Ellen Arnold Groff was one of the strongest supporters for the arts in Lancaster. Not only did she support the Fulton, but her philanthropy included local museums, the Symphony, her beloved Saint James Church, and individual artists.
When Ellen passed last year, she graciously left funds for the Fulton to do with "as we wish". There was A LOT of conversation about how to use those funds and then, ultimately, it became crystal clear what we should do. Create a series in Ellen's name that will continue the growth of new work, voices and productions that might not appear on our subscription series.
It is with this focus that we have decided to inaugurate the
ELLEN ARNOLD GROFF STUDIO SERIES, which premieres in the Fulton's 4th Floor Studio Theatre on
Friday, January 17th at 7:30PM with a staged reading of
Virtue, a new play by one of Ellen's favorite playwrights,
Tim Slover (
Joyful Noise,
Treasure,
Lightning Rod). Tickets are just $10 each.
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Virtue launches the Ellen Arnold Groff Studio Series on Friday, January 17th at 7:30pm. More Info
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At a time when few women wrote, Hildegard von Bingen produced major works of theology and visionary writings. She advised bishops, popes, and kings. Famous throughout twelfth century Europe as "Sybil of the Rhine" for her oracular visions, this German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, and Benedictine abbess was the only woman to have her writings read aloud in synod by the Pope himself. In Tim Slover's
Virtue, Hildegard is preparing to complete her book of revelations and present it to the Holy See when a penitent named Richardis arrives at her monastery and profoundly disrupts her world. This explosive drama, based on actual writings discovered after Hildegard's death, explores themes of religion, mysticism, sexual awakening and spiritualism.
The play will be presented in a staged reading (scripts in hand) by a remarkable quartet of actors. Susan Cella (Broadway: The Graduate,Crazy He Calls Me, Me and My Girl, Evita, On the Twentieth Century; Fulton: Mary Poppins, Witness for the Prosecution, Gaslight), Warren Kelly (Fulton:The Woman in Black, The Foreigner), Andy Kindig (Fulton: Joseph... Dreamcoat, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Grease, Singin' in the Rain, Brigadoon, The Music Man, Hairspray, The Sound of Music, Annie, Carousel, Crazy for You, Seussical!, Ragtime), and Katie Sina (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Singin' in the Rain, Hairspray, The Sound of Music, Phantom, Sweeney Todd, Sunset Boulevard, Annie, Thoroughly Modern Millie ) will bring this passionate story to the Fourth floor studio space.
