Thursday, July 7, 2016 —
Doors: 6:30 p.m., Show: 7 p.m. —
The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress
$8 Adults, $6 Students —
Have you always played a sport? As a kid, did you play in a fort? Do you often play music notes? Maybe your thing is racing boats. Would you play up on a stage? Could you, would you at a rage? Whatever your favorite kind of play: with words, with gear, with friends real or imaginary, come join us as we share 6 true stories about the ways people play.
Storytellers:
Cate Bradley
Anne Dalton
Maryann Green
Kim Elliott
Sean Elliot
Gretchen Wirges
Cate Bradley identified as a Landscape Architect with the National Park Service for 17 years, then she retired. Now she is waiting for her next identity to emerge. In the mean time she reads – especially spiritual writings about going beyond the ego – walks, hikes and rides her bike. She takes and teaches yoga; avoids keeping up with house projects but feels a bit guilty about that; and dreams of taking a long road trip to see people and places that inspire. Being Irish she has a cautious respect for storytelling knowing that fact and fiction are mostly a matter of perspective.
Anne Dalton moved from North Carolina eight years ago and is a freelance photojournalist currently producing documentaries. Best known for her production of the film, “The Price of Silence,” about domestic minor sex trafficking in the Southwest in 2011 and has done videos on local events and for businesses since then. An active member of Independent Film Arizona, She co-chairs the Documentary Work Group with Evan Grae Davis which helps current and aspiring documentarians realize their vision for their stories. This group partners with City High School to offer workshops on film-making to the community and students. When she’s not producing, she is traveling the high seas and low lakes and rivers in her kayak. Anne’s work can be seen on her Web site: www.annedaltonphotojournalist.net
Maryann Green left her heart in San Francisco but has lived in the Dirty T for over twenty years. Aside from the teen angsty poems she wrote in high school she never really felt like she had a story to tell until she started working with FST (Female Storytellers). In the past few years, she has helped organized and produced Beer With The Bard, a Shakespeare themed pub crawl, and the Tucson Fringe Theatre Festival. She acts, directs and writes for theatre and usually has four or five irons in the fire. Upcoming projects at Live Theatre Workshop include an original piece she’s writing and directing called The Audubon Field Guide to Assholes I’ve Dated, and directing a new play called [sic] for their mainstage. She will also be playing Mark Antony in Winding Road’s fall production of Julius Caesar. When she’s not onstage or backstage in Tucson community theatre and storytelling, she can be found molding the minds of the future as the drama teacher at Rincon and University High School, where she’s been for the last 17 years.
Originally hailing from New York, Gretchen Wirges followed her heart to Tucson 14 years ago. Gretchen is a writer, actor, improv teacher and performer who can be seen on a variety of stages in Tucson; from storytelling events, to Old Pueblo Playwrights new play festival, to singing and dancing with the under-rehearsed and over-dramatic Musical Mayhem Cabaret. Gretchen is also on the board of the Tucson Fringe Festival. She performed for four years with local improv troupe Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed and has since branched off to be part of a new improv theater called The Comedy Temple where she teaches basic and advanced improv techniques.
Dr. Sean Elliott is a Professor of Pediatrics at Banner University Medicine, specializing in Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He also is the Program Director for the Pediatrics Residency, the Medical Director of Infection Prevention for the entire Banner UMC network, and several hundred other jobs, roles, and duties. He is FAR too busy to be wasting time telling stories or other such foolish playfulness, and should NOT be performing tonight in any manner. Please, don’t tell his bosses…
Kim Gayton Elliott, at 58 and ½, is about to embark upon career number 4: teaching drama full-time at Cholla High School. Previously, Kim pursued acting professionally (personally satisfying, financially unfeasible), segued to editing for the NY Times Magazine Group, Women’s Service Division (most entertaining), then freelance editing/writing (great until the economy collapsed in 08), and now back to theatre to counter the tsunami of STEM. Life without art is simply not worth the stress.
Curator:
Tracey Kurtzman is a securely imperfect woman, wife, and mother who lives by the rule: “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.” In her real life, she’s a pediatrician at El Rio Community Health Center where she cares for underserved families and children with chronic illness, and teaches doctors-in-training. In her fantasy life, she’s a Broadway actress who can sing and dance and has legs like Tina Turner. She moved to Tucson in 1988 and lives in a home that also houses a one sexy husband, two nerdy kids, three barky mutts, and four struggling spice plants. Tracey is especially proud of the fact that she can say “Thank you” in 21 languages, 22 if you count Pig Latin. It’s true! She really can!
