Cygnet Theatre Announces Season 13 Lineup

Cygnet Theatre has announced a Season 13 lineup featuring seven productions sure to take audiences on a rollicking theatrical journey. Adding a new creative influence to the season will be Cygnet's most recent addition, Rob Lutfy, who has been appointed as Cygnet's Associate Artistic Director and will start in the summer.

Season Thirteen's storytelling begins in July as Director Sean Murray will mount the West Coast premiere of Dogfight, a romantic and heartbreaking musical adaptation of the 1991 movie with River Phoenix and Lili Taylor. Winner of the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical in 2013, Dogfight represents the new generation of voices in musical theatre creation. Dave Thomas Brown (Spring Awakening- Critic Circle Nominee, Shakespeare's R&J) returns to the Cygnet stage after his Off-Broadway premiere in Heathers.

In the fall, Cygnet's tradition of shows performed in rotating rep continues with Noël Coward's Hay Fever (dir. Lutfy ) and The Vortex (dir. Murray). These two plays turned Coward into an overnight sensation, one light and madcap, the other, dark and shocking. Written at the same time, they represent a yin and yang of Coward's talent. San Diego favorite Rosina Reynolds will take on the strong female roles in both these productions.

Yet another Cygnet tradition returns for the holidays with the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a Critic's Choice of 2014 and always a beloved family favorite.

The start of 2016 brings When the Rain Stops Falling (dir. Lutfy) to Cygnet Theatre. Hailed as "The best new play of the year" in 2010 by Time Magazine, it's a powerful drama unfolding with humanity, surprising humor, and hope, as the past plays out into the future. The play, which opens with a fish falling out of the sky, has received rave reviews by audiences and critics alike.

From a new play, to a musical cult favorite, Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show (dir. Murray) is fun, satirical tribute to the science fiction and B-list horror movies of the 20th century. Forty years since the premiere of the movie, this raw and naughty musical continues to engage audiences in a big way.

Finally, Cygnet will close the season with Stupid F**king Bird (dir. Lutfy), a hilarious "sort-of-adaptation" of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. Playwright Aaron Posner's (My Name is Asher Lev) smartly written, irreverent remix is sure to ruffle some feathers. A smash hit on the East Coast, it's been called, "a staggering work of heartbreaking, stupid f**king genius."

Well before he was scheduled to start in his new position, Artistic Director Sean Murray looked to Lufty for input and advice in choosing the upcoming season. Lutfy, who directed the critically acclaimed mounting of The Motherf**ker with the Hat last season was, until recently the 2014-2015 National New Play Network Producer-in-Residence at Marin Theatre Company. He has worked on plays in development at The Kennedy Center, The O'Neill Theatre Center, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. He was the 2012-13 William R. Kenan, Jr. Directing Fellow at The John F. Kennedy Center. Lutfy is a graduate of the directing program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts School of Drama where he returns annually to teach acting as guest faculty. Lutfy is currently in rehearsal for Sons of the Prophet, which opens at Cygnet Theatre on January 24th.

"I was looking for someone to bounce ideas around with and who will help us grow the theatre," explained Murray who, along with partner Bill Schmidt, founded and has run the theater since 2003. "And it doesn't hurt that he is from my beloved North Carolina School of the Arts," Murray added. Lutfy will share directing duties with Murray and will also focus on one of his personal passions - new play development. "I hope to bring my knowledge and the relationships I have forged to the table at my new position. Cygnet is known for challenging, well-crafted storytelling and I look forward to contributing my skills as a director and an administrator."

All seven productions in Cygnet's thirteenth season will be performed at their theatre in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. "From a fish falling out of the sky in the year 2039, to a sweet transvestite, to one stupid f**king bird...our next season will take audiences to seven different times and places filled with humanity, laughter, destruction and compassion," Murray added.

Current Cygnet subscribers will be notified by mail regarding subscription renewals. New subscription sales will be available beginning March 1st. For more information regarding subscriptions packages, contact the box office at 619-337-1525 or visit www.cygnettheatre.com.

Twelve years ago, when Cygnet Theatre opened the doors in a strip mall near La Mesa with the premiere of the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, they were announcing the birth of an unconventional, exciting, and fresh new theatre company in San Diego. Since that opening night, Cygnet Theatre has grown into San Diego's fifth largest theatre company and has become known for producing adventurous, entertaining and thought-provoking live professional theatre year round. At the recently renovated, state-of-the-art Old Town Theatre in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Cygnet presents at least six main stage productions annually, ranging from classics and musicals to contemporary works that celebrate the human story. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Sean Murray and Executive Director Bill Schmidt, Cygnet has won more than 100 local awards for artistic excellence, including Theatre of the Year, Producer of the Year and multiple Best Production awards. Cygnet has been the recipient of grants from the National Endowment of the Arts and The James Irvine Foundation, among many others. In addition, Cygnet Theatre is committed to education outreach, new play development and community collaborations.

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