For Immediate Release
July 2, 2007

MANASSAS – Vpstart Crow Productions will continue its 2007 season by presenting Conrad Seiler’s The Wonderful Adventures of Don Quixote, July 13-29 at The Cramer Center, located at 9008 Center St. in Old Town Manassas, VA.

Helmed by Jamie Bartosavage Erdman in her Vpstart Crow directing debut, the production will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., with a pay-what-you-can preview on Thursday, July 12, at 8 p.m. There will also be a talkback with the audience immediately following the matinee on Sunday, July 15.

The Wonderful Adventures of Don Quixote is based on the famous novel The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha (or El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha), written in two parts by Miguel de Cervantes in 1605 and 1615. Don Quixote tells the tale of a young village woman’s uncle who, after reading about chivalry, now imagines he is a knight himself named Don Quixote de la Mancha. Despite tearful concerns by his niece, Antonia, Don Quixote – with his good horse, Rocinante, and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza – ventures forth into the world for the sake of his imaginary lady, Dulcinea del Toboso, to right wrongs, and challenge his imaginary arch enemy, the Knight of the White Moon. Meanwhile, Antonia has confided in her housekeeper, who seeks advice from the village scholar, Dr. Carrasco. Dr. Carrasco then concocts a plan to bring Don Quixote to his senses, and the adventure begins!

Ms. Bartosavage Erdman has previously worked with Vpstart Crow as the box office manager for The Ghost Sonata, costume designer for Much Ado About Nothing and The Seagull and an assistant stage manager for Anne of the Thousand Days. She has mostly worked with NOVA Woodbridge Theatre Group (NWTG), where she directed A Doll’s House, Jimmy Shine and Oedi; co-directed The Hot L Baltimore, Where’s Charley? and Macbeth; and provided character development coaching for The Rimers of Eldritch and The Crucible. Other NWTG credits include: props designer, costume designer and set dressing for The Importance of Being Earnest; stage manager, costume designer and props designer for A Doll’s House; producer and house manager for The Pajama Game; stage manager and lighting designer for Macbeth; stage manager for Lysistrata; and assistant costume designer for Overtones. Ms. Bartosavage Erdman also directed The Baltimore Waltz for Castaways Repertory Theatre for the 2006 NVTA One-Act Festival and costumed The Smell of the Kill for the Elden Street Players. Acting credits with NWTG include The Importance of Being Earnest (Miss Prism), The Rimers of Eldritch (Evelyn Jackson), The Crucible (Mercy Lewis) and Creative Development (Muse #6).

Don Quixote will feature Vpstart Crow veterans Ted Ballard (Master Nicolas/Master Pedro), Brett Bartosavage (Dulcinea), David Berkenbilt (Don Quixote), Lauren Billingsley (Teresa/Country Girl 3), Chalmers Hood (Sancho Panza), Erin McGuire (Sanchita), Penny McKee (Shepherd), Stephanie Powlen (Esteban), Larry Neil Scartz III (Boy) and Sallie Willows (Josefina/Leandro).

Making their Vpstart Crow debuts will be Sara Bickler (Alicia), Philip Coralde (Rocinante), Michel Izquieta (Antonia/Country Girl 1), Carl Nubile (Dr. Carrasco) and Rich Scanlan (Miguel/Villager).

Meanwhile, Ms. Bartosavage Erdman’s production team includes Christine D. Lange (artistic director), Sara Joy Lebowitz (managing director), Melissa Jo York-Tilley (production manager), Stephanie Seltman (stage manager/light board operator), Philip Coralde (assistant stage manager), Carl Brandt Long (stage combat choreographer), Brett Bartosavage (master carpenter), Tory Ritter (scenic painter), William MacLeod (lighting designer/master electrician), Kyle Preston (sound board operator), Stephanie Powlen (costume designer), Chalmers Hood (props designer), Jenny Green (house manager), Kristen Green (assistant house manager), Jay Tilley (publicity), Jennifer Reitz (poster designer), Bob Smith (program designer), and Tim Betts and Dave Harback (press photos). Ms. Bartosavage Erdman is also providing her own set, sound, and hair and makeup design.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, seniors, military personnel, and City of Manassas and Prince William County employees. For ticket reservations, please visit www.boxofficetickets.com/vpstartcrow or contact BoxOfficeTickets.com at (800) 494-TIXS. For group sales, please contact Vpstart Crow at boxoffice@vpstartcrow.com or (800) 660-8580. For more information, please e-mail Vpstart Crow at info@vpstartcrow.com, call (800) 660-8580 or visit www.vpstartcrow.com.

ABOUT VPSTART CROW PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Founded in 1994, Vpstart Crow Productions, Inc. (pronounced “upstart”) is a non-Equity and non-profit professional theatre company dedicated to performing the works of William Shakespeare and other theatre classics. Vpstart Crow’s mission is to produce live theatre as a vital, accessible and exciting part of community life. Employing a resident company of local professional actors and artists of the highest caliber, Vpstart Crow is dedicated to breaking down the barriers between audience and actors in a performance style that is thought-provoking and altogether vpstartling.

The term “vpstart crow” comes from one of Shakespeare’s rival English playwrights, Robert Greene. In his 1592 pamphlet, Groats-Worth Of Wit Bought With A Million Of Repentance, Greene criticizes Shakespeare: “… for there is an vpstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his tigers hart wrapt in a players hyde, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you; and being an absolute Johannes factotum (“Johnny-do-it-all” or “Jack-of-all-trades”), is in his owne conceit the onely ‘Shake-scene’ in a countrey.” In fact, Vpstart Crow spells its name with a “v” rather than a “u” in reference to the way the English language was written in Shakespeare’s day.

Press contacts:
Christine D. Lange
Artistic Director
Vpstart Crow Productions, Inc.
(800) 660-8580
artistic@vpstartcrow.com

Sara Joy Lebowitz
Managing Director
Vpstart Crow Productions, Inc.
(800) 660-8580
managing@vpstartcrow.com

Jay Tilley
Public Relations Consultant
Vpstart Crow Productions, Inc.
(571) 216-7419
sagart16@yahoo.com