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Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina presents, Taking a Chance on Love by North Carolina playwright, C. Robert Jones of Mars Hill. This romantic comedy is the story of Ned, who brings his French fianc�e, Madeleine (18 years his senior), home to meet his twice-divorced father, Edgar, and his grandmother, Margaret. To further complicate things, Edgar invites both ex-wives to the occasion (Ned's mother and his stepmother), while Madeleine brings along her former husband, Kiki, and their daughter. From this absurd tangle of relationships, all the �wrong� people fall in love.Taking a Chance on Love premiered last year at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre (SART) last summer. Like most romantic comedies, Taking a Chance on Love has all the important elements: happy adventures; an atmosphere of gaiety; the play of wit and humor and sexy repartee. Veteran playwright, Jones has crafted a smart story of romance with a fresh and new angle, the May-December romance. In Taking a Chance on Love, the older/younger couplings offer plot complications, but in the end proves that there is someone out there for everyone and that love can overcome all obstacles. Multi-talented playwright, C. Robert Jones is also an actor, director, composer and college professor. His musical, Rivals, was honored with the David B. Marshall Award in Musical Theatre, and his drama, Chiaroscuro (Nocturne for a Southern Lady), premiered at Theatre Memphis, as a winner of their national play search. He has written three one-person shows: Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts (about Stephen Foster); Bert Williams, Broadway Star (about black comedian/composer/actor Bert Williams); and Jenny Lind Sings Tonight! Locally, he may be best known for his oft-produced musical comedy, Mandy Lou, which originally starred Linda Edwards, a regular Playhouse performer and member of the Taking a Chance on Love cast. Last year, he premiered two new scripts as a playwright: Taking A Chance On Love at SART and Treasures, a musical commissioned by Mars Hill College for its Sesquicentennial. Roberts is the founder of the Theatre Arts Department at Gardner-Webb University and created the BFA Degree Program in Musical Theatre at Mars Hill. Roberts is also a National Endowment Fellow at Yale University. Taking a Chance on Love is directed by Betsy Bisson and stars a variety well-known Playhouse performers. Ralph Redpath plays Ralph, the father of this group of star-crossed lovers. Redpath served for eleven years as the Artistic Director of Asheville Community Theatre and played Edgar in last year�s premiere of Taking a Chance on Love at SART. Linda Edwards (Adele) has been performing at Flat Rock Playhouse for almost 20 years. Trained as a classical soprano, Edwards was chosen by Leonard Bernstein to tour Israel singing his music. Perennial Playhouse favorites Jane Bushway and Peter Thomasson play Margaret and Kiki � a delightful and seemingly mismatched pair. Rounding out the cast are familiar Playhouse company members: Ben Hope, Marcy McGuigan and Stephanie Wahl. New to the Playhouse is Debra Gillingham who has performed/directed/choreographed with Barter Theatre, Burning Coal Theatre, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre and Temple Theatre. As a highlight to the production of Taking a Chance on Love, the Playhouse is presenting two special events. The public is invited to a cocktail party with C. Robert Jones and the cast of Taking A Chance on Love hosted by Seasons Restaurant at Highland Lake Inn on Sunday, June 3, following the matinee performance. On Monday, June 4, Jones will conduct a Playwriting Workshop from 7 pm to 9 pm. The workshop is hosted by the YouTheatre and is open to all ages and will focus on the stage as a unique place to tell a story, as well as an introduction to the craft of playwriting for writers and interested non-writers. Jones will offer techniques as well as practical advice on being and becoming a playwright. Tickets to the cocktail party are $25 and the workshop fee is $5 for students and $10 for adults. All proceeds of the workshop go toward the Capital Campaign to build the new Robin R. Farquhar YouTheatre Education Center. With Taking a Chance on Love, playwright C. Robert Jones has created characters that set off sparks, laughs that go deep and dialogue that gets right to the heart. Taking a Chance on Love is onstage May 23 through June 9 and is presented by Prudential Beacon Realty. Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8:15 pm and matinee performances are most Wednesdays, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:15. Tickets for Taking a Chance on Love are $28 with discounts available for seniors, students and groups. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Playhouse box office at 693-0731, toll-free at 866-732-8008. (Image provided by Flat Rock Playhouse.)
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