Tickets: $15 -- 214-522-8499 or www.dallastheatercenter.org 

DALLAS (March 10, 2006) - Destruction can be beautiful: Take a thrill ride with a dynamic cast of seven women into the world of A Macbeth, Dallas Theater Center's inaugural production of FRESH INK/Forward Motion. This 90-minute version of William Shakespeare's Macbeth is directed by DTC Artistic Associate Melissa Cooper. 

Swift-paced, energetic, full of extraordinary lyricism and searing images, Shakespeare's Macbeth is a radically strange play that remains as surprising and unsettling today as when it was first performed. With a spirit of experimentation and inquiry, Shakespeare's masterpiece is brought to life with an ensemble of seven gifted actors, creating the violent, swirling, oddly exhilarating world of the play. Like a great horror movie, A Macbeth delights as it terrifies, taking us on a journey into the darkest recesses of the human soul. 

"Dallas Theater Center's FRESH INK/Forward Motion provides an exciting opportunity to take creative risks and explore new approaches to new and classic theater," Director Melissa Cooper said. "I'm thrilled to be directing Macbeth in a streamlined version with a contemporary edge, using a seven-person ensemble of women." 

Sally Vahle portrays Macbeth, while actors Kateri Cale, Gail Cronauer, Liz Mikel, Clara Peretz, Ashley Rideaux and Joanna Schellenberg embody all remaining characters with each actor playing multiple roles. (See bios below.) 

"Macbeth is an exploration of human nature that transcends gender difference," Cooper said. "Still, casting women highlights, as did the original all-male productions, the way Shakespeare plays with our expectations of what it means to be a man or a woman. If a 16th century boy could effectively portray Lady Macbeth, why not ask 21st century women to meet the glorious challenges of roles like Macbeth, Banquo and Macduff?"   

Melissa Cooper is currently Artistic Associate at Dallas Theater Center, where she co-founded and produced the "Big D Festival of the Unexpected", a ten-day celebration of experimental theater and works-in-process. Her plays and adaptations have been seen around the country, most recently at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her play Antigone Now, under its original title The Antigone Project, was named a Top Ten Local Arts Event by The Dallas Morning News. 

The design team for A Macbeth is: Russell Parkman (Scenic Designer), Barbara Hicks (Costume Designer), Brian Branigan (Sound Designer), Tristan Decker (Lighting Designer) and Sara Romersberger (Choreographer/Fight Director). Ellen Locy serves as assistant director. 

FRESH INK/Forward Motion expands DTC's long commitment to original work, including workshops of radical interpretations of classic texts and regional premieres of new plays. Staged with a minimum of design, these productions will prize the work of actors and the nuances of spoken language to create experiences that are remarkable for their intimacy and immediacy.  

All performances of A Macbeth will be held in Bryant Hall in DTC's Heldt Administration Building located at 3736 Turtle Creek Blvd., adjacent to the Kalita Humphreys Theater. The play runs March 23-April 1, including one preview performance at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 23 and opening night at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 24. Single ticket prices are $15 and are available by calling the box office at 214.522.8499 or by visiting www.dallastheatercenter.org. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more by calling 214.252.3924. 

Performance Schedule:

Thursday, March 23                  8 p.m.   Preview

Friday, March 24                       8 p.m.   Opening Night

Saturday, March 25                   8 p.m.  

Sunday, March 26                     2 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Wednesday, March 29               8 p.m.  

Thursday, March 30                  8 p.m.  

Friday, March 31                       9 p.m.  

Saturday, April 1                       2 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Sunday, April 2                          8 p.m.    

Evolution of FRESH INK/Forward Motion: FRESH INK/Forward Motion began in its first phase in the 2003-04 season as FRESH INK: New Plays at Dallas Theater Center. FRESH INK featured readings of new plays in a one-night only event that was free and open to the public. FRESH INK allowed Dallas Theater Center to invite playwrights from across the country to work in residence with local directors and actors as part of the theater's ongoing mission to create developmental opportunities for innovative and emerging writers. The staged readings were presented on select Monday evenings at Dallas Theater Center through fall 2005. 

Beginning in the spring of 2006, FRESH INK/Forward Motion takes over where FRESH INK left off, continuing DTC's commitment to new plays by moving from readings to workshop productions. 

BIOS 

KATERI CALE (Banquo/Seyton/Ensemble) DTC: Big D Festival, Quake (Undermain Theatre).  Off-Broadway: Coaticook (Undermain Theatre at the Ohio Theater).  Regional: Holiday Dreams (Project X: Theatre); The Daughters of the Late Colonel; The Six That Fell; Brownies (Echo Theatre); Henry IV, Parts I and II; King Lear (Shakespeare Festival of Dallas); Cat's Paw (Undermain Theatre).  Voiceover: News broadcasts for Reading and Radio Resource, serving the visually impaired.  (Volunteer since 1987).  Education: B.F.A., The College of Santa Fe.  Founding Producer, Project X: TheatreDanceMusicFilm, Dallas, Texas. 

GAIL CRONAUER (Macduff/Ensemble) DTC: Hedda Gabler, Front Page, The Seagull, Night of the Iguana, All's Well That Ends Well.  Off-Broadway: Richard III (Judith Shakespeare Company).  Regional: Freedomland (Echo Theatre); Much Ado About Nothing (Classical Acting Company); Othello (Shakespeare Festival of Dallas); The Norman Conquests (Stage West); On the Verge (Stage One); Terese Raquin (Undermain Theatre); Top Girls (Theatre Three); Romeo and Juliet (Fort Worth Shakespeare).  Film and TV: Carried Away; The Newton Boys; Boys Don't Cry; Hefner; The Substitute Wife; A Mother's Gift; The Unspoken Truth; Walker, Texas Ranger.  Education: M.F.A., Case Western Reserve University. 

LIZ MIKEL (Duncan/Doctor/Ensemble) DTC:  Crowns; The Antigone Project; Ain't Misbehavin'; Cotton Patch Gospel; Our Town; A Christmas Carol (1991-2005); Avenue X; A Streetcar Named Desire; A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Regional:  Cape Playhouse (Cape Cod), A Contemporary Theater (Seattle), Arkansas Repertory Theater, Live Oak (Austin).  Local:  Casa Mañana, Dallas Children's Theater, Jubilee Theatre, Theatre Three, WaterTower Theatre.  Tours:  Ain't I A Woman (National Tour 2005-06); Blind Lemon Blues (Europe and New York); Blues In The Night (National Tour 2000).  Other: 1998 Rabin Award, Best Actress 2004 in D Magazine, 2004 Theater Critics Forum Award. 

CLARA PERETZ (Fleance/Macduff's Son/Ensemble) DTC: Joe Egg; A Christmas Carol (2001-2004); DTC Fresh Ink Reading Series: ...and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi.  Regional credits include: Bo Groden, Off the Map (Echo Theatre); Spider, James and the Giant Peach (Irving Children's Theater); Hymen, As You Like It (Shakespeare Festival of Dallas). Film: Lacey in Robert Altman's Dr. T and the Women.  Clara has studied acting at Dallas Theater Center and the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City. She attends Highland Park Middle School. 

ASHLEY RIDEAUX (Malcolm/Lady Macduff/Esemble) DTC: Antigone, The Antigone Project.  Nerissa, Merchant of Venice (Milwaukee Shakespeare); Guililai, The Afghan Women (In Tandem Theatre); Bianca, Taming of the Shrew; Anne Page, Merry Wives of Windsor (Door Shakespeare); Mistress Shore, Richard III; Rosalind, Mary Stuart; Shirley, Suburban Motel; A Christmas Carol; Napoli Milionaria; The Cripple of Inishmaan (Milwaukee Repertory Theater).  Education: B.F.A., Southern Methodist University. 

JOANNA SCHELLENBERG (Lady Macbeth/Ensemble) DTC: Christmas Past, A Christmas Carol; Mariah, An Experiment with an Airpump; Ismene, The Antigone Project; Diana, All's Well That Ends Well.  Juliet, Romeo and Juliet; Anne Page, Merry Wives of Windsor; Olivia, Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Festival of Dallas); Cassandra, Troilus and Cressida; Mrs. Allfurd, The Swanne (The Stratford Festival of Dallas).  Awards: 1998-99 Dallas Theater Critics' Award winner for Lilli, Why We Have a Body (Echo Theatre). 

SALLY NYSTUEN VAHLE (Macbeth) DTC: Blur; The Front Page; Crumbs from the Table of Joy; An Ideal Husband; Angels in America, Parts I & II; The Misanthrope; A Christmas Carol; DTC Fresh Ink Reading Series: Psychos Never Dream; Girl Blog: Baghdad Burning; ...and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi; Cradle of Man; Pro Bono Publico.  Local credits include: Mud; The Pitchfork Disney; The Yellow Wallpaper (Kitchen Dog Theater); As You Like It (Shakespeare Festival of Dallas); Dear Liar (Theatre Three).  Film/Television:  JFK; Wishbone; Walker, Texas Ranger.  Education:  M.F.A. in Acting from S.M.U.  Awards:  Ari Award; Leon Rabin Awards; Critic's Forum Awards; Emmy Nomination, Wishbone.  Other:  Founder, Kitchen Dog Theater; Adjunct Professor of Theater, University of North Texas.  

MELISSA COOPER (Director) is Artistic Associate at Dallas Theater Center, where she co-founded and produced six seasons of DTC's "Big D Festival of the Unexpected".  Her plays and adaptations have been seen around the country at Dallas Theater Center, Portland Stage Company, East Los Angeles Classic Theater, San Diego Rep, Empty Space, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and alternative performance venues in NYC (Coney Island USA, Limbo Lounge, PS 122's Avant-garde-a-rama, BACA Downtown, and others).  Her recent play, Antigone Now (originally titled The Antigone Project) was selected by the Dallas Morning News as one of the 2003's ten best performance events.  Recent directing credits include Twelfth Night (co-directed with Sara Romersberger) at Southern Methodist University's Meadows School for the Arts and Cradle of Man by Melanie Marnich for DTC's Fresh Ink Reading Series. 

SARA ROMERSBERGER (Movement/Fight Choreographer) is Associate Professor of Theatre at Southern Methodist University where, she has directed and choreographed extensively since 1999. Prior to coming to SMU, Ms. Romersberger created fight and movement choreography for over forty university and professional productions and danced directed, choreographed, and performed her own brand of movement theatre off-Broadway in New York at The Mint Theatre and Primary Stages. Professionally in the Metroplex she created movement and fight choreography for Dallas Theater Center, Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, Undermain Theatre, Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, Dallas Children's Theater (for which she won a Leon Rabin Award), Plano Repertory Theatre and Circle Theatre.   

RUSSELL PARKMAN (Scenic Designer) has been teaching in the graduate design program at Southern Methodist University for the past eight years.  Internationally, he has designed at the Flamnco Bienale in Seville, the Teater Ibsen in Norway and the Teatro Popular in Bogotá, Colombia.   In New York, Russell has designed at the Perry Street Theatre, Manhattan Class Company, La Cucaracha, The New Theatre of Brooklyn, Fordham University and New York Stage and Film.  Regionally, his credits include Cleveland Playhouse, Huntington Theatre, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre, El Teatro Campesino, Santa Fe Stages, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Playmaker's Repertory Theatre, Meadow Brook Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Skylight Opera and Memphis Opera.  Russell is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. 

BARBARA HICKS (Costume Designer) is enjoying her fourth season at DTC.  She came to Dallas from Michigan where she worked as Resident Costume Designer for Meadow Brook Theatre, the state's largest regional theatre company.  During her tenure at Meadow Brook, she designed more than 50 productions ranging from Shakespeare to musicals. 

TRISTAN DECKER (Lighting Designer) Shakespeare Festival of Dallas: A Winter's Tale; Richard III; Twelfth Night.  Our Endeavors Theatre Collective: Last One-Nighter on the Deathtrail; Dainty Shapes and Hairy Apes, or the Green Pill; Artificial Jungle. Undermain Theatre: Blasted; Uncle Bob; A Por Quinly's Christmas.  Kitchen Dog Theater: Eighteen; Christie in Love.  Resident set and lighting designer at the University of Dallas.  Two time recipient of the DFW Theater Critics Forum Award. 

BRIAN BRANIGAN (Sound Designer) is delighted to be a part of the creative team for this production of A Christmas Carol.  He has worked extensively in the DFW area as both a Sound Designer and Engineer.  He also spent years on the road touring all over the US and Canada as the Sound Engineer for all 3 Greater Tuna productions starring Joe Sears and Jaston Williams, and the National Broadway tour of Saturday Night Fever.  

ELLEN LOCY (Assistant Director/Dramaturg) Director:  Daughters of the Late Colonel; Off the Map (Rabin Nomination); Ariel Bright; Trifles.  Assistant Director/Dramaturg:  An Almost Holy Picture; Why We Have a Body.  Performer:  Sailing to Byzantium; Freedomland; Boy Gets Girl (Rabin Nomination); Vita and Virginia; The Memory of Water.  Education: University of Texas (Austin), Université de Strasbourg (France), Directors's Lab West (LA).  Other: Founding member Lone Star Comedy, Radio news reader for North Texas Reading for the Blind, Producing Partner at Echo Theatre. 

About Dallas Theater Center

One of the leading regional theaters in the country, DTC performs to an audience of more than 80,000 North Texas residents annually. The Theater Center's main stage season is presented at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, one of only three existing theaters designed and built by the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The mission of DTC is to produce classic, contemporary, and new plays of the highest artistic quality. DTC creates communal experiences that inspire new ways of thinking and living and works to help nurture and shape the future of American theater.

Dallas Theater Center gratefully acknowledges the support of its season sponsors: The Dallas Morning News, WFAA, American Airlines and Central Market. FRESH INK/Forward Motion is sponsored by the Fund for the Encouragement of Informed Risk-Taking.

Directed by Melissa Cooper

DTC's Bryant Hall · Adjacent to the Kalita Humphreys Theater · 3736 Turtle Creek Blvd.

Preview: Thursday, March 23 ·

Opening Night: Friday, March 24 

Complete Run: March 23-April 2