ARTICLE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACTS: Jasmine Jiang, 240.670.8798 JJiang@roundhousetheatre.org Anna Mills Russell, 240.644.1386 ARussell@roundhousetheatre.org NEWLY RENOVATED ROUND HOUSE THEATRE CELEBRATES HOMECOMING WITH FREE COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE DRAMATICALLY TRANSFORMED THEATRE TO BE UNVEILED TO THE PUBLIC AUGUST 24 WITH ALL-DAY FUN AND FESTIVITIES TO KICK OFF THE 2019-2020 SEASON Bethesda, Md. (July 10, 2019) - After more than six months of construction, Round House Theatre will reopen its doors in Bethesda with a Community Open House to celebrate the completion of a full interior renovation. The free event is open to the public and will be held on Saturday, August 24, from 11:30am – 6pm, followed by a production preview with the cast and creative team behind the first show of the upcoming season. Guests of all ages are invited to enjoy performances, games, and other activities designed to showcase some of the most significant upgrades. On the Carol Sawyer Stage - which now features improved acoustics and sightlines, state-of-the-art technical upgrades, and a curved stage and seating shape designed to bring artists closer to the audience—performances will include Bernard Ebb Songwriting Award Winner Heather Aubrey Lloyd, a reading by members of the Round House Teen Performance Company, and a celebration of The Music of Duncan Sheik by local artists. In the new Event Room, which will be available for community use, Round House teaching artists will lead participatory workshops including theatre games, improv, and stage combat. Other festivities include food samplings in the expanded café, live music in the redesigned lobby, special ticket offers and raffles at the concierge-style Bernard Family Box Office, and an arts and crafts area for all-ages fun. At 6pm, attendees can stick around for Inside Look, an exclusive preview of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, directed by Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson. This fun and informative event will give audiences a chance to meet the artists behind the first show of the 2019-2020 Season, as the cast, director, and creative team share their insights on the play and offer a sneak peek at design concepts. Although Inside Look events are normally an invite-only benefit for Round House Inner Circle donors at the $100 level and above, this production preview will be free and open to the public as part of the Homecoming celebration, with light refreshments provided. The Community Open House welcomes guests to experience the new Round House Theatre ahead of its mainstage season. As Artistic Director Ryan Rilette explains, "We want to open the new space with a celebration of our vibrant community. Round House is a home for outstanding ensemble acting, but also for forming connections and encouraging lifelong learning. Each show this season is about looking beyond what divides us, so we invite people to come together for a fun and relaxed day at the Open House, and then return together to engage in the important conversations that the productions will generate". The 2019-2020 Homecoming Season kicks off September 18 – October 13 with the regional premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s Off-Broadway hit, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, which follows a group of "frenemies" vying for a pageant title at Ghana’s Aburi Girls Boarding School in the 80s. Season subscribers attending the Community Open House will have the chance to "Meet Your Seat" in the newly renovated theatre. More information on the 2019-2020 Season can be found here. "We can’t wait to welcome artists and audiences home," says Round House Managing Director Ed Zakreski. "The new theatre will bring our artists and audiences closer together with more comfort, improved sightlines, and drastically improved acoustics, while our upgraded lobby will allow for more dynamic conversations and truly communal experiences. From the flexible stage and seating arrangements, to the full bar and café, to the grand staircase and additional seating in the lobby, every part of this renovation will help us expand our impact and join the top tier of regional theatres in America." The full interior renovation reflects Round House Theatre’s commitment to community engagement by creating an adaptable performance space and transforming the lobby into a warm and welcoming community gathering place. The theatre renovations are part of Full Circle, a $14 million capital campaign which launched last year and also funds the Resident Artist program, the commissioning of new works by women playwrights and playwrights of color, the expansion of Round House’s free-ticket program for students, and other artistic and access initiatives. Those interested in attending the Community Open House can find more information here. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Full season subscriptions and flexible packages for Round House Theatre’s 2019-2020 Season are now available for purchase online at RoundHouseTheatre.org, or by calling the Box Office at 240.644.1100. Subscribers get the best seats on their preferred night, as well as free ticket exchanges, no single ticket fees and free unlimited coffee. Tickets for individual productions will be available for sale August 1, 2019. ABOUT ROUND HOUSE THEATRE Round House Theatre is one of the leading professional theatres in the Washington, D.C. area, producing a season of new plays, modern classics, and musicals for more than 40,000 patrons each year at our theatre in Bethesda. Round House has been nominated for more than 181 Helen Hayes Awards and has won over 32, including four Outstanding Resident Play Awards and the Charles MacArthur Award for Original New Play in 2016. Round House’s lifelong learning and education programs serve over 4,000 students each year at its Education Center in Silver Spring and in schools throughout Montgomery County. Cornerstone programs include Play It Forward, which provides free tickets for teens and college school students, the year-round Teen Performance Company, which culminates in the student-produced Sarah Metzger Memorial Play, Summer Camp for students in grades K-12, and a full slate of classes for Adults & Youth.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACTS:
Jasmine Jiang, 240.670.8798
JJiang@roundhousetheatre.org
Anna Mills Russell, 240.644.1386
ARussell@roundhousetheatre.org
NEWLY RENOVATED ROUND HOUSE THEATRE CELEBRATES HOMECOMING WITH FREE COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE
DRAMATICALLY TRANSFORMED THEATRE TO BE UNVEILED TO THE PUBLIC AUGUST 24 WITH ALL-DAY FUN AND FESTIVITIES TO KICK OFF THE 2019-2020 SEASON
Bethesda, Md. (July 10, 2019) - After more than six months of construction, Round House Theatre will reopen its doors in Bethesda with a Community Open House to celebrate the completion of a full interior renovation. The free event is open to the public and will be held on Saturday, August 24, from 11:30am – 6pm, followed by a production preview with the cast and creative team behind the first show of the upcoming season. Guests of all ages are invited to enjoy performances, games, and other activities designed to showcase some of the most significant upgrades.
On the Carol Sawyer Stage - which now features improved acoustics and sightlines, state-of-the-art technical upgrades, and a curved stage and seating shape designed to bring artists closer to the audience—performances will include Bernard Ebb Songwriting Award Winner Heather Aubrey Lloyd, a reading by members of the Round House Teen Performance Company, and a celebration of The Music of Duncan Sheik by local artists. In the new Event Room, which will be available for community use, Round House teaching artists will lead participatory workshops including theatre games, improv, and stage combat. Other festivities include food samplings in the expanded café, live music in the redesigned lobby, special ticket offers and raffles at the concierge-style Bernard Family Box Office, and an arts and crafts area for all-ages fun.
At 6pm, attendees can stick around for Inside Look, an exclusive preview of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, directed by Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson. This fun and informative event will give audiences a chance to meet the artists behind the first show of the 2019-2020 Season, as the cast, director, and creative team share their insights on the play and offer a sneak peek at design concepts. Although Inside Look events are normally an invite-only benefit for Round House Inner Circle donors at the $100 level and above, this production preview will be free and open to the public as part of the Homecoming celebration, with light refreshments provided.
The Community Open House welcomes guests to experience the new Round House Theatre ahead of its mainstage season. As Artistic Director Ryan Rilette explains, "We want to open the new space with a celebration of our vibrant community. Round House is a home for outstanding ensemble acting, but also for forming connections and encouraging lifelong learning. Each show this season is about looking beyond what divides us, so we invite people to come together for a fun and relaxed day at the Open House, and then return together to engage in the important conversations that the productions will generate".
The 2019-2020 Homecoming Season kicks off September 18 – October 13 with the regional premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s Off-Broadway hit, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, which follows a group of "frenemies" vying for a pageant title at Ghana’s Aburi Girls Boarding School in the 80s. Season subscribers attending the Community Open House will have the chance to "Meet Your Seat" in the newly renovated theatre. More information on the 2019-2020 Season can be found here.
"We can’t wait to welcome artists and audiences home," says Round House Managing Director Ed Zakreski. "The new theatre will bring our artists and audiences closer together with more comfort, improved sightlines, and drastically improved acoustics, while our upgraded lobby will allow for more dynamic conversations and truly communal experiences. From the flexible stage and seating arrangements, to the full bar and café, to the grand staircase and additional seating in the lobby, every part of this renovation will help us expand our impact and join the top tier of regional theatres in America."
The full interior renovation reflects Round House Theatre’s commitment to community engagement by creating an adaptable performance space and transforming the lobby into a warm and welcoming community gathering place. The theatre renovations are part of Full Circle, a $14 million capital campaign which launched last year and also funds the Resident Artist program, the commissioning of new works by women playwrights and playwrights of color, the expansion of Round House’s free-ticket program for students, and other artistic and access initiatives.
Those interested in attending the Community Open House can find more information here.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Full season subscriptions and flexible packages for Round House Theatre’s 2019-2020 Season are now available for purchase online at RoundHouseTheatre.org, or by calling the Box Office at 240.644.1100. Subscribers get the best seats on their preferred night, as well as free ticket exchanges, no single ticket fees and free unlimited coffee. Tickets for individual productions will be available for sale August 1, 2019.
ABOUT ROUND HOUSE THEATRE
Round House Theatre is one of the leading professional theatres in the Washington, D.C. area, producing a season of new plays, modern classics, and musicals for more than 40,000 patrons each year at our theatre in Bethesda. Round House has been nominated for more than 181 Helen Hayes Awards and has won over 32, including four Outstanding Resident Play Awards and the Charles MacArthur Award for Original New Play in 2016. Round House’s lifelong learning and education programs serve over 4,000 students each year at its Education Center in Silver Spring and in schools throughout Montgomery County. Cornerstone programs include Play It Forward, which provides free tickets for teens and college school students, the year-round Teen Performance Company, which culminates in the student-produced Sarah Metzger Memorial Play, Summer Camp for students in grades K-12, and a full slate of classes for Adults & Youth.