Kazoo Civic Theatre to present 'Master Class'

KALAMAZOO – The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre will present Terrance McNally's "Master Class," March 30 through April 15 in the Parish Theatre, 426 South Park.
Once described as a "monstrous phenomenon," Maria Callas managed to reign over the world of opera without ever having a perfect instrument; acting was her forte. Both moving and entertaining, this Tony Award-winning tour de force focuses on a short period toward the end of the aging diva's life when she was lured out of semi-retirement to teach a series of master classes at New York's famed Julliard School of Music. It was long after her postwar heyday and her tumultuous affair with Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis, but Callas was still the stuff of legend. As her students (or victims as she called them) sing for her, we experience the intense drive for perfection that elevated Callas to the status of virtual divinity and the deep insecurity that haunted her private dreams and ultimately destroyed her.
The cast of "Master Class" features Civic veterans Jan Drake (Maria Callas) and David Senecal (Stagehand). Making their Civic debuts are Erin Smith (Sophie), Mark VandenBerge (Tony), Julie Kersaan (Sharon), and Kellee Love Zegree (Accompanist).
As part of the Civic's Artist in Residence series, celebrated author Dr. Alma H. Bond will serve as Dramaturge on "Master Class."
In 1946, Pennsylvania native Bond became the second intern hired as part of our then recently developed internship program. Ultimately, Bond left the theater, and, choosing to further her education, earned a Ph.D. in psychology. In 1991, Bond retired from a highly successful Manhattan practice to write full time. A member of the Dramatists Guild, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Florida Freelance Writers Association and the Writers Guild, Bond has published 12 books including "The Autobiography of Maria Callas, a Novel." Additionally, her award winning play "Maria" (about Maria Callas) has been performed in New York.
Bond was one of the first non-medical analysts to be made a member of the International Psychoanalytic Association, and she is also a member of The American Psychological Association. She was runner-up in the First Novel Contest of Hemingway Days, and received many FFWA State of Florida awards for fine writing.
"Master Class" plays in the Parish Theatre, 426 South Park, March 30 through April 15.
For ticket information, call the box office at 269-343-1313 or visit us on line at http://www.kazoocivic.com.