Barrington Stage Company will open its 2007 Stage II season with A Picasso, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game of intrigue by playwright Jeffrey Hatcher (Never Gonna Dance, Compleat Female Stage Beauty). Starring Emmy Award-winner Thom Christopher and Gretchen Egolf, A Picasso is directed by Tyler Marchant (Off-Broadway's Anne of Green Gables), with performances at The Berkshire Athenaeum (1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield) from Wednesday, May 16 through Sunday, June 3. The press opening is Sunday, May 20 at 3pm.
"Ever wonder what it would be like to sit at a table with Pablo Picasso for a verbal joust about art, sex and politics? With A Picasso, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher gives audiences a seat to experience the wit of the artist, the power of the persona, and his unflinching passion for his work. What is art? Who silences art? Can art survive censorship?," state press materials.
The play "is set during the height of the German occupation of Paris. Picasso (Thom Christopher) is secreted to a dusty underground vault where he encounters a beautiful young Gestapo art critic-turned-interrogator (Gretchen Egolf). The sexy inquisitor's job is to get Picasso to authenticate three of his drawings amidst the vault of artwork confiscated by the Nazis. It's Picasso under pressure. Who will win this cat-and-mouse game? Meet the Picasso you never knew."
Barrington Stage Company's production of A Picasso is designed by Brian Prather (sets), Guy Lee Bailey (costumes), Jeff Davis (lighting) and Matt Kraus (sound).
Emmy Award-winning actor Thom Christopher makes his BSC debut as Pablo Picasso. Berkshire audiences will remember Christopher for his 2002 BTF performance as Zorba. Daytime television viewers have seen him on "The Edge of Night," "Guiding Light," "Loving" (Emmy nomination) and especially "One Life to Live" (for which he won an Emmy Award). His Broadway credits include Caesar and Cleopatra, Noel Coward in Two Keys (Theatre World Award) and Emperor Henry IV. Off-Broadway credits include Tamara – The Living Movie, The Changeling at TFANA and The Triumph of Love at CSC. He has extensive regional credits. Other television credits include "Law & Order," "Murder She Wrote," "TJ Hooker," "Simon and Simon."
Egolf makes her BSC debut with A Picasso. Her Broadway credits include Ring Round the Moon and Jackie (in which she also appeared in London's West End). Off-Broadway plays include All This Intimacy, Modern Orthodox, More Lies About Jerzy, Getting Into Heaven, and Crocodiles in the Potomac. Regional theatre credits include work at Pittsburgh Public, Chester Theater, Wilma Theater, The Globe, Coconut Grove, and two seasons with Berkshire Theatre Festival. She can currently be seen in the film The Namesake, with past films including The Talented Mr. Ripley and Quiz Show. Her television work includes "Martial Law" (CBS), "Roswell" (WB), opposite Brad Garrett in "Gleason" (CBS movie), and guest star roles on "Without a Trace," "Law & Order," "Century City," "Nero Wolfe," "Cosby," and "Cracker."
The Berkshire Athenaeum is located at 1 Wendell Avenue in Pittsfield. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm. For tickets call 413-236-8888 and in South County call 413-528-8888 or purchase online at www.barringtonstageco.org. Tickets are $25 Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday; Saturday evening tickets are $35. Preview nights: May 16 and 17, tickets are $15.
