PICT presents McPherson Winter Rep....
Redemption a theme in holiday plays by sensational contemporary Irish playwright....
Pittsburgh.., ..PA.... – November 17, 2008. Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre rings in the holiday season with two tales of second chances by contemporary Irish playwright Conor McPherson. Dublin ..Carol.. runs December 4th through 20th, and St. Nicholas runs December 12th through 20th. Both productions will be performed in the Henry Heymann Theatre at the Stephen Foster Memorial on ....Forbes Avenue.... in ....Oakland.....
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Dublin ..Carol.. and St. Nicholas both feature contemporary Irish men battling alcoholism and turning away from family obligations. Over the course of their experiences, each man undergoes a transformation that leaves hope in place of despair.
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A uniquely Irish Christmas story, Dublin ..Carol.. takes place in modern-day ....Dublin.... on Christmas Eve. The play centers on John Plunkett, an alcoholic undertaker who is sharing his funereal memories with a young assistant. An unexpected visit from his estranged, grown-up daughter opens the door to revisit his past and, perhaps, presents the gift of an opportunity to make amends.
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In St. Nicholas, a vitriolic ....Dublin.... theatre critic obsesses over a beautiful young actress who is playing the lead in a production of Salome. After giving the production a scathing review, he follows the troupe of actors to ....London.... to apologize. Instead of finding love and forgiveness, he is taken under wing by a house full of vampires and becomes their caretaker. What he takes away from his adventure with the vampires may offer him hope for redemption.
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Jackie Maxwell, Artistic Director of Canada’s Shaw Festival, makes her ....United States.... directing debut with Dublin ..Carol... The show features ....Pittsburgh.... actors Larry John Meyers as John Plunkett, and Jason Planitzer as Mark. Colleen Madden, a ..Pittsburgh.. native now living in ....Wisconsin...., plays Mary.
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PICT Artistic Director ..Andrew Paul.. directs St. Nicholas, which stars ....Pittsburgh.... actor Marty Giles.
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The McPherson shows share a design team, which includes Gianni Downs (scenic design), Nicole Ellis (lighting design), Erin Collins Rittling (costume design), Zachary Brown (sound design), and Lily Junker (properties). Natalie Baker Shirer assists the productions with dialects.
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Conor McPherson wrote and directed St. Nicholas in 1997 for the Bush Theatre in ....London..... His first big success was The Weir (also 1997), which was commissioned by the ....Royal.. ..Court.. ..Theatre.... and went to Broadway in 1999. The Weir claimed the Olivier Award for Best New Play in ..London.., and was nominated for the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play in ....New York..... Dublin ..Carol.. premiered in 2000 at the ....Royal.. ..Court.. ..Theatre.... after previewing at the Old Vic. The Gate Theatre production, also in 2000, was nominated for Best Production at the Dublin Theatre Festival, and for Best Play from the Irish Times/ESB Award. The ..Tony-nominated.. ..Shining.. ..City.. premiered at the ....Royal Court.... and the Gate theatres in 2004 before coming to Broadway in 2006; and his most recent play, The Seafarer, premiered at ....London....’s National Theatre in 2006 and moved to Broadway in 2007, where it received four Tony nominations, including Best Play.
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Dublin ..Carol.. director Jackie Maxwell makes her ....U.S..... directing debut with PICT. Born and educated in ..Belfast.., Maxwell studied drama at the ..University.. of ..Manchester.. and is currently in her seventh season as the Artistic Director for ....Canada....’s Shaw Festival. Her Shaw credits include direction of Picnic, Candida, Merrily We Roll Along, The Three Sisters, The Coronation Voyage, Pygmalion, Rutherford and Son (which later played at the National Arts Centre in ....Ottawa....), Gypsy, Bus Stop, Arms and the Man, and The Magic Fire. In 2007, she directed an acclaimed production of Saint Joan, which traveled to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and in 2008 she directed Mrs. Warren’s Profession and the North American premiere of The Stepmother. In 2009, she will direct the Tonight at 8:30 production of “Brief Encounters” by Noël Coward, and John Osbourne’s The Entertainer. Other selected Canadian credits include The Weir and Dancing at Lughnasa for Canadian Stage Company, The Memory of Water (later remounted for Mirvish Productions at the Elgin/Winter Garden) for Tarragon Theatre, and Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) for ....London....’s The Grand Theatre.
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Larry John Meyers plays John Plunkett in Dublin ..Carol... Meyers has performed in more than a dozen PICT shows over the past seven seasons, most recently appearing as the Earl of Gloucester in the 2008 season-opening production of King Lear. Other PICT credits include the acclaimed 2006 production of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame (....Hamm....), and last season’s Julius Caesar (Caesar) and Stuff Happens (Dick Cheney). ....
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....Pittsburgh.... native Colleen Madden returns to her hometown to make her PICT debut as Mary in Dublin ..Carol... For the past eight years, Colleen has been a resident actor with American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisc, where her credits have included Pegeen Mike in The Playboy of the Western World, Ariel in The Tempest, and Sonya in Uncle Vanya. She has also appeared with the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, where her credits include Sarah in Translations, and Madison Repertory Theatre, where she played Sarah Talley in Talley’s Folly. Other regional theatres where Madden has worked include Virginia Stage Company, The Alliance, Two Rivers Theatre Company, and Renaissance Theatreworks.....
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Jason Planitzer (Mark in Dublin ..Carol..) returns to PICT, where he previously appeared in the Storytellers presentation of McPherson’s Port Authority, and in Henry IV. Other local productions include Chicks with Dicks (Bricolage), Richard II (Quantum Theatre) and Cherry Smoke (barebones productions, also performed in ....Edinburgh.., ..Scotland....). ....
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St. Nicholas director Andrew S. Paul is the founder and artistic director of Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre. Earlier this season he directed the PICT production of An Ideal Husband, as well as The Playboy of the Western World and The Tinker’s Wedding in PICT’s Synge Cycle. At the beginning of the year he traveled to ..Poland.., where he directed and collaborated with David Hare on the non-English language premiere of Stuff Happens at Slaski Teatr in ....Katowice.....
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....Pittsburgh.... favorite Martin Giles stars as the critic in St. Nicholas. In PICT’s Synge Cycle earlier this season, he played Michael James in The Playboy of theWestern World, King Conchubor in Deirdre of the Sorrows, and the tramp in The Shadow of the Glen. He also served as director for The Well of the Saints. Giles’ recent acting credits include Lost in the Stars with Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh at the Byham Theatre and the Virginia Arts Festival, The Chicken Snake with the Playhouse Rep, and Key to the Field with Bricolage. He is in his seventh season with PICT, where he has been seen in Hedda Gabler, Stuff Happens and Julius Caesar. Other recent directing credits include Mazel for the Jewish Theatre of Pittsburgh and Not I in PICT’s BeckettFest.
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Scenic designer Gianni Downs’ 2008 PICT credits include all productions in Synge Cycle, as well as Salome, Wilde Tales and An Ideal Husband. Other selected PICT credits include Pride and Prejudice, Stuff Happens, Private Lives, and The Lieutenant of Inishmore (also for St. Louis Repertory Theatre).
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Costume designer Erin Collins Rittling makes her PICT debut with Dublin ..Carol.. and St. Nicholas. She is a recent graduate of the ....Carnegie.. ..Mellon.. ..University.... graduate school. Past productions include the world premiere of Big Money: The Musical, Scapino, Servant of Two Masters and Agamemnon.
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Lighting is designed by Nicole Ellis (Salome, Wilde Tales, and associate lighting designer for Synge Cycle), and sound design is by Zachary Brown (Salome, Wilde Tales, An Ideal Husband, Pride and Prejudice and Private Lives). Natalie Baker Shirer serves as dialect coach.
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Dublin ..Carol.. runs December 4th through December 20th. The Wednesday preshow discussion on December 10th is sponsored by UPMC. Tickets are $47 to $17.
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St. Nicholas runs December 12th through December 20th. A special student matinee is scheduled for Thursday, December 11th at 10 a.m. All seats are $20 ($15 with purchase of a ticket to Dublin ..Carol..).
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Both productions perform in the intimate Henry Heymann Theatre, located on the ..University.. of ..Pittsburgh.. campus at the Stephen Foster Memorial on ....Forbes Avenue.... in ....Oakland..... Tickets are available by calling ProArts Tickets at 412-394-3353. More information is available at the PICT website, www.picttheatre.org. Student matinee questions and bookings should be directed to ..Eric Nelson.., director of sales, at 412-561-6000 x206 or enelson@picttheatre.org.
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....Dublin.... ..Carol../St. Nicholas Fact Sheet....
....Dublin.... ..Carol.. by Conor McPherson....
Directed by Jackie Maxwell....
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Cast: Colleen Madden, Larry John Meyers, Jason Planitzer....
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Performance Dates and Times:....
First Week: Thursday – Friday, December 4 – 5, Previews, 8 p.m.....
Saturday, December 6, Opening, 8 p.m. (followed by reception)....
Sunday, December 7, 2 p.m.....
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Second Week: Tuesday, December 9, 7 p.m.....
Wednesday – Saturday, December 10 – 13, 8 p.m.....
*Artistically Speaking – Wednesday, Dec. 10 (sponsored by UPMC) at 7 p.m.....
*Behind the Scenes – Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.....
Sunday, December 14, 2 p.m.....
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Third Week: Tuesday, December 16, 7 p.m.....
Wednesday – Friday, December 17 – 19, 8 p.m.....
Saturday, December 20 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.....
*Audio-Descriptive performance Saturday, December 20 at 2 p.m.....
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St. Nicholas by Conor McPherson....
Directed by Andrew S. Paul....
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Cast: Martin Giles....
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Performance Dates and Times:....
Friday and Saturday -- December 12, 13, 19 and 20 -- at 10 p.m. (FOLLOWING ....Dublin.... ..Carol..)....
Sunday, December 14 at 7 p.m.....
MONDAY, December 15 at 8 p.m.....
Special Student Matinee on Thursday, December 11 at 10 a.m.....
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Tickets: ....Dublin.... ..Carol.. $47 to $17; St. Nicholas all seats $20 ($15 with purchase of Dublin ..Carol.. ticket) ....
Call ProArts at 412-394-3353....
Student Matinee bookings and information: ..Eric Nelson.., 412-561-6000 x206 or enelson@picttheatre.org....
Henry Heymann Theatre, Stephen Foster Memorial, ....Oakland........
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McPherson Rep Design Team: Zachary Brown (Sound), Gianni Downs (Scenic), Nicole Ellis (Lighting), Lily Junker (Properties), Erin Collins Rittling (Costumes).. ................... Natalie Baker Shirer (Dialects).