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"Anna Karenina: From Train to Trial"

Friday, November 15, 2024 7:30 PM

Tatnall School, Laird Performing Arts Center

Tickets

"Anna Karenina: From Train to Trial"

Saturday, November 16, 2024 7:30 PM

Tatnall School, Laird Performing Arts Center

Tickets

"Anna Karenina: From Train to Trial"

Sunday, November 17, 2024 2:00 PM

Education & Humanities Theatre of Delaware State University

Tickets

Profundo Bono Delaware’s theater company, composed entirely of judges, lawyers, and other legal professionals, will be performing its 10th show this year: Anna Karenina: From Train to Trial on November 15, 16, and 17, 2024, in Wilmington (15th & 16th) and Dover (17th). You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cry some more, so be sure to buy your tickets right away!

About Us

Every other year since 2004, we have produced a musical comedy to raise funds to support the groups who provide (non-criminal) legal services to the impoverished of Delaware. These groups help children and families to stay in their homes and be protected from abuse.

In November 2022, we had our 9th show. Each time, the Honorable Robert B. Young wrote an original script, and it has been performed by judges, lawyers, and legal professionals from across the State of Delaware. With this show, we are exploring the works of other playwrights, testing their skill. While it entails a great deal of work to put on, the actors, musicians, directors, and stagehands (from every aspect of practice, type of firm, part of the state, age, race, etc.) enjoy working without any remuneration for the benefit of the citizens of Delaware.

In the past, we’ve done “Macbeth”, “A Tale of Two Cities”, “Moby Dick”, “An American Tragedy”, “Madame Bovary”, “The Crucible”, “The Public Enemy”, “Tennessee Waltz,” and “The Finishing School.” As always, we take a perfectly dreary theme and then twist it into a musical comedy with 20-some songs, several dances, a live band, and a great ending. Over the years, we have become fairly well known, especially in what has become a very supportive legal community.

As many of you know, Judge Young has left us but we are committed to carrying on his legacy. As a non-profit organization, our purposes include:

Our fundraising benefits the Combined Campaign for Justice, which enables Delaware’s three legal services agencies–Community Legal Aid Society, Inc., Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Inc., and Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Inc.–to continue to provide legal services to low-income Delaware families in need of assistance. To learn more about CCJ, you can visit their website here.

Persons interested in participating should contact:

Adam Hiller at [email protected]

Thank you very much for being a supporter of our cause!

About the Show

Anna Karenina: From Train to Trial

Get ready to be dazzled and delighted by our upcoming extravaganza Anna Karenina: From Train to Trial! Critics are raving* with excitement about this wild ride of a show. Written by our own Selena Molina in the spirit and style of our beloved departed Robert Young, this production is loosely based (okay, not at all based) on Tolstoy’s classic tale.

With a cast of 20 vibrant characters, a full band, and 21 toe-tapping tunes, dive headfirst into a whirlwind of love, betrayal, political intrigue, and… did we mention love? You’ll leave the theater wondering if this was a parody, or if Tolstoy plagiarized our legendary Profundo Bono production (albeit 120 years before our playwright was born).

This year’s Wilmington performances (Friday 11/15/24 and Saturday 11/16/24) will again return to the vibrant Laird Performing Arts Center at Tatnall School, 1501 Barley Mill Rd, Wilmington. Our Sunday matinee in Dover (11/17/24) has found a new home at the Education & Humanities Theatre of Delaware State University, 1200 N Dupont Hwy, Dover.

*They would be raving if they could see it. But alas, even the critics have to wait until November for our exclusive three-show run. Mark your calendars and prepare for an unforgettable night of theater magic!

From the Director’s Chair

Societal hypocrisy, doomed adulterous affairs, endless train stations, intrusive in-laws, pretentious authors, backstabbing friends, greedy lawyers, 21 song parodies, and a grand finale courtroom scene… it’s all in a day’s work for the cast of Anna Karenina.

When I was approached to take on this project, my first question was: who would have the audacity to turn one of the greatest works of literature ever written into a musical? The answer, of course, was Selena Molina, who somehow brilliantly transformed a turgid tale of Imperial Russian betrayal into the hysterical comic parody our talented cast will be bringing to the stage in November. And speaking of talent, did I mention that our author will also be appearing in the role of Kitty?

Like any other ambitious large-scale production, what happens offstage is often as entertaining as what happens onstage… like the memorable day I informed the cast that they would be performing their roles employing Russian accents. That was nearly my last day as director, but everyone rose to the occasion, found their best Boris and Natasha voices, and soldiered on.

It’s always a good sign when the cast of a comedy laughs a lot during rehearsals, and that has certainly been the case with us. As crazy as this job seemed at the beginning, it has been a joy to work with this gifted group of legal thespians to create something original, engaging, and endlessly entertaining. They can’t wait to share this madness with an audience, and neither can I. While Tolstoy might not get it, you will. So hop on board before this theatrical train leaves the station.

I wonder though, what’s next? War and Peace?

— Ray Crew, Director

Tickets

Purchase your tickets now for Anna Karenina: From Train to Trial for the November 15, 16, and 17, 2024 shows in Wilmington (15th & 16th) and Dover (17th).

Group discounts are available by contacting [email protected]!


Friday, Nov 15, 2024

7:30PM

$25

Saturday, Nov 16, 2024

7:30PM

$25

Sunday, Nov 17, 2024

2PM

$25

Military

(active duty or retiree, including guests), any show date

$15

You will not receive separate tickets. Please bring your ticket receipt with you to the show, or an I.D. of the credit card holder.

Children under 14 admitted free!

Ads and Sponsorships

Ticket proceeds do provide some revenue, but our major contribution to worthy institutions such as the Combined Campaign for Justice comes from sponsorships and advertising placements in the programs that are distributed to those that attend.

SPONSORSHIPS

We have three levels of sponsorship, separately designated in our program:

“The Tony”

For only $2,500, this sponsorship level provides you with the following benefits:

“The Critics’ Circle”

For only $2,000, this sponsorship level provides you with the following benefits:

“The Ovation”

For only $1,500, this sponsorship level provides you with the following benefits:

You can imagine the great exposure to a fine audience of people who purchase goods and services, in addition ultimately to helping deserving people who really need the assistance. As you can imagine, there is also a high concentration of lawyers, legal professionals, court professionals and para-professionals, and legal staff who attend our shows, so your audience comes naturally targeted.

PROGRAM ADVERTISING

Even if you don’t choose to become a sponsor, a very significant portion of the proceeds we donate come from program advertising in our program, which is distributed free to each ticket holder. The rates are extremely reasonable:

Persons interested in becoming sponsors or placing program ads should contact:

Adam Hiller at [email protected]

Thank you very much for being a supporter of our cause!