La Jolla Playhouse Announces BLOOD AND GIFTS as Part of 2012/13 Season

La Jolla Playhouse announces an additional show for its 2012/2013 season: Blood and Gifts, by J.T. Rogers, directed by Lucie Tiberghien, running in the Mandell Weiss Forum June 12 – July 8, 2012.

Blood and Gifts tells the story of the secret spy war behind the official Soviet-Afghan War of the 1980s. Spanning a decade and playing out in Washington DC, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the play offers up a slice of historical fiction laced with dark humor, as it follows the character of CIA operative Jim Warnock and his struggles to stop the Soviet Army's destruction of Afghanistan. The ground constantly shifts for Jim and his British, Russian and Pakistani counterparts as the political and personal alliances between the men keep changing. In this thrilling, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse, Blood and Gifts depicts the unknown men who shaped one of the greatest historical events in recent history, the repercussions of which continue to shape our world.

During the play's American premiere at Lincoln Center Theatre last fall, The New York Times hailed it as "a first-rate production with the taut grip of a spy novel. J.T. Rogers's knowledge of the hearts and minds of his characters is as deep as his grasp of the geopolitical games being played."

"Part spy thriller, part black comedy, T. Rogers's Blood and Gifts illuminates a controversial moment in recent American history, delving into the complex relationship between the U.S. and Afghanistan in a way that constantly keeps audiences on The Edge of their seats," said Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. "Given the current international climate, coupled with San Diego's military history and population, The Playhouse is the perfect place to host the West Coast premiere of Blood and Gifts."

The Playhouse's 2012/2013 season features the world-premiere, commissioned musical Hands on a Hardbody, running April 27 – June 17* in the Mandell Weiss Theatre; the West Coast premiere of Blood and Gifts, running June 12 – July 8 in the Mandell Weiss Forum; An Iliad, running August 11 – September 9* in the Mandell Weiss Forum; and Glengarry Glen Ross, running September 18 – October 21* in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre (* indicates new dates). The Playhouse's final two subscription shows will be announced shortly.

For information on The Playhouse's 2012/2013 season, please visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org or call The Playhouse Box Office at (858) 550-1010.

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