Two New Sunday Offerings From Studio Roanoke

Just got the following press release from Studio Roanoke, an intriguing addition to its already interesting Sunday mix at the Campbell Ave. theater:

Studio Roanoke is expanding its "Sunday at the Studio" programming in 2011 to include two new recurring events - the Workshop Reading Series and Guerrilla Cinema.

Literary Lounge and Acoustic Lounge, which round out "Sunday at the Studio" programming, continue on the first and third Sunday of each month, respectively.

Under the guidance of Associate Artistic Director Don LaPlant, the Workshop Series will succeed the previous Lunchbox program as a showcase for new and developing plays in a simple, seated-reading format.

The series will begin on January 23 with an 8 p.m. reading of Ed Falco's “Possum Dreams” and will alternate fourth Sundays with Guerrilla Cinema. "The move to Sunday-night reading slots opens up some interesting programming possibilities," says Artistic Director Kenley Smith. "We can now consider full-length plays, and we can give our audiences a first look at shows scheduled for upcoming seasons."

“Possum Dreams,” for example, will receive a full production at Studio Roanoke in 2011-12. With its simple format, the Workshop Series also can give voice to quality scripts that would be difficult to produce fully in the theatre's intimate, black-box space.

Using Studio Roanoke's new, HD-capable projection system, Guerrilla Cinema will feature original work by area filmmakers and multimedia artists. Guerrilla Cinema, like the Workshop Series, will be offered on the fourth Sunday of alternating months; its debut will be February 27. Ben R. Williams, who has hosted Guerrilla Playhouse since its inception last May, also will oversee the new program.

"Guerrilla Cinema and Guerrilla Playhouse share the same goal," Williams says. "We'll offer the audience daring and original programming the likes of which they have never seen before." Guerrilla Playhouse, with its trademark mix of live theatre and original music, will continue on the second Sunday of each month. The next show is January 9 at 8 p.m.