FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Cindy Moran, Public Relations Director, 414-224-1761 December 18, 2009 New Suspense-Thriller Kicks off Rep’s New
Year By Steven Dietz Directed by Sean Graney
Quadracci Powerhouse Theater This new suspense-thriller tells the story of Adam, a bar owner and grad student,
and his friend, Ray, a barfly and conspiracy theorist. Ray is ever-willing
to go on a rant with the slightest provocation, compelling Adam to debunk his
outlandish theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks – until Adam finds himself
caught up in one of those very theories. Steven Dietz is a master of ingenious
plotting, which he blends with perfect pitch to create a stimulating and suspenseful
tale. 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. Five years previously, 9/11 resulted in the most tragic loss of life on American soil in history. Over those five years, questions about the facts surrounding that historic day came under scrutiny from a small, but passionate percentage of the population. Ray firmly resides within this minority and has a lot to say on the issue. Adam, an International Studies grad-student at Columbia, has the ammunition to combat Ray’s wild speculation, but he does not have the patience. To make matters worse, a stranger at the bar nursing two beers inserts himself into the fray, claiming his own, classified experience at Ground Zero. Adam eventually puts his foot down causing Ray to storm out of Yankee Tavern in a huff, followed shortly by the curious stranger. When Adam departs for D.C., he leaves Janet behind at the bar where she is confronted by the returning stranger, who has a series of crushing revelations for her: Adam is not where he claims to be; his former professor is doing much more than helping him find a job; and not all the strange truths about 9/11 are coincidences. Outlandish hypotheses become frightening realities as critical facts continue to emerge. Adam is trapped in a dangerous game and Janet must race to pull him out before it’s too late. This controversial thriller challenges not only the sources of information we rely on, but also the information itself. It is easier and safer to accept the details as they are given, but that does not make them true. Though Ray’s rants on conspiracy may seem over the top, are we so sure we have our facts straight? Do we gain anything by denying our skepticisms? Janet learns first hand that ignorance isn’t bliss and that what we don’t know can hurt us. Despite its grave themes, Literary Director Kristin Crouch is quick to recognize that “regardless of where you stand on the plausibility or implausibility of any of these conspiracies, the bizarre nature of the stories creates a foundation for an entertaining evening of thrills, danger and pulse-racing excitement.” Playwright Steven Dietz is one of the most widely produced and published contemporary American dramatists. His plays are popular worldwide, being staged in England, France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Russia, Argentina, Peru, Singapore and South Africa (just to name a few). Steven Dietz was born in 1958 in Denver, Colorado. In 1980, he graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a BA in Theatre Arts, after which he moved to Minneapolis to begin writing. During this time, Steven formed the humble Quicksilver Stage and wrote such plays as RANDOM ACTS, WANDERLUST, PAINTING IT RED and TEN NOVEMBER. In 1988, he was commissioned by A Contemporary Theatre of Seattle to write GOD’S COUNTRY, a political thriller which enjoyed great success. While in Seattle, he wrote such works as HALCYON DAYS, TRUST and THE NINA VARIATIONS. In 2006, he moved to Austin where he teaches play and screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Dietz’s accomplishments are varied and impressive. LAST OF THE BOYS was a Pulitzer nominee, and his plays FICTION and STILL LIFE WITH IRIS have both won him the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award. He also received the PEN USA West Award in Drama for LONELY PLANET. Steven has also directed productions of his and other writers’ works, and was a resident director at The Playwright’s Center in Minneapolis. In addition to plays, he has written articles for American Theatre Magazine on the creation of new plays. YANKEE TAVERN will be the ninth play by Steven Dietz that The Rep has produced. In 1995, The Rep and the Institute of Dramatic Arts in Tokyo jointly produced SILENCE, adapted from the novel by Endo Shusaku. The play received the Yomuiri Shinbum Award as one of the top-five plays produced in Japan that year. Other Dietz plays that The Rep has produced include: PRIVATE EYES (1997/98); ROCKET MAN (1998/99); FORCE OF NATURE (1998/99); DRACULA (1999/00); PARAGON SPRINGS (1999/00); INVENTING VAN GOGH (2003/04) and most recently, SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE FINAL ADVENTURE (2005/06) adapted from William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle, which won the 2007 Edgar Award for Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. Director Sean Graney is the Artistic Director and Founder of The Hypocrites, a Chicago theater company. This will be the first production Sean has directed at Milwaukee Rep. He was born and raised in Boston. When in high school, he got involved in a summer theater program and quickly started a theater club. “It gave me a sense of belonging. All the misfits did plays, and I was one of the head misfits.” He received his BFA in Theater and Writing from Emerson College in Boston where, up until his third year, he had been pursuing acting, but he found it tough to deal with directors’ authority. Perhaps not surprisingly, he is now one himself. In 2004, Graney was selected for the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for
Directors. He also won two Joseph Jefferson Citations for Direction for EQUUS
and MACHINAL (for which he also won an After Dark Award) both for The Hypocrites.
He was also nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for adaptation on multiple
occasions. Apart from his work at The Hypocrites, Sean has directed EDWARD
II (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); THE HAIRY APE (The Goodman Theatre); ELEPHANT
MAN (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); WHAT THE BUTLER SAW and MYSTERY OF IRMA
VEP (Court Theatre) and HONUS AND ME and HUNDRED DRESSES (Chicago Children’s
Theatre). In 2004, he was named Chicago’s Best Avant-Garde Director by Chicago
Magazine and Chicagoan of the Year (in Theater) by the Chicago Tribune. Guest Actor, Marti Gobel (Janet), returns to The Rep for
this production after understudying the role of Willetta Mayer in last season’s
TROUBLE IN MIND. Also, Will Zahrn (Ray) will be making his
Milwaukee Repertory Theater debut. (To learn more about our Resident Acting Company, Guest Actors or our Intern
Company, please visit milwaukeerep.com.) (YANKEE TAVERN production photos will be posted at milwaukeerep.com/about/photos.htm.) The Production/Design Team for YANKEE TAVERN Includes: Steve Barnes and Susannah M. Barnes (Associate Scenic Designers); Holly Payne (Costume Designer); Noele Stollmack (Lighting Designer); Josh Schmidt (Sound Designer); Richelle Harrington Calin (Stage Manager); Becky Merold (Assistant Stage Manager) and Dylan K. Sladky (Assistant Director). Tickets toYANKEE TAVERN 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. Special Events for YANKEE TAVERN: •On Thursday, January 14 The
Rep will host it's second Entourage Event of the season. The pre-show reception
will begin at 5:30 pm in The Rep's Powerhouse Lobby. Drink
specials and complimentary appetizers will be provided by Mader's German Restaurant,
followed by the 7:30 pm performance of YANKEE TAVERN or ALMOST,
MAINE. Visit therep-entourage.com to
order tickets.
New Suspense-Thriller Kicks off Rep’s New Year Directed by Sean Graney
FACT SHEET THEATER: Quadracci Powerhouse Theater DATES: January 5 - February 31, 2010 DESCRIPTION: This new suspense-thriller tells the story of Adam, a bar owner and grad student, and his friend, Ray, a barfly and conspiracy theorist. Ray is ever-willing to go on a rant with the slightest provocation, compelling Adam to debunk his outlandish theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks – until Adam finds himself caught up in one of those very theories. Steven Dietz is a master of ingenious plotting, which he blends with perfect pitch to create a stimulating and suspenseful tale. PERFORMANCES: Tuesday, 1/5/10 - 7:30 p.m. - Preview/Pay-What-You-Can Wednesday, 1/20/10 - 1:30/7:30 p.m. Wednesday, 1/27/10 - 1:30/7:30 p.m. TICKET PRICES: 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
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