Susan Arnold

So here we are with a loud reminder of our mortal limits - not to mention the 'acceptable' limits of a public joke and a brazen sexual encounter - as Ms. Feiffer regards our presumed taboos with a shrewd riposte. I'm reminded of H.G. Wells' famous denouncement of the 'irreverent laugh,' man's presumed default from the paucity of insight into the natural order of things. Yet, in the playwright's judgment, irreverence is a natural byproduct of bottled outrage. There's no place in a sane world to land a good joke about terminal cancer - but now and then, wisdom takes the form of a middle finger, and with that comes a wink of personal advantage. Halley Feiffer attempts to reveal the unpredictable guffaw on the other side of grief; you have to face the uglies head-on, is all.

The Island of The Proud Circle floats merrily along on the open sea. It’s the microcosm of organic affluence, an idyllic home to settlers who live their simple lives “from the middle to the outside.” Babies are born in the center and grow old to retire on the waterline, where the sea awaits their first and final dive. 

The CW's Shares ONE MAGNIFICENT MORNING Listings For 3/3

If the theater community had its own royal family and nobility, then it would make perfect sense that young Sevon Askew, recently awarded a Spotlight Award as best male soloist for his performance in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, would be a crown prince. The son of Susan Arnold Walsworth, who has appeared on numerous stages in the midstate, he's the nephew of David Arnold (perhaps best known for his portrayal of Shrek in the musical about the gentle green ogre - a role Sevon has played, as well) and Cat Arnold (who's currently onstage in ACT 1's Noises Off). Talent, it would seem, runs through certain families.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Shows are opening, shows are closing and the newly reimagined national tour of The Phantom of the Opera continues its run at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center this weekend. Theater in Tennessee continues its fast-paced run through 2016 with a number of new openings this week, thanks to Bongo After Hours Theatre, Nashville Rep, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Circle Players and more - and Cumberland County Playhouse, Arts Center of Cannon County, Street Theatre Company, Lakewood Theatre Company and ACT 1 continue runs of their latest shows - to give you even more opportunities to celebrate the magic of live theater in the Volunteer State! And on Monday night, The Chicago Talking Machine Company premieres its first Nashville show at the Centennial Black Box Theatre.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the notebooks, datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

If this is Friday, then there's got to be a new production opening tonight, right? And sure enough, down in Woodbury - home of the Arts Center of Cannon County - 2015 First Night Honoree Darryl Deason unveils his latest directorial assignment with Memphis, The Musical, starring Melinda Paul (most recently seen onstage in Circle Players' Sister Act) and Michael Adcock (who has performed on stages throughout Middle Tennessee) and an ensemble filled with many local stage veterans (including Quantavius Rankins, who closed Dreamgirls at Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts less than a fortnight ago) and newcomers.

2015 First Night Honoree Darryl Deason directs Memphis: The Musical, the next offering at Woodbury's Arts Center of Cannon County, starring Melinda Paul and Michael Adcock as Felicia Farrell and Huey Calhoun. Memphis: The Musical runs March 11-26, featuring choreography by Regina Wilkerson Ward, with music direction by Robert Hiers.

Winter's apparently over - it's in the mid-70s, balmy and windy, as we write this - and even before Spring pops up all over, there's an amazing amount of good theater to be found in the Nashville area. In fact, there's so much to choose from that you have absolutely no excuse staying alone in your room. Instead, in the wise and wonderful words of Sally Bowles, life is a cabaret and you're far more likely to find that out in the darkened confines of a theater, where magic and mayhem is bound to happen.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

2015 First Night Honoree Darryl Deason directs Memphis: The Musical, the next offering at Woodbury's Arts Center of Cannon County, starring Melinda Paul and Michael Adcock as Felicia Farrell and Huey Calhoun. Memphis: The Musical runs March 11-26, featuring choreography by Regina Wilkerson Ward, with music direction by Robert Hiers.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Beowulf Alley Theatre announces the opening play of their 2011-2012 season, Rough Crossing, by Tom Stoppard with select music by Andre Previn and directed by Dave Sewell. It's the late 1920s and the famous playwrighting team of Turai and Gal are onboard the cruise liner Italian Castle bound for New York.

Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue in Downtown Tucson, presents a collection of activities for the 2011-2012 Fall Season of Performances. Offering various programs and activities suitable for a wide range of ages, Beowulf Alley Theatre is committed to reaching out to our community and encouraging participation as audience, performer and volunteer support. For more information about our programs, please explore our website at www.beowulfalley.org or call (520) 882-0555.

Beowulf Alley Theatre, at 11 South 6th Avenue, 85701, will hold its 2011-2012 general auditions on Saturday, April 16, at the Theatre. Auditions will be held for our Main Stage productions as well as our other programs.

Beowulf Alley Theatre, at 11 South 6th Avenue, 85701, will hold its 2011-2012 general auditions on Saturday, April 16, at the Theatre. Auditions will be held for our Main Stage productions as well as our other programs.