Synapse Productions' Winter 2006 Newsletter
PLAIN TEXT EDITION
 
IN THIS EDITION:
- Norman & Beatrice: February 3 - March 4
- Meet The Playwright: Barbara Hammond
- Learn About Alzheimer's
- Animal Farm On the Road
- Return to Studio 54
- The Greve Challenge: Double your gift to Synapse

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WELCOME!
Dear Friends,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thank you to everyone who has already supported our end of year appeal by making a tax-deductible contribution. Your support makes our work possible.

Our 2005-2006 season is off and running! Our production of ANIMAL FARM (The Puppet Musical) is charming audiences as it tours around the country. Meanwhile, here in New York, we will present the World Premiere of Barbara Hammond's beautiful new play, NORMAN & BEATRICE: a Marriage in Two Acts, at the Connelly Theater in February.

Synapse brings to life plays that engage with issues that matter, and with NORMAN & BEATRICE we tackle a topic we all face but none of us likes to talk about: Aging. Be it pension and healthcare costs, the retiring Baby Boomers, stem cell research or Alzheimer's disease,never before has "growing old" been so present in our culture.

NORMAN & BEATRICE is a gorgeous and timely story that captures the joy and pain of enduring love and the unpredictable humor of growing old. Shortly after reading this play I learned that by 2030, 50 million Americans could be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease; that's 1 in 6, and we as a society are not ready. NORMAN & BEATRICE is where we start talking.

Following our Sunday matinees we will host a variety of entertaining and informative TalkBacks where you can meet the artistic team, and exchange ideas and opinions as part of our discussions with experts in the field of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (please check our website for more details).

We look forward to seeing you at the theatre soon!

Ginevra Bull
Artistic Director


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NORMAN & BEATRICE: A MARRIAGE IN TWO ACTS
BY BARBARA HAMMOND

THE WORLD PREMIERE
February 3 - March 4
at the Connelly Theater

Norman is a charismatic retired civil servant and a loving husband and grandfather. Beatrice, his devoted wife, is Norman's soul mate and, in the end, his salvation. Spanning 50 years, and the onset of Norman's Alzheimer's disease, NORMAN & BEATRICE is a humorous and moving love story about a married couple facing the unpredictable challenges of growing old together. This World Premiere of NORMAN & BEATRICE is directed by David Travis, who staged Synapse's Drama Desk Award-nominated production of ANIMAL FARM (the Puppet Musical).

DON'T MISS IT!
LEARN MORE: http://www.synapseproductions.org/whatson/whatson.html 
BUY TICKETS: http://www.synapseproductions.org/tickets.html 
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"There is nothing more socially relevant on the boards in New York."
- THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Smart, compassionateand insightful."
- OFF OFF ONLINE

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MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT
a conversation with Barbara Hammond

". . . are you defined by who you once were or who you become?" Award-winning playwright Barbara Hammond has had her plays produced in New York and Dublin. She is a regular contributor to Naked Angels Theatre Company's readings series, and she is a resident artist at the Tyrone Guthrie Center.  Barbara recently completed her first film "June Weddings" (with Tom Noonan).She has written several full-length plays, but Norman & Beatrice is perhaps her most personal. Barbara recently met up with Director David Travis to talk about the play.

DAVID TRAVIS: When were you first inspired to write Norman & Beatrice?

BARBARA HAMMOND: My father's last years were clouded by dementia, and my mother cared for him at home. His dependency had made them so close; their conversation would switch from the real to the absurd without my mother skipping a beat.

DT: In the play you pay great tribute to the power of Norm and Bea's love. Their connection - that stability and security - gives them the strength to transcend so much of
 
BH: It was really remarkable to watch my mother create answers for some of his more persistent questions. She would take on the role of an Army sergeant, an NBA player or the Green Bay Packers' coach if that would put my father at ease.
 
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW: http://www.synapseproductions.org/newsevents/winter06_hammond.html 

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SOME FACTS ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S
DID YOU KNOW...

- Today 4.5 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease.
- The likelihood of developing Alzheimer's doubles every 5 years after age 65. By age 85, the risk reaches nearly 50%.

- 60% of all people with Alzheimer's disease will wander away from home and become lost.

- 70% of people with Alzheimer's live at home.

- The direct and indirect costs of caring for Americans with Alzheimer's disease are currently at least $100 billion annually.

- By 2030, when the entire Baby Boom generation is 65 years or older, the number of Americans with Alzheimer's could rise to more than 50 million.

For more information about Alzheimer's disease visit the Alzheimer's Association at: www.alz.org

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ANIMAL FARM (the puppet musical)
OUR NATIONAL TOUR

The first leg of the 2005-06 national tour of ANIMAL FARM (the Puppet Musical) has just been completed, including performances in New York City, Mahwah, NJ, North Adams, MA and Purchase, NY.

The second leg of the tour in March and April 2006 will make stops in New Brunswick, NJ, St. Louis, MO, Manhattan, KS, Madison and Green Bay, WI.

LEARN MORE: http://www.synapseproductions.org/whatson/whatsonaf2.html 
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RETURN TO STUDIO 54

THANK YOU! With your help, Synapse's November 12th dance party was a great success. More than 300 spectacularly dressed friends and fellow artists joined us for a night to remember. Special thanks to our ever-fabulous host committee, our sponsor BORU Vodka, DJ Craig Baldo & performers Nasty Canasta and Erin Markey!
  
SEE PHOTOS: http://www.synapseproductions.org/newsevents/parties.html 

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THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES!
Double your money with a gift to Synapse TODAY!


Once again the William and Mary Greve Foundation has offered Synapse a challenge: If we raise $50,000 in contributions by June 1, 2006, every donation will be matched by the foundation. This means that every dollar you give will actually be worth $2; every $50 will be worth $100! It sounds easy, but to succeed, we need your help!  THANK YOU for helping us meet this exciting challenge and for your commitment to supporting our work; your financial help makes a real difference in what we are able to achieve.

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SUPPORT SYNAPSE TODAY

SYNAPSE is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit theatre company. Donations of all sizes are always gratefully appreciated - and are fully tax-deductible.

There are a number of ways to give:

Online: Use the secure form on our website: https://secure.awsystems.com/synapse/secure_form.asp?donation=yes"
Phone: Call 212-674-2716 with your credit card number (Visa/MasterCard only).
Mail: Send us a check!
220 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10009

If your employer offers a matching gift program, please include a completed form with your gift! THANK YOU!!

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Can You Help!?! We Need You!!
SYNAPSE is growing quickly, and we need all the help we can get! Join 'Friends of Synapse' and volunteer! You never know who you might meet! For further information on internship, volunteer, advertising and sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at info@synapseproductions.org THANK YOU!!
 
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You received this email newsletter because you attended a SYNAPSE event and provided us with your email address, or someone from our board or staff thought you would find our activities of interest. If you have received this email in error, our apologies. If you would like to be removed from our email list, kindly send an email to info@synapseproductions.org.


©2006 Synapse Productions. All Rights Reserved.