Steven Hunt

KSKA: Friday, January 26 at 2:45pm The Alaska Fine Arts Academy is taking a sabbatical to regroup and to focus on where their next step will be, but before they do, they are teaming up with Cyrano's Theatre Company for one last theatrical blast, and what a blast it is--Dennis T. Ginacino's Disenchanted! a musical of "royal renegades" (Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, et.al.) who "toss off their tiaras" to tell it like it really is. Two of these "princesses", "Snow White" (Anna Cometa) and "Pocahontas" (Lailani Cook) join director Warren Weinstein today on Stage Talk to tell some of their secrets... LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, January 19 at 2:45pm The first nine chapters of Charlotte Bronte's much loved story Jane Eyre come to life in Marisha Chamberlain's stage adaptation, Young Jane Eyre being presented by Anchorage Community Theatre January 19th through February 11th. Hannah Hickenlooper, who plays the title role, drops by Stage Talk this week along with director Krista Schwarting to let us in on the world of this classic coming of age story. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, January 12 at 2:45p.m. "A truly original new piece of theatre", Jacqueline Goldfinger's haunting play filled with music, storytelling and discovery, The Arsonists is being presented by Perseverance Theatre at the Sydney Laurence Theatre. Director Art Rotch, along with the two actors from the show, Allison Holdkamp and Aaron Elmore drop by Stage Talk this week to chat about their process of harnessing three talents (acting, singing, playing guitar) into creating their characters. The Arsonists runs January 12 through the 21st. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, January 5 at 2:45pm. It's the start of 2018 and, with the new year, Cyrano's Theatre Company begins its 26th season of producing exciting theatre for the Anchorage community. Producing Artistic Director Teresa K. Pond drops by Stage Talk this week to give an update on how the transition between their old space at 4th and D and their new facility on Debarr has been going as well as to announce what's coming up this year. Cyrano's season will not only involve their own productions but many collaborations as well. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, December 15 at 2:45p.m. Perseverance Theatre is bringing back Arlitia Jones and Michael Evan Haney's stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol for the fourth year to the Discovery Theatre in downtown Anchorage and actors Aaron Wiseman ("Marley/Ghost of Christmas Present"), Danielle Rabinovitch ("Ghost of Christmas Past/Katherine/Mrs Dilber") and Anchorage General Manager Josh Lowman drop by the studio this week to talk about, among other things, character motivations and class struggles in the play. A Christmas Carol performs December 14 through the 29th. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, December 8 at 2:45pm Wayne Mitchell, co-playwright and actor, along with Music Director Seth Eggleston, drop by Stage Talk this week to chat about TBA Theatre's latest offering; a celebration of Christmas set in 1225 Medieval Europe called Christmas Knight. Four tales, all based on history or folklore that predate much of what we think of modern Christmas will be presented December 8-17 in the E. R. Brown Auditorium in Grant Hall on the campus of Alaska Pacific University. Join Wayne and Seth this week to hear about how they've researched and brought to life these adventures full of music, story and fascinating characters. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, December 1 at 2:45pm Cyrano's Theatre Company is presenting two shows for the holidays this year. Codie Costello directs Our Friends, The Enemy by Alex Gwyther, a play that recounts the Christmas "miracle" that happened during World War I in the trenches between German and British soldiers. And, Colby Bleicher directs Fancy Nancy, The Musical with book and lyrics by Susan DiLallo and Music and lyrics by Danny Abosch about the beloved eccentric "Fancy Nancy" as she and her friends prepare to perform in their very first show. Our Friends, The Enemy performs evenings December 1-24 and Fancy Nancy, The Musical performs matinees December 2-17. Codie Costello drops by Stage Talk this week to chat about both shows. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, November 24 at 2:45pm Anchorage Community Theatre is presenting a zany comedy for the holidays from the pen of Atlanta playwright Topher Payne in Let Nothing You Dismay. Twenty-two characters played by eight actors tell the story of a young couple waiting for the birth of their soon-to-be-adopted child on Christmas Day. Joining Host Steve Hunt this week on Stage Talk is Missy Overly, an actor who plays three different parts, and David Block who has taken on the reins of Director. Let Nothing You Dismay runs November 24 through December 17 at Anchorage Community Theatre located at 1133 E. 70th Avenue. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, November 17 at 2:45pm Anchorage Community Theatre recently had a change in its staff with Matt Fernandez taking over the reigns of Executive Director, leaving his previous post as Community Outreach Director, which subsequently was filled by Colby Bleicher. Both Matt and Colby drop by Stage Talk today to discuss their plans for the future of the company as they work to fulfill its mission of bringing the arts to the community of Anchorage. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, November 10 at 2:45pm When Perseverance Theatre of Juneau opens its second show of its Anchorage season with The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz the audience will be treated to a ring-side performance of professional wrestling throw-downs, head slams and enormous egos. Tune into Stage Talk this week to meet one of the "wrestlers" Jacob Athyal ("VP") and Perseverance Theatre's Executive Artistic Director Art Rotch and hear about what goes on backstage in one of America's favorite pastimes. The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity performs November 9-19 in the Sydney Laurence Theatre. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, November 3 at 2:45p.m. Stonecliff, an original musical about the building of a railway from Skagway into the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush by Michael J. Heney, Alaska's "Irish Prince", will perform at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium November 10-12. Playwright Conrad Boyce (also Director and Producer) joins Stage Talk this week via phone line from Whitehorse, Yukon where the play is currently in rehearsal. Listen in this week to find out about one of Alaska and Canada's more interesting historical figures as well to find out more about this exciting musical. Stonecliff with music by Matthew Lien is making its world premier in Anchorage. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, October 27 at 2:45p.m. Anchorage Opera is opening its season with the comic opera Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti with lyrics by Giovanni Ruffini and Donizetti, a story that's full of love, disguise, trickery and a lot of fun. Join Philip Cokorinos, who plays the title character, David Lefkowich (Stage Director) and AO's General Director Reed Smith this week on Stage Talk to hear all about it. Don Pasquale runs November 3-5 in the Discovery Theatre in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, October 20 at 2:45pm Valley Performing Arts of Wasilla has some skeletons in the closet and they're not afraid of hauling them out and putting them on the stage as they present the ghoulish comedy Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. VPA favorite Todd Broste who plays the "evil" Jonathan Brewster and director Stephen O'Brien drop by Stage Talk this week to chat about murderous spinster aunts, an uncle who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt and a terrified nephew who wants more than anything to just marry his sweetheart and live a normal life amid all the chaos. Arsenic and Old Lace performs October 20-November 5th. LISTEN NOW

KSKA: Friday, October 12 at 2:45pm Just before a sure-fire reelection bid, a North Carolina senator is faced with a mass shooting in his state and has to reexamine the second amendment and his own personal values and views on politics and religion in Jason Odell Williams' new play Church and State. RKP Productions is opening its season with this moving, often humorous look at a hot topic October 13-19 at the Alaska Experience Theatre located on 4th and C streets in downtown Anchorage. This week on Stage Talk director Dick Reichman, Producer Audrey Kelly and Actor Mark Stoneburner are joined by playwright Jason Odell Williams. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, September 29 at 2:45pm Robert Harling's tribute to his sister and the women he grew up with in the South, Steel Magnolias, is being presented by Perseverance Theatre as its opening production of the 2017-2018 Anchorage season. Taking place in a small Southern town's beauty parlor, this touching yet comical story of six women who bond over recipes, gossip, the men in their lives and the struggles they all face will be presented in the Sydney Laurence Theatre September 29-October 15th. Gigi Lynch, who plays the curmudgeon "Ouiser" and Josh Lowman, Anchorage General Manager, drop by Stage Talk today to talk about the show. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, September 22 at 2:45pm. Cyrano's Theatre Company recently moved from their downtown location at 4th and D to 3800 Debarr Rd (site of the former Out North Contemporary Art House) and they are opening their new space with Qui Nguyen's She Kills Monsters, a story of a young woman ("Agnes", played by Taylor Campbell) who enters the world of Dungeons & Dragons to try to understand her deceased sister ("Tilly", played by Jessica Faust) and learns a lot about herself along the way. She Kills Monsters promises much in the way of role-playing, sword fighting and adventure. This dark comedy runs September 22 through October 15. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, September 15 at 2:45pm Anchorage Community Theatre opens its 2017-'18 season with Silver Thaw a brand new murder mystery from Anchorage playwright Schatzie Shaefers. Shaefers, along with director Sarah Athans, drop by Stage Talk this week to give us some info about the play, how Shaefers came to write it and perhaps a few "red herrings" along the way. Silver Thaw performs at ACT September 15th-October 8th. LISTEN HERE

In the summer of 1987 Sandy Harper and her husband Jerry opened Cyrano's, a bookstore and cafe located at D Street and 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage. In 1992, it expanded to include a theatre: "Cyrano's Off Center Playhouse", which became the home of Cyrano's Theatre Company. Over the next 24 years, Cyrano's presented, on average, one play a month. With the passing of Jerry in 2005, Sandy took over as Producing Artistic Director until last year when she handed the reins over to Teresa Pond. This past summer, the Board of Directors made the decision to move the company to the former Out North Contemporary Art House located on Debarr. With this move, we see the "end of an era" for the space on 4th and D and Sandy has decided to hold a celebration on Saturday, September 9th starting at noon and going for as long as people want to stay. Sandy is asking for people to bring stories and memories to share. Join Sandy today on Stage Talk to hear more about this remarkable adventure. KSKA: Friday, September 8 at 2:45pm

Dave Block, the founder and Artistic Director of Midnight Sun Theatre, has some exciting news. He has decided to expand what has up to now been only a summer theatre to a full-year production company and he's on Stage Talk this week to give us all the details. Midnight Sun's upcoming season promises to be full of surprises. KSKA: Friday, September 1 at 2:45pm

KSKA: Friday, August 25 at 2:45pm Just what goes into running an adult dance company in Anchorage? How about two? Join Artistic Directors Becky Kendall of Momentum Dance Collective and Stephanie Wonchala of Pulse Dance Company this week on Stage Talk to find out. Momentum Dance Collective is celebrating their tenth anniversary and Pulse Dance Company is celebrating their eighth year of bringing exciting and creative dance concerts and movement training to the community. LISTEN HERE