2008-2009

If Music Be theFood of Love,

Play On !

Dear Friends:

Thank you. Your support and feedback have helped us plan yet anotherextraordinary season.

This season cannot arrive soon enough for us; we are too excited to wait! In 2008-2009 we welcome Donald Byrd, acclaimed choreographer of The Color Purple toBRT; he is collaborating with Keith on an inspired look at Shakespeare’s TwelfthNight, What You Will. To illuminate the unique concept of What You Will, wehave instituted an Informance Series featuring renowned artists Will Power, TeoCastellanos, Fred Curchak, and Spectrum Dance Company. Where did thisInformance Series come from? Your input! You wanted more information on theshows. Also your response to Alan Ayckbourn’s, Communicating Doors wasinstrumental in our choosing Absurd Person Singular.

In the coming season, our new staged reading series America Rising: Voices ofToday will take flight, showcasing the best and brightest of today’s playwrights, aswell as bringing to fruition an extraordinary new partnership with Temple University.

We see 2008-2009 as a new chapter in a book we are all writing together. BRTis a collaboration in which you are a major player. Without your feedback,enthusiasm and participation, BRT would be like any other theatre. You are the life,the energy and the vitality that keeps our passion alive day after day and weappreciate that more than you know. Here’s to another exciting year together.

For all of you who are reading this and are not part of BRT, we hope this is the yearyou join us. Consider: Free Parking, Excellent Restaurants, a Riverside Park, andseats that actually allow you to stretch your legs. We have Flexible Memberships toaccommodate any schedule, even yours. We look forward to sharing our vision andjoy of the arts with you.

See you soon.

Susan and Keith

Keith Baker andSusan D. Atkinson

Dear Friends,

THE SPITFIRE GRILLMusic & Book by James Valcq, Lyrics by Fred Alley

September 23 – October 12, 2008

Aquintessentially American musical, THE SPITFIRE GRILL tells the story of ayoung vagabond, Percy, who comes to the town of Gilead. There she findsa home and acceptance with Hannah, long time owner and operator of the

lonely and broken down restaurant of the quiet town, the Spitfire Grill. As Percy worksher own world into balance, she is joyously revived by the quiet town of Gilead,which in turn is revived as well. With a rousing Appalachian folk score and apoignant portrayal of small town existence, THE SPITFIRE GRILL warms the heart ofany wanderer and all those who yearn for and cherish home.

THE SPITFIRE GRILL premiered in 2000 at the George Street Playhouseand continued on from there to a thrilling run at New York’s

Playwright’s Horizons, off-Broadway.

ABSURD PERSON SINGULARBy Alan Ayckbourn

November 11 – November 30, 2008

From the author of BRT’s acclaimed production of COMMUNICATING DOORScomes this classic comedy. A charming look at the game of love, this is the taleof three married couples and their fortunes on Christmas. A play in three acts,

each act takes place in the kitchen of one of the couples. They find in each othersomething inescapably captivating and in a story full of warmth, wit, and unendinghumor, the audience is treated to a night of hilarious romance.

Originally produced on Broadway in 1974 with a powerhouse castfeaturing Broadway legends Carole Shelley, Richard Kiley, Geraldine

Page and Tony Roberts, ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR is a potent work byone of the world’s most cherished writers.

Photographer: Joel Fildes, for the Octogon Theatre, Bolton, UK

WINTER MUSICALEDecember 11 – December 21, 2008

L ike building a December snowman, baking gingerbread cookies, or sipping hotcocoa by the fire, our Winter Musicale is sure to fill your heart with cheer. ThisBRT tradition celebrates the season with your favorite holiday songs from

yesterday and today. Full of warmth, humor and joy, you’ll hear first rateperformances of traditional carols, popular classics, contemporary arrangementsand even original songs. Make a visit to our Winter Musicale part of your family’sannual holiday festivities.

ORDER YOUR MUSICALE TICKETS NOW! CALL 215.785.0100

BRT Members: $25.00 • Non-Members: $29.00 • Students: $10.00.

Groups of 10 or more call our group sales department for discounts:

215-785-0100.

WHAT YOU WILL By William Shakespeare

February 10 – March 1, 2009

Adaring and bold take on Shakespeare’s classic comedy, TWELFTH NIGHT.From an inspired idea of BRT’s Artistic Director Keith Baker comes thisremarkable collaboration with Donald Byrd, acclaimed Broadway

choreographer (THE COLOR PURPLE) and Artistic Director of Seattle’s SpectrumDance Theatre. Bringing together the worlds of contemporary urban and classicaltheatre in a spectacular mix of music, dance, stirring acting and creativity, WHATYOU WILL presents TWELFTH NIGHT as you’ve never seen it before.

A world premiere event, not to be missed by anyone!

WHAT YOU WILL is made possible by a grant from the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative, a program ofthe Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trust and administeredby The University of the Arts.

If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On!

Join us for a series of four special evenings of “Informances” with four extraordinaryartists. Part-performance, part-discussion, each evening will challenge and inspireyour ideas of theatre today. Cross the bridge with us as we lay the groundworkfor entering into the world of What You Will.

Fred Curchack – SeptemberHe has been called “Brilliant”, “a virtuoso man of the theatre”, and “a genius”, for hisspellbinding solo performances of Shakespeare’s plays. A Guggenheim Fellow andGold Medalist at the International Festival of Solo Theatre, he has been featured atdozens of international theatre festivals around theworld. Join us as Fred Curchack shares some hisinventive one man adaptations of Shakespeare’swork.

Teo Castellanos – OctoberPuerto Rican-born Teo Castellanos is an actor/writer/directorwho works in theater, film and television and is the Founderand Artistic Director of Teo Castellanos D-Projects (TCDP), anurban arts collective whose original theater works fuse worldcultures, religion and music, examining social issues throughperformance. Winner of the prestigious FringeFirst Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival(2003), Teo Castellanos will bring the vibrantstreets of Miami to BRT’s stage with excerpts of hisaward-winning NE 2nd AVE.

Will Power – DecemberViewed as a pioneer in the emerging genre ofhip-hop theater, sensational Will Power deliversexcerpts of his energetic monologue FLOW,portraying seven assorted communitystorytellers in their quest for survival in a worldof modern, urban pitfalls. This winner of thetheater trophy at the 2004 U.S. Comedy ArtsFestival blends powerful narratives, dynamicrhythm and rhyme, and live beats spun by anonstage DJ into an unforgettable evening.

Donald Byrd’s SpectrumDance Theatre – JanuaryAn evening of spectacular dance by one’s of America’s most ingeniouschoreographers, Spectrum Dance Theatre will perform excerpts from their repertoryon the BRT stage. Under Byrd’s visionary artistic leadership since 2002, SpectrumDance Theatre has garnered national praise for world-class dancers and some of themost avant-garde works in contemporary dance today.

BRIDGESInformance Series

Bridges Infomance Series has been supported by a grant from the Marketing Innovation Program, aprogram of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, andadministered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

DEFIANCEBy John Patrick Shanley

March 24 – April 12, 2009

The second play in Pulitzer Prize winner of John Patrick Shanley’s DOUBT trilogy,DEFIANCE is a riveting look at race, honor and morality. It speaks to the uniquepower struggle of the military on the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base in North

Carolina, 1971. Following the incredible national success of DOUBT, BRT lands thePhiladelphia premiere of this seminal work by one of America’s finest writers. Shanley’swork forces us to look deeper into the fabric of our society and our relationships andask the provocative questions that inspire change.

Originally produced by Manhattan Theatre Club in 2006, DEFIANCEmarks the important second step in a national treasure’s semi-

autobiographical trilogy.

ALTAR BOYZMusic and Lyrics by Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker

Book by Kevin Del AguilaConceived by Marc Kessler and Kevin Davenport

May 12 - 31, 2009

ALTAR BOYZ ALTAR BOYZ is a foot-stomping, rafter-raising, musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy-band’s search for meaning on the last night of their national “Raise the Praise” tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham. The “Boyz” will get you up on

your feet and shouting with joy to the heavens.

“DIVINE! A 90-minute tornado of tasty pop tunes and nifty “DIVINE! A 90-minute tornado of tasty pop tunes and nifty moves.” - Michael Sommers, STAR-LEDGER

“AMEN! ‘ALTAR BOYZ’ should be preaching to enthusiastic crowds for some time to come.” - Michael Kuchwara, AP DRAMA

CRITIC

“HILARIOUS! There’s not a soul in the theater that isn’t captured.” - Jacques Le Sourd, THE JOURNAL NEWS

“It sends you home with a smile.” “It sends you home with a smile.” - Charles Isherwood, THE NEW YORK TIMES

Conceived, produced and directed by Artistic Associate Adam Goldstein,America Rising is BRT’s electrifying look at new and contemporary work.An innovative staged reading series celebrating plays and playwrights oftoday, American Rising is a celebration of culture and language. This newseries opens the door to the hottest new voices of the American theatrehere at BRT.While not a full production, staged readings provide an intimate “staging” of eachplay where the writer’s words can take center stage. This year’s AMERICA RISINGalso allows BRT to proudly announce a fantastic new University partnership withTemple University’s MFA graduate acting program, who will make up the professionalactor’s company for each reading. Each evening will consist of live entertainment,food and drink, the reading itself and an extensive talkback with the cast, director andin many cases the playwright themselves!

Please consider taking the leap and joining us as an AMERICA RISING seriesmember today! Hurry and take advantage of the discounted subscriber rate now asseating is limited!

All readings begin at 5PM, at St. James Parish Hall, 225 Walnut Street in Bristol.

BRT Members: $40 subscription add-on America Rising Subscription only: $45Individual Reading tickets: $10 adults, $5 Students

How high can our dreams take us? Walter Griffin was famous. A man, literallyabove all others as his lawn chair took to the skies years ago. Now the lawn chairsits quietly in the basement and Walter’s life and family begins to crumble around himfollowing the loss of his job. The problem is, Walter doesn’t want his job or any job.He wants to invent, to create, to do something great. As his son goes throughteenage growing pains and his wife struggles to hold the family together, can Walterdo the impossible and fly once again? UP is an extraordinary piece filled with humorand inspiration for all of us who have ever dared to dream.

UPBy Bridget Carpenter Sunday, September 28, 2008

Taking place during the 2000 election's Florida recount, LULLABY is acomedy/drama about a widowed mom whose two-year-old son won't go to sleepand the lesbian guitar tutor she hires to teach her lullabies. Thrown in the mix are herdepressed father and late-husband's doctor (with whom she had an affair), allresulting in a meditation on powerlessness and betrayal during a time in our countrywhen both reigned supreme.

LULLABYBy Michael Elyanow Sunday, November 16, 2008

NEW!

Tasha’s father is dying. She has been through the medical gamut dealing with hisillness and is now suffering from hypochondria. Or is she? Plagued by a series ofsymptoms and unable to obtain adequate medical care, Tasha does something shewould never do. She treats each day as if it were her last. In the process, shediscovers the true meaning of love and re-connects with a father, long since lost toher. A potent and touching look at the healthcare situation in today’s world and howit affects us all.

SICK? By Zakiyyah Alexander Sunday, February 15, 2009

A student in a typical college classroom has written a violently atypical paper. Hisprofessor has been summoned to meet with the University President to discuss howsuch a paper could have been written under his watch. This edgy comedy delvesinto the dark world of censorship in our society and forces us to re-think ideas ofblame, responsibility and fear in our current sociological climate. HARMLESS is afast paced and sharp play that will leave the audience breathless.

HARMLESS By Brett Neveu Sunday, March 29, 2009

A remarkable play by Philadelphia native and current Broadway librettist (In theHeights), Quiara Hudes’ play traces the legacy of war through three generations ofa Puerto Rican family, ELLIOT, A SOLDIER’S FUGUE focuses on the tale of 19 yearold Elliot, a boy who has found his strength and courage in his military service in Iraq.After returning home with a leg injury from the Iraq War, Elliot faces some difficultquestions. Will he return to war or will he try to begin again at home? Told in“fugue” style, this play intertwines the story of Elliot in Iraq, his father in Vietnam andgrandfather in Korea. This Pulitzer Prize Finalist shows us all how the past may notbe so different from now and how courage is inside everyone.

ELLIOT, A SOLDIER’S FUGUE By Quiara Allegría Hudes Sunday, May 3, 2009

2006 Pulitzer Prize finalist

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and receive more!• Guaranteed Seating• No Box Office line• Up to 52% savings over

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Bristol Riverside Theatre is Bucks County's award winning professional theatre,featuring NY quality theatre. It is located minutes from the PA & NJ Turnpikes and I-95. Themany amenities the theatre offers include:• Committed to personal customer service of the highest standard

• Free parking

• Comfortable seating with ample leg room

• Unobstructed view of the stage with no seat further than 40 feet from the stage (including the balcony)

Senior (64 +) Memberships: $107.00 Students 22 and under: $50.00Enjoy all the benefits of a membership but for a reduced price.Valid ID is required when purchasing your series package.When mailing in the order form, please include a photocopyof a valid picture ID.

Preview Series: $99.00Be the first to see BRT’s exciting productions. The evening includes apost-show "talkback," an opportunity to interact with the artists,learn about the production from their standpoint and exchangethoughts and ideas.

Opening Night Series: $115.00 The exciting opening night performance of each show is followed by a catered reception and a chanceto meet the cast and artistic staff involved in the production.

Wine Down Wednesday Series: $110.00The third Wednesday of each production, this is a midweekway to wind down. This special evening includescomplimentary wine, crudité, and dessert starting at 7:00 PM.

Friday Festival Series: $125.00/$112.00 (for seniors)The second Friday night of each production is Friday FestivalNight. This pre-show event starting at 7:00 PM featurescomplimentary wine, hors d’oeuvres, and dessert. Guestspeakers and background information on the play or theproduction is another added feature to this increasinglypopular night.

America Rising: BRT Members: $40 subscription add-onAmerica Rising Subscription only: $45

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5 coupons–$135.00 6 coupons–$155.00 8 coupons–$185.00

If your busy schedule makes it hard for you to commit tospecific dates, the Flex Plan is for you. We offer couponFlex Plan Memberships that you can use any way youwant. One for each show, all for the same show or anycombination in between. Senior and student rates do notapply.

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Mail to:BRT, Attn: MembershipsP.O. Box 1250Bristol, PA 19007

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2 0 0 8 – 2 0 0 9 P E R F O R M A N C E S C H E D U L E

Week 2

Perf# Day Time Spitfire Grill Absurd Person What You Will Defiance Man of No Full Season Play single Musical single

8 Wed 2:00 PM Oct 1 Nov 19 Feb 18 Apr 1 May 20 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

9 Wed 8:00 PM Oct 1 Nov 19 Feb 18 Apr 1 May 20 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

10 Thurs 8:00 PM Oct 2 Nov 20 Feb 19 Apr 2 May 21 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

11 Friday Festival 8:00 PM Oct 3 Nov 21 Feb 20 Apr 3 May 22 $125.00 $37.00 $42.00

12 Sat 2:00 PM Oct 4 Nov 22 Feb 21 Apr 4 May 23 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

13 Sat 8:00 PM Oct 4 Nov 22 Feb 21 Apr 4 May 23 $125.00 $36.00 $41.00

14 Sun 3:00 PM Oct 5 Nov 23 Feb 22 Apr 5 May 24 $120.00 $34.00 $39.00

Week 3

Perf# Day Time Spitfire Grill Absurd Person What You Will Defiance Man of No Full Season Play single Musical single

15 Wed 2:00 PM Oct 8 Nov 26 Feb 25 Apr 8 May 27 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

16 Wine Down Wed 8:00 PM Oct 8 Nov 26 Feb 25 Apr 8 May 27 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

17 Thurs 8:00 PM Oct 9 No Performance Feb 26 Apr 9 May 28 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

18 Fri 8:00 PM Oct 10 Nov 28 Feb 27 Apr 10 May 29 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

19 Sat 2:00 PM Oct 11 Nov 29 Feb 28 Apr 11 May 30 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

20 Sat 8:00 PM Oct 11 Nov 29 Feb 28 Apr 11 May 30 $125.00 $36.00 $41.00

21 Sun 3:00 PM Oct 12 Nov 30 Mar 1 APlays and schedule subject to change

BRT is handicapped accessible and has an infrared hearing system for your convenience.

WEEK 1

Perf# Day Time Spitfire Grill Absurd Person What You Will Defiance Man of No Full Season Play single Musical single

1 Tues 8:00 PM Sept 23 Nov 11 Feb 10 Mar 24 May 12 $99.00 $29.00 $34.00

2 Wed 8:00 PM Sept 24 Nov 12 Feb 11 Mar 25 May 13 $99.00 $29.00 $34.00

3 Thurs Opening 8:00 PM Sept 25 Nov 13 Feb 12 Mar 26 May 14 $115.00 $37.00 $42.00

4 Fri 8:00 PM Sept 26 Nov 14 Feb 13 Mar 27 May 15 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

5 Sat 2:00 PM Sept 27 Nov 15 Feb 14 Mar 28 May 16 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

6 Sat 8:00 PM Sept 27 Nov 15 Feb 14 Mar 28 May 16 $125.00 $36.00 $41.00

7 Sun 3:00 PM Sept 28 Nov 16 Feb 15 Mar 29 May 17 $120.00 $34.00 $39.00

R M A N C E S C H E D U L E

Defiance Man of No Full Season Play single Musical single

Apr 1 May 20 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 1 May 20 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 2 May 21 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 3 May 22 $125.00 $37.00 $42.00

Apr 4 May 23 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 4 May 23 $125.00 $36.00 $41.00

Apr 5 May 24 $120.00 $34.00 $39.00

Defiance Man of No Full Season Play single Musical single

Apr 8 May 27 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 8 May 27 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 9 May 28 $110.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 10 May 29 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 11 May 30 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

Apr 11 May 30 $125.00 $36.00 $41.00

Apr 12 May 31 $120.00 $34.00 $39.00

A $2.00 handling charge will be applied to all single ticket transactions.

Defiance Man of No Full Season Play single Musical single

Mar 24 May 12 $99.00 $29.00 $34.00

Mar 25 May 13 $99.00 $29.00 $34.00

Mar 26 May 14 $115.00 $37.00 $42.00

Mar 27 May 15 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

Mar 28 May 16 $115.00 $34.00 $39.00

Mar 28 May 16 $125.00 $36.00 $41.00

Mar 29 May 17 $120.00 $34.00 $39.00

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