Actor’s Express

Enjoyed three Actor’s Express performances so far, and each proved to be high quality and informative/​thought provoking entertainment.

I found discounted tickets to a production through a 3^rd party and decided to pay a visit. I’m not familiar with the area, so I did miss the turn at first, but quickly found my way back. I was greeted by the friendly guy at the box office and walked in literally within two minutes as my reservation was easily located.
There is beer, wine and small snacks, which you can take in to the show. Inside the theater there is no assigned seating, but it’s a very intimate space (like a box theater) so there really isn’t a bad seat.
I definitely enjoyed the show and will come back with some friends.

I’ve seen 3 shows here. Each one gave me a different experience. I’ll admit I love small venues so I may be biased. But if you enjoy shows at the fox for $ 100’s of dollars you should give actors express a chance and have a nice dinner out for the money you save.

The show quality was great. The prices are reasonable and there is lots of parking. There is a really edgy quality to the shows and they are very well done. The heart of this theater is evident and it is a great place to see new world as well as some established shows. Their location is eclectic and the type of place I’d love to sit and draw. Drinks can be bought at intermission which is nice.

Stupendous @aexpress
RENT was remarkable. Sound, staging, theatre, music, production… over the top. I felt as though the artists were performing for me in my living room. Outstanding.
I’ll see it again.

We saw Rent last night! Wow! What a fabulous re-​creation of a musical I love! Have not been to many Broadway Shows in NYC but did manage to see Rent twice back in the day! I loved Angel, Mimi. Maureen, Tom Collins. Roger & Marc! The only reason for 3 stars is the facility… Oh my goodness. So dang hot in that room I was really uncomfortable. Please Actors Express… AC upgrade? Thanks & see you in the fall!

I’ve now seen two different productions here («Bad Jews» and «Rent», if you’re wondering). I can’t remember how «Bad Jews» was set up, but I want to say it was like a typical theater, with a stage and seats: the stage on one side and seats lines up stadium-​style facing the stage. I remember it was set up like an apartment, with a door on the far left and a bed situated at the right.
I saw «Rent» last night, and the stage was set up in a different way: a strip in the middle for the actors, with stadium-​style seating on either side. This meant there were three basic «scene changes». The little platform on one side that was meant to be the apartment (three stories, including ground level, with a large «window»), a flat surface in the middle utilized for various scenes, and a platform on the other side with a table/​bench set up. I really like how they play with the general layouts, depending on whatever play they do. It’s a good use of space and acoustics.
And speaking of… The acoustics were great. The actors also had small mics taped to their faces to help with sound, too. I came on what is basically a soft opening/​preview night. I paid a super discounted price to see the actors go through a dress rehearsal, which I was okay with. (FYI, you can still get discounted tickets on Goldstar for this show).
PROS:
–I love the intimate, small-​to-​medium size of this theater.
–They even save some seats for «Late Comers.» Granted, they’re not the best, but at least you could sit with your friend (they were in pairs).
–Stadium size seating, so you could see from the bottoms rows to the top.
–Consistently great acting, whether it’s a stage play or musical.
–Holy cow, these people can SING. Like, really, really sing. I was so impressed by everyone’s voice here.
–I had no issues understanding anyone throughout the play.
CONS:
–The way the stage was set made it difficult to see if you weren’t perfectly centered. Prime seating for this show was pretty much smack dab, and those seats filled up fast. It seemed like the actors mostly interacted with one side over the other, so I saw a lot of turned backs.
–You have to pay for parking here (it’s $ 5). You can pay for it inside at the bar, but paying for parking is one of the reasons I despise going downtown. Everybody wants to make money.
THE VERDICT:
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both the play and musical that I saw here. The talent is evident, and I believe no matter what you end up seeing, you’re bound to enjoy it because the quality of the production is wonderful. I will say that you should probably research the play before buying tickets. People walked out of the show I went to because it was too risqué for them; so I guess the plays here tend to be more on the edgy side. There was cursing, simulated sex, and death, so if you’re squeamish about any of those, then maybe go see a puppet show at Center for Puppetry Arts (which, let’s be honest, I’ve also been to several times and enjoyed). Despite having to pay for parking (arghhh) I’ll definitely be back here, because they do a wonderful job casting and directing the actors.
PARKING & DIRECTIONS:
–My GPS is usually slightly off. You’ll be turning right once you see the King Plow Arts Center sign, even if your GPS tells you to keep going.
–Once in the lot, you’ll be directed to the garage, where you get a parking ticket to validate when you leave. After exiting the garage, you’re going to go straight out, across the parking lot and past the buildings on your right. You’ll see a cul-​de-​sac, and the entrance straight across. Once inside, follow the signs to the right, where you’ll see the box office.
TIP: Check out Goldstar for discounted tickets. Both times I’ve been here, I’ve used it:

In love.
That is how I feel about Actor’s Express. I have seen at least 7 productions here in the past few years. The theatre space is quite small, but they truly make the most of it. The plays can be a bit strange and are often edgy. This isn’t your grandma’s theatre company, unless your grandma is super hip — in which case, bring her.
The quality of the acting and the productions is very high for a relatively low-​budget theatre company. It is a professional company (meaning the actors are paid), and has been around since 1988. They do dramas, comedies, classics, new works, musicals… the works, basically. Take a look at their current season and buy a ticket!
Get tickets in advance — shows here can (and do) sell out on the regular.
The place can be tricky to find the first time you come here, but it’s well worth the effort. (Main entrance to King Plow, take an immediate right as you come in.)
They have a teensy lobby area and a small snack bar which includes alcoholic beverages, and you can take them into the theatre.
There is a new parking deck as of summer 2014. I recommend paying at the machine inside to save a bit of time.
In sum: stop dawdling and go see some great local theatre!

Every time I visit this city my mom manages to get me a ticket and urges me to go — it’s the not-​your-​Broadway-​type but well put together and managed. I always smile when the assistant director-​slash-​snackbar guy comes out with this huge smile and announces. Very sweet personalities here.

Atlanta has some really terrific local theater but Actor’s Express consistently puts out some of the best! So much thought goes into each season’s selection. I have never been disappointed.

Great little theatre!

Great theater with edgy productions. Location in the King Plow Arts Center is fun. Always a good evening out.

My husband and I attended Opening Night of Kiss of the Spider Woman on August 25^th. We have always enjoyed anything we’ve seen at Actor’s Express… but, were both blown away by this production. It is really stunning in so many ways. Be sure to see it while you can! I’m also impressed by their lineup for the rest of the current season. Promises to be thought provoking and entertaining.

I recently saw a play at the Actor’s Express. The play was good, but this review is about the venue. Actor’s Express is located in the King Plow Arts Center, a little arty complex which was converted from buildings of the old King Plow Co. factory. The center houses a variety of tenants including Actor’s Express. While there for the show, I didn’t get much of an opportunity to walk around, but the space is pretty unique and funky looking.
The theater itself only holds about 100 people creating an intimate theater experience. The theater company of the same name puts on a variety of shows every year from broadway hits to world première productions. I hope to return for another show and also to check out more of the center.

Great little theatre– I came here for the musical «See what I Wanna See», which was a good production of the original off-​Broadway hit. It was adapted well to the small space in their theater, and the acting troupe was eager to attack the material.
The specs– for this particular production, the seats (quite comfortable, by the way) were arranged in a U around a small stage, with the sound/​music band seated in a booth like structure at the back of the stage. It was easy to find the theatre right on W Marietta St– there’s plenty of parking in the large lot outside the entrance, or across Marietta St.
Up to this point, I have had yet to find a smaller theatre with local plays & musicals (there are countless larger shows at the Fox Theatre & Cobb Energy Theatre)…it looks like this company/​theatre chooses a pretty eclectic repertoire each season. So happy to know this theatre is another great option for theatre entertainment in Atlanta (and a less expensive one at that)! Support the arts!

A greate, intimate live theatre venue. Right in Midtown (near Georgia Tech) and close to many dining options.
Great place to take a date for some culture.
Soft drinks, coffee, wine and beer are all available during intermissions and you can take them back into the remainder of the show with you.
I went to the «Good Boys and True» show and found it quite good.

Saw «Good Boys & True» and loved it. Tess Kincaid was phenomenal. I always have a good time here… can’t wait to see «Slasher» this May!

I went to Actor’s Express Sunday night to see Hedwig & The Angry Inch. I must start off by saying that this is one of my favorite movies E-​V-​E-​R, so I had very high expectations. I’ve also watched the DVD so many times that it’s hard for me to imagine anyone else playing Hedwig and his cast of wig-​heads.
First off, I should review the theater itself. I definitely appreciate what these folks are doing here — their seasons are always filled with quirky, off-​the-​beaten-​track material that is certainly a refreshing change from the everyday doldrums playing up the street, i.e. Mama Mia. The theater’s down-​and-​dirty approach to production is something I admire and the staff is friendly, motivated and appreciative (we send a lot of business to them via Food Studio and vise versa).
Now, the actual play itself. Again, my standards were very high and I think I would have had a completely different reaction to it had I not seen the movie first. However, that said, this is a true tour-​de-​force for Craig Waldrip, the actor fortunate enough to done the wig and heels for this production. He does his best to keep the energy level up through the 2-​hour performance, but there were some uncomfortable silences and gaps in music/​talking that seemed to last about 3 seconds longer than they should. But, kudos to him for wearing those heels and belting out the songs in a way that would have made JCM very proud.
The stage is cool: it’s set-​up to make you feel as though you’re actually sitting in a bar (strip club, actually — the Tittycat Club). There’s also a bar, although it only served non-​alcoholic drinks (WTF??? I wanted to get my drink on to see this show live!) — this may have helped with the excitment/​participation level of the crowd, too.
I also liked the way they interweaved actually Atlanta locations throughout the dialogue — Tommy Gnosis is playing at Bobby Dodd stadium and Hedwig wonders if she find her other half, will she be able to drive in the HOV lane on I-​75.
Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend you see it. Just make sure you have the DVD at home to watch afterward to really, REALLY, quench your thirst for «Whether you like it or not, ladies and gentleman — HEDWIG!»

Some Men — by Terrance McNally
First and foremost I have to admit the acting in this piece is superb!
«When did I become the oldest man in the room, and the better question… when did I finally realize it?»
The play traces the lives of several gay men, through the years, and often times through generations in an attempt to illuminate what makes gay men different and similar.
It opens with a wedding, that thing that we are all suppose to want, and quite frankly I do, but it has become a political movement. There is little discussion here about the fact that the government should have no influence over our hearts. And there is some considerable time spent on the importance of marriage. I appreciate this greatly, and it certainly brought a much needed tear to my eye.
We see scenes from a Gay Show tune Piano Bar in the West Village on the day of Stonewall (Marie’s Crisis Café anyone?), a beach in the Hamptons, a swanky Bar in Harlem that Cole Porter used to frequent, a bath house, a hospital, various hotel room, and restaurants but very little seemed illuminating to me. It was very much a standard Sunday Afternoon sitting in the Choir Loft.
One thing that has put Mr. McNally on top over the years, as one of America’s foremost dramatists, has been his ability to teach the greater «we» about the good and the bad of the gay experience. There is very little that is bad here. Yes, we touch on the AIDS crisis of the late eighties, but much like today’s society, that is the only place and time it is touched on, as if it does not exist and there is no longer a crisis.
There are several very nice moments through the piece. An older couple being interviewed by a couple of college kids. The kids just do not get what it was like «back in the day» before Stonewall, and Pride all that comes with it. They do not appreciate or value the lives these men (some men) lived. And frankly, the older gentlemen could care less.
And there is a brief discussion about the baby as the newest gay male accessory. And like the wedding, I want the kid. But like the wedding, I want to earn the kid! Not just find some man, shack up, call myself married and go to Rwanda and buy a kid.
Although it seems like I have a lot of negative things to say here, it was actually quite an enjoyable afternoon at the theatre, that I would recommend!

When I was growing up in New York I was crazy about the theater scene, particularly plays with a lot of buzz. I used to save up dollars to see shows with Judi Dench, Anthony LaPaglia and other true actors. Six years ago, I moved to Atlanta and cried for days. Then, I discovered the Actor’s Express, a group of dedicated theater devotees who make transplants adjust easier to this area. By no means, it’s not the Alliance, but it’s better at times. For one, the Actor’s Express takes on edgy plays, such as The Goat or Who is Sylvia, Bug, Killer Joe or Burn This. These were all off Broadway hits that came hot off the press. I used to pay about a hundred bucks for the entire season and was impressed by their productions. Acting tends to be superb too. [That lesbian musical set in WW II a few seasons ago was hilarious!] These days, shows in NYC easily cost $ 60, so do the math. It’s a bargain. But at times, the Express puts on duds, like Bel Canto — a play/​musical about a bi black dude and the ghost of soprano Marian Anderson — a couple of years ago. During the performance, I was secretly praying to be stabbed. In a few weeks, the Actor’s Express will put on its most audacious production yet: I Am My Own Wife. It’s a one man show. After watching the Tony winner on Broadway, I was so enamored that I shelled $ 20 and bought a baseball cap with «I Am My Own Wife.» [At times, I am a retard.] We shall see how the local production emulates it.