Renowned throughout Northwest Florida for its year-round Live@TheREP Concert Series, professional children and family theatrical productions, the critically praised Fall Play Series and annual holiday show Every Christmas Story Ever Told, The REP Theatre in Seaside, Florida will raise the curtain in 2018 by diving deep into a multi-disciplinary performance schedule in conjunction with Escape to Create.

In partnership with Seaside’s nationally acclaimed arts residency, opens Tuesday, January 9th at 7:30pm with a one-night only performance by four musicians already redefining their genres as emerging artists. Miami virtuoso pianist Jacob Mason, UK violinist Andrew Samarasekara, and Venezuelan-American cellist Sebastian Ortega represent the next generation of international classical music artists.  They have each achieved international recognition while current students at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music. Their performance of classical and jazz repertoire as The Escape Trio showcases astounding individual virtuosity and eloquent interpretation. Fresh from his European summer tour and following select appearances on the West Coast, Kansas City’s ascending star, the Neo-folk harpist and singer-songwriter Calvin Arsenia, defies categorization and is credited with “turning the arts world on its head…” (iheartlocalmusic.com).  At 6’5,” the multi-instrumentalist is a commanding presence on stage and his alluring 5-octave range voice leaves audiences transfixed.

International sculptor John K. Melvin up-cycles discarded plastics to create arresting ecological sculptures exhibited across the world. A 2016 artist resident of the World Monuments Fund (Plastic Pollution), Siem Reap Cambodia, Melvin will co-host a screening of the awarded adventure documentary film, A Plastic Ocean on January 27^th at 4pm. Filmed in 20 locations across the globe, the epic adventure follows a filmmaker and a world record-holder free diver during their four-year search for the elusive blue whale and their discovery of what lurks just below the surface.  The film explores the personal, scientific and technological solutions that if adopted today, can restore our oceans for the better.

Brooklyn based playwright/performer Caitlin Saylor Stephens turns her fearless, unerring eye on the dark and most vulnerable aspects of human nature in a new Americana drama JOLEY, the compelling new work awarded the 2018 Goody Playwright Fellowship by Escape to Create and The REP Theatre.  Obsession, desire perpetuated conflict, and the irretrievable act of survival that suspends time and alters character are hallmarks of Stephens powerful drama. Set in Appalachia, the play centers on a Tennessee mountain woman who inspired by the life changing, televised self-help gospel of Oprah Winfrey, commits murder.  And bakes a cake. In JOLEY, after a long separation, two mountain lovers reunite one hot n’ heavy evening in a seedy bar. When Oprah-obsessed Joley reveals her battle wounds from a particularly violent episode of domestic abuse, the two are challenged with the task of confronting their wrongs, unearthing their truths, finding forgiveness, and burying a body.  The talented company of The REP will perform a dramatic script in hand reading on Sunday, January 28th. Meet the playwright during the talk-back session and reception which will follow the performance.

Tickets and more information available at www.LoveTheREP.com

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The Escape 2 Create performance schedule is as follows:

Jan. 9 – 7:30pm – Calvin Arsenia and The E2C Trio $25

Jan. 21 – Time TBD – E2C Trio 

Jan. 27 – Time TBD John Melvin 

Jan. 28 – Time TBD – Goody Playwright Fellowship with Caitlin Saylor
Stephens Staged Reading of “JOLE”

About The REP Theatre

Celebrating its 17th season, The Repertory Theatre is Northwest Florida’s premier professional theatre company. The REP has built itself into a first-rate regional theatre, attracting some of the finest talent from around the world. The REP’s host of talented theatre professionals and group of dedicated volunteers work together to entertain more than 25,000 people each year. Having established an indoor home on the stage of the 75-seat Meeting Hall Theatre in downtown Seaside, Florida, The REP has never stopped broadening its horizons, adding new programming and new venues in Seaside and beyond to better reach its expanding audience base. For five years, The REP has provided a successful drama mentoring programs to area elementary and middle schools that introduces and teaches students all aspects of theatre including lights, sound, costumes, sets and stage management. For more information about The REP, visit www.lovetherep.com.

About Escape to Create
Escape to Create is a nationally recognized multidisciplinary artist residency hosted since 1993 by the Seaside community. E2C is a volunteer non-profit organization that represents the unique character of a community deeply invested in the arts. Residencies are made possible through the generosity of Seaside homeowners, merchants, and donors. For more information about Escape to Create, visit www.escape2create.org