FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Cindy Moran, Public Relations Director, 414-224-1761

March 27, 2007

MOLIÈRE’S HILARIOUS AND TIMELESS COMEDY
TARTUFFE

Written by Jean Bapiste Molière
Translated Into English Verse by Richard Wilbur

Directed by Joseph Hanreddy

Made possible in part by the generous support of:
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Northwestern Mutual Foundation

Quadracci Powerhouse Theater
Previews: April 4 & 5, 2007 Opens: April 6, 2007 Closes: May 6, 2007

What do you call someone who attempts to drive away your son, seduce your wife, marry your daughter and have you thrown in prison? Why a “saintly man” of course! Orgon, the patriarch who can’t see through Tartuffe’s scheming hypocrisy, nearly destroys his family with his blind devotion to his pious friend. Will he ever see through Tartuffe’s holier-than-thou pose? Molière’s hilarious and timeless comedy holds the answer. Tickets can be purchased in person at The Rep Ticket Office at 108 East Wells Street, or by telephone at 414-224-9490. Tickets can also be purchased online 24/7 at milwaukeerep.com.

A 17th century satire of religious hypocrisy, TARTUFFE still has relevance for contemporary audiences. Orgon, a man of wealth and means, has taken into his home a poor, religious man named Tartuffe. Orgon is dazzled by his guest’s religious fervor and piety, quickly falling under his spell. Meanwhile it is readily apparent to all members of Orgon’s household – from his wife to his children to his servants – that Tartuffe is in fact a scheming hypocrite bent upon deceiving and destroying Orgon. It’s not until Orgon actually overhears Tartuffe trying to seduce his wife that he then realizes he has in fact been duped. By this point, it’s almost too late. Orgon has already agreed to have Tartuffe marry his daughter and he has deeded his future son-in-law his entire estate. Tartuffe has legal control over all of his finances and his family. Orgon’s life as he has known it appears to be over. At the play’s thrilling conclusion, the king intervenes and Tartuffe is captured, exposed as a career criminal and condemned to prison. In Molière’s biting satire, the dangers of blind faith are brought to light.

Playwright Molière, considered one of theater’s greatest comic artists,was the leading French comic actor, stage director and dramatic theoretician of the 17th century. Born Jean Baptiste Poquelin on January 15, 1622, to Marie and Jean Poquelin, his father was a Parisian furniture merchant and upholsterer to the king. He studied law and was awarded a degree in 1642, but he turned away from both the legal profession and his father’s business. Instead, in 1643, he incorporated an acting troupe, The Illustrious Theatre, in collaboration with the Béjart family. It was at roughly the same time that he acquired the pseudonym Molière. With this company, Molière played an unsuccessful season in Paris and went bankrupt, then left to tour the provinces, primarily in southern and southwestern France, from about 1646 to 1658. During these 12 years he polished his skills as actor, director, administrator and playwright. In 1658 the troupe returned to Paris and played before Louis XIV. The king’s brother became Molière's patron; later Molière and his colleagues were appointed official providers of entertainment to the Sun King himself. Molière's principal short plays (in one or two acts) include: THE JEALOUS HUSBAND (1645?), THE FLYING DOCTOR (1648?), SGANARELLE (1660), THE REHEARSAL AT VERSAILLES (1663) and THE FORCED MARRIAGE (1664). The longer plays (in three or five acts) include: THE SCHOOL FOR HUSBANDS (1661), THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES (1662), TARTUFFE (1664), DON JUAN (1665), THE MISANTHROPE (1666), THE DOCTOR IN SPITE OF HIMSELF (1666), AMPHITRYON (1668), THE MISER (1668), GEORGE DANDIN (1668), THE BOURGEOIS GENTLEMAN (1670), SCAPIN (1671), THE LEARNED LADIES (1672) and THE IMAGINARY INVALID (1673).

Director Joseph Hanreddy has been the Artistic Director at The Rep since 1993. Under his direction, The Rep has premiered several new works and adaptations of literature by leading American dramatists. He has also established one of the country’s finest acting ensembles and initiated innovative collaborations with leading international theater companies. Mr. Hanreddy has directed many plays at The Rep including: KING LEAR, SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE FINAL ADVENTURE, SUEÑO, THE CRUCIBLE, YES. NO. (MAYBE SO . . . ), TWELFTH NIGHT, LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST, MARY STUART, THE SEAGULL, THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, AN IDEAL HUSBAND, ENGAGED, ARCADIA, FORCE OF NATURE and ESCAPE FROM HAPPINESS. He has also appeared as an actor in The Rep’s productions OF MICE AND MEN, A SKULL IN CONNEMARA and Edward Albee’s THE GOAT OR, WHO IS SYLVIA?

Included in the cast of TARTUFFE are Resident Acting Company Members: Jim Baker (M.Loyal); Mark Corkins (Officer); Jonathan Gillard Daly (Clèante); Lee E. Ernst (Tartuffe); Rose Pickering (Mme. Pernelle); Peter Silbert(Orgon); and Deborah Staples (Elmire). Also included in the cast: Jordan Ahnquist (Damis); Elizabeth Ledo (Dorine); and Emily Trask (Mariane).

Members of The Rep’s 2006/07 Acting Intern Company who also appear in this production are: Elizabeth Audley (Ensemble); Lenny Banovez (Valère); Caroline Crocker (Ensemble); Donte Fitzgerald (Ensemble); Minita Ghandi (Ensemble); Andrew Goldwasser (Ensemble); Marybeth Gorman (Ensemble); Kalen H. Harriman (Flipote); Chris Kennedy (Ensemble); Tinuade Oyelowo (Ensemble); DeRanté Parker (Ensemble); Eric Parks (Ensemble); Rich Remedios (Ensemble); Meaghan D. Sullivan (Ensemble); Demetrios Troy (Laurent); and Brent Vimtrup (Ensemble).

(To learn more about our Resident Acting Company, Guest Actors, or our Intern Company, please visit milwaukeerep.com).

The production/design team for TARTUFFE includes Michael Frenkel (Scenic Designer); Mathew LeFebvre (Costume Designer); Noele Stollmack (Lighting Designer); Barry G. Funderburg (Sound Designer); Ed Burgess (Choreographer); Whitney Frazier(Stage Manager); Amanda Weener (Assistant Stage Manager); and Margo Gray (Assistant Director).

Tickets to TARTUFFE range in price from $7.50 to $52.50. Students and senior citizens may purchase half-price RUSH TICKETS with proper identification 60 minutes before curtain time for all Quadracci Powerhouse performances at The Rep Ticket Office . For more information or to charge tickets, call 414-224-9490. Tickets can be purchased online 24/7 at milwaukeerep.com. For group sales of 20 or more, call The Rep Ticket Office at 414-224-9490.

Special Events for TARTUFFE  

• Join us for The Rep in Depth, which begins 45 minutes before curtain time before every performance in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater. The Rep in Depth will be led by Rep Resident Acting Company Member Mark Corkins.

• On Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m., there will be an Audio Described Performance for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

• A performance interpreted in American Sign Language is scheduled for Thursday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m.

• Captioned Theater will take place on Sunday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. Lines from the script running concurrently with the actors’ lines will be projected on the house left wall of the theater. This is a perfect way for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing to enjoy the performance.
  
  (For more information about The Rep’s Access Services, please contact The Rep’s Ticket Office at 414-224-9490.)

• Talkbacks for TARTUFFE will follow the Sunday night evening performances on Sunday, April 15, 22 and 29.

• A Theater Thursday event will be held on Thursday, April 12 beginning at 5:45 p.m. Theater Thursdays are held on the second Thursday of each Quadracci Powerhouse performance and include a pre-show reception with complimentary appetizers from downtown restaurants. This is a subscription-only event, but a limited number of additional guests can attend, based on availability. Cost for the event is $5.00 per person at the door. For more information on Theater Thursdays, please call Kristy Studinski at kstudinski@milwaukeerep.com or 414-290-0710.

• ANNUAL REP RAFFLE: The Friends of The Rep are excited to present The 2007 Rep Raffle.

Some of the great prizes this year include:

• Midwest Airlines tickets for two
• Rep season tickets to the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, Stiemke Theater and Stackner Cabaret
• A getaway to Plum Lake, Wisconsin
• A lovely week getaway to Arizona
• A golf outing with Rep actors Jim Pickering and Lee Ernst
• The coveted A CHRISTMAS CAROL walk-on role
• A priceless hand-made quilt created by our own extraordinary Costume Shop First Hand Rey Dobeck
• A signed football and photograph from wide-receiver Donald Driver. 
• “All Things French” Basket including a certificate to Alliance Français to learn French in a cabaret setting, as well as many other gifts from France

Look for the costumed actors before and during the intermission at TARTUFFE and THE NERD. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $5.00 each or 6 for $20.00.

• COQUETTE CAFÉ & TARTUFFE: In conjunction with The Rep’s production of TARTUFFE, Coquette Café has created special menu. For $35.00 diners can enjoy: “Three Act Imposter Menu” : Act One ~ The Quack – Duck Confit Salad with Grapefruit and Citrus Vinaigrette: Act Two ~ The Impersonator – Mustard Crusted Faux Filet of Beef with Potato Chard Gratin: Act Three ~ The Charlatan – Charlotte Russe, a Creamy, Nut and Fruit Studded Bavarian Custard Encased in Harlequin’s Own Lady Fingers. For more information please call Café Coquette at 414-291-2655. They are located at 316 N. Milwaukee Street, Milwaukee, WI. Complementary Parking is behind the Landmark Building after 5 pm every day. Hours: Monday – Thursday 11 am – 10 pm, Friday 11 am – 11 pm and Saturday 5 pm – 11 pm.

MOLIÈRE’S HILARIOUS AND TIMELESS COMEDY
TARTUFFE

Written by Jean Bapiste Molière
Translated Into English Verse by Richard Wilbur

Directed by Joseph Hanreddy

FACT SHEET

THEATER: Quadracci Powerhouse Theater

DATES: April 4 – May 6, 2007

DESCRIPTION: What do you call someone who attempts to drive away your son, seduce your wife, marry your daughter and have you thrown in prison? Why a “saintly man” of course! Orgon, the patriarch who can’t see through Tartuffe’s scheming hyprocrisy, nearly destroys his family with his blind devotion to his pious friend. Will he ever see through Tartuffe’s holier-than-thou pose? Molière’s hilarious and timeless comedy holds the answer.

PERFORMANCES:

Wednesday 4/4/07 - 7:30 p.m. Preview
Thursday 4/5/07 - 7:30 p.m. Preview, Audio Description
Friday 4/6/07 - 8:00 p.m. Opening
Saturday 4/7/07 - 4:30/8:30 p.m.
Sunday 4/8/07 - 2:00/7:00 p.m.

Tuesday 4/10/07 - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 4/11/07 - 1:30/7:30 p.m. 1:30 – Bus Matinee
Thursday 4/12/07 - 7:30 p.m. Theater Thursday
Friday 4/13/07 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 4/14/07 - 4:30/ 8:30 p.m.
Sunday 4/15/07 - 2:00/7:00 p.m. 7:00 – Talkback

Tuesday 4/17/07 - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 4/18/07 - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 4/19/07 - 7:30 p.m.
Friday 4/20/07 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 4/21/07 - 4:30/8:30 p.m.
Sunday 4/22/07 - 2:00/7:00 p.m. 7:00 – Talkback

Tuesday 4/24/07 - 6:30 p.m. Early Bird
Wednesday 4/25/07 - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 4/26/07 - 7:30 p.m.
Friday 4/27/07 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 4/28/07 - 4:30/8:30 p.m.
Sunday 4/29/07 - 2:00/7:00 p.m. 2:00 –Smoke-Free/Family Sunday 7:00 – Talkback

Tuesday 5/1/07 - 7:30 p.m. Audio Description
Wednesday 5/2/07 - 1:30/7:30 p.m.
Thursday 5/3/07 - 7:30 p.m. American Sign Language
Friday 5/4/07 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 5/5/07 - 4:30/8:00 p.m.
Sunday 5/6/07 - 2:00 p.m. Captioned Theater

TICKET OFFICE LOCATION:
108 East Wells Street in Milwaukee’s Downtown Theater District

TICKET PRICES:
PREVIEWS: $7.50 – $37.50
WEEKDAY/SUNDAY: $10.00 – $42.50
FRIDAY/SATURDAY: $12.50 – $52.50

TICKETS/INFORMATION: 414-224-9490 or buy tickets online at milwaukeerep.com

TICKET OFFICE HOURS:
Mon - Fri, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. on phones, 12 pm - curtain for window
Sat/Sun 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. on phones, 12 pm - curtain for window

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Open to the public before and after all evening performances, Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s newly-remodeled Stackner Cabaret, located on the second floor of the Milwaukee Center, is our own full-service bar and restaurant. Featuring delicious dinners, as well as late night cocktails, coffee, and desserts, the Cabaret is the ideal meeting place for patrons attending Rep performances. For dinner reservations, call 414-224-9490. The Stackner Cabaret is now smoke-free.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater is a nationally recognized theater company that presents a critically-acclaimed selection of compelling dramas, powerful classics, award-winning contemporary works and lively Cabaret shows on three stages from September through May. The Rep also produces an annual production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The Rep’s home, the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex, contains the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, the Stiemke Theater and the Stackner Cabaret. The Rep is also “home” to a Resident Acting Company of 11 actors who perform with The Rep throughout the season.

The Rep is proud to be a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), which provides major annual financial support. The Rep is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), a management association of some of the nation’s largest non-profit professional theaters that collectively bargains with the unions that represent the actors, directors and designers that work at The Rep; a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the nonprofit professional theater; and a member of Theatre Wisconsin, the statewide association of non-profit professional theaters. This theater operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. The set, costume and lighting designers are members of United Scenic Artists, a national labor union. This theater is an equal opportunity employer. Except in plays where race itself is an issue, casting is decided based on ability, not race.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex
108 E Wells St Milwaukee, WI 53202
Ticket Office: 414-224-9490 Ticket Office Fax: 414-225-5490
Administrative: 414-224-1761 Fax: 414-224-9097

http://www.milwaukeerep.com