Alligators premiere production of VLT’s new annual Stage II PlayBirth Series

Alligators is the fifth show of the theatre’s 2006-2007 Stage II season.

In the summer of 2004, Herald Tribune theatre critic, Jay Handelman, undertook to direct a play: to learn - as he said - "Can I do that?" The play he directed was Reed’s Alligators, and it was produced as part of the Riverfront Theatre’s New Play Series. (In that cast was VLT’s Sara Trembly, who is also in the VLT cast). He chronicled his experience in a lengthy series published in the Herald Tribune the next month. (The stories are still available on the paper’s website.)

Handelman said "Alligators tells the haunting story of a woman coming to terms with her past. Her memories of the mother who abandoned her, the mysterious one-armed woman who helped to raise her, and the father she never knew provide an often humorous and always moving exploration of the nature of survival and understanding."

A memory play, Alligators is an endearing story and a challenge that VLT is proud to produce. Audiences should note that it is not recommended for children, as it has adult content.

The theatre is located at 140 West Tampa Avenue on the island in Venice. Box office hours are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and opens for walk up business one hour before all performances.

By Sylvia Reed

DIRECTED BY Kelly Wynn Woodland

SCENIC DESIGN BY Steve Mitchell

LIGHTING DESIGN BY Brad Pattison

SOUND DESIGN BY Dorian Boyd

COSTUME DESIGN BY Nicholas Hartman

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Mike Lusk

STAGE MANAGER Mark Silpa

The Cast

Lucy - Chelsea Gonzalez

Marlene - Sara Trembly

Miss Lila - Patti O’Berg

Mr. Belden - Jim Lovett