fig. 1

BLACKSBURG, VA., May 17, 2010 — Sue Ott Rowlands, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, will take her new one-woman play fig. 1 to the Prague Fringe Festival for a nine-show run from May 28-June 5. The play will make its world premiere at Divadlo Inspirace (Inspiration Theatre), which is in the Mala Strana district of Prague.

Now in its ninth year, the Prague Fringe Festival attracts a growing band of visitors from overseas as well as being increasingly popular with Czech audiences. According to its web site, the event “creates a great international atmosphere where those on holiday can mix with locals and enjoy an eclectic mix of high quality and reasonably priced non-elitist theatrical entertainment.”

A brilliant modern adaptation of Anton Chekhov´s heartbreaking story, THE KISS; fig.1 takes the audience on the personal roller-coaster journey of a woman whose sensual desire, long-ago cooled by age and gravity, is suddenly rekindled by a passionate kiss.  As her reason does internal battle with her beating heart´s passion, we witness her intimate dance with memory, fantasy, and reality.

“We are opening in Prague as a furthering of my international arts focus and also to showcase the work of Virginia Tech faculty and students at an international venue,” said Ott Rowlands.

C.J. Mellides, a theatre arts major from Virginia Beach who graduates this May, will accompany Ott Rowlands as the stage manager and lighting designer for the production along with the play´s director Bruce Hermann, a faculty member from Texas Tech. The travelling set was built by Travis Gilmore (Middlebury, Vt.), and Jamie Lindemann (Blacksburg, Va.), two theatre MFA candidates working under the supervision Randy Ward, professor in the Department of Theatre and Cinema.

fig. 1 was written by Mark Evans Bryan, the playwright who also penned other one-woman plays specifically for Ott Rowlands. Bryan´s work has been published in the Kenyon Review, The Journal of American Drama and Theater, and the Blackwell Companion to Twentieth-Century American Drama. Internationally renowned Czech scenic and costume designer, Jaroslav Malina, is designing the show and will be in Prague to supervise the installation of the production.

fig.1 is produced by Bear Gardens and Glacity Theatre Collective with the support of the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts and Cinema and the Texas Tech Department of Theatre and Dance. Ott Rowlands is the founding artistic director of Glacity in Toledo, Ohio.

Read related Virginia Tech News stories:
Ott Rowlands premieres play at Gender, Bodies, and Technology conference
http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2010&itemno=255
University receives its first LEED certification for Theatre 1010/Henderson Hall
http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2010&itemno=233
Theatre 101 opens in grand, green style
http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2009&itemno=808

The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech embraces the arts, humanities, social and human sciences, and education. The college nurtures intellect and spirit, enlightens decision-making, inspires positive change, and improves the quality of life for people of all ages. It is home to the departments of apparel, housing and resource management, communication, educational leadership and policy studies, English, foreign languages and literatures, history; human development, learning sciences and technology, music, philosophy, political science, religion and culture, ROTC, science and technology in society, sociology, teaching and learning, and theatre and cinema. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

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This story can be found on the Virginia Tech News website: http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2010&itemno=XXX

Pragues eagerly awaited annual marathon of theatre, dance, comedy
and music from around the globe bursts to life on May 28th for 9 days.

The Prague Fringe Festival, now in its 9th year attracts a growing
band of visitors from overseas as well as being increasingly popular
with Czech audiences. The event creates a great international atmosphere
where those on holiday can mix with locals and enjoy an eclectic mix of
high quality and reasonably priced non-elitist theatrical
entertainment.

This exciting event offers 40 different shows with over 200
performances and is a mini and more manageable version of the mighty
world famous Edinburgh Fringe. Its cheaper too with tickets priced at
around a third cheaper than the Edinburgh shows.

All productions are in English, Czech or are non-verbal and are
programmed so that you can see up to 5 shows a day or dip in and out as
you please. Shows take place from the afternoon to late evening, most
last for an hour or so with time between to zip from venue to venue and
grab a bite to eat, or even pop back to your hotel for a freshen-up.

Full programme
on line and tickets on sale NOW. Come and join the Prague Fringe group
on
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for updates and gossip