Press Releases
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JOBSITE THEATER
STAGES WORLD PREMIERE
OF
MAXWELL
A New Rock Musical
by Joe Popp
AT THE TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
One day machines
will do all of man's work for him.
That day is coming sooner than you think.
* * * * *
TAMPA, Fla. -Nov. 20, 2001 - The Jobsite Theater continues their 2001-2002 season in the Shimberg Playhouse after a completely sold-out run of Steven Dietz's Dracula with MAXWELL - A New Rock Musical by Joe Popp, January 4 - 20.
Joe Popp (Joe Popp Band, Whirligig - A New Rock Musical, Shakespeare in the Park's Macbeth) brings his inimitable talent back to Tampa with this world premiere rock musical directed by R. M. ("ranney") Lawrence (Zora Neale Hurston, The Ruins, Whirligig - A New Rock Musical). Concluding the Tampa engagement, MAXWELL will be traveling to New York City's Galapagos Art Space February 1 - 2.
MAXWELL tells the
story of Joseph Maxwell, a prodigal genius born to
working-class parents who, under the tutelage of Stephen Hawking, devises
a plan to end mankind's need to work, starve, suffer or toil with the
introduction of his Maxwell Machines - a new invention carrying the most
complex algorithm mankind has ever known that perfects real time intelligence.
Problems arise once
mankind becomes disillusioned and bored due to the
Maxwell Machines invasion of every sector of life. Joseph Maxwell becomes
caught up in his own power and glory as the play moves forward until society
- aided by Maxwell's best friend as well as girlfriend - rebels to overthrow
the machines and Maxwell's regime.
MAXWELL ends on a note of reflection and the recurring notion that "So many times in life/What we need is inches away/But we're too distracted to grab it."
Jobsite promises
an explosive production, fueled by high-energy music of
varying styles (rock, cowpunk, gospel, even Broadway-style showtunes)
by Joe Popp and the impeccable direction of R. M. Lawrence.
MAXWELL stars David M. Jenkins (True West, Laughing Wild, Accidental Death of an Anarchist) as Joseph Maxwell, Ami Sallee Corley (Dracula, Waiting on Sean Flynn, The Ruins) as Maxwell's mother Louisa, Jobsite newcomer Michael McGreevy as Maxwell's father Gerhardt, Nevada Caldwell, also a Jobsite newcomer, as Maxwell's love interest Rosa, Jason Evans (Dracula, Waiting on Sean Flynn, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare) as best-friend Oscar, Chris Holcom (Waiting on Sean Flynn, Lysistrata, The Ruins) as Stephen Hawking, and the ensemble of Christen Pettit, Tanesha Warren, Mark Trent and Harry Richards. MAXWELL also reprises the incredible design team that brought you Dracula - Joy Platt (costumes), Brian Smallheer (sets) and Dickie Corley (lights).
The Jobsite Theater
is continuing their fourth season of innovative
programming here in the Bay area in the intimate Shimberg Playhouse. Past
hits have included Dracula, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
(abridged), The Ruins, Clive Barker's The History of the Devil, Sam Shepard's
True West and Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Nobel-laureate Dario
Fo.
MAXWELL plays the Shimberg Playhouse at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center from Jan. 4 - 20. MAXWELL plays Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. Tickets are $15, $12 for students with ID and may be purchased by calling 813.229.STAR (7827) or 800.955.1045 outside the Tampa Bay area or in person at The Center Ticket Office. For more information about the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and its upcoming events, please visit The Center's website at www.tbpac.org. More information on the Jobsite Theater can be found at www.jobsitetheater.org.
The Jobsite
Theater is sponsored in part by Discount Printing and Graphics,
Atlantic.net and Extra Space Center. The Jobsite Theater is a 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit arts organization and all donations made to Jobsite are
tax-deductible to the fullest extent provided by law.
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8002 N. 13th St. Tampa FL 33604 * 813-932-6430
JOBSITE THEATER
STAGES WORLD PREMIERE
OF
MAXWELL
A New Rock Musical
by Joe Popp
AT THE GALAPAGOS ART SPACE
One day machines
will do all of man's work for him.
That day is coming sooner than you think.
* * * * *
TAMPA, Fla. -Dec. 14, 2001 - The Jobsite Theater is ready for prime time as they tour their first production out of Tampa with MAXWELL - A New Rock Musical by Joe Popp, which plays NYC's Galapagos Art Space February 1 - 2.
MAXWELL tells the story of Joseph Maxwell, a prodigal genius born to working-class parents who, under the tutelage of Stephen Hawking, devises a plan to end mankind's need to work, starve, suffer or toil with the introduction of his Maxwell Machines - a new invention carrying the most complex algorithm mankind has ever known.
Problems arise once society becomes disillusioned and bored due to the Maxwell Machines invasion of every sector of life. Joseph Maxwell becomes caught up in his own power and glory as the play moves forward until the people - aided by Maxwell's best friend and girlfriend - rebel to overthrow the machines and Maxwell's new regime.
MAXWELL ends on the resonant and recurring notion that "So many times in life/What we need is inches away/But we're too distracted to grab it."
Joe Popp's credits include The Joe Popp Band, as a solo acoustic performer, sound design and composition for the modern dance troupe Freefall (ltd), sound design for modern composer Elliot Sharp, former Technical Director at Galapagos Art Space, and sound design for both the Wau Wau Sisters and The Pontani Sisters. Joe was also subject of an NYU short film "The Joe Popp Movie." Joe is no stranger to the creation of a musical as he has created two from Mac Wellman plays - Whirligig and Why the Y in Ybor? (later titled Fnu Lnu) as well as the critically acclaimed punk-rock Macbeth for American Stage's Shakespeare in the Park and the 15-minute cult hit - JY2K.
Jobsite promises an explosive production, fueled by high-energy music of varying styles (rock, cow-punk, gospel, even Broadway-style show tunes) by Joe Popp and the impeccable direction of R. M. Lawrence (Tampa based actor/writer/comedian with credits that include being the premier comedian for Laff Tuesdays at the Apollo Theater in 1990, and sharing the stage with such talents as Paul Mooney, Bill Bellamy and Martin Lawrence.)
MAXWELL stars David M. Jenkins (2001 Weekly Planet readers poll Best of the Bay actor) as Joseph Maxwell, Ami Sallee Corley (2001 Weekly Planet readers poll Best of the Bay actress) as Maxwell's mother Louisa, Michael McGreevy as Maxwell's father Gerhardt and the Maxwell Machine Unit 1a, Nevada Caldwell as Maxwell's love interest Rosa Garcia, Jason Evans as best-friend Oscar Moretti, Chris Holcom as Stephen Hawking, and the ensemble of Christen Pettit, Tanesha Warren, Mark Trent and Harry Richards. MAXWELL is designed by Joy Platt (costumes), Brian Smallheer (sets), and Dickie Corley (lights).
The Jobsite Theater is a not-for-profit artists' company in the midst of their fourth season of innovative programming in the Tampa Bay area. Past hits have included sold-out runs of Steven Dietz's Dracula, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Ruins, Clive Barker's The History of the Devil, as well as Sam Shepard's True West and Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Nobel-laureate Dario Fo. In Jobsite's brief tenure they have acquired great acclaim from both critic and audience alike, garnering a total of 13 Best of the Bay awards from the Weekly Planet in the past three years. Weekly Planet theater critic Mark Leib also ranked 2 shows of Jobsite's last season as among the best 10 shows in 2000 (The Ruins and True West). The Jobsite Theater performs out of the Shimberg Playhouse (formerly the Off Center Theater) of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
MAXWELL plays at the Galapagos Art Space Feb. 1 - 2. MAXWELL plays both Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. Additional shows could be added if demand necessitates. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased night-of at the door of the Galapagos Art Space. For more information on MAXWELL or the Jobsite Theater please visit www.jobsitetheater.org where you can find more information, song samples and more!
The
Jobsite Theater is sponsored in part by Discount Printing and Graphics,
Atlantic.net and Extra Space Center. The Jobsite Theater is a 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit arts organization and all donations made to Jobsite are
tax-deductible to the fullest extent provided by law.