FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cindy Moran, Public Relations
Director, 414-224-1761
April 9, 2008
Sensational World Premiere Production
ARMADALE
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
from the novel by Wilkie Collins
Directed by
Joseph Hanreddy
Made possible in part by the generous support of:
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE THEATER
Previews: April 23 & 24, 2008 Opens: April
25, 2008 Closes: May 25, 2008
A world premiere adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ sensational
Victorian novel. A deathbed bequest leads to the most gripping
of intrigues in this tale of deception, inherited curses, romantic
rivalries and murder. In the center of it all, is the mysterious
and beautiful Lydia Gwilt, one of the most hardened and most fascinating
female villains in literature. 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.
In the opening scene of ARMADALE, the audience witnesses a dying
man, “clenched and twisted by a tormented past,” writing
a letter to his son. In a small room in a poor hotel, he tells
the story of his good fortune as a youth: his transformation into
Allan Armadale and the meeting of his faithful servant and friend,
Fergus Ingleby. But his good fortune doesn’t last long. Fergus
Ingleby, whom Armadale’s mother does not trust, is not exactly
who he claims to be. The servant marries Armadale’s betrothed,
who becomes pregnant. The new couple sets off to sea with Armadale
close behind and when the couple’s boat begins to sink. Armadale
boards to find his servant collecting jewels and silver below deck.
In a twist of harsh fate, Armadale locks his servant below deck
to sink with the ship. He does not “hear his screams. Nor
did I hear them once I was safe upon the yacht, over the cries
of his distraught bride.”
The play then fast forwards to the village of Thorpe-Ambrose,
some years later, to the funeral of Allan Armadale Jr.’s
mother. The audience sees a man who has inherited wealth and fortune
beyond measure. The funeral party runs into a sick man in the moors,
and Allan Armadale, Jr. insists on caring for him, despite the
protests of his soon-to-be father-in-law, whom he has hired to
be governor of his estate. His new wealth also allows him to provide
his fiancée with a governess by the name of Linda Gwilt,
a beautiful, red-haired woman who bewitches every man she meets.
But not everyone is who they seem to be. As the plot twists and
turns, audiences are taken on riveting journey of fate, romance
and treachery. The audience learns of people wearing
hooded-cloaks, detectives keeping to their strict rules and doctors
altering age.
Fast becoming one of the most prolific and frequently produced
playwrights in the US, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher adapted
his acclaimed stage play COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY for the screen.
He wrote the screenplay for Casanova for director Lasse
Hallstrom, as well as screenplays for directors Steven Shainberg
(Secretary) and Kim Pierce (Boys Don’t Cry).
He has also written for the Peter Falk TV series Columbo and
E! Entertainment Television. Hatcher grew up in Ohio before attending
New York University to study acting. After a brief career on stage,
he turned his hand to writing. His many award-winning original
plays have been performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally
across the US and abroad. They include THREE VIEWINGS, SCOTLAND
ROAD, NEDDY, KORCZAK’S CHILDREN, A PICASSO, MERCY OF A STORM
and LUCKY DUCK (with Bill Russell and Henry Kreiger). Hatcher wrote
the book for the Broadway musical NEVER GONNA DANCE, based
on the Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers film Swingtime. Previous
productions at The Rep include WORK SONG (with Eric Simonson),
THE TURN OF THE SCREW and TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. His other stage
adaptations include: Anouilh’s LEOCADIA: TO FOOL THE EYE,
SMASH, based on George Bernard Shaw’s novel An Unsocial
Socialist, MURDER BY POE, PIERRE, based on the novel by Herman
Melville, and Kaufman and Hart’s THE FABULOUS INVALID. Jeffrey
Hatcher is also the author of The Art and Craft of Playwriting.
He has won grants and awards from the NEA, TCG, Lila-Wallace Fund,
Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Barrymore Award and others.
A four-time participant at the O'Neill Playwrights Conference,
he is a member of the Dramatists Guild, New Dramatists, The Playwrights’ Center
and the WGA.
Author of the novel ARMADALE, Wilkie Collins wrote
25 novels, more than 50 short stories and at least 15 plays from
1848 until his death in 1889. His two most popular novels were The
Woman in White (1860) and The Moonstone (1868). He
didn't intend to be an author. When studying in London
to pass the bar, he met Charles Dickens and the friendship they
developed led him into a new world. He never ended up practicing
law. He became instead the creator of the sensational novel played
with suspense and horror, showing how well he understood the emotional
impulses of his Victorian audience. This new breed of novel appealed
to the well-developed characters loved by older readers and the
fate-insewed plots that threw his younger readers off balance.
“Though linked in theme and plot device to the exotic and
castle-filled tales of earlier Gothic lore, Collins’ sensation
novels went beyond the Gothic to uncover the strange and surprising
within ordinary, domestic lives, the ‘mysteries which are
at our own doors.’ These shocking fictions peeked
beneath the surface of ordinary English households to find a sinister
reality beneath the surface of the prim Victorian exteriors,” says Literary
Director Kristin Crouch in her article about the play
appearing in the Spring 2008 edition of Prologue.
Director Joseph Hanreddy has
been Milwaukee Rep’s Artistic Director since 1993. During
his tenure, he has initiated innovative collaborations with leading
international theater companies, recruited some of the world’s
most acclaimed directors to create unique, forward thinking productions,
premiered several new works and adaptations of literature by leading
American dramatists and established one of the country’s
finest acting ensembles. Productions Joe has directed include:
THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, TARTUFFE, KING LEAR, SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE
FINAL ADVENTURE, SUEÑO, TWELFTH NIGHT, LOVE’S LABOUR’S
LOST, MARY STUART, THE SEAGULL, THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD,
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, AN IDEAL HUSBAND, ENGAGED, ARCADIA,
DANCING AT LUGHNASA, ANNA KARENINA, THE MILL ON THE FLOSS, SILENCE,
PARAGON SPRINGS, FORCE OF NATURE and ESCAPE FROM HAPPINESS. He
has written and directed stage adaptations of Pirandello’s
YES. NO. (MAYBE SO . . .), SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR,
George M. Cohan’s THE TAVERN and, with Ed Morgan, A CHRISTMAS
CAROL. As an actor, he has appeared in The Rep productions OF MICE
AND MEN, A SKULL IN CONNEMARA and Edward Albee’s THE GOAT
OR, WHO IS SYLVIA?
When announcing The Rep’s 2007/08 season, Hanreddy
described ARMADALE as, “A delicious melodrama with layer
upon layer of intrigue and mystery fueling a compelling plot.” He
also wrote, “The piece promises to be an exciting acting
tour de force, as well as a rousing theatrical roller coaster
of a ride.”
Included in the talented cast of ARMADALE are
Resident Acting Company Members: Gerard Neugent (Rogers/Young
Pedgift); James Pickering (Major Milroy/Dr. Downward); Rose
Pickering (Mrs. Milroy/ Mrs. Oldershaw); Peter
Silbert (The Reverend Decimus Brock/Bashwood); Deborah
Staples (Lydia Gwilt) and Brian Vaughn (Allan
Armadale).
Gifted guest actors in this production are: Marybeth Gorman (Miss
Thorpe-Ambrose/Mrs. Armadale/ Nun/Whore); Michael Gotch (Ozias
Midwinter); Steve Pickering (Joseph/Old Pedgift)
and Emily Trask (Nellie Milroy/Urusla).
(To learn more about our Resident Acting Company, Guest Actors,
or our Intern Company, please visit milwaukeerep.com).
The production/design team for ARMADALE includes:
Michael Ganio (Scenic Designer); Martha Hally (Costume
Designer); Noele Stollmack (Lighting Designer); Barry
G. Funderburg (Sound Designer/Composer); Ed Burgess (Choreographer); Susan
Sweeney (Text & Dialect
Coach); Briana J. Fahey (Stage Manager); Amanda
Weener (Assistant Stage Manager); Lesley Anne
Stone (Assistant Stage Manager) and Tim Nicolai (Assistant
Director).
Tickets to ARMADALE range in price from $9.00
- $56.00. 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’s Ticket Office
at 414-224-9490.
Special Events for ARMADALE
• Join us for The Rep in Depth, which begins 45 minutes before
curtain time before every performance in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater.
This Rep In Depth will be led by actress Marybeth Gorman.
• On Thursday, April 24 and Tuesday,
May 20, 2008 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 22, 2008.
(For more information about The Rep's Access Services, please contact
The Rep's Ticket Office at 414-224-9490.)
• The Rep Talkbacks will be held after the Sunday evening
performances on May 4, 11 and 18.
The Rep Talkbacks are offered immediately after select performances and offer
an opportunity for audience members to ask questions about the play to Rep
company members and actors in the production. For more information on The Rep
Talkbacks, please contact the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490.
• A Theater Thursday event will be held on Thursday, May
1 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. 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. (Patrons must purchase
theater tickets separately.) For more information on Theater Thursdays, please
contact Kristy Studinski at kstudinski@milwaukeerep.com or
414-290-0710. The Social will be this Theater
Thursday’s restaurant partner.
• Friends of The Rep are excited to present The 2008
Rep Raffle. For the past 16 years, The Friends have
offered an assortment of prizes that give you the opportunity
to choose your own prize by dropping your ticket into the Raffle
Prize Box of your choice. Some of the great prizes this year
include:
- COOKIES ON THE WING: two round-trip tickets
on Midwest Airlines anywhere Midwest flies domestically.
- A PRIVATE AFFAIR: you and three guests will
have the pleasure of joining Rep Resident Acting Company Member
Laura Gordon and her husband, actor Jonathan Smoots, for dinner
prepared for you in a private home.
- OUT AND ABOUT: tickets to the following enriching
organizations: The Eisner Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee
Public Museum, Villa Terrace, Pabst Mansion and Next Act Theatre.
- CYRANO'S ETERNAL TRIANGLE: using fabrics from
CYRANO DE BERGERAC, Costume Shop First Hand Rey Dobeck
has crafted a stunning quilt, 44"x44"x44".
- EMBRACE THE REP: two tickets to every 2008/09
performance in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, the Stiemke
Theater and the Stackner Cabaret.
- ARIZONA WINTER RETREAT: a one-week stay in
Scottsdale, near tennis, golf and a pool.
- COVERING THE COURSE WITH JIM AND LEE: you
and a guest will play golf with Rep Resident Acting Company Members
Jim Pickering and Lee Ernst.
- HAVING A BALL!: golf clubs, golf bag, golf
video, tickets to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Marquette Golden Eagles,
outdoor games and lots of sports balls.
Look for the costumed actors before and during the intermission
at ARMADALE. Tickets can be purchased for $5.00, 6 for $20.00 or
20 for $50.00. Buy Rep Raffle Tickets and help support The Rep!
- ARMADALE Opening Night: Stay after the world
premiere opening of ARMADALE on Friday, April 25th in
the Quadracci Powerhouse lobby. There will be free entertainment,
complimentary appetizers and a cash bar. Members of the ARMADALE
cast, design and directing staff will also be in attendance.
Stay and celebrate the world premiere production of ARMADALE!
- Milwaukee Repertory Theater Prop and Costume Garage Sale
will take place on Saturday, May 3 from 10:00 am to 3:00
pm in The Rep’s Paint Shop. Items to be sold will
include costume pieces, props, furniture and set decoration from
such Rep favorite productions as: MARY STUART (large decorative
fabric ground cloths); BORN YESTERDAY (Zebra striped pouffe,
anyone?); SAM COOKE, KING LEAR (thrones and large tapestry map);
THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE (scrim portraits); WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN
LOVE? (’60s repro couch and end tables); THE NIGHT IS A
CHILD (wicker chairs); THE NERD (bar and coffee table) and ENDGAME
(two bottomless 110 gallon drums). Payment by cash or check will
be accepted. All purchases are cash and carry, and must be removed
from The Rep by the end of the day. Get there early!
- Ten Chimneys Foundation and Milwaukee Repertory Theater continue
the fourth season of their highly-acclaimed collaboration “The Plays
of Lunt and Fontanne: Play Readings at Ten Chimneys.” Featuring
The Rep’s Artistic Intern Company, the series gives audiences
an opportunity to enjoy some of the 20th century’s most
successful plays – at the estate of the actors who made
them famous. The final reading for this season is ARMS AND THE
MAN by George Bernard Shaw on May 12, 2008 at 7
pm. The cost is $15 advanced registration or $20 at
the door. Call
262-968-4161, extension 500, to reserve seats and for
further information.
Sensational World Premiere Production
ARMADALE
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
from the novel by Wilkie Collins
Directed by
Joseph Hanreddy
THEATER: Quadracci Powerhouse Theater
DATES: April 23 – May
25, 2008
DESCRIPTION: A world premiere adaptation of
Wilkie Collins’ sensational Victorian novel. A deathbed bequest
leads to the most gripping of intrigues in this tale of deception,
inherited curses, romantic rivalries and murder. In the center
of it all is the mysterious and beautiful Lydia Gwilt, one of the
most hardened, and most fascinating, female villains in literature.
PERFORMANCES:
Wednesday, 4/23/08 - 7:30 p.m./Preview
Thursday, 4/24/08 - 7:30 p.m./Preview/Audio-Described
Friday, 4/25/08 - 8:00 p.m./Open
Saturday, 4/26/08 – 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 4/27/08 – 2:00/7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 4/29/08 – 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, 4/30/08 - 1:30 p.m/7:30 p.m. – 1:30/Bus Matinee
Thursday, 5/01/08 - 7:30 p.m./Theater Thursday
Friday, 5/02/08 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 5/03/08 – 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 5/04/08 – 7:00 p.m./Talkback
Tuesday, 5/06/08 – 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, 5/07/08 - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, 5/08/08 - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, 5/09/08 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 5/10/08 – 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 5/11/08 – 2:007:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m./Talkback
Tuesday, 5/13/08 – 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, 5/14/08 - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, 5/15/08 - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, 5/16/08 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 5/17/08 – 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 5/18/08 – 2:00/7:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m./Smoke-Free
Family Sunday -7:00 p.m./Talkback
Tuesday, 5/20/08 – 7:30 p.m./Audio Described
Wednesday, 5/21/08 – 1:30/7:30 p.m.
Thursday, 5/22/08 - 7:30 p.m./Interpreted
Friday, 5/23/08 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 5/24/08 – 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 5/25/08 – 2:00 p.m./Closing
TICKET PRICES:
PREVIEWS: $9.00 - $39.00
WEEKDAY/SUNDAY: $12.00 - $44.00
FRIDAY/SATURDAY: $15.00 - $56.00
TICKETS/INFORMATION: 414-224-9490 or buy tickets
online at milwaukeerep.com
TICKET OFFICE LOCATION: 108
East Wells Street in Milwaukee’s Downtown Theater District
TICKET OFFICE HOURS:
Mon
- Fri, 12 pm - 6 pm on phones, 12 pm - curtain for window
Sat/Sun
12 pm - 6 pm on phones, 12 pm - curtain for window
###
Open to the public before and after all evening performances, Milwaukee
Repertory Theater’s Stackner Cabaret, located on the second
floor of the Milwaukee Center, is our own full-service, smoke-free
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.
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, accommodates
the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, the Stiemke Theater and the Stackner
Cabaret. The Rep is also home to a Resident Acting Company of 13
actors who perform with The Rep throughout the season.
The Rep is proud to be a 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, 108 E Wells St Milwaukee, WI 53202
Ticket Office: 414-224-9490 Ticket Office Fax: 225-5490
Administrative: 414-224-1761 Fax: 414-224-9097
http://www.milwaukeerep.com |
