Shows Category: 2011-12

Philo T. Farnsworth is a visionary. A farm boy from Idaho, he can look at the lines of a plowed field and imagine a device that can transmit pictures through the air. David Sarnoff is also a visionary. A Russian immigrant who rose from a telegraph operator to the head of RCA, Sarnoff can see the future of information and entertainment. These two men are at the center of a fascinating struggle over one of the greatest inventions of all time: the television.

Enjoy an electrifying evening from Aaron Sorkin, the Emmy and Academy Award-winning creator of The Social Network, The American President, A Few Good Men, and The West Wing. With 16 actors playing more than 70 roles, this epic story will forever change the way you look at media and the quest for “what’s next.”

The cast features American Players Theatre actor Michael Huftile as Sarnoff, Nicholas Harazin as Philo and members of the UW Madison MFA acting class.

Script developed through Wisconsin Wrights New Play Development Project

The art world is ecstatic when a box of stunning black and white photos from the ’30s is discovered amongst some long-lost possessions of Ernest Hemingway. A curator from the Metropolitan Museum of Art immediately lays claim to them, but so does a woman who might be the granddaughter of the photographer, Walker Evans. As the stories unfold, both in the 1930s and the present day, one question remains: What’s a picture worth?

The cast will feature American Players Theatre actress/Forward Theater advisory company member Sarah Day; UW Madison MFA alum Josh Aaron McCabe; and Milwaukee actors Molly Rhode, Stacy Hicks, Georgina McKee, and Libby Amato.

Raffle Quilt

In conjunction with the production, members of the Forward Theater family have created a raffle quilt. The Fons & Porter design, Granny’s Star, is a patchwork quilt reminiscent of 1930s patterns, in keeping with the time period and themes of the play. FTC’s first board president Jane Elder, former FTC board member Karen Saunders, the playwright Gwendolyn Rice, and FTC supporter Evelyn Link stitched the piece, which will be raffled off at the end of the performance run. All proceeds will support Forward Theater’s education and outreach activities.

The quilt will be on display at Stitcher’s Crossing from December 15 – January 18. Starting January 19, the quilt will be on display at all performances of A Thousand Words. Raffle tickets will be available at Stitcher’s Crossing and at the performances or by calling our office. They are $5 apiece, or five for $20. The winner will be drawn on Sunday, February 5.

Village Wooing by George Bernard Shaw
The Jewish Wife by Bertolt Brecht
Here We Are by Dorothy Parker

Forward Theater presents an evening dedicated to love and relationships – stories of courtship, marriage, and the inevitable evolution of relationships over time. Follow one pair of actors as they embark on an unforgettable journey, through giddy infatuation, nervous beginnings, passionate longing, and tumultuous endings. Penned by three of the most celebrated writers of all time, these plays were conceived in different eras, but their themes are universal. Join us as FTC takes a fresh look at these classic works.

The cast will feature American Players Theatre actors James Ridge and Colleen Madden. Love Stories is directed by Paula Suozzi, formerly of Milwaukee Shakespeare.

FTC is proud to give theater professionals throughout southern Wisconsin an artistic home.