Local theater company opens seaso Sept. 28

Subscriptions are now available for the premiere season of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre.

The professional theater company housed at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will start the Main Stage Season with a production of the play "The Beauty Queen of Leenane," Sept. 28- Oct. 7. Next up will be William Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors," Nov. 9-18. "Of Mice and Men" is set to run Feb. 8-17. The musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" is scheduled for May 3-12. All Main Stage Season productions are set to take place in the Judy Bayley Theatre on the UNLV campus.

The Black Box Theatre at UNLV will house the Adventure Theatre Series with productions of "Closer Than Ever," Sept. 5-9; "Machinal," Oct. 19-28; "Endangered Species," Nov. 30-Dec. 9; "Top Girls," March 1-10; and "Louder Than Words," April 12-21.

"Closer Than Ever" will be an encore presentation of the musical UNLV is sending to Scotland's Edinburgh Fringe Festival held Aug. 5-27.

Managing Director Robert Brewer said the Nevada Conservatory Theatre will be a part of the League of Regional Theatres (Actor's Equity's highest professional regional contract). This will put the conservatory in the same league with great regional theaters like the Seattle Repertory Theatre, San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater, the Arena Stage In Washington, D.C. or the Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Brewer said membership in the theater network will help him secure the best actors and directors while it helps UNLV attract the brightest students. Up to now, the UNLV theater department has had to compete with other schools like the University of Washington who have active professional theater companies associated with their school.

With professional company status, the conservatory will eventually be able to issue Actor's Equity membership to students. Actors are required to appear in a certain number of professional productions before they can join the actor's union. Without equity membership they can't even get into many big New York or regional theater auditions.

While students gain experience, Brewer said local audiences will have the opportunity to see high quality professional performances. The managing director hopes to keep the prices low enough that anyone can attend performances. This year Main Stage Season subscriptions are $50 per person and the Adventure Theatre Series is $25 per person. The conservatory newsletter "Front Row Center" is $10 per year.

Brewer reasons that if a place like Indiana can support the Indiana Repertory Theatre, Nevada should be able to support a professional theater company too.

"Is Las Vegas ready for professional theater? The population suggests it is. The numbers are there," Brewer said.

Brewer will be directing both "The Beauty Queen of Leenane," and "Of Mice and Men." Auditions for the first play were held in New York. Brewer said "Beauty Queen is a show ideal for a professional cast. British playwright Martin McDonough set the play in Ireland, where a 40-year-old daughter struggles to care for her manipulative mother. Although the show is a drama, Brewer said much of the play is full of humor and surprises.

Michael Lugering will direct "Comedy of Errors," while Robert Burgan holds the reigns for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

Brewer said his office answering machine is already full of messages from New York agents anxious to secure auditions for actors.

"I have no difficulty getting actors to come to Las Vegas. It's a wonderful hiatus from New York. Agents even call and say 'Can I audition.' "

Brewer said the January and February productions will draw actors who can't wait to escape the frozen East Coast.

The managing director doesn't anticipate the new conservatory will attract hoards of tourists, but that's not his goal.

"This isn't for tourists. When they come here, they come for the Vegas experience. This is for our city. This is for our people. This is for our children," he insisted.

To keep the conservatory accessible to the people, Brewer plans to have outreach programs to include seniors, students and financially disadvantaged audiences.

Season subscriptions are available at the UNLV Performing Arts Center Box office which is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by phone at 895-2787.