Arden Theatre Company presents the 2006/07 Arden Professional Apprentice Showcase on June 3 and 4, 2007. To complete a season of demanding and thorough training in the inner workings of a regional theatre, the company of six Arden Professional Apprentices (APAs) will produce and perform The Book of Liz, a madcap comedy by renowned authors and performers Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris. Both performances will take place on the Arden's Arcadia Stage. The Arden Theatre is located at 40 N. 2nd Street, Old City, Philadelphia. To reserve your free ticket, call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122.

The Book of Liz tells the light-hearted story of Elizabeth Donderstock, a humble cheese ball maker with a perspiration problem, who runs away from her Amish-inspired community to discover the world outside. On her way, she encounters ridiculous and remarkable characters-including a Cockney-speaking Ukranian immigrant in a Mr. Peanut costume. A zany romp, The Book of Liz promises a jovial send-off for the apprentices after an intense season of learning and working in the theatre.

Now in its 14th season, the Arden Professional Apprentice (APA) program was originally created by Managing Director Amy L. Murphy, who refers to the program as "theatre boot camp." The 2006/07 APAs are: Regina Connolly (West Chester, PA), Steve Gravelle (Merrimack, NH), Erin Read (Jacksonville, FL), Matt Rosenbaum (Philadelphia, PA), Sara Strehle (Arlington, VA) and Rachel Stroud-Goodrich (Thousand Oaks, CA). After arriving in Philadelphia, apprentices are put to work in every area of the theatre, regardless of their previous training. An apprentice with a background in acting may find herself working with power tools to help construct a set. One with a background in scenic design may help arrange special events for the development department.

Apprentices work 8-10 hours a day, six days a week and rotate between departments throughout the course of the day. For example, on a typical day an apprentice may spend two to three hours in the box office, two hours in auditions, two hours in development and two hours in production. "It's been eye-opening to learn how far I can push myself," says current apprentice, Erin Read. The Arden staff is fiercely committed to teaching the APAs and extremely reliant on the apprentices' work. The comprehensive nature of this program is what makes it unique. Ben Cameron, former Executive Director of Theatre Communications Group, said of the program, "This might be a fundamental building block in helping a whole new generation of theatre artists and practitioners start and seed their own companies." Graduates of the APA program have gone on to become a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, an NEA/TCG Career Development Directors Fellow and Technical Director of the McCarter Theatre Center.

As "The Talent Family," siblings Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris have co-authored a number of plays, including Stump the Host, One Woman Shoe and Incident at Cobblers Knob. David Sedaris, author of the bestsellers Barrel Fever, Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day, has been called one of America's pre-eminent satirists. Amy Sedaris gained fame as "Jerri Blank" in the television series Strangers with Candy. Perhaps not so coincidentally, she runs a cupcake and cheese ball business out of her kitchen.

To reserve your free ticket, please call the Arden Theatre Box Office at 215-922-1122. The Arden is accessible to people with disabilities, providing wheelchair accessibility and assisted listening devices.

WHERE:
Arden Theatre Company
40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia

WHEN:
June 3 at 7:00 pm
June 4 at 8:00 pm

TICKETS:
Free - Call the Box Office at 215-922- 1122 for reservations

WHO:
Written by Amy Sedaris & David Sedaris
Directed by Megan Nicole O'Brien

CAST:
Regina Connolly
Steve Gravelle
Matt Rosenbaum
Erin Read
Sara Strehle
Rachel Stroud-Goodrich

FOR INTERVIEWS AND INFORMATION CONTACT ELLEN KENNEDY, PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATE, 215-922-8900 X49 or ekennedy@ardentheatre.org.