The Herberger Theater’s Lunchtime Theater Program
The Herberger Theater’s Lunch Time Theater offers one-act plays lasting 45-50 minutes. Performances feature diverse and emerging theater companies and the program provides an opportunity for guests to experience live theater at an affordable cost. Tickets are $10, not including lunch, and the short plays and musicals feature some of the greatest rising groups in the Arizona theatre scene. Performances are held at noon on scheduled Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For information, visit https://herbergertheater.org/lunch-time-theater/
Transcript
00:00 You know what, this is a terrific restaurant town.
00:03 I'm talking about Metropolitan Phoenix.
00:06 And it's a terrific town for a whole lot of things besides the climate.
00:10 But maybe near the top of the list as far as the world of entertainment is concerned,
00:15 it's a great theater town.
00:17 And it has been an even better theater town since the Herberger.
00:21 Wouldn't you say so, huh?
00:23 Oh, most definitely.
00:24 Cecily Weiner, Herberger Theater's Director of Community Engagement.
00:28 What exactly does that mean?
00:30 Yes, so I oversee all of the outreach and youth programs at the Herberger Theater Center.
00:36 And I don't think that a lot of people necessarily know that there are youth programs.
00:41 You help kids who are aspiring actors and dancers?
00:45 Most definitely through our Arizona Young Artist Competition and then of course our
00:49 Wolf Trap program, which is for the young people, young, young, young people.
00:55 Like us.
00:56 Exactly.
00:57 Well, and I knew that part of your responsibilities at the Herberger are to come down to television
01:05 shows like this one and tell us what is the latest, because the Herberger is an entertainment
01:11 monument here in the Valley.
01:13 How many years?
01:14 Well, quite a few years, but I will say I did come here for lunchtime theater.
01:19 Today, not First Friday Live, our performance pop-ups, but yes.
01:24 No, well, we're about to talk about theater that most people associate with an evening
01:31 out and the spotlights and so on.
01:33 We're talking about lunch.
01:35 Yes.
01:36 What does that mean?
01:37 We are lunchtime theater.
01:39 We are in year 23 for lunchtime theater at the Herberger Theater Center on the CACS stage.
01:47 There's an awful lot of folks who don't find it convenient always to be able to go out
01:52 in the evening for whatever reason, they're taking care of the kids or whatever, and so
01:56 they don't get to theater or entertainment as much as they'd like to live entertainment.
02:02 And now you're telling me and us and them that you can go and have lunch at the same
02:08 time?
02:09 You better believe it.
02:11 Lunchtime theater, 45, 50 minute, one act plays, run for two weeks.
02:17 Tickets are $10, lunch is $12, or you can bring your own bag lunch.
02:23 And let me tell you, it is a good time.
02:26 So if you want to have some good lunch during your lunch hour, come on down and see some
02:31 wonderful theater.
02:33 You may know as a theater guy myself, this is called "Draw a Gate" with surprise.
02:42 Those are the drama cues, but it's sincere because you just said $10.
02:49 You can go and see a one act play, sometimes music.
02:55 Oh my goodness, everything.
02:57 We have comedy this season.
02:59 I have an autobiographical monologue.
03:02 We have dance this season and two musicals.
03:05 How many days a week?
03:06 Well, seven days a week.
03:08 So each play runs for two weeks.
03:11 And all I have to do is to call the Herberger and find out?
03:15 Yes, call or online go ahead and purchase your $10 tickets or your $12 lunch.
03:22 Yes indeed.
03:23 There's some folks in Gilbert right now just got here from Memphis, Tennessee, and they
03:30 don't necessarily know where the Herberger is.
03:32 It's about as centrally located as you can get.
03:35 It's definitely downtown cultural hub right there on Monroe between 2nd and 3rd Street.
03:42 Yeah, Symphony Hall is over there, the Hyatt Regency Hotel over there, and there's the
03:48 Herberger named after that great Herberger family that started it all.
03:54 You said I could bring my own lunch.
03:56 Now that in itself is kind of unusual for theater.
04:00 Yes, you can bring your own lunch.
04:02 This program is really about affordability.
04:06 And also for those who just don't want to sit and watch a theater for two hours a show,
04:12 you can come down and see one for 45, 50 minutes.
04:15 Who are the performers, by the way, in these productions?
04:17 Yes, well our autobiographical monologue is featuring a wonderful Arizona hip hop artist,
04:24 Jay Edson.
04:25 He does it all, doesn't he?
04:28 And as you already know, Paris 2024, the Games, breaking is now an Olympic sport.
04:35 So House is going to be telling his story.
04:38 I also have comedy, Two Little Broads by the wonderful Judy Rawlings.
04:43 I also have some musicals by Scand and also T.A. Burroughs as well and a wonderful drama
04:50 by new Carpa Theater Company called Wounded Childhoods.
04:55 It's a war story.
04:56 So we got something for everyone.
04:58 Now listen, Cecily.
05:00 Yes.
05:01 For people who did not come to class prepared with a pen and pad to write down that schedule,
05:08 can they get it somewhere?
05:09 Yes, they can go to herbergertheater.org, go to Lunchtime Theater and you'll see all
05:14 the shows there.
05:17 Can you imagine for crying out loud, so Broadway, right?
05:20 Terrific, they have a matinee every once in a while.
05:24 Lunchtime Theater at the Herberger all the time.
05:26 And you found out about it here on AZTV7.
05:30 Thank you.