Gulfshore Playhouse Adds Two Partnerships with Pay-What-You-Can Previews Benefiting Two Local Charities

Gulfshore Playhouse will present two Pay-What-You-Can preview performances for their "Reza in Rep" productions on October 16 & 17. These Pay-What-You-Can previews will provide opportunities for all members of the community to see two Tony Award-winning plays at a professional regional theatre. Half of the proceeds from each performance will benefit two local charities. Both previews will take place at 8 p.m.

On October 16, the God of Carnage preview will benefit The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, coinciding with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Shelter's mission is leading the community to prevent, protect and prevail over domestic violence through advocacy, empowerment and social change. Mary Ann Green and members of The Shelter will be in attendance on October 16th.

The 'Art' preview on October 17 will benefit The United Arts Council of Collier County, who promote art & culture on behalf of Collier County's entire arts community, including education in the arts to at-risk students and outreach programs to underserved areas of the county. Elaine Hamilton and members of the United Arts Council will be in attendance on October 17th.

Patrons attending these performances will pay a minimum of $1 by cash, check or credit card and will be given a general admission ticket on a first come, first served basis starting at 7:00 p.m. (along with their corresponding number in line). There will be a limit of four tickets per person. Doors to the theatre will be open starting at 7:30 p.m. and patrons will be able to enter the theatre in groups in the order of their corresponding number.

"I am humbled to be able to serve our community in general and especially grateful for this unique opportunity to help two such remarkable organizations. I'm ecstatic about all our partnerships with local not-for-profits this year, which also include The Naples Philharmonic, The Holocaust Museum, The Children's Museum of Naples, and ArtsNaples World Festival," states Kristen Coury, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse.

'Art': Have you ever argued with a friend who had a different worldview? Was the dispute over something important, something about which you were so passionate that you were willing to stake your friendship on it, like religion, politics, money… or art? Don't miss 'Art', a hilarious and acerbic comedy that examines the meaning of art, friendship, peer pressure and the ultimate value of those you love.

God of Carnage, the Internationally-acclaimed comedy, brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents after a playground altercation between their eleven-year old boys. Though the meeting to resolve the matter begins with polite pleasantries, it quickly descends into primal madness as tempers flare, loyalties shift and the parents devolve into children. Don't miss this comedy of manners (without the manners!) that both strikes a chord and hits a funny bone all in one fell swoop!

Gulfshore Playhouse is Naples' first and finest professional theatre company offering a variety of stimulating, thought-provoking and entertaining productions from important classics to Broadway hits and innovative new works. Our shows are conceived and created in-house using a team of professional designers and technicians as well as Equity actors with credits ranging from Broadway shows to film and television.

The Gulfshore Playhouse Theatre Education Project serves Southwest Florida through a wide variety of unique educational opportunities. Our programming provides people from our diverse community accessibility to the art of theatre. Program offerings range from ART SMART, our in-school residencies which teach content curriculum through the lively art of theatre during the school day, to the STAR (Student Theatre Artist in Residence) after-school theatre classes and Theatre Summer Camps. We offer a variety of educational opportunities for adults, from rigorous internship programs to Professional Training Series classes taught by professional actors and members of the Gulfshore Playhouse creative team, and our newly unveiled Synergy Series, a series of panel discussions and talk-backs relating to our Mainstage productions.

Gulfshore Playhouse's 2012-2013 season includes "Reza in Rep", a one-man tour-de-force I Am My Own Wife, the funniest comedy in the English language The Importance of Being Earnest, a mesmerizing new drama The Whipping Man and the musical play based on the life of Maria Callas Master Class. All shows in the 2012-2013 season (with the exception of Master Class) are presented at the Norris Center, 755 8th Avenue South, Naples. Master Class will be presented at the Daniels Pavilion at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts.