Angelina Arts Alliance News Release – February 27, 2015

Contact: Ginger Trotter, Marketing/Production – 936-633-5234

National Tour cOMES TO lUFKIN

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT – Feb. 28

LUFKIN, TX. Highly acclaimed L.A. Theatre Works no doubt had the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in mind when it picked “In the Heat of the Night” for its tour this year and the critics are echoing a unanimous ‘Thumbs-Up’. Gerry Camp of The Folsom Telegraph, Folsom CA wrote: “Electrifying”, “As soon as the stage went black, the audience was on its feet in a standing ovation… The ovation was for the brilliant acting.” This powerful performance presented by Angelina Arts Alliance and sponsored by A Friend of the Arts, will take the stage at the Temple Theater on Saturday, February 28 at 7:30 pm with tickets ranging from $25-$35 (Premium/Box $40) All unsold tickets go on sale for half-price beginning one hour before performance time. Tickets are sold subject to availability. 2014-2015 Season sponsors are First Bank and Trust East Texas and Georgia Pacific.

“What made the play brilliant, for me, was its unique staging. Adapted by Matt Pelfrey from the novel by John Ball, the play is presented as if it were a radio play. L.A. Theatre Works is well-known in Los Angeles for staging plays in this style. ” explains Camp. Instead of scenery, multiple projections of images – some still photos, some brief bits of film, some double exposures or abstract images, dance across five screens behind the actors. Based on Ball’s 1965 novel, “In the Heat of the Night” follows a murder investigation fraught with racial tension as an African-American homicide detective from Los Angeles, Virgil Tibbs — initially a suspect solely because of his race — assists the police chief in a small Southern town. The role of Virgil Tibbs will be played by the young up and coming actor Ryan Vincent Anderson. The production also stars a great mix of actors with stage, film, and TV credits including TV and film star Tom Virtue (Even Stevens, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Charmed, Entourage, Two and a Half Men, Iron Man 3 and many more). James Morrison plays Chief Gillespie- he’s been a regular on 24, Private Practice, Revenge and many others. For those interested in the craft of acting, cast members will conduct a Masterclass on monologue, Saturday morning at 10:30 am on the Angelina College campus. Call 936-633-5454 for more details

With a top notch cast, In the Heat of the Night promises to deliver riveting raw emotion which theater goers will not soon forget. For more information and to purchase tickets call our box office at (936) 633-5454, or visit www.angelinaarts.org for more details and video clips from the entire 2014-2015 season. Follow Angelina Arts Alliance on Facebook for late-breaking news, photos, videos and ticket giveaways.