THE LEARNING CURVE
A new comic drama by Ian Mairs

Theatre Jacksonville's Guerilla Show Series continues January 20 – 29 with the Jacksonville premiere of The Learning Curve, a new comic drama by Ian Mairs that explores the world of teaching. With an outstanding local cast led by director Dr. Lee Beger, The Learning Curve follows the journeys of teachers at all phases of their careers. The play features Mitch who has fled his depressing stint as a management trainee in search of a more meaningful existence and winds up with a dismal assignment: working as a long term substitute teacher to a particularly challenging set of high school students. The Learning Curve tracks his journey of daily setbacks and the occasional tiny victory as it charts one person's struggle to find his place in the world.

The talented cast includes Simone Aden-Reid, Emily Auwaerter, Jane Cassingham, Zach Ignacio, Brooks Anne Hayes Meierdierks, Joshua Mitchell, Bill Ratliff, Harolyn Sharpe, Lauren Schwec and Josh Waller.

The Learning Curve was supported by an Arts Ventures grant from the Jacksonville Community Foundation in 2010 for development and received its first public reading at the Douglas Anderson Writer's Festival in the spring of 2010. The play was then given a workshop production at Off-Broadway's Theater Row Studios in July of 2010. Under the direction of April Daras, it featured a cast which included Michael Emerson of ABC's Lost and the hit CBS drama Person of Interest and Carrie Preston of HBO's True Blood.

Jacksonville native, Ian Mairs has been working as an actor, director, and playwright in the North Florida area for the last 20 years. His plays have been produced regionally and Off-Off Broadway. Titles include TIM: Portrait of a Dude, Parts Unknown, Bay at the Moon, Our David, and Nocturne at Twilight. He received his MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University and is currently on faculty at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.

Tickets go on sale for The Learning Curve Tuesday, January 10. All show times are Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission: $15 for general public and $10 for subscribers and students. Tickets are available by calling 904-396-4425 or by clicking the link above.

CONTAINS SUBJECT MATTER AND LANGUAGE OF AN ADULT NATURE.

January 20, 21, 22*, 27, 28, 29*, 2012

Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. | *Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Want to learn more about The Learning Curve
production process?

Join us for a talk back with members of the cast, creative team and playwright Ian Mairs immediately following the matinee performance on Sunday, January 22.

sponsored by: Robert and Thelma Nied