 Behind the Scenes events will take place on Jan. 11, Feb. 8 and
April 5 at the North Greens Golf Course in Atlanta. Beginning at
6:30 p.m. artists will speak about their lives and careers, share
stories about their experiences on a national and international
stage, give insights into the people they have met, and talk about
what it means to be an artist. A reception with the artist will
follow each event.Behind the Scenes is sponsored by the Atlanta
National Bank and the city of Atlanta.
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Heather Hitchens
This week the Behind the Scenes program will feature special
guest Heather Hitchens, executive director of the American Theatre
Wing and producer of the Tony Awards.
Hitchens joins the series on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the North
Greens Golf Course Community Room in Atlanta. The event kicks off
with a reception with the artist followed by her presentation at 7
p.m.
Hitchens began her tenure at the American Theatre Wing in July
2011. As the chief executive officer, she is charged with
maintaining its brand of excellence in the Tony Awards as well as
overseeing and shaping its other vital grant-making, professional
development, educational and media programs.
She came to the Wing after a four-year term as executive director
of the New York State Council on the Arts, the largest state arts
agency in the country. Prior to her leadership there, she served as
president of the renowned national arts service organization Meet
the Composer.
A percussionist since the age of 6 and a lifelong lover of the
performing arts, she holds a master's degree in arts administration
from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa., and a bachelor's degree
in percussion and music business from DePauw University in
Greencastle, Ind.
___
Casey Childs, Feb. 8
For the Feb. 8 program, the speaker will be Casey Childs, a
graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor's degree in
acting and a master's degree in directing. He has acted and directed
all over the United States and Great Britain and has taught and
lectured on the subjects of television and theater at leading
theater schools throughout the country. He has made three trips to
Russia as a guest of the Federation of Russian Theatre Workers.
Since founding Primary Stages in 1984, he has produced over 100 new
plays, many of them world premieres.
Childs also has produced and directed television for over 25
years, working on such shows as "As the World Turns" for CBS;
"Another World" for NBC; and "The City," "Loving," "One Life to
Live," "All My Children" and segments of "Spin City" for ABC. He
also directed "The Catlins" for Turner Broadcasting, "Our Group" for
Lifetime and "Hollywood Heights" for Sony's "Nick at Nite." Childs
has won two Emmy Awards for his television directing and countless
nominations for both producing and directing in television.
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[to top of second column] |
 Mikhail
Istomin, April 5
Born and educated in Russia, Mikhail "Misha" Istomin holds a
master's degree in music from the St. Petersburg Conservatory. While
still in school, he became principal cellist of the State Hermitage
Orchestra and later joined the orchestra of the Kirov Academic Opera
and Ballet Theatre.
In 1987, he became the cellist of the Leningrad Conservatory
String Quartet, and in 1989 the group won the grand prize in the
National Soviet Union Competition of String Quartets. Later that
same year, Misha defected during the quartet's U.S. tour and was
granted political asylum in the United States. Immediately following
these events, he joined the Richmond Symphony and became a faculty
member of both Virginia State University and the Governor's School
for the Performing Arts at the University of Richmond.
Misha was appointed principal cellist of the Pittsburgh Opera and
Pittsburgh Ballet Theater orchestras in 1991, and the following year
he joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In July 1998, he
returned to St. Petersburg to perform in the Second World Cello
Congress under the direction of Mstislav Rostropovich.
Misha is a founding member of the Pittsburgh Piano Trio, which
has released three CDs on the Minstrel label to resounding critical
acclaim.
___
Tickets for Behind the Scenes are available in advance at the
Atlanta Public Library, as well as at the door on the evening of
each event. Seating is limited and advance purchase is recommended.
Individual event tickets are $12.50 for adults and $7 for students
under age 21 and under. Discounted series tickets for all four
events are also available for $40 for adults and $25 for students.
There are group rates as well for groups over 10 people. Email
apldinformation@gmail.com
to arrange tickets for your group.
Visit the library's website at
http://www.apldinfo.org/ to learn more about all the library's
programs in 2012-13.
[Text from file received from
Cathy Maciariello, Atlanta Public Library]
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