Welcome to the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley website!

Staged Reading - Short Plays by Parks and Lashof

Directed by Susannah Wood.
One night only, Monday, January 14th, 2018, 8 p.m. Live Oak Theatre

What would you do if your daughter ran away with the boyfriend from hell? Literally. If you are Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, you have the power to hold the whole earth hostage. (Click here for PDF of the program.)

 "Lashof's play is a tender rewrite of the ancient Greek myth, with timely reminders of the beauty of the Earth and the need to preserve it. Carol Lashof is a Berkeley writer whose work recently premiered off Broadway and who is recognized for prompting discussion about current issues in her plays.


Persephone UndergroundSHORT PLAYS BY PARKS AND LASHOF

Presented as part of Actors Ensemble's Winter Staged Reading Series, in concert with our main stage production of Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth". One night only, Monday, January 14th at 8 p.m., Live Oak Theatre.

Selections from "365/365:" by Suzan-Lori Parks

"Persephone Underground" by Carol Lashof

Directed by Susannah Wood.
One night only, Monday, January 14th, 2018, 8 p.m. Live Oak Theatre

The program starts off with excerpts from World-renowned playwright Suzan-Lori Parks' "365/365", a satirically hopeful work about world troubles and how to face them boldly, with humor.

The program continues with Carol Lashof's one-act play "Persephone Underground" What would you do if your daughter ran away with the boyfriend from hell? Literally. If you are Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, you have the power to hold the whole earth hostage. "Lashof's play is a tender rewrite of the ancient Greek myth, with timely reminders of the beauty of the Earth and the need to preserve it. Carol Lashof is a Berkeley writer whose work recently premiered off Broadway and who is recognized for prompting discussion about current issues in her plays.

Susannah Wood (Director) has been active as a professional actress and singer for many years, in the Bay Area and beyond. She has directed over 50 classic and new plays for Actors Ensemble, Crowden Summer Opera and Opera Piccola ("Small Works"). She is excited about collaborating on plays whose themes creatively parallel Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth.

Made possible by a TBA CASH grant and with the cooperation of TheatreFirst.

Cast:
Tracy Baxter
Zara Chastain
Julia Christy
Joel Green
Venus Ke
Helen Kim
Tareka Le Shay
Kahlil Lineus
Bryan Munar
Sarah Negron
Dan Schwager
Baki Tezcan
Liv Wisely
Wendy Wisely

One night only, Monday January 14th at 8 p.m., Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710. Pay-What-You-Can, cash or check accepted at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Reservations accepted but not required. Call 510-649-5999 or write This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Directions at our website www.aeofberkeley.org. Wheelchair accessible. 

 

Thank You

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is delighted to acknowledge the Berkeley Civic Arts Program and Civic Arts Commission's support in the form of a grant of $8,000.00 awarded in 2017. Also, a thank you to Theatre Bay Area for a grant of $2,500.00.

Actors Ensemble Facebook Group

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley - P.O. Box 663 - Berkeley - California - 94701 ¦ Our Answering Service: (510) 649-5999 ¦

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Federal Tax ID #946139640, since 04-1967