FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/29/11
Morgan Arts Council -- Berkeley Springs, WV
www.macicehouse,org

Press Contact only: Ashley Shade - 304-582-3030

BERKELEY SPRINGS WOMAN COMES HOME TO STAGE

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV ----     

Ashley Shade returns to the Ice House stage to direct and star in her senior project from West Virginia University’s Acting Performance program: Sam Shepard’s Fool For Love.  Showtimes are Friday and Saturday, July 8 and 9 at 8pm and Sunday, July 10 at 3pm.  The show is produced by the Morgan Arts Council (MAC) as a Spotlight event.

Co-starring and directing with Shade is fellow WVU grad, Jake Brady.  Remaining cast members are Professor Don Fidler and Alex C. Estrella.  Fidler’s Voices From the Woods was staged at the Ice House as part of Back To Our Roots 2009. 

“Ashley grew up in MAC’s theater program,” said Mary Hott, MAC’s Executive Director.  “We’re so proud and pleased that she’s bringing her work at WVU home. We’re also glad to see Don Fidler again, and this time as an actor.”

Brady and Shade are ardent fans of Sam Shepard’s.  “He has this dreamlike quality that intrigues me because the characters are so realistic,” said Shade.  “I drifted away from musical theater to dig into strange and bizarre plays like those Shepard writes.”    In a theatrical coincidence,  Shepard’s newest play, Ages of the Moon opens the same weekend at Shepherdstown’s Contemporary American Theater Festival.  When told there were rumors Shepard may attend the CATF performance and perhaps discover another of his plays in Berkeley Springs, Shade was enthusiastic.  “That would be incredible,” she said. 

“It’s exciting to do the play again, and in Berkeley Springs,” said Shade.  “The story is relevant to a small town, and the relationship between Eddie and May is universal.”  There is adult content in the play.

The former students put their own mark on the play with original music by Kevin Merrill, another WVU student who composes and records as deerbourne.  “He came to the first rehearsal and it inspired him to write a song that became the theme for the play’s music,” said Shade.  “He kept watching us rehearse and ended up writing more music for our production.”    deerbourne performs his music before and during each performance at the Ice House.

Tickets are available at the door; reservations can be made but are not required.  Call 304-258-2300 or check online at macicehouse.org.  The Ice House is located at Independence and Mercer in downtown Berkeley Springs.