BANYAN THEATER COMPANY PRESENTS SECOND ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM
The Banyan Theater Company presents “The Director’s Art: Making the Magic Happen,” its second annual symposium, on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at The Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
Moderated by Ann Morrison, the symposium features theater professionals Michael Donald Edwards, Geraldine Librandi (pictured), Don Walker and Luke Bartholomew sharing their insights during a lively, interactive examination of the director's art and the relationships between actors and directors. Librandi, Walker and Bartholomew will present the panel discussion Why an Actor Needs a Director followed by a Q&A.
Edwards’ session will focus on Telling the Story: How the Director Shapes a Performance followed by a Q&A. Finally, all of the presenters will participate in an open conversation about Shaping a Performance Within the Confines of a Script.
Cost is $70 per person; seating is limited. Breakfast bites, hot lunch catered by Word of Mouth, and wine and cheese reception are included. For more information or to reserve seats, visit www.banyantheatercompany.com or phone Kelly Fores at (941) 358-8998.
Speaker Bios
Luke Bartholomew is a third-year student in the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. With the Conservatory, he was seen as Damis in Tartuffe, Arnholm in Lady From the Sea, and Eglamour in Two Gentlemen of Verona. With Banyan, he portrayed Suresh in Animals Out of Paper. This season, he will be seen in the shows of the Asolo Repertory Theatre.
Michael Donald Edwards is in his fifth season as producing artistic director of Asolo Repertory Theatre. He was previously the associate artistic director for Syracuse Stage and served as artistic director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz. A Garland Award and Drama Logue Award winning director, Mr. Edwards has directed at Indiana Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Shakespeare Theatre, San Jose Rep, Opera San Jose, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Old Globe in San Diego, Virginia Stage Company, Virginia Opera, State Theatre of South Australia, Opera Australia, Victoria State Opera and Metropolitan Opera.
Geraldine Librandi – Regional theater: Long Wharf Theatre, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland PlayHouse, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Triad Stage, Delaware Theatre Company, Asolo Rep, Dallas Theatre Center, Trinity Rep, among others. Off-Broadway: Lost and Found (Lucille Lortel), The Crow Mill (The Cherry Pit), Caesar and Cleopatra (Harold Clurman), Sister Mary Ignasius … (The Duplex), Approaching Simone (LaMaMa, E.T.C.). Television: The Sopranos (Patty Leotardo), Law and Order: CI, All My Children and Against the Law. Film: Astoria and Mr. North. In 2011, she portrayed Becky in Banyan Theater Company's production of Becky's New Car.
Don Walker appeared last summer as Joe in Banyan Theater's production of Becky’s New Car and in 2010 as Morgan in The Drawer Boy. He served as foreman of the jury in the Asolo Rep's Twelve Angry Men. Local audiences will also recognize him from Same Time, Next Year; California Suite; Murder at the Howard Johnson's; and dozens of other Golden Apple Dinner Theatre productions. At Florida Studio Theatre, Don portrayed Norton Baskin in Invasion of Privacy, and Uncle Earl in the workshop productions of Beth Duda’s Up to Home.
