Theatre Jacksonville has an extraordinary and festive weekend planned for February 7-9, featuring three favorite artists in an unusual trio of shows to celebrate the 25th year of Executive Director Sarah Boone’s leadership of the organization. 
           

The Sarah’s Silver Sessions weekend will kick off with Boone herself headlining her popular Mom Before Dad: A Young Woman of the Greatest Generation, a memory-filled musical show drawn from the pages of a journal Boone discovered among her late mother’s belongings. Then, Ann Talman – an actor, singer, storyteller, award-winning documentary filmmaker and four-time Broadway veteran – will present her new cabaret show, Elizabeth Taylor and the Shadow of Her Smile, detailing Talman’s relationship with Taylor after she played Taylor’s daughter in The Little Foxes on Broadway in 1981. Theatregoers will also be treated to one late-night performance of cabaret icon Dorothy Bishop’s The Dozen Divas Show, a long-running NYC comedic tribute that brings a dozen (or so) popular divas to life – impersonating and lovingly skewering such favorites as Adele, Cher, Stevie, Judy, Liza, Dolly, Tina, Barbra, Patti and more. 

“When I was asked about an ideal way to celebrate my 25th year at Theatre Jacksonville, I thought it would be fun to bring some of my favorite shows and performers to town. People have also been requesting an encore performance of Mom Before Dad after it’s been touring for two years, so we added that to the mix,” said Boone. “I am so honored to share this special weekend with Ann and Dorothy, and we are thrilled to present this trio of magical performances for our audiences.”     

Boone became executive director in June of 2000, and under her noteworthy leadership, Theatre Jacksonville has established a major operational endowment, undergone significant renovations of its historic playhouse, grown its popular summer arts camp and toddler programming, and continued its legacy as the longest continuously running community theater in the state of Florida and one of the oldest in the nation.

Performances of Boone’s Mom Before Dad will take place on Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. Elizabeth Taylor and the Shadow of Her Smile will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. The Dozen Divas show will be Saturday, Feb. 8 at 10 p.m.    

All shows are included with Theatre Jacksonville’s All Access Memberships. Subscriber tickets are $25 per show. Single tickets are available for $31, and a Three-Show Package is $75.
In addition to Sarah’s Silver Sessions, upcoming Theatre Jacksonville Mainstage season productions include:
¨     The Women of Lockerbie by Deborah Brevoort, opening January 17 – Inspired by a true story and written in the form of a Greek tragedy, the Women of Lockerbie tells the story of a mother from New Jersey whose son was lost in the crash of Pan Am 103. She meets the women of Lockerbie, who are engaged in a tussle with the U.S. government to obtain the clothing of the victims so they can turn an act of hatred into an act of love. This poetic drama explores how grief changes over time.
¨     The Boys Next Door by Tom Griffin, opening March 7 – This unusual play details the daily lives of four mentally challenged young men living in a communal residence, told through the perspective of a social worker who looks after them. Marked with compassion and understanding, The Boys Next Door reminds us that everyone wants and deserves love, meaning and purpose.   
¨     Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, opening April 18 – The legendary vampire tale is hilariously twisted in this gender-bending romp through a hunt for the dangerous and sexy Count Dracula. The comedy serves up clever wordplay and quick-change antics, while five actors play over a dozen roles in the head-spinning, reimagining of a Gothic classic.   
¨     Desperate Measures by Peter Kellogg and David Friedman, opening June 6 – This witty and wild new musical comedy serves up a colorful cast of Wild West-inspired characters who intervene in the fate of the dangerously handsome Johnny Blood. Before the sun sets, will they be able to pull off the greatest act yet, or will Johnny be left hanging?
            For more information about Sarah’s Silver Sessions or the 105th season lineup, visit http://www.theatrejax.com.

About Theatre Jacksonville
Theatre Jacksonville was founded in 1919 as The Little Theatre of Jacksonville, with the capital for the 1938 construction of the historic facility donated by Carl S. Swisher. It was reincorporated as Theatre Jacksonville in 1969 and named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Theatre Jacksonville has provided 105 years of uninterrupted community theater in Jacksonville.

Theatre Jacksonville’s mission is to enrich lives and broaden cultural understanding through community participation in theater arts. In addition to providing more than 100 performances each season of outstanding community theater featuring a regional cast of exceptionally talented playwrights, musicians, actors, designers and stagehands, Theatre Jacksonville reaches hundreds of students each year through summer camps, classes, field trips and in-school presentations.  

Theatre Jacksonville also uses art to advance issues of local concern. From supporting veterans to nurturing arts and recreation, it fosters community partnerships to advance the culture, health and well-being of Jacksonville. As Theatre Jacksonville anticipates its future, it also seeks to build a strong operational foundation to ensure that, just as endowed funds support the theater building, endowed funds will support theater operations. For more information or to donate, visit www.theatrejax.com.