Happy New Year from Actors Rep!
Happy New Year
from
Actors Repertory Theatre
Luxembourg!
We hope that 2017 has been a good year for all of you.
It was an incredible year for Actors Rep in many ways.
And it is all thanks to you, our committed, enthusiastic audiences, supporters, friends, and fans.
This year we were able to engage with English-language audiences and communities more than ever before.
For the first time, we produced three shows:
#WTF HAPPENED? ON THE PHENOMENON OF TRUMP (September)
BIG BOYS (November)
DEAR SANTA… (November / December)
Audience Success!
Combined, the audience totals were our best ever. More people saw an Actors Rep show this year than in any of our five years of producing passionate, professional thought-provoking English-language theatre in Luxembourg.
Take a look at the small photo gallery of pictures from those productions on our website:
Additional pictures are also on our Facebook page.
What You Had to Say
Audiences loved our 2017 shows — and so did the critics:
‘Absolutely stupendous!’ – Wendy Winn, Chronicle.lu (#WTF Happened?)
‘The audience leaves breathless… and having been highly entertained.’ – Duncan Roberts, Delano (#WTF Happened?)
‘A thoroughly entertaining evening.’ – Jess Bauldry, Delano (Big Boys)
‘You’ll walk home wondering just what you’ll be asking Santa for.’ – Sarita Rao, Luxembourg Times (Dear Santa…)
New Faces and a Favourite Collaborator Returns
We were privileged to work again with Peter Zazzali (left, below), who travelled from the US to direct Dear Santa…, and, for the first time, Luxembourg actor Maximillien Jadin (right, below), lit up the Actors Rep stage in Big Boys. Leslie Fischbach also came on board as an invaluable Assistant Director for Big Boys and Dear Santa…
Jill Robertson Kibbey designed the wonderful props and set for Big Boys, and Jess Arling did the terrific graphic designs you saw on our posters, flyers, programmes, and Facebook banners.
And Deirdre Wolohan and e2advance continued the terrific work on our website.
We couldn’t have done it without any of them.
Peter Zazzali
Maximillien Jadin
Classes and Workshops: Actors Lab and Guest Instructor
Associate Artistic Director Christine Probst (left, below) taught four sections of classes delving into the Development of Truth in Acting, Play for the Actor, and Vocal explorations. Keep an eye out on the website for new classes coming soon!
We presented an ‘Impulse Training’ workshop with the great Cologne based actor, director, and acting, comedy and Improv trainer Hans Kieseier (right, below).
Christine Probst-Staffen
Hans Kieseier
Lëtz Go Local!
In March (in Ettelbruck) and again in October (in Luxembourg) we had a stand at ‘De Lokale Maart’, a recurring event presented by lët’z go local. Dozens of people stopped by, chatted, learned about Actors Rep and signed up for our email list.
We look forward to participating in more ‘Lokale Maarts’ later this year!
Ready, Set… Live!
Finally, we were honoured to be onstage at Delano’s final ‘Delano Live’ event of the year with the Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and the Théâtre National du Luxembourg, as well as being featured with them in their cover story on professional English-language theatre in the Grand Duchy.
Onward into 2018!
We have big plans for the coming year.
In June, we plan to produce Anne Nelson’s extraordinary and profoundly moving play The Guys, about a New York City firehouse Captain who loses eight men in the September 11th attacks. Paralysed by his grief and shock, he enlists the help of a journalist to help him write memorials for his lost comrades.
The New York Post described The Guys as ‘a generous, sad, touching play about the braveries of grief’.
The Guys will feature Peter Zazzali and Christine Probst and will be directed by Erik Abbott.
We’re also planning an autumn 2018 show, to announce by spring.
December 2018!
After an enthusiastic reception from public performances and a corporate Holiday party at State Street in Kirchberg, We will revive Dear Santa… during the 2018 holidays. We will host a few public performances and the show will also be available as an entertainment for your company or organisation’s holiday event.
Look for details about booking the show for your holiday event in late summer.
On the Road?!
Also in the summer, we hope to present #WTF Happened? in two theatre festivals in the US.
Applications have been submitted, and we are eagerly awaiting to hear back — fingers crossed!
Resolutions for 2018 and Beyond:
We are committed to continuing to deepen our connection to the Luxembourg English-speaking community.
But we need your help.
Professional theatre is expensive to produce. We rely on ticket sales, of course, but those box office receipts cover only a fraction of the costs of producing professional theatre, even for a small company such as Actors Rep. The rest comes from grants and donations – including individual contributions.
We were very fortunate in 2017 as we saw our contributions from corporate and individual sources rise – allowing us to present our fullest schedule of programming in our history.
Still, the financial challenges are steep.
Would you consider making a contribution to help us continue that success?
Drop us a line (info@actorsrep.lu or ActorsRep.Erik@gmail.com) or phone (+352 621 304 916) and we can answer any questions you might have.
Our bank details are below.
It’s about the people.
Every production has people behind the scenes making what the actors do onstage possible.
Like all professional theatre companies, we are always looking for great actors, but we also need people whose passions may lie backstage in designing or building scenery, helping with costumes or props, or in administration or fundraising or publicity.
Actors Rep is committed to establishing a permanent professional English-language theatre in Luxembourg. We are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish towards that goal in the last five years.
You are the most vital part of the community which believes in and supports that vision.
What can you do?
Do you have fundraising skills? Get in touch. (Please!)
Can you help organise events to help us reach a wider audience?
Can you spend a couple of hours distributing posters and flyers?
Do you have a barn or other space where we can store things?
Do you have a space where we can rehearse?
Do you know of a space where we can perform? (Appropriate performance spaces are difficult to find and book and are always expensive.)
Do you have an idea of a play you’d like to see us produce? A focus for a workshop or classes you’d like to take?
There are so many ways you can be a part of the community we’re building and the vision we’re creating.
Together.
And of course if you or your company would like to make a financial gift to support us or to become one of our sponsors, please contact us.
Most importantly, be part of our audience.
We hope we see you at the theatre!
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