an announcement from Darien Arts Center

_____________

The DAC’s theatre department has invited local industry professionals Claire Kelly, Carole Claps, Jenifer Menedis, and Dwayne Condon to share their expertise in this workshop series. The series consists of three sessions, taking place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 26, Oct. 1 and Oct.

The Darien Arts Center is teaming up with the Open Arts Alliance to provide a unique performance opportunity for ages 8 to 15. Broadway Beat, directed by Rocco Natale, executive director of the Open Arts Alliance, is a 30-minute variety show that will give every performer their moment to shine. — an announcement from Darien Arts Center

The musical revue is a tribute to the Broadway musical and features songs from Hairspray, Grease, the King and I, Wicked, Rent, The Music Man and more. Auditions for Broadway Beat take place on Sept. 5 at the Darien Arts Center and should be scheduled by emailing Maria Pizzarello, DAC theatre director, at Maria@darienarts.org by Sept.

Maria Pizzarello wide picture Darien Arts Center

Middle school students, ages 11 to 14, can register now for a new student-driven performance opportunity at the Darien Arts Center. In Middle School Theatre Makers, young artists will collaborate to develop a script, design costumes and props and perform their very own play. The class takes place on Tuesdays from 4 to 5:15 p.m., Sept. 11 through Nov. 13.

Adult students will be inspired to shape their ideas and start, rewrite or complete their scripts with internationally produced playwright Jason Pizzarello, in the new Playwriting Workshop at the Darien Arts Center. The workshop, available to those 18 and older, takes place on Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 20 through Nov. 1. — an announcement from Darien Arts Center

Over the six-session workshop, students will conquer the blank page together by focusing on core story building blocks: character, conflict, structure, dialog, dramatic action, and theatricality.

The Levitt Pavilion in Westport boasts 50 shows this summer during weekends and weeknights including some big-name acts, kid-friendly Wednesday shows — and it’s all for free. You just have to fight traffic to get there from Darien. The Levitt features music, dance, comedy, theater and sometimes films in an outdoor setting through Aug. 25 this year, when Melissa Etheridge performs at the Levitt for a fundraising concert. The start of the season begins Sunday night, June 24 with a Neil Diamond tribute act that has already sold out.

Maria Pizzarello Theatre Program director at DAC

The Darien Arts Center is happy to welcome Maria Pizzarello of Stamford as its new Theatre Program director. She will oversee theatre programs for both adults and children at the DAC and is part of the team leading a series of three Audition Workshops for those 15 years and older on June 26, 27 and 28. Pizzarello has been a New York City public school teaching artist since 2005. In the past she has worked with the Theatre Development Fund, LeAP!, Onstage, Periwinkle Theater for Youth, and Theatre For A New Audience. — an announcement from Darien Arts Center

Her students have performed and adapted the work of Shakespeare, written their own plays, devised ensemble performance pieces, sang and danced in musical productions, and performed their peers’ work on a Broadway stage.

« August 2022 »

Theatre 308, Darien High School’s acting and performance arts club, took top honors recently at two state-wide awards programs.

Halo Awards
For the second year in a row, both of Theatre 308’s mainstage productions have received nominations for the The Halo Awards, an award ceremony that honors high school student achievements in dramatic and musical theater from over 60 high schools throughout Connecticut. Freshman Jackson Wood took home “Best Featured Dancer” for his performance in the spring musical Footloose. Senior Lexi Staubi, who starred as Ariel in Footloose, was awarded a performing arts scholarship as she prepares to go the University of Southern California this fall for acting. Junior Mackenzie Lauture, a dance captain for the show, also won a dance scholarship to take classes this summer at the Molinari Dance Studio in New York City. Stephen Sondheim Awards
In addition to the Halo Awards, this year’s musical main stage was entered in the first ever Stephen Sondheim Awards, the gateway production into the National High School Musical Theater Awards show, also known as the Jimmy Awards.