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BRÜKA THEATRE PRESENTS -
THE BIGGEST little VIRTUAL THEATRE
& NEW WORKS FESTIVAL FOR YOUTH 2021
Season 28 - PERSEVERE
Premiering The Week Of June 4, 2021
FREE TO VIEW on BRUKA THEATRE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
DONATIONS ACCEPTED AT: www.bruka.org
Brüka Theatre has been presenting our BIGGEST little Theatre & New Works Festival for nine years at Brüka Theatre as a showcase and experimental platform for original theatre pieces featuring traditional and nontraditional performances and stage readings created by local and regional performing artists. Some past participants have taken their pieces and gone on to perform in National Festivals. This year we have broadened our horizons and done a spin off YOUTH Festival in hopes of planting the seeds for the future of our festival and local theatre opportunities.
This small festival features five presentations including Festival interviews with the artists. The performances will premiere on June 4th on Brüka Theatre’s Youtube page and be available for viewing, free to the public at the leisure of the viewer. The artists have been commissioned by the festival and will receive an honorarium from the festival. The Festival is supported by the Reno Arts Commission.
THE BIGGEST LITTLE YOUTH THEATRE & NEW WORKS FESTIVAL PRODUCTIONS
THE SHOWBIZ CABARET SAMPLER
Presented by Around The Stage - Reno’s Theatrical Dance Company led by Keely Cobb.
Written And Created By: Keely Cobb
FOR AGES: All Ages
SYNOPSIS: The Showbiz Cabaret is an evening length theatrical dance show that presents multiple characters in the world of show business. The sampler pulls three stories from the full show to present a shorter version of the work. The stories explore themes of self-love, friendship, and new beginnings. The first story is about two ballerinas with amazing talent and competitive energy. They both fight to win the spotlight. They later learn to support each other and share center stage. The next is Silly Clown’s story! Silly clown is the comedic relief of the show and she performs a solo of self love. The last story is of the narrator and her goodbye to the cabaret and hello to new beginnings.
THE ARTISTS
Narrator: Keely Cobb
Glittery Ballerina: Glynis Irving
Tough Ballerina: Deena Schmidt
Silly Clown: Kimberly Yukes *Courtesy of SNB*
THE QUEEN OF SUNSHINE MOUNTAIN
Written By Stacey Spain
FOR AGES: High School Audiences, Mature Content
SYNOPSIS: Queen of Sunshine Mountain explores a world where Sam Clemens, Julia Bulette and Shinbo (A deaf Chinese mathematician turned firestarter) are friends and sometimes unrequited lovers in Virginia City. Julia is a busy business woman with no time for besotted newspaper men or overqualified accountants. Sam loves to hate Virginia City: it’s wildness, excitement, frontier attitude, and crowded characters make him ache for a real city. Shinbo is a numbers poet who lost his hearing in a fever after just learning the wonders of English from a young friend. His circumstances changed, he moves to Virginia City and finds himself a Firestarter in a frontier town. Yingtai, is a Chinese adolescent intent on evading the cribs and learning as many languages as come across her ears.
THE PLAYWRIGHT: Stacey Spain is a playwright/director/actor whose recent work includes directing Godspell at TMCC, The Light Burns Blue at Damonte Ranch High School, Almost, Maine at TMCC, Mother Hicks at Reno Little Theater , Orpheus Descending and Good People at Bruka and The Hot L Baltimore at UNR. Having worked at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Theater for Youth, Bruka, Reno Little Theater, and Good Luck Macbeth and appearing at the San Francisco Fringe Festival and the Theater of Yugen she has an MFA in acting from Purdue, and has taught theater at UNR and TMCC for over 20 years. She is passionate about mask work, teaching the embodied actor and multicultural theater. She loves her kids, her pets and teaching.
THE ARTISTS: Our playreading included a discussion of multicultural theater and representation led by Anthony Mendoza. Our readers included Stacey Spain, Jonathan Gastelo, Anna Kintzer, Douglas Carrion and Leigh Schilling.
GALILEO - A STAGED READING
Written by Mary Bennett
FOR AGES: 6 - ADULT
PDF CURRICULUM GUIDE - GALILEO (THEATRE FOR CHILDREN)
SYNOPSIS: Brüka Theatre revisits an original theatre for children production of "Galileo - Stars In His Eyes" This enchanting play written with children in mind about the famous scientist, Galileo, his incredible discoveries about the cosmos and the challenges he experienced through the perspective of his young daughter Virginia. Virginia was only nine years old when her father perfected his telescope and experimented with the laws of nature. His discoveries and their connection are woven through this fast-paced, eye-opening piece of live theatre. Brüka brings different styles of theatre and participation in the theatre for children performances to expose young audiences to an entertaining and deeper understanding of theatrical presentations with links to the curriculum. Brüka Theatre partners with Pioneer Youth Programs and different venues when touring to schools and communities.
Brüka Theatre has been presenting live theatre in our community for 28 years. This touring production features professional actors bringing the story to life with a small set of props and costumes. This live theatre performance incorporates physical theatrics, improvisation, and audience interaction. Children are invited to participate in each performance, ensuring that every show is unique. Funny and insightful, this theatre troupe features top-notch performers and writers who consistently involve young people in learning and participating in theatre and related arts.
THE ARTISTS: Mary Bennett, Carrie Lynn, Jessey Richards, David Simpson
BRUKA POETRY GATHERING
Co-Produced with Sideways Eight Projects
Hosted by Jesse James Ziegler
SYNOPSIS: Brüka Theatre’s first ever and current Poet in Residence, Jesse James Ziegler, sits down with two of his favorite poets of Spoken Views Collective and Wolf Speaks membership. The discussion ranges from inspiration, to method, and includes shared original poetry by the guest artists. All ages appropriate.
THE ARTISTS:
SaMoura Horsley is a local Reno poet who started her writing journey in 2015. Currently she is a Senior at the University of Nevada, Reno and is pursuing dual degrees in English Writing and Anthropology with a minor in Woman's Studies. She has gotten the opportunity to perform twice at Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam and locally at schools, slams, graduations and protests. She is also the co-founder and President of Wolf Speaks which is a Spoken Word poetry student club at UNR. One of her favorite parts of poetry is workshops because it allows for community growth.
Jennifer Calzada has been participating and competing in spoken word poetry for four years. She and two friends cofounded Wolf Speaks, the first spoken word poetry club at the University of Nevada, Reno. Jenny's poetry revolves around personal experiences, emotions, and the people in her life. She continues to follow her creative journey and is excited to develop her writing into something accessible to a wider audience.
Host: In addition to being Bruka Theatre’s Poet in Residence, Jesse James Ziegler has been the host of the ongoing special event series ‘Poets of the Caribbean’, as well as the weekly wellness writing workshop ‘Collective Breath’, both in collaboration with Spoken Views Collective. His prose and his photography have been published by Nevada Humanities. Jesse is a member of the Sierra Literary Cooperative, Spoken Word contributor to Reno Arts News, and Board Member of SVC.
A FESTIVAL ARTIST INTERVIEW
FOR AGES: 8 & Up
An interview with Brüka Theatre Producing Artistic Director Mary Bennett, Playwright Stacey Spain, Producer/Dancer Keely Cobb & Brüka Theatre Poet In Residence Jessie James Ziegler.
ORIGIN FAIRY TALES
Performed in The Zoom Zoom Room by The Cast Of Secret In The Wings (Bruka Theatre)
FOR AGES: 12 & UP
SYNOPSIS: Covid - 19 Shut down our production of "Secret In The Wings" in March of 2020, while we were in rehearsal. During the shut down, we recorded some of the original "origin" fairytales that Mary Zimmerman used as a base for the production. Some of the themes are a bit dark, thus the 12 and up.
ACCESSABILITY
Festival performances will live on Brüka Theatre’s Youtube Channel.
They are available for viewing after the premieres.
The Festival is free for public viewing.
Special Thank you To The City Of Reno Arts & Culture Commission for funding for this festival, these artists and projects.
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