INTIMAN Brings a Unique Treat to Seattle: Lynn Nottage's RUINED

Original Cast Members and the Design Team for Director Kate Whoriskey’s Production of Lynn Nottage’s Ruined Reunite at Intiman Theatre and the Geffen Playhouse for a Co-Production of the Award-Winning Play

Audiences in Seattle and Los Angeles will be the only theatregoers in the country to see the original production of Ruined, the most honored play of recent seasons and the centerpiece of Whoriskey’s first season as Intiman’s Artistic Director

Intiman Theatre Performances: July 2 – August 8, 2010
Geffen Playhouse Performances: September 7 – October 17, 2010

SEATTLE AND LOS ANGELES — Lynn Nottage’s Ruined, a powerful portrayal of the triumph of the human spirit in a war-torn country, will be co-produced this season byIntiman Theatre (opening July 9, 2010) and the Geffen Playhouse (opening September 15, 2010), the only two theatres in the country to host original cast members and the design team of director Kate Whoriskey’s acclaimed world-premiere production.

The company will be led by Quincy Tyler Bernstine (Salima), Cherise Boothe (Josephine), Russell G. Jones (Christian) and Condola Rashad (Sophie), all of whom originated their roles in the Goodman Theatre/Manhattan Theatre Club world-premiere production, and Portia, who took over the leading role of Mama Nadi during the extended run in New York .

Ruined is the most acclaimed play of 2009, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, an Obie, Lucille Lortel Award, New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. The play is set in a small mining town in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, where Mama Nadi both protects and profits from the young women who seek refuge in her rain forest bar and brothel. Expertly navigating relationships and politics, this remarkable story is rich with humor, music, hope and humanity.

“Both Lynn and I are thrilled to go back into the rehearsal room with Ruined for this co-production between Intiman and the Geffen,” says Whoriskey, who collaborated on the development of the play with Nottage for five years and staged the world-premiere production at the Goodman Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club. “Ruined was a truly momentous experience for all of us who worked on it, and we are excited to bring back so many of our close collaborators—and artists who are joining us for the first time—to make new explorations into the heart and complexities of the play and the stories that inspired our work.”

Performance Schedules and Ticketing Information

In Seattle, where Ruined launches Intiman’s new International Cycle, performances will begin on Friday, July 2 and continue through Sunday, August 8 at Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer Street at Seattle Center . The opening night is Friday, July 9 at 8 pm. Intiman’s production is sponsored in part by The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

Tickets are available from www.intiman.org or 206.269.1900. Single ticket prices range from $25 to $50 for Wednesday-Sunday performances. All adult tickets on Tuesday nights are $25. Discounts are available for groups and members of the military, and patrons age 25 and under can purchase tickets to any performance for $10. The pay-what-you-can performance for Ruined is Wednesday, July 7 at 7:30 pm. Tickets will go on sale that day at noon and may now be purchased over the phone as well as in person; patrons can pay by credit card with a $10 minimum per ticket. Patrons will be able to purchase standing room, standby and rush tickets for every performance, pending availability.

In Los Angeles, Ruined will run at the Geffen Playhouse from September 7 through October 17, with an official opening night of September 15. The Geffen Playhouse production is sponsored in part by International Medical Corps and Jewish World Watch.

Tickets to the Los Angeles production are currently available through subscription only. Beginning on July 20, single tickets will be available online at www.geffenplayhouse.com, at the Geffen Playhouse box office or via credit card phone order at (310) 208-5454. Ticket prices range from $35-$55 for preview performances and from $65-$85 for the regular run.

Ruined Production History

Ruined is the third collaboration between playwright Lynn Nottage and director Kate Whoriskey. The play began with an idea that they might work together on a new adaptation of Brecht’s anti-war drama Mother Courage and Her Children that would be set in Congo, where a war over natural resources had been raging for years without attracting significant mainstream media attention—despite being the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II, with more than 5.4 million people dead. The violence of the war in Congo is targeted against women and girls, perpetuated through the use of rape as a weapon.

In 2004, Nottage and Whoriskey traveled together to the bordering country of Uganda , where they spent two weeks interviewing Congolese women who had fled their country and found refuge. Inspired by these women, they abandoned the idea of adapting Mother Courage in order to tell a story that had not yet been heard—a story that would be specific to the complexity of what is happening now. The next year, Nottage returned and interviewed refugees fleeing armed conflicts in Congo , Uganda , Sudan and Somalia . Together with Whoriskey and their collaborators, she developed the play over five years.

Originally commissioned by the Goodman Theatre, Ruined had its world premiere in Chicago in late 2008. A co-production with the Manhattan Theatre Club, it moved to off-Broadway in January 2009, extending eight times during its acclaimed run.

“Zanna, Don’t!” is back for its third not-so-straight summer

Seattle, WA— Contemporary Classics will revive their hit summer production of ZANNA, DON’T! for a third time this summer June 25-July 3 at Seattle Repertory Theatre’s PONCHO Forum, coinciding with the 2010 Seattle Gay Pride Festival.

ZANNA, DON’T! is a hip musical fairy tale about a matchmaking teen who turns relationships upside down, challenges our point of view, and changes the world forever. In a world where it’s normal to be gay and taboo to be straight when Kate and Steve fall in love it’s up to Zanna, the local love fairy, to search for the right spell to make the world safe for the two lovers. But Zanna’s spell has a bigger impact than he planned. Is this new world really what he wanted? With a little magic and a fresh pop score, ZANNA celebrates the discovery of love in a world of adversity.

“We’re so happy to be bringing ZANNA, DON’T! back this summer,” Contemporary Classics artistic director Brandon Ivie said. “I feel ZANNA is like our gay ‘Christmas Carol.’ It had such an impact on our audience that I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer.” The Seattle production was named one of the Best Musicals of 2008 by Seattle Gay News and won a Seattle Times Footlight Award. ZANNA, DON’T! played Off-Broadway in 2003 and received four Drama Desk Award nominations for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Music and Best Lyrics.

The cast includes some of Seattle’s best young talent. Returning cast members include Justin Huertas (Seattle Rep’s Speech & Debate, ArtsWest’s History Boys), Sarah Davis (Village Theatre’s Terezin and Piece), Bill Williams (Village’s The Gypsy King, Beauty and the Beast), Cornish grad Diana Huey (5th Avenue’s Mame), Jared Michael Brown (ArtsWest’s Measure for Pleasure) and Lindsey Hedberg (Village Theatre’s The Yellow Wood). Joining the new cast is Kyle Anderson (Village Theatre’s Stunt Girl) and University of Washington student Casey Oliver.

The entire production team returns, including Contemporary Classics’ artistic director Brandon Ivie (A New Brain) as director/choreographer, Mark Rabe (Seattle Children’s Theatre’sBusytown, Goodnight Moon) as music director, Harmony Arnold (Seattle Rep’s My Name is Rachel Corrie, Boom) as costume designer, Robert J. Aguilar (Seattle Rep’s Boom, Speech & Debate) as lighting designer, and recent UW MFA grad Andrea Bush (Book-It’s upcoming Cider House Rules, Washington Ensemble Theatre’s Robopop!) as set designer.

The production runs Tuesday-Sunday at 8pm. Tickets are $20 general admission.

Founded in 2003, CONTEMPORARY CLASSICS got its start fundraising through concerts and cabarets. Since producing their first Seattle premiere in 2005 (Andrew Lippa’s john & jen) they have produced Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, William Finn’s A New Brain, and Tim Acito’s Zanna, Don’t!, and eight editions of the popular New Voices songwriter showcase series. New work development includes the Showtune Suckapunch series has produced the world premiere readings of Over Seas and Razia’s Shadow, and The Songs of David A. Austin, featured songs from the author’s upcoming Broadway debut, Writing Arthur. The Contemporary Classics season continues with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Yellow Wood, [title of show] and Over Seas.

The 5th Avenue Award Goes To...

Washington’s high school musical theater programs honored in Tony Award-Style event, sponsored by Wells Fargo

SEATTLE - Tonight, 2,200 high school students, teachers and parents from across Washington State packed The 5th Avenue Theatre for the Eighth Annual 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards, sponsored by Wells Fargo. A highly enthusiastic crowd filled the Theatre and cheered as the award recipients were announced in 22 different categories, ranging from Outstanding Overall Musical Production to Outstanding Program Design.

The nominees, some dressed in their production costumes and the rest in their best party clothes, shook the walls of the Theatre with their cheering and applause, celebrating a variety of exceptional musical theater productions presented during the 2009-2010 school year. Nominees in select categories presented numbers from their shows and performed song medleys. Teachers and students alike were thrilled to receive recognition for their hard work and dedication, just as accomplished high school athletes have received for decades.

Since its inception the program has grown in size and scope, from 31 productions and 3,100 students in 2003 to 93 productions and 9,300 students participating this year. 183 nominations were given to 64 schools in various categories and 89 students received honorable mentions. Schools from as far as Spokane, Lynden, Sequim and Vancouver are reporting back to The 5th Avenue that their involvement in this awards program has significantly helped their individual efforts to secure funding, improve curriculum and increase student participation.

Kamiak High School received the Outstanding Overall Musical Production Award, while University High School took home the most awards of the evening, three.Hanford High School, Roosevelt High School, Liberty High School and Lake Stevens High School all received two awards each.

Tori Gresham at Eisenhower High School received the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, and Dalin Tipton at North Central High School for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Hanford High School took home Outstanding Direction, University High School received the award for Outstanding Music Direction, and Roosevelt High School was the recipient for Outstanding Choreography.

For a full list of our nominees and recipients, visit our 2010 High School Musical Theatre Awards Nominees & Recipients page at5thavenue.org/education/highschoolawards-2010.aspx.

TVW did a live webcast of the event (hosted on the 5th Avenue website) and will repeat a broadcast tomorrow night, Tuesday June 8, at 7:00 p.m., as well as the following Saturday June 12 at 7:00 pm and Sunday June 13 at 1:00 pm. After June 13, the event may be viewed as streaming video at www.tvw.org.

TAPROOT THEATRE DREAMS IMPOSSIBLE DREAM WITH INTIMATE NEW STAGING OF MAN OF LA MANCHA

Five-time Tony award-winning musical gets acoustic reimagining, opens July 9

SEATTLE – June 4, 2010 – Experience Don Quixote’s impossible dream like never before with Taproot Theatre’s intimate new staging of Man of La Mancha. Featuring the story and songs of an immortal classic, this Tony Award-winning musical comes to the Taproot stage with fresh, acoustic arrangements. Don Quixote is mad... mad enough to dream an impossible dream while tilting after windmills with his trusty sidekick, Sancho Panza. Quixote’s romantic quest is as crazy as he is. But is his impossible dream madness or vision? The trial is about to begin. Man of La Mancha provides a glimpse into the Spanish literature that inspired Picasso, before Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris opens at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) in October. Inspired by Spanish writers including Cervantes, Picasso wove characters such as Don Quixote—a revolutionary like himself—into some of his art. Man of La Mancha, directed by producing artistic director Scott Nolte with musical direction by Edd Key, opens on July 9 and runs through August 7, with low-price previews on July 7 and 8, plus a pay-what-you-can performance on July 14.

With such beloved songs as The Impossible Dream (The Quest), Dulcinea and Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote), Man of La Mancha won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. But the musical we know today began as a non-musical television script the decade before. Dale Wasserman—who eventually wrote the musical—was intrigued by novelist Miguel de Cervantes’ early experience as a playwright. He conceived the idea of a play within a play featuring a day in the life of Cervantes, and pitched it to CBS. Airing on November 9, 1959, with Lee J. Cobb (Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman) in the title role, I, Don Quixote went on to become a musical with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The original production—staged by Albert Marre, and originally produced by Albert W. Selden and Hal James—opened in November 1965 at the Anta Washington Square Theatre in New York.

Taproot Theatre’s production takes this large, Broadway musical and re-imagines it to leverage the theatre’s intimate space, much like directors Scott Nolte and Karen Lund did with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat and Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Adored for its characters, music and theatricality—the original production took place on a thrust stage like Taproot’s with very little scenery—Man of La Mancha’sstory and themes also resonate.

“This is truly one of the most heroic and redemptive musicals ever conceived,” said Nolte. “It’s packed with wonder, as well as with themes of honor, courage, inner beauty and hope.”

Taproot Theatre’s cast features Jeff Berryman (seen earlier this season in Brooklyn Boy) as Don Quixote and Cervantes, joined by Don Darryl Rivera as his trusty sidekick, Sancho Panza, plus Ryan Childers, Stephen Grenley, Pam Nolte, Mike Oliver, Faith Russell, Candace Vance and April Wolfe. The band features Jared Borkowski and Gordon Tibbits on guitar, and Ivan Arteaga provides percussion. The production team includes scenic and sound designer Mark Lund, costume designer Sarah Burch Gordon and lighting designer Andrew Duff. Deborah Armstrong Evans serves as stage manager, Kate Forster as dialect coach, Christy McNeil as choreographer and Sonja Lowe as dramaturg.

After Man of La Mancha, Taproot Theatre’s 2010 Season concludes with the regional premiere of Wedding Belles by Alan Bailey and Ronnie Claire Edwards (September 22-October 23).

Come Join Us for Our 2010 Gala…Starring You! “

“A Night at The 5th” celebrates 30 years of musical theater and our patrons with food, drink and plenty of song

SEATTLE – The 5th Avenue Theatre celebrates its 30th Anniversary with A Night At The 5th, a Gala celebration of three decades as one of the region’s leading non-profit organizations. On Saturday June 19 The Theatre offers up entertainment, catered delicacies and both a Silent and Live Auction, and celebrates the end of a critically-acclaimed season as well as honoring the visionaries who saved The 5th from demolition.

On June 16, 1980, almost 30 years ago to the day of this year’s event, another Gala took place at The 5th with two of American Theater’s leading ladies present, actressHelen Hayes and legendary musical theater star Ethel Merman. To reopen The Theatre Hayes recited a Shakespeare Sonnet and kissed the stage, declaring it “a national treasure,” while Merman brought the house down with the songs “I’ve Got Rhythm” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” This year we pay tribute to our own Leading Lady of The 5th, Marilynn Sheldon, who served as the theatre’s founding Managing Director up till her retirement last year, as well as the civic and business leaders behind the theatre’s transformation from movie palace to Seattle’s magnificent home of live musical theater.

The eighth annual Gala this year also puts the spotlight on our supporters and patrons with an evening that includes three acts of sophisticated fun. “Act One” is a cocktail reception in the theatre’s lobby, accompanied by catered appetizers and a Silent Auction of exclusive goods and services from the region’s best shops, wineries and businesses. “Act Two” features a Live Auction that includes such one-of-a-kind gifts as a cameo appearance in one of next season’s shows or even a special song composed just for you! The Auction is accompanied by live performances by an all-star cast of 5th Avenue performers. Finally in “Act Three” join your fellow patrons onstage for a champagne dessert, and feel what it’s like to be in the star’s spotlight for a night.

Tickets for A Night at The 5th, as well as season subscriptions to The 5th Avenue’s 2010-2011 Season, are available by calling 206-625-1900/toll-free 888-5TH-4TIX (584-4849), at our website at http://www.5thavenue.org/support/anightatthe5th.aspx, and in person at the box office at 1308 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.

Crackling Wit, Uproarious The Female of the Species Playfully Skewers the Feminist Movement in Seattle Premiere at ACT

Seattle, WA – June 2, 2010 – ACT’s 2010 Mainstage season continues with a savagely funny new comedy, The Female of the Species by Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, June 18-July 18, 2010. This Seattle premiere is loosely based on a real-life incident when feminist icon, author, and professor Germaine Greer was attacked and held hostage in her home in the British countryside by a college co-ed obsessed with the famous writer.

Germaine Greer’s ordeal and the ensuing commentary provided Murray-Smith with an ideal springboard for the delightfully zany events of The Female of the Species. In her irreverent satire, she lets loose with a wild farce that takes on the entire feminist movement, subjects it to comedic scrutiny, and plays it out to pitch-perfect hilarity on stage.

“The Female of the Species is a deliriously funny new play that acknowledges and celebrates the achievements of the Feminist movement, while poking and tweaking its thin-skinned underbelly,” said ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie.”

Directed by Allison Narver (Eurydice and The Clean House at ACT; Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at The 5th Avenue Theatre), The Female of the Speciesfeatures veteran Seattle stage actor Suzy Hunt as feminist writer Margot Mason and Renata Friedman as her disillusioned, gun-wielding disciple Molly, with madcap interruptions from her harried daughter Tess (Morgan Rowe), her successful but inarticulate son-in-law (Paul Morgan Stetler), a macho taxi driver (Tim Hyland), and her longtime friend and publisher (Mark Chamberlin), adding to the escalating lunacy of the situation.

The Female of the Species was produced this past February at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles with Annette Bening as Margot, and also played on London’s West End with Dame Eileen Atkins in 2008, when it was nominated for the Oliver Award for Best New Comedy.