FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cindy Moran,
Public Relations Director, 414-224-1761
August 20, 2009
WITTY, SMART, SATRICAL TAKE ON A MADCAP THEATER
CLASSIC
THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original by Nikolai
Gogol
Directed by Joseph Hanreddy
| Made possible in part by the generous
support of: |
 |
Quadracci Powerhouse Theater
Previews: September 8, 9 and 10, 2009 Opens: September
11, 2009 Closes: October 4, 2009
A provincial village is thrown into a Marx Brothers-like world of panic, greed
and silliness when its bumbling elected officials learn that a government inspector
is paying a visit. A wildly witty, smart and satirical take on a madcap theater
classic. 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 pre-war Russia, the town Mayor and his fellow civil servants
receive a letter filled with bad news: a government inspector is to arrive
at any time incognito to investigate their methods of ‘diplomacy.’ Not
that they’re
crooked, but “. . . a failing student is made head of the class if his
father donates a new gymnasium. . . . And we have the six finest gymnasiums
in the district.” The Mayor decides he must make a positive impression
for this inspector to provide a favorable report.
Meanwhile,
at an inn across town, the self-pitying gentleman Ivan Alexandreyevich Hlestakov
is contemplating suicide to escape the massive debt he’s created.
His cynical valet holds him off long enough to greet the Mayor and company
who believe this mysterious stranger staying at the inn is indeed the inspector.
The Mayor, in a confusing inquisition, determines that Hlestakov must indeed
be the government official. Hlestakov, believing that the mayor is here to
arrest him for his debts, is astounded that the Mayor is willing to offer him
money and a room in his own home.
Throughout Hlestakov’s stay, the Mayor and his cronies are consistently
shoving money in his pockets while the Mayor’s wife and daughter attempt
to make an overwhelmingly good impression, much to Hlestakov’s confusion.
Once he realizes the mess he’s gotten himself into, how long can he keep
up the charade? And if he’s not the Government Inspector, who is?
Literary
Director Kristin Crouch points out the correlation
between the play and reality: “Rampant corruption in government offices.
Politicians on the take. Bureaucratic incompetence. Unbridled entrepreneurial
greed and lazy self-interest. Sound familiar? Though any of the above may remind
you of a story or two from the local newspaper or the nightly television news,
these are actually just a few of the zany antics to be found in THE GOVERNMENT
INSPECTOR. Gogol’s play fascinates because it is a response to a very
particular aspect of Russian society – a highly stratified society, in
which all military or civil servants were locked within a class hierarchy.
Gogol’s characters are busy trying to figure out how important all the
other characters are, who has the most power, and how they might gain more
power for themselves.”
Playwright Nikolai Gogol was born in 1805 in the village
of Sorochyntsi of
the Russian
Empire, present-day Ukraine. His mother was a descendant of Polish nobility.
His father Vasily Gogol-Yanovsky belonged to the Ukrainian peasant gentry,
and wrote poetry in Russian and Ukrainian. He died an amateur Ukrainian-language
playwright when Gogol was 15 years old. Gogol emulated his father, and as a
child he helped stage Ukrainian-language plays in his uncle's home theater.
As an adult, Gogol came to Petersburg full of vague but ambitious hopes. Between
1832 and 1836 Gogol worked with great energy, and during this time, the Russian
critics reclassified Gogol from a Ukrainian to a Russian writer; quite an accomplishment
in that day. After the April 19, 1836 production of his comedy THE GOVERNMENT
INSPECTOR, Gogol himself finally came to believe in his literary vocation.
Later works included the novels Taras Bulba and Dead Souls,
the latter of which was a contemporary counter-part to The Divine Comedy.
Gogol also wrote two other plays, MARRIAGE and THE GAMBLER. Like THE GOVERNMENT
INSPECTOR, they too satirized the corruption of the Russian Imperial government.
Gogol is perhaps best known for his short stories, such as The Overcoat,
Diary of a Madman, The Prisoner and The Carriage. Gogol died
an unfortunately painful death in 1852, but he will be remembered as the father
of Russian Realism and as a great influence on Russian literature thereafter.
Playwright/adapter Jeffrey Hatcher is most
recognized for his original work COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY which he initially
wrote for the stage and later adapted for the big screen. The film, entitled Stage
Beauty (2004) starred Claire Danes and Billy Crudup. Hatcher co-wrote
the screenplay for Casanova, a 2005 film starring Heath Ledger, and The
Duchess (2008) starring Keira Knightly. Hatcher has written many award-winning
plays such as THREE VIEWINGS, SCOTLAND ROAD, NEDDY, KORCZAK’S CHILDREN,
A PICASSO, MERCY OF A STORM, WORK SONG (along with Eric Simonson) and LUCKY
DUCK. He co-authored with Mitch Albom the stage version of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE
and wrote the book for the Broadway musical NEVER GONNA DANCE based on the
Fred Astaire film Swing Time. The acclaimed writer also wrote the
musical biography of Ella Fitzgerald, entitled ELLA, which gave audiences insight
into her unfamiliar personal life.
Hatcher’s stage adaptations include Henry James’ thriller, The
Turn of the Screw, in which Hatcher took James’ many literary characters
and successfully inserted them into a two-actor production. He has also adapted
other famous writers such as George Bernard Shaw and Herman Melville. Other
works by Jeffrey Hatcher that have been seen at The Rep include ARMADALE (2007/08),
WORK SONG (2000/01) and the TURN OF THE SCREW (1997/98). He has received grants
from the NEA, TCG, Lila Wallace Fund, McKnight Foundation and Jerome Foundation
as well as many awards including the Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award,
Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award and Barrymore Award Best New Play 2003 for
A PICASSO.
Director Joseph Hanreddy is in his 17th and final season as
the Artistic Director of Milwaukee Repertory Theater. He has directed over
30 productions for the company as well as authored and performed in several
others. Many plays produced during Joe’s tenure have earned national
and international recognition. A Wall Street Journal review of last
season’s production of THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, under his direction, stated
that “revivals of so complex a theatrical undertaking must of necessity
be rare, and I very much doubt you'll see a better one than this.” The
Rep’s production of an original adaptation of MOBY DICK was named one
of the top ten productions in the nation by Time Magazine in 2002.
The Rep’s production of SILENCE, remounted in Tokyo, also under Joe’s
direction, received the Yomuri-Shinbun award, Japan’s highest dramatic
honor. Joe has continued The Rep’s strong history of premiering new American
plays, and approximately 50 new plays, translations and adaptations have been
mounted during his tenure. Recent premieres, which have subsequently been produced
in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and regionally, include THE NIGHT IS A CHILD,
BACH IN LEIPZIG, PARAGON SPRINGS and FORCE OF NATURE. THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES,
which was commissioned by The Rep and premiered in the Stackner Cabaret, is
currently enjoying a successful Off-Broadway run. During Joe’s tenure,
The Rep has recruited such acclaimed international directors as Ben Barnes,
the former Artistic Director of Ireland’s Abbey Theatre, László Marton,
Artistic Director of the Vigszinhaz Theater in Budapest, Hungary, and Paolo
Landi, Ganshi Mureta, Lev Stukalov and Mark-Wing Davey from Italy, Japan, Russia
and Great Britain, respectively, to create innovative productions of world
classics. The Rep has also produced original interdisciplinary and multicultural
collaborations with both international and local performing arts organizations
including Ko-Thi Dance Company, the Omsk State Drama Theater and the Subaru
Theater Company of Japan. Joe has sat on panels for the National Endowment
for the Arts and the Theater Communications Group, as well as has served as
an on-site evaluator for the NEA. He has also recently been a guest professor
at Northwestern University and the Professional Theatre Training Program at
the University of Delaware.
Hanreddy recently had this to say about THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR: “As
rewritten specifically for The Rep ensemble by our longtime colleague, Jeff
Hatcher, THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR is a glove fit for the comedic gifts of the
company; it features uproarious farce as well as on-the-money insight into
the chain reaction effect of moral bankruptcy that is at the heart of so many
of our contemporary woes.”
The cast of THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR includes: Resident Acting
Company Members Jonathan Gillard Daly (The School
Principal/Pentelaeyev); Lee E. Ernst (The Postmaster/Chernaeyev); Laura
Gordon (The Innkeeper’s Wife/Grusha/The Locksmith’s
Widow); Torrey Hanson (Osip): Gerard Neugent (Ivan
Alexandreyevich Hlestakov); James Pickering (The Judge); Peter
Silbert (Anton Antononovich) and Deborah Staples (Anna
Andreyevna).
Guest actors in this production are: Steve Pickering (Dobchinsky); Drew
Brhel (Bobchinsky); Chris Tarjan (Hospital
Director/Abdullin) and Kathleen Romond (Marya Antonova).
Members of the The Rep’s Artistic Intern Company in THE GOVERNMENT
INSPECTOR include: Jesse Dornan (Imperial Messenger/Ensemble); Jeffrey
Frieders (Ensemble); Rob Glidden (Ensemble); Xzavien
Hollins (The Doctor); Adam C. Meredith (Ensemble); Mariel
Neto (Ensemble); Annie Rubino (Ensemble); Dylan
Saunders (Ensemble); Olivia Williamson (Ensemble)
and Joetta Wright (Ensemble).
(To learn more about our Resident Acting Company, Guest Actors or our Intern
Company, please visit www.milwaukeerep.com.)
(To read more about THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, please see The
Rep's online publication Prologue.)
(THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR production photos will be posted
at milwaukeerep.com.)
The Production/Design Team for THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR includes: Neil
Patel(Scenic Designer); Martha Hally (Costume Designer); Thomas
C. Hase (Lighting Designer); Rob Milburn and Michael
Bodeen, Ray Nardelli(Sound Designers); Kristin Crouch (Literary
Director); Amanda Weener (Stage Manager); Whitney
Frazier(Assistant Stage Manager); Christine Czerwinski and Kate
Roberts (Stage Management Interns) and Laura Webb (Assistant
Director).
Tickets toTHE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR range in price from $10.00 – $60.00.
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 10 or more, call The Rep Ticket Office at 414-224-9490.
Under 40 Discount
For patrons under the age of 40, tickets as low as $15 are available for limited
Quadracci Powerhouse Theater and Stiemke Theater seats. Proper identification
required. Go to therep-entourage.com to
order tickets. (Under 40 tickets are based on availability. Tickets subject
to change without notice.)
Special Events for THE GOVERNMENT
INSPECTOR:
•The Rep in Depth begins 45 minutes before every performance
in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater. This Rep in Depth will be led by Resident
Acting Company Member Torrey Hanson.
•On Friday, September 11 there will be the Rep
Season Opening
Night Party. Immediately following the performance, join us
in the Quadracci Powerhouse lobby for an opening night party to celebrate
the opening of THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR and the beginning of Joe Hanreddy's
final
season as The Rep’s Artistic Director. The event will feature
complimentary appetizers by InterContinental’s Kil@wat restaurant.
A cash bar will be available. Members of the cast and crew will be in attendance.
Join the celebration!
•On Thursday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday,
September 15 at 6:30 p.m. there will be an Audio-Described Performance
for patrons who are blind or have low vision.
•On Thursday, October 1 at 7:30 p.m. there
will be an American Sign Language Interpreted Performance for patrons who are
deaf or have low hearing.
•On Sunday, October 4 at 2:00 p.m. there will be Captioned
performance of THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR.
•The Rep Talkbacks will be held after the Thursday
evening performances on September 17, September 24 and
October 1. 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 or
refer to The Rep’s Patron Guide.
•Artistic Director Joe Hanreddy will appear
at Boswell’s Books on Wednesday, September 16
at 7:00 pm to
discuss THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, the play which opens the 2009/10
season. He will share insights into the play. Bring your questions! For more
information, call 332-1181.
Boswell’s Books is located at 2559 Downer Avenue.
•Pay-What-You-Can dates for this production are Tuesday, September
8 and Wednesday, September 9 at 7:30 p.m. Here
is your chance to experience some of Milwaukee’s best live theater
at a price you can afford. (A $5.00 minimum donation is suggested.)
Quadracci Powerhouse performances start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale at
5:30 p.m. on the day of the performance. There is a limit of 10 tickets per
person for the Quadracci Powerhouse performances. All performances are held
in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater located in the Milwaukee Center at 108
E. Wells Street. For more information call The Rep’s Ticket Office
at 414-224-9490.
•An Evening of Repartee 2009 - Monday, October 5, 2009 – 6:30
to 9:30 pm, Stackner Cabaret
Join members of The Rep’s Resident Acting Company as they read their
favorite poems, book excerpts, and verses during an intimate evening hosted
by the Friends of The Rep. The 2009 Evening of Repartee will be held Monday, October
5, 2009 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at The Rep’s Stackner Cabaret.
In addition to readings by your favorite Resident Actors, this evening will
also feature an amazing hors d’oeuvre buffet as well as delicious desserts.
A donation of $50, $75 or $100 will reserve your spot for this magical evening.
$50 will reserve your seat for the Repartee; for $75 you will have your name
listed in the program and for $100 you will also receive an autographed copy
of the texts. New this year! The first three people to donate $250 or more
can request the actor of their choice read a poem of their choosing, or they
may take the stage to do their own reading! For information or to reserve
seats, contact Becca Kitelinger at 414-290-5347 or rkitelinger@milwaukeerep.com.
•We are excited to again be
offering our Director’s Dialogue Series for the 2009/10
Season. The Director’s Dialogue Series is your chance to
get behind the scenes and meet the director of our productions. Hear what they
have to say about their process, learn more about the play, and get a chance
to ask them any questions you may have about a professional production. The first
in the series will be held on Thursday, September 17 at 6:00 pm. Tickets are
only $25.00. Please check our website at milwaukeerep.com/support/events.htm for
the most current information or contact our Development Events Manager, Becca
Kitelinger at 414-290-5347 or rkitelinger@milwaukeerep.com.
WITTY, SMART, SATRICAL TAKE ON A MADCAP THEATER CLASSIC
THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original by Nikolai Gogol
Directed by Joseph Hanreddy
| Made possible in part by the generous
support of: |
|
FACT SHEET
THEATER: Quadracci Powerhouse Theater
DATES: September
8, 2009 — October 4, 2009
DESCRIPTION: A provincial
village is thrown into a Marx Brothers-like world of panic, greed and silliness
when its bumbling elected officials learn that a government inspector is
paying a visit. A wildly witty, smart and satirical take on a madcap theater
classic.
PERFORMANCES:
Tuesday, 9/8/09 - 7:30 p.m. - Preview/Pay-What-You-Can
Wednesday, 9/9/09 - 7:30 p.m. - Preview/Pay-What-You-Can
Thursday, 9/10/09 - 7:30 p.m. - Preview/Audio Description
Friday, 9/11/09 - 8:00
p.m. - Open
Saturday, 9/12/09 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 9/13/09
- 2:00/7:00 p.m. - Super Sunday
Tuesday,
9/15/09 - 6:30 p.m. - Early Bird/Audio-Description
Wednesday, 9/16/09 - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, 9/17/09 - 7:30 p.m. - Talkback
Friday, 9/18/09 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9/19/09 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 9/20/09 - 2:00/7:00 p.m. - 2:00/Smoke-Free
Wednesday, 9/23/09 -
1:30/7:30 p.m. - 1:30/Bus matinee
Thursday, 9/24/09 - 7:30 p.m. - Talkback
Friday, 9/25/09 - 8:00
p.m.
Saturday, 9/26/09 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 9/27/09 - 2:00/7:00 p.m.
Wednesday,
9/30/09 - 1:30/7:30 p.m.
Thursday, 10/1/09 - 7:30 p.m. - American Sign Language/Talkback
Friday, 10/2/09 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 10/3/09 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 10/4/09 - 2:00/7:00 p.m. - 2:00/Captioned
Theater, 7:00/Close
TICKET
PRICES:
PREVIEWS:
$10.00 - $40.00
WEEKDAY/SUNDAY: $15.00 - $45.00
FRIDAY/SATURDAY: $15.00 - $60.00
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
###
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 10 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. Through
community support of the United Performing Arts Fund, UPAF
Member and Affiliate Groups are able to provide education
and outreach to over 400,000 children, provide over 2,000
live performances and reach over 1,000,000 people every year.
When everyone supports the arts through UPAF, they help our
local economy, improving education and strengthening outreach
programs to the disabled and elderly – all while adding
culture to their own life. Support of UPAF is critical to
UPAF Member Groups’ ability
to continue to offer exceptional live performances, award-winning
education and outreach programming and substantial economic
impact to our region. To learn more about UPAF or to donate,
go to www.upaf.org.
The Rep is supported in part by a grant
from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the state of
Wisconsin. 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 Theatre Complex
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
milwaukeerep.com |
