"Variations on a Theme by Tara Varney" coming to Fringe 2017

Variations on a Theme by Tara Varney is a new play comprised of nine scenes, some humorous and some touching, which all have a common thematic thread. The play will be performed at the MTH Theater in Crown Center as part of the Kansas City Fringe Festival, July 20-30, 2017.

It was when Tara Varney was preparing the rehearsal space for a play she was directing in 2009 that she realized the assumptions that people make, based on their own life experiences, concerning others' world view. That thought stayed in the forefront of her mind as she taught acting to young people. It was the seed of Variations on a Theme.

"We all have things we want to say, but can't, for whatever reason, or things we assume the other person already knows, but doesn't," Varney says. "It's the kernel of what makes relationships difficult. When we really, deeply realize that the other person is not coming from the same place we are, then maybe we can make some kind of headway in actually connecting."

Variations on a Theme by Tara Varney features Amy Hurrelbrink, Parry Luellen, Mike Ott, and Marcie Ramirez. The assistant director is Michael Golliher.

Performances of Variations on a Theme by Tara Varney will be as follows:

8:00pm Friday, July 21
5:00pm Sunday, July 23
6:30pm Monday, July 24
9:30pm Tuesday, July 25
8:00pm Thursday, July 27
6:30pm Saturday, July 29

But wait... there's more!

Next door, in the MTH Theatre's Stage 2, Varney will be presenting the companion piece Variations on a Scene by Tara Varney, produced by Bryan Colley. In this show veteran actors Jay Coombes and Caroline Dawson will be taking scenes from Variations on a Theme and using them for actor-driven improv, giving audiences a chance to step inside the actor's head and see how character exploration develops during rehearsal, ultimately creating three-dimensional characters out of words on a page.

Performances of Variations on a Scene by Tara Varney will be as follows:

6:00pm Monday, July 24
7:30pm Tuesday, July 25
9:00pm Wednesday, July 26
9:00pm Friday, July 28
4:30pm Saturday, July 29

Tickets to either show are $10 with a Fringe Button (available for $5 at the box office).

Daniel Doss Performing Pieces from "Red Death"

Here's a video of the awesome Daniel Doss performing some of the music he wrote for Red Death along with some other tunes.

"Khaaaaan! the Musical" Video

Here's the full video of Khaaaaaan! the Musical from the Kansas City Fringe Festival on July 29, 2010. Sorry about the over-exposed image.

"Dream Operator" Play Reading December 12

I'm excited to announce a reading of my new play "Dream Operator."

The play is an adaptation of the 1891 novel "Peter Ibbetson" by George DuMaurier. It's a romantic fantasy about two lovers drawn together by destiny after a nostalgic young man meets the woman of his dreams.

The cast includes Andy Garrison, Davis DeRock, and Emma Carter.

The reading will be at 7pm, Monday, December 12 at The Writer's Place, 3607 Pennsylvania. This event is free. Donations are encouraged.

"Voyage to Voyager" is Ready for Production

Are you interested in producing Voyage to Voyager? Here's all the details:

Synopsis: Using a team of local actors, astrophysicist Carl Sagan directs a play about creating the Golden Record that was on board the Voyager spacecrafts when they launched in 1977. The Golden Record was a message from earth to whatever intelligent life in the universe that might happen find it drifting through space, and included music, images, and greetings from earth in multiple languages.
Voyage to Voyager is a multimedia show that parallels the creation of the record with the creation of the play, and the actors play themselves as well as the Voyager team. The humor of Sagan learning to direct a play along with the bureaucracy he faced creating the record is balanced with an awe for the universe and the quest to define what it means to be human.

Production History: The 60 minute version of the play was first produced at the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium in Union Station as part of the Kansas City Fringe Festival in 2015.

Reviews: "Comical, educational, and provocative, this production asks many questions as to what the human experience truly entails and how diverse we all are from one another.... Filled with laughs and scientific details, Voyage to Voyager gives a fresh perspective on the historic task set forth by Sagan and reminds us of the hope that fuels our individual dreams to take us where no one has gone before." - KC Metropolis

Requirements: The cast requires seven actors of any gender and includes a multi-media presentation of images, sounds, and video. This is a longer version of the play that includes additional material that wasn't part of the original Fringe production. The running time is approximately 80 minutes, but the shortened 60 minute version is available. Performance royalties are negotiable and dependent on the size of the performance venue and ticket prices.

Click here for more information and to download the script