Theater company takes on more challenging season

A classic creature, fractured fairy tales and a boy who can fly will all feature prominently in the Augusta Players' 2008-09 season.

The Augusta Players have announced that its season will open with the Augusta premiere of the musical Jekyll and Hyde , followed by a musical production of A Christmas Carol, the Stephen Sondheim classic Into the Woods and a production of Peter Pan .

Each show requires extensive stage magic, strong performances and a fiscal commitment. Executive/artistic director Debi Ballas said that though playing it safe has worked for the theater company in the past, it was determined that Augusta audiences might yearn for productions with a little more edge.

"We felt it was time to do something that would excite the community," she said. "It's one thing to play it safe, which is basically what we have tried to do in the past. But it is also important to stay in touch with the audience, with the climate of the community. We felt they were ready for a season like this, a season we probably wouldn't have even considered five years ago."

The hallmark of all four productions is significant technical requirements.

Whether its Dr. Jekyll's monstrous transformation or Peter Pan's night flights, each play requires real stage magic.

Ms. Ballas said last spring's production of The Wizard of Oz went a long way in preparing the Players for the coming season.

"It was the most technically challenging show we have done to date," she said. "It had everything. You name it and it was there. But that gave us confidence. Meeting the challenge and overcoming it showed us we could do this."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.