Stephen Banks - News
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Best of 2011
Jan 3, 2012
Andrew Alexander at ArtsCriticAtl.com named Stephen's directoral triumph "The Lady From Dubuque" as one of the top 11 shows of 2011. Sandwiched between top-notch shows at The Alliance and Actor's Express, Andrew had this to say about Epidemic Theatre's production.
There were more people on stage than in the audience for this largely forgotten Edward Albee play that flopped on Broadway - the community theater group approached it only because there was a hold on regional productions of Albee's more desirable "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" due to a big Broadway revival. But those who were lucky enough to see it got an unforgettable evening whose meditations on death and American blindness and cruelty still haunt.
The Reviews Are In
Jan 28
As Quills enters its final weekend, the first professional review finally appeared on The Examiner.com. Here's just one paragraph from Casey Morris's glowing report:
The actors' performances were by far the best aspect of the play. While all of the actors did an amazing job, Stephen Banks, who plays the lead Marquis de Sade, was the standout performance. His portrayal of the character was brilliant, and he was easily able to express the comedic and tragic dualities of the character.
Alas that the show can't run longer, there is so much more to say! This show was Stephen's first time as Producer, it certainly will not be his last. Pictures will be posted after the show closes so as not to give away the startling special effects.
Animation Voiceovers
July 17
Check out Stephen's Animation VO tests on the Videos page. These were produced from the Voice Acting class noted below.
One More Time
July 13
Back by popular demand, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will be revived once again in August. Stephen joins Zip Rampy and Thomas Strickland again in this popular production of The Reduced Shakespeare Company's hit show. Produced by the North Fulton Drama Club and presented at Blackwell Playhouse on August 14,15, 21, 22, 28 and 29. Visit the Blackwell site for directions and ticket information.
The Show Must Go On
July 2
What do you do when an actor drops out of a show ten days before opening night? If you are director Rob Roy Hardie, you call Stephen and hope he's available. Even the smallest roles are crucial to a perfect production, so Rob was very happy to get such a seasoned actor to fill in as the captain of the Proteans in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.
Voice Acting for Animation
June 27
Stephen completed the Master Voice Class for Animation, conducted by TBS Senior Animation Director Jai Husband at Crawford Studios. The class covered theory, technique, and the business of Voice Anmation Acting, plus an in-studio session directed by Mr. Husband. A professionally edited version of Stephen's session will be available here soon!
The Reviews Are In
January 31
The North Fulton Drama Club production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) was a huge hit with audiences at both the Cumming Playhouse and Kudzu Theater. The two reviewers at TheaterReview.com gave it big thumbs up as well:
"The show embellishes Shakespeare with non-stop silliness. Most of it worked very well. In particular, Stephen Banks' performance as the Shakespeare "female" grew in variety and depth over the evening. From the antics of climbing over Zip Rampy and halfway onto the wall for Juliet's balcony scene to his frequent vomitous forays into the audience, Mr. Banks invested the ridiculousness of the part with good humor and a true actor's commitment. For me, he was the highlight of the show."