MCC's DON'T GO GENTLE Begins Performances

MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) begins previews today for the world premiere production of Don't Go Gentle by Stephen Belber and directed by Lucie Tiberghien, who also directed Belber's play Geometry of Fire at the Rattlestick Theater. Don't Go Gentle features David Wilson Barnes (Broadway's The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Becky Shaw at Second Stage), newcomer Maxx Brawer, Michael Cristofer (NBC's hit series "Smash," Broadway's A View from the Bridge with Liev Schreiber), Angela Lewis (Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights Horizons), and Jennifer Mudge (Roundabout Theatre Company's The Philanthropist). Performances of Don't Go Gentle take place at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) through November 4, 2012. An official opening is set for Sunday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m.

MCC Theater is also pleased to announce a series of talkbacks taking place directly after the following upcoming performances of Don't Go Gentle:

Tuesday, October 2nd - Guests will include: Caprice Royal, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20+ years experience; and James Rudolph, former T&E attorney, now a senior trust officer at US Trust. Moderated by MCC Theater Director of Development Erica Lynn Schwartz.

Tuesday, October 23rd - Playwright Stephen Belber, director Lucie Tiberghien, moderated by MCC Theater Co-Artistic Director, Robert LuPone.

Tuesday, October 30th - Members of The cast, moderated by MCC Theater Co-Artistic Director, William Cantler.

Don't Go Gentle follows Judge Lawrence Driver (Cristofer): conservative powerhouse on the bench, failure at home. Now retired, widowed, and seeking redemption, Lawrence volunteers to do pro bono legal work with a young African American woman, Tanya (Lewis), a vulnerable ex-con with a troubled teenage son, while working to repair the increasingly complicated relationships with his own adult children. But do-overs don't come easy, and when his newfound generosity is perceived as condescension, Lawrence runs the risk of losing everything.

Playwright Stephen Belber, an MCC Theater Playwrights' Coalition member, has built an impressive career with plays that, like Don't Go Gentle, chronicle moral ambiguity, including his works Tape, Dusk Rings a Bell, and Match on Broadway. Director Lucie Tiberghien, Belber's frequent collaborator, most recently directed the West Coast premiere of Blood and Gifts at the La Jolla Playhouse.

Scenic Design for Don't Go Gentle is by Robin Vest, Costume Design is by Jenny Mannis, Lighting Design is by Matthew Richards, and Sound Design and Original Compositions are by Fabian Obispo.

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