Dear Friends of the Hamner,

Well, there is a veritable bouquet of theatrical blossoms ripe for the picking this month - no doubt the fruit of April rains...

Opening at the Hamner on Fri., May 23, A Shadow of Honor by Peter Coy. This original play premiered last summer at the Wintergreen Performing Arts Music Festival as a single story. After a summer of workshopping at the Earl Hamner Playwrights Conference, the piece has returned to its initial incarnation and encompasses two time periods a century apart, in the same space. Based in part on an actual murder in 1907 in Nelson County, A Shadow of Honor probes the issues surrounding the effects of war on those left behind and the legacy handed down to the generations following. This production is for mature audiences. Free preview Weds., May 21, champagne reception Fri., May 23 following the performance. Curtain up - 7:30 Weds. - Sat. and 2pm on Sunday. All tickets $10.00. Call 361-1999 for further information or to reserve tickets.

At Four County Players - Lend me a Tenor, Ken Ludwig's hilarious farce, featuring Doug Schneider, playing Fri., Sat. and Sun. through May 24. www.fourcp.org.

At Play On! in the Theater at the IX building - Guys and Dolls (Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows), directed by Clinton Johnston, plays on through May 24. www.playontheatre.org

And last but not least, Amy Freed's The Beard of Avon at Live Arts, directed by Betsy Rudelich Tucker, opening tonight, May 16 and running through June 7. www.livearts.org

I hope you will find time to take an evening - or four - at the theater and enjoy the fruits of our collaborative efforts. It is, after all, the audience that is the final ingredient in any production...

Hope to see you soon.
Cheers,
Boomie

Greetings and salutations and Happy Spring!

Coming this Saturday, March 29, back by popular demand, Paul Curreri, the Charlottesville-based singer/songwriter, guitarist and"brilliant gutter-blues multi-instrumentalist" (Time Out London).

Paul first played here at the Hamner Theater in April 2007, and is returning to the States fresh from a series of performances in Ireland & the UK. Don't miss this chance to see the musician who is "pulling inspiration from America, twentieth century folk and bluegrass weaving in and out. His music has been characterized as "country-folk" but has everything from Lou Reed to Mojo Nixon, all combined into some funky blues that would make even Tom Waits' mouth water."(Jessica Star Rockers, on seattle.net)

As always, ticket price of $15.00 includes delicious tidbits from Claudia Gibson. Word has it that the menu will include:

Vegetable sushi with wasabi, pickled ginger and soy.
Fresh spring rolls with dipping sauce
Chinese steamed buns both bar-b-que pork and bar-b-que vegetables
Curried chicken in wonton cups and raddichio
Soba noodles with ginger sesame and peanut sauce
Vegetable rice cakes

And for dessert: Baklava and assorted cookies

Please call 434-361-1999 for reservations. Doors open at 6:30 and the first set will start at 7:30.

Our monthly Youth Movie Night, originally scheduled for Fri., March 28, has been postponed for a week - come see Stardust on Fri., April 4 - 6:30 for pizza and 7:00pm for the movie. All for the very reasonable price of $5.00.

Interested in working in depth on a part without having to commit to a production? Come hone your acting skills on Sundays with Mary Coy. This ongoing scene study class is the perfect opportunity to do some concentrated work on character development for a part you may never get to play! Call 434-361-1999 for details.

April 5 is our second dance to benefit Rural Nelson - from Aretha to Ziggy - come step it out in our dance hall complete with mirror ball and know that the suggested donation of $10.00 is going directly to help support the efforts of Rural Nelson to preserve the quality of life that makes Nelson County so unique.

Our recent limited run of Clinton A. Johnston's Am I Black Enough, Yet? played to sold out houses - if you missed it here, or at Live Arts, it is not too late! Am I Black Enough, Yet? opens April 11 at Charter Theatre's Theatre-on-the-Run in Shirlington, VA, near Arlington. Visit the Charter Theatre website for details. Definitely worth the drive!

And finally, our spring production., Peter Coy's A Shadow of Honor will open May 2 and run through May 11. This is a later opening date than originally scheduled so please mark your calendars. We are still looking for production help so if you have an urge to dress in black and play an instrumental but unseen role, please call us!

Please join us here at the Hamner Theater, a beautiful half hour drive from downtown Charlottesville. Have supper at the new Blue Mountain Brewery or at D'Ambola's Ristorante Italiano, both right on Rte. 151 on the way. There are also at least four wineries on the way but perhaps that's a trip for another day...spring is here, spring is sprung, the bird is on the wing. My, my how absurd, I thought the wing was on the bird!

See you soon,
Boomie

Boomie Pedersen
Co-Artistic Director
The Hamner Theater
434-361-1999

Greetings from the Hamner Theater,

We are gearing up for a full month of events!

On Saturday, March 1, Charlottesville Playback Theater will bring their improvisational story-telling to the cabaret. Through music, movement and words, the troupe will "playback" the stories you, the audience, tell, with often hilarious, always entertaining results. Participation is, of course, voluntary so come play or watch. As always, doors open at 6:30 for food and the show will start at 7:30. Tickets are $15.00 and include food.

Dear Friends of the Hamner Theater,

On Sat., March 1, don't miss Charlottesville Playback Theater in the cabaret. Come be audience only, or come with a story to tell and watch it play back. As always, tickets are $15.00 and include light fare; doors open at 6:30 for food and the show starts at 7:30. Call 434-361-1999 for reservations.

Also, there is still room in our Sunday Scene Study class - Sundays at 4 with Mary Coy - starting Sunday, March 2. Come stretch as an actor, learn some basic tools of the craft if you have always wanted to but didn't know where, work on a part you always wanted to play...details at 434-361-1999. $80.00/session of 4 classes.