-from Artistic Director Peter Hardy

Maya Angelou said “We find our path by walking it,” and that’s part of what’s happened to me with the Essential Theatre over the past seventeen years.  I came to Atlanta mostly wanting to work as a playwright and a director.  In 1999, when we started producing the annual Essential Theatre Festival, I decided that each Festival would feature at least one production of a new play by a Georgia writer. Frankly, this was something of a calculated choice — I figured that doing locally-written plays would make us stand out and be a good way for us to get support. 

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On Monday, Acappella The Musical (book by Vynnie Meli) was awarded the NYMF/Stage Rights Publishing Award as well as Outstanding Musical Direction, Outstanding Orchestrations/Arrangements, Outstanding Ensemble Performance.

Congratulations Vynnie!

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November 13-16, the Gainesville Theatre Alliance presents the next play in their Discovery Series, The Nightingale Rose by Patricia Henritze. Most recently seen under a different title in Atlanta as part of the Brave New Works series, Henritze’s play explores the inner life of Florence Nightingale. Check out this interview we had with her back in 2014.

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click here to view the complete report: Fall 2014 power2give update – one year later

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CONGRATULATIONS
to all the 2015 Suzi Bass Award winners. We’re especially proud of the following folks, whose work you’ve also seen on our stage throughout the years:

Philip DePoy (Outstanding Production – Play, Edward Foote, the Alliance Theatre)

Tiffany Porter (Outstanding Featured Actress, The Whale, Actor’s Express)

Robin Bloodworth, Bobby Labartino
(Outstanding Ensemble Cast – Play, Clybourne Park, Aurora Theatre)

Brad Raymond (Outstanding Ensemble Cast – Musical, Chasin’ Dem Blues, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company)

Topher Payne (Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award, 

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Atlanta playwright Topher Payne made his New York debut earlier this month with “Perfect Arrangement,” what the New York Times calls a “frothy but ultimately dark comedy” about two State Department employees hiding their same sex relationships during the Pink Scare of the 1950s…Click here to read the full article.

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They’re back! Some shows just can’t stay dead! Your favorite band of specters has returned and is ready to celebrate Halloween with a cavalcade of creepy stories, frightful songs, and devilish dances from around the world and beyond this mortal plane. Featuring new stories and old favorites, this ghostly jamboree is dreadfully fun for the living AND the dead. Winner of the 2013 Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical. Featuring all your favorite Dreadfuls including Essential’s own Spencer Stephens as Darkly Dreadful!

Closing Night Party: Sat, Oct. 31 @ 7pm
with games and costume contest with prizes!

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The Thrush & the Woodpecker and Blackberry Winter at Actor’s Express
October 31 – November 22

Actor’s Express presents two National New Play Network Rolling World Premieres by Steve Yockey in rotating repertory. Danger and vicious humor collide in the shocking revenge thriller The Thrush & the Woodpecker starring Kathleen Wattis and love endures as a woman cares for her Alzheimer’s diagnosed mother in the poignant Blackberry Winter starring Carolyn Cook and co-produced with Out of Hand Theater.

Save $10 when you buy tickets for both plays!

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NEXT BARE ESSENTIALS READING:
THE CISCO KID WAS MY MOTHER’S BOYFRIEND BY BILL GIBSON
NOVEMBER 30, 7:30PM
WEST END PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
945 RALPH DAVID ABERNATHY BLVD, ATLANTA, GA
DIRECTED BY JULIE SKRZYPEK
FEATURING THE READING TALENTS OF HOLLY STEVENSON, TRUMAN GRIFFIN, ROBIN BLOODWORTH, REBEKAH SUELLAU, BRANDON PARTRICK, RIAL ELLSWORTH, NICOLE SMITH

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ATLANTA October 1, 2015 — Essential Theatre has been selected for the 2015 Best of Atlanta Award in the Performing Arts category by the Atlanta Award Program.

Each year, the Atlanta Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Atlanta area a great place to live, work and play….Click here to read full article.

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