20 Plays, 1 Garage, A Whole Lot of Art

Phoenix Tears Produces its 3rd season of Ten Minute Tuesdays

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - January 18th, 2020.

Ten Minute Tuesdays is an ongoing project which encourages artists to get out of their comfort zone, try something new, and be themselves in a safe space. The community has gathered in and around a garage in Orlando for two seasons of theater including over 40 ten minute performances since 2016. With a pinch more structure in 2020, producers Megan Markham and Mallory Vance hope that the third season will be the best yet.

The duo has themed this season so that each month has a topic from Valentine’s inspired Love & Murder to a Halloween Kick-Off in October. Each month will have two themed ten-minute plays performed for an audience at the Turpin Garage Theater.

“Theming was a risk since we didn’t know how many writers had made ten minute plays about Harry Potter for instance, but we received over 150 short plays to fill our 20 spots in the garage theater”- Megan Markham, TMT Producer

At each event, Phoenix Tears also has a special guest. This guest performer is often a musician. Past performers have included, out of town musicians like Draco and the Malfoys and local favorites like Austin Palmer, Maeve Kelly, and The Crowned Poet. In 2020 they hope to expand to have improv troupes, comedians, and poets showcased. 

Turpin Garage Theater is a converted garage equipped with sound and lighting by local technician Amanda Simmons. The theater also has an in house recording studio where the company produces its audio dramas and have recorded cast recordings of their musicals. 

Shows are at 8pm on the first Tuesday of the month, January-October of 2020. Tickets are $2 with first come first served seating. 

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A New Musical Inspired by an Old Classic Coming to Orlando

Phoenix Tears produces Ophelia, a musical based on the Shakespearian characters from Hamlet

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - January 18th, 2020.

On March 25th and 28th company director, Mallory Vance will be hosting a bare-bones staged reading of a new musical. Ophelia is an original musical by Jeremiah Gibbons, based on the Shakespearian classic Hamlet, and follows Ophelia’s descent into madness with original music and a fresh concept. In this show leading lady Ophelia is aided by the flowers of her mind as she navigates new relationships, coming of age, heartbreak, and sexuality. This staged reading is to raise money for the full production which will run December 4th-12th 2020. 

The staged reading in March will showcase Central Florida actors volunteering their time to raise money for an elaborate staging in December. The creative team at Phoenix Tears has employed the help of local musicians to fill out compositions, costumers and vintage specialists to achieve a bohemian style, and their in-house prop and set design teams to make Ophelia come to life within Elaine Pechacek’s Dragonfly Studio 129. 

“Hidden within the lighthearted music and witty jokes is a story that tackles mental health and sexism in a way I not only respect but admire,” said Madison Payne after a small workshop in November. Payne soon after joined the team as music director and is excited to get into the rehearsal room. 

Similar sentiments were shared by the rest of the invitees at workshops at the end of 2019. The show is now highly anticipated by fans of Phoenix Tears Productions and Jeremiah Gibbons. This will be the first original musical produced by Phoenix Tears and the fourth musical written by Gibbons. Ophelia has in one form or another been in Gibbons’ brain and/or computer for over five years. Phoenix Tears is extremely excited to finally get this show on stage and in front of audiences.

Shows are at 8pm at Dragonfly Studio 129 W McKey St Ocoee, FL 34761 
The staged readings will be $5 and are available now at https://phoenix-tears-productions.ticketleap.com/ 
The reading and final production are also available with the company’s season ticket. 

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Phoenix Tears Productions 5th Season Will Be Their Biggest Yet

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - January 1st, 2020

During their 4th annual winter fundraiser, Phoenix Tears unveiled their 2020 poster and announced 5 original stagings this year all to take place at Dragonfly Studio 129 in Ocoee, FL.

Opening January 15th will be a murder mystery by Megan Markham, writer of Patron’s Pick for Murder which sold-out shows at Orlando Fringe in 2018. This mystery is set in an elementary school at the annual Science Fair. One of the adorable fifth graders is going to commit a murder. Come experience the science projects, drama, and manslaughter.

On March 25th and 28th company director, Mallory Vance will be hosting a bare-bones staged reading of a new musical. Ophelia is an original musical by Jeremiah Gibbons, based on the Shakespearian classic Hamlet, and follows Ophelia’s descent into madness with original music and a fresh concept. In this show leading lady Ophelia is aided by the flowers of her mind as she navigates new relationships, coming of age, heartbreak, and sexuality. This staged reading is to raise money for the full production which will run December 4th-12th 2020. 

The other shows this season will be an audio drama and a traditional staged play. The original play by Mary Hosford and Ginger Potter, The Wisherman, will premiere in August. This play focuses on the balance between wishes, dreams, and reality. 

The audio drama is a format of theater pioneered by Phoenix Tears Productions which combines podcast or radio play style pre-recorded audio with live actors and an outdoor environment. Phoenix Tears has showcased these projects at Kid’s Fringe with Stardust Kingdom and around Orlando as a part of Orlando Fringe and Immerse festivals. This new audio drama is called Infected and will be scaring audiences this October. 

These five shows will all be at Dragonfly Studio 129 W McKey St Ocoee, FL 34761. Tickets range between $5 and $20 and are available now at https://phoenix-tears-productions.ticketleap.com/ 

The company is also offering a season ticket at a discounted rate. 

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