ABET

Coming up…

Artistic Director, Celia Frank — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:46:00 +0000

We at ABET hope you are having a relaxing and pleasant summer. Coming up on Friday, July 30 at 7 pm, our first ever ABET Teen Troupe will be performing the wildly funny comedy A MAD BREAKFAST directed by Pherbia Engdahl. The performance is free, so come and see our up and coming talent in action.

Following that, ABET opens our 19th season with a killer blockbuster THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE on September 10. Featuring some of the very best musical theatre performers Jacksonville has to offer, and every bit as good as what you will see on Broadway, this is a production absolutely not to be missed. With Michael Lipp and Samuel Clein at the helm, it promises to be spectacular.

Have a great remaining summer season and we’ll see you at ABET!

Volunteer Picnic and more

Artistic Director, Celia Frank — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:54:00 +0000

The first annual ABET Volunteer Thank You Picnic was held on Sunday, May 16 and a good time was had by all. Many actors, techies, guild and board members enjoyed delicious food from Jason’s Deli and great conversation.

Once again ABET is hosting a summer production by Skrank Tank Productions who entertained us last summer with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. This summer’s show will be ALMOST, MAINE and will run at 8:00pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 8, 9, and 10 and at 2:00pm on Sunday, July 11. Be sure to make your reservations early for this great, new show.

AUDITIONS for next season opener The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by Michael LIpp, with musical direction by Samuel Clein, will be at 6:00pm on Sunday, June 13.

▬ Celia Frank

18th Season Finale: ROSE’S DILEMMA

Artistic Director, Celia Frank — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:17:44 +0000

It’s such a privilege to be taking my third crack at directing one of the plays penned by the much-celebrated Neil Simon. I have loved the script for ROSE’S DILEMMA since the moment I read it, and when you add to it this wonderfully talented cast and crew, it has made for a very joyful experience. The idea of using the ghost of Rose’s former lover as a device in this plot – which centers on her need to overcome the past and learn to live in the present – is very intriguing to me. As is always our goal, we hope you will be entertained and enlivened by this evening’s performance.

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the many awesome ABET volunteers who have given of their time and talents to help make this season the wonderful success it has been. You are family to me.

Also, many thanks go to you, the audience for sharing in this experience. I have come to regard you as not just patrons of ABET, but friends as well. I hope you will all look over our next season brochure and decide to join us and hopefully, become an ABET backer. We are very appreciative of all of you who so generously donate to ABET in order that we can keep delivering the quality theatre that ABET has become known for. Have a wonderful summer and see you in the fall!

▬ Celia Frank

Home Games a Roaring Success

Artistic Director, Celia Frank — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:56:38 +0000

HOME GAMES has proven to be a roaring success for ABET! Audiences loved it and the cast had a blast. It was all capped off the last performance of the run with a packed house including two members of the playwright Tom Ziegler’s family – his sister Anne Ziegler and sister-in-law Judy Ziegler. They seemed very impressed and pleased with our production.

After the show, the cast was thrilled to meet them, have pictures taken, and then speak with Tom Ziegler on the phone! His sister called and woke him in the Virgin Islands where it was 1 am. He kindly spoke at length with each member of the cast and the director, Becky Williams. What a thrill for everyone involved!