dinerpress

12 June 2003

Shantz Theatre Presents:

THE DINER VARIATIONS

From the people that brought you last year’s critically acclaimed Fringe Festival hit The Candid Biography of a Single Chess Table Chosen at Random on an Ambiguous Spring Day in Central Park, comes the latest comedic tale spun by Shantz Theatre’s playwright-in-residence Matt Fotis –– The Diner Variations. Inspired by David Mamet’s The Duck Variations, this slightly absurdist black comedy follows two lifelong friends as they reflect on their past and speculate about their future after the tragic death of someone near and dear to them both. Touching on everything from McCarthyism to feminist interpretations of 17^th Century French literature, The Diner Variations is sure to have something for everyone.

The Diner Variations features the talents of David Pundt as Nicholas, Larry Warden as Isaac, and Robin Frahm as Emily; all of whom are making their first appearance with Shantz Theatre.

Matt Fotis is the award winning author of numerous plays which have seen stages from coast to coast. Most recently Fotis’ The Mystery of Simon Levene was produced by Pegasus Theatre Company in Monte Rio, CA, after placing 2^nd in the Sonoma County Repertory Theatre’s New Drama Works SCRipts festival (Fotis won the competition in 2002). Other plays have been produced by The Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Sonoma County Repertory Theatre, The Bryant-Lake Bowl, The Chameleon Theatre Circle, Anvilhead Theatre, and Monmouth College.

Praise for by Matt Fotis:

"Everyone in the room was tearing with laughter." Keme Hawkins. Augsburg Echo.
"Fotis’s script enlivens both mundane and bizarre human interactions...[A] tightly acted composition that evokes the gamut of emotions." Erin Adler. City Pages.
"Funny and...truly surprising." Christopher Rawson. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
"The audience couldn’t help but belt out laughter." Augsburg Echo.
"Banter...as fresh as if it were improvisation." Alice T. Carter. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
"Funny...[and] socially relevant." David Sallinger. The Daily News (Pittsburgh).

The Details:

Who: Shantz Theatre
What: The Diner Variations
When: Aug 2^nd @ 8:30pm, Aug 3^rd @ 1pm, Aug 5^th @ 8:30pm, Aug 7^th @ 5:30pm, Aug 9^th @ 4:00pm
Where: Hey City Theatre, Downstairs, 824 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN
Tickets: $10, call Uptown Tix for reservations at 612-604-4466.

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