Angela Iannone's THE SEEDS OF BANQUO with Theater RED

 

Local theater company Theater RED announces their world premiere of “The Seeds of Banquo” this August at Soulstice Theatre. Written by acclaimed Milwaukee actress, director, and educator Angela Iannone, “The Seeds of Banquo” is the fourth installment in an original series of plays written by Iannone that further reveals the history and importance of Edwin Booth in the American theater tradition.  Her works have been produced at the University of WI-Whitewater and TITAN Theatre Company in New York City.  “The Seeds of Banquo” will be directed by Iannone.

In the midst of an unending family tragedy, Edwin Booth spearheads his production of Shakespeare’s cursed Scottish Tragedy, Macbeth, at the Booth Theater.  Centered in an often forgotten period of American Theater history, “The Seeds of Banquo” offers a look into the life of the nineteenth century’s most cherished American actor, as he grapples with questions – onstage and off – of honor, ambition, and inheritance.

This is the third world premiere production by Theater RED, founded by local actors Christopher Elst and Marcee Doherty-Elst. The Elsts founded Theater RED to produce works that provide substantial roles for women, growth in craft for artists, and support for new playwrights, especially local work.  “The Seeds of Banquo” begins Theater RED’s 2015 – 2016 season themed, “We All Have Blood on Our Hands.” 

Following the charitable history of both Theater RED and Soulstice Theatre, a portion of the ticket sales for this production will be donated to the Players Foundation for Theatre Education in New York City.  The Foundation maintains the Hampden-Booth Theatre Library, where Ms. Iannone did her original research for the Edwin Booth Play Cycle.  Funds will also support the Foundation in their efforts to restore Edwin Booth’s bedroom, just upstairs of the Library.  For more information, visit www.hampdenbooth.org.

Performances of “The Seeds of Banquo” will take place August 13-15 and 19-22 (7:30 PM) and August 23 (2:00 PM) at Soulstice Theatre, located at 3770 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 2 in Saint Francis, Wisconsin. There will also be a paid preview on Wednesday, August 12 and a “Pay What You Can” night on Monday, August 17 (7:30 PM).  The theater seats 80 patrons and offers refreshments before the show and during intermission. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.theaterred.com.

About Theater RED: Founded in 2013, Theater RED is a registered LLC that produces shows in southeastern Wisconsin. Each show at Theater RED addresses the company’s three founding tenets: substantial roles for women, growth in craft for artists and support for new playwrights. For more information, visit www.theatrred.com.