FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cindy Moran, Public Relations
Director, 414-224-1761
September 5, 2008
“To Play Politics You Have to Play
Ball”. . . Or
Do You?
STATE OF THE UNION
Pulitzer Prize-winning drama opens The Rep's 2008/09 Quadracci Powerhouse
Theater Season
By Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Directed by Michael Halberstam
Made possible in part by the generous support
of:
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
United Performing Arts Fund
QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE THEATER
Previews: September 16, 17 & 18, 2008 Opens: September
19, 2008 Closes: October 12, 2008
The Republicans are looking for a new Presidential candidate in
1946, and they pin all their hopes on Grant Matthews, a charismatic,
successful businessman with no prior involvement in politics. When
Matthews’ estranged wife encourages him to stand firm with
his honest, outspoken style, he soon discovers that he must choose
between political ambition and moral principles. This Pulitzer
Prize-winning drama offers a shrewd and witty look at affairs of
state as well as affairs of the heart. 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.
STATE OF THE UNION takes us back to the 1946 political scene where
the desperate Republican Party is looking to win back the White
House after a 20-year absence. But who is the ideal candidate?
It needs to be someone the politicians in the party want, but the
American voters don’t think they want.
Enter Grant Matthews, a businessman and public figure since the
war and, most appealing to the Republican Party, not a politician.
Matthews must therefore prove himself worthy of the position by
touring the country making speech after speech with whom tagging
along? Not Mrs. Matthews, but Mrs. Thorndyke, the kind of lady
one would find talking to men more than women. Where is Mrs. Matthews?
With the Major, that is until Matthew’s campaign manager
insists she join her husband on the tour.
Will Mrs. Matthews stand in the way of the party’s aspirations
for her husband? Will Matthews follow the Republican Party’s
plan for him or take a firm stand for what he believes in even
if it means going against the party’s wishes? Secret phone
calls, guarded characters and buried feelings make this Pulitzer
Prize-winning play a timeless story of principle, intrigue and
truth.
In a recent interview with The Rep’s Literary Director, Kristin
Crouch, Director Michael Halberstam talked
about the opportunity to direct a political play in the midst
of our country’s own prime political season. “It
is a luxury to work on a chestnut piece of writing from this
time period and genre and even more so to have a play that is
so absolutely relevant to the moment . . . there is a scale to
this play that can only be realized in environments such as exist
in Milwaukee. We are, all of us, very lucky to be exploring this
play, in this place, at this time.”
Playwrights Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse began
their careers onstage as actors before enjoying considerable success and popularity
as Broadway playwrights and producers. Lindsay and Crouse began their partnership
in 1934 when they collaborated to revise Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse’s
book, Anything Goes, for the Broadway musical. They continued to write
and produce together for 30 years creating plays and librettos for Broadway
productions.
STATE OF THE UNION won Lindsay and Crouse the Pulitzer Prize for
Drama in 1946. Two years later it was adapted into a film by Frank
Capra starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Angela Lansbury,
though the film omitted some of the play’s witty dialogue
and controversial issues.
Director Michael Halberstam is delighted to be
back with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, having previously directed
ENCHANTED APRIL last season. He is the Artistic Director and co-founder
of Writers’ Theatre. Now in its 17th season, Writers’ Theatre
enjoys international acclaim, a 3.7 million dollar budget, 5400
subscribers and is heralded as one of Chicago’s most treasured
artistic resources. For his theater he has directed over 25 productions
including NOT ABOUT HEROES (starring Nicholas Pennell), PRIVATE
LIVES, LOOK BACK IN ANGER, NIXON’S NIXON, THE FATHER, THE
DOCTOR’S DILEMMA, SEAGULL, THE DUCHESS OF MALFI, OTHELLO
and the world premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION. Michael has
acted in many Writers’ Theatre productions including, RICHARD
II (title role), LOOT and MISALLIANCE. Previously, he spent two
years at The Stratford Festival in Ontario and performed in TIMON
OF ATHENS, THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE (title role), and MUCH
ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Elsewhere he directed: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
(American Theatre Company); THE GAMESTER (Northlight Theatre);
THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA (Chicago Opera Theatre); FRANCESCA DA RIMINI
(Ravinia Festival); A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (Peninsula Players Theatre);
HAMLET (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); CANDIDA (Jean Cocteau Repertory
in New York City, NY) and TEN LITTLE INDIANS (Drury Lane Oakbrook).
Halberstam has received awards for excellence in theater from The
Chicago Drama League, The Arts & Business Council and the Chicago
Lawyers for the Creative Arts. He most recently directed a highly
acclaimed production of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT at 59E59 Theaters
in New York City, the Writers’ Theatre Off-Broadway premiere
and will direct the world premiere of A MINISTER’S WIFE adapted
from CANDIDA by Bernard Shaw, a new musical by Milwaukee’s
own Josh Schmidt.
The cast of STATE OF THE UNION includes Resident Acting Company
Members: Lee E. Ernst (Grant); Laura Gordon (Mary); Torrey
Hanson (Spike); Gerard Neugent (Swenson/Waiter); James
Pickering (Conover); Rose Pickering (Mrs.
Alexander); Peter Silbert (Judge Alexander) and Deborah
Staples (Kay).
Guest actors in this production are: Dan Mooney (Sam
Parrish); Steve Pickering (Hardy) and Linda
Stephens (Norah/Mrs. Draper).
Members of The Rep’s 2008/09 Artistic Intern Company that
will appear in this production are: Eric Bultman (Ensemble); Samuel
Hicks (Ensemble); Joshua Innerst (Ensemble); Dennis
Kelly (Ensemble); Jordan Laroya (Ensemble); Brian
Rooney (Lauderback/Ensemble); Aaron Shand (Bellhop/Ensemble); Cassandra
Stokes-Wylie (Jenny/Ensemble) and Heidi Wermuth (Ensemble).
(To learn more about our Resident Acting Company, Guest Actors
or our Intern Company, please visit www.milwaukeerep.com.)
The Production/Design team for STATE OF THE UNION includes Keith
Pitts (Scenic Designer); Rachel Healy (Costume
Designer); Joel Moritz (Lighting Designer); Josh
Schmidt (Sound Designer); Kristin Crouch (Literary
Director); Whitney Frazier (Stage Manager); Amanda
Weener (Assistant Stage Manager); Tina Myers (Assistant
Director); Holly Burnell (Stage Management Intern)
and Donna Larsen (Stage Management Intern).
Tickets to STATE OF THE UNION 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
New This Year! - Under 40 Discount
For patrons under the age of 40, all Quadracci Powerhouse tickets
are $10. Proper identification required. Go to therep-entourage.com to
order tickets.
Special Events for STATE OF THE UNION:
On Thursday, September 18 at 7:30 pm and
Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30 pm there
will be an Audio-Described Performance for patrons who are blind
or have low vision.
The Rep Talkbacks will be held after the Thursday evening
performances on September 25, October 2 and October 9. 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.
Pay-What-You-Can dates for this production are Tuesday,
September 16 and Wednesday September 17 at
7:30 pm. Here is your chance to experience some of Milwaukee’s
best live theater at a price you can afford. New for the 2008/09 season,
one additional preview date has been added for each production! A $5.00 minimum
donation is suggested. Quadracci Powerhouse performances start at 7:30 pm;
Stiemke performances start at 8:00 pm. Tickets go on sale at 5:30 pm on the
day of the performance. There is a limit of 10 tickets per person for the Quadracci
Powerhouse performances and 4 tickets per person for the Stiemke Theater performances.
All performances are held in the Quadracci Powerhouse and Stiemke Theaters
located in the Milwaukee Center at 108 E. Wells Street. For more information
call The Rep’s Ticket
Office at 414-224-9490.
A Theater Thursday event will be held on Thursday,
September 25 beginning at 5:45 pm. 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 Stackner Cabaret will be this Theater Thursday’s restaurant
partner.
STATE OF THE UNION Opening Night: Join us! Celebrate with
the cast and crew of The Rep on Friday, September 19th. Following
the STATE OF THE UNION performance there will be an Opening Night Party in
the Quadracci Powerhouse Lobby. All in attendance are welcome to stay.
Cash bar and drink specials available. Complimentary appetizers provided by InterContinental
Milwaukee.
Please join us for the 2nd annual Evening of Repartee on Monday,
October 6, 6:30 pm in The Rep’s Stackner Cabaret.
Relax with a lovely glass of wine, snack on delicious appetizers
and mingle with the members of our Rep Resident Acting Company,
who are the featured presenters for the evening. You will be treated
to readings, short stories and poems, all personally selected and
presented by members of our terrific acting company. The evening
will conclude with sumptuous desserts and coffee. Donations for
this delightful evening are $50, $75 or $100. As seating is limited,
please reserve your place now! Call Lindsay Rocomara,
Rep Events Coordinator, at 414-290-5346.
“To Play Politics You Have to Play Ball” .
. . Or
Do You?
STATE OF THE UNION
By Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Directed by Michael Halberstam
FACT SHEET
THEATER: Quadracci
Powerhouse Theater
DATES: September
16, 2008 – October 12, 2008
DESCRIPTION: The
Republicans are looking for a new Presidential candidate in 1946,
and they pin all their hopes on Grant Matthews, a charismatic,
successful businessman with no prior involvement in politics. This
Pulitzer Prize-winning drama offers a shrewd and witty look at
affairs of state as well as affairs of the heart.
PERFORMANCES
Tuesday,
9/16/08 -
7:30 pm/Preview/Pay-What-You-Can
Wednesday, 9/17/08 - 7:30 pm/Preview/Pay-What-You-Can
Thursday, 9/18/08 - 7:30 pm/Preview/Audio-Description
Friday, 9/19/08 - 8:00 pm/Open
Saturday, 9/20/08 -
4:00/8:00 pm
Sunday, 9/21/08 - 2:00/7:00 pm/Super Sunday - 7:00
Tuesday, 9/23/08 - 6:30 pm/ Early Bird/Audio-Description
Wednesday,
9/24/08 - 7:30 pm
Thursday, 9/25/08 - 7:30 pm/Theater Thursday/Talkback
Friday, 9/26/08 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, 9/27/08 -
4:00/8:00 pm
Sunday, 9/28/08 - 2:00/7:00 p.m./Smoke-Free/Family - 2:00
Wednesday, 10/1/08 - 1:30/7:30 pm
Thursday, 10/2/08 - 7:30 pm/Talkback
Friday, 10/3/08 - 8:00 pm.
Saturday, 10/4/08 -
4:00/8:00 pm
Sunday, 10/5/08 - 2:00/7:00 pm
Wednesday, 10/8/08 - 1:30/7:30 pm/Bus - 1:30/Audio-Description
- 7:30
Thursday, 10/9/08 - 7:30 pm/American Sign Language/Talkback
Friday, 10/10/08 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, 10/11/08 - 4:00/8:00 pm
Sunday, 10/12/08 -
2:00/7:00 pm/Captioned Theater - 2:00 /Close - 7:00
TICKET PRICES:
PREVIEWS $10.00 - $40.00
WEEKDAY/SUNDAY $10.00 - $45.00
FRIDAY/SATURDAY $10.00 - $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
###
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
To learn more about The Rep
or to read about The Rep's 2008/09 season please go to: http://www.milwaukeerep.com |
