Will Eno's 'Tragedy' Premieres at Berkeley Rep; Les Waters Directs

This March, be among the first people in America to see Will Eno's Tragedy: a tragedy at the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre. An apocalyptic comedy by an intriguing new playwright, Tragedy makes its American premiere as part of Berkeley Rep's 40th birthday party, directed by Obie Award-winner Les Waters. Presented on the intimate Thrust Stage, Tragedy begins previews on March 14, opens March 19, and closes April 13, 2008. The executive producer is the Strauch Kulhanjian Family, and the official sponsors of Berkeley Rep's 40th season are BART and Wells Fargo.

Tragedy: a tragedy is described as "A comedy... The sun – despite its shining record – has finally set. Reporters descend in a flurry of questions and commentary, while the governor urges calm. It's a mournful and comic tale of everyday apocalypse, a savage look at all of us in the dark." As with his sold-out runs of The Pillowman and The Glass Menagerie, director Les Waters mines the humor and heartache of Tragedy.

Will Eno penned the smash hit Thom Pain (based on nothing), which won many awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival before transferring to London and New York. It played for nearly two years off Broadway, was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize, and went on to be produced in many languages and throughout the U.S. His play Intermission premiered at the Ensemble Studio Theatre's One-Act Marathon in June 2006 and was published by the Antioch Review. His most recent production was the extended off-Broadway presentation of Oh the Humanity! and other exclamations, a collection of short plays starring Marisa Tomei, which played at the Flea Theater in Manhattan. An earlier work, The Flu Season, premiered at The Gate Theatre in London and then opened in New York, where it won the 2004 Oppenheimer Award for best debut by an American playwright.

The cast of Tragedy includes David Cromwell (Frank), Max Gordon Moore (Michael), Thomas Jay Ryan (John), Marguerite Stimpson (Constance) and Danny Wolohan (The Witness).

The creative includes Antje Ellermann (scenic design), Meg Neville (costume design), Matt Frey (lighting design) and Cliff Caruthers (sound design).

Tickets to Tragedy start as low as $27, thanks to exciting new prices that let more people experience the best theatre in the Bay Area. Additional savings are available for groups, seniors, students, and anyone under 30 years of age – meaning discounted tickets can be obtained for as little as $13.50. This change makes Berkeley Rep more affordable to people in the community who are just starting school, starting careers, and starting families – because lower prices are now available for every performance.

Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage is located at 2025 Addison Street, one block from Berkeley's downtown BART station and close to AC Transit bus lines. For tickets or information, call 510.647.2949 or toll-free at 888-4-BRT-Tix – or simply click www.berkeleyrep.org.

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