Martin Platt to Direct European Premiere of DOUBT in Vienna

Martin Platt, Co-director of the Perry Street Theatre Company, has been tapped to direct the European Premiere of John Patrick Shanley's Tony Award Winning Drama, DOUBT to begin performances at Vienna's English Theatre at January 30 - March 11, 2006.

At a Catholic School in the Bronx in 1964, Sister Aloysius, the Principal, suspects one of her students is being sexually abused by Father Flynn, a popular priest with the boys, and the basketball coach. She builds her case on nothing but her steadfast conviction and circumstantial details and instigates a relentless campaign to remove the Priest. Is Father Flynn a slick predator? Or is Sister Aloysius acting on a personal vendetta and unjustly persecuting him? Where the molesting of a child is concerned, the doubt of others is of comfort to the guilty and a torment for the falsely accused.

Founded in 1963, Vienna's English Theatre has become a major fixture on the Vienna theatrical scene. Founded by Franz Schafranek the theatre is now under the direction of his daughter Julia Schafranek. Vienna's English theatre produced the world premieres of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women and Marriage Play; and Tennessee Williams' Red Devil Battery Sign. VET has also produced the European premieres of Terrence Rattigan's In Praise of Love ; Simon Gray's Otherwise Engaged , Stage Struck , and Dog Days; Tina Howe's Painting Churches; Arthur Miller's I Can't Remember Anything ; Emily Mann's Having Our Say ; Michael Healey's The Drawer Boy ; David Auburn's Proof; and Edward Albee's The Goat.

The VET production of Doubt, directed by Martin Platt, features Wendy Barrie-Wilson (Sister Aloysius); Ray Dooley (Father Flynn); Shannon Koob (Sister James); and Jill Courtney Chenault (Ms. Muller).

Creative team includes: Set design by Hans Kudlich; costumes by Lothar Huettling.

Martin Platt is a director, theatre manager, and playwright he is currently the Co-director of NYC's Perry Street Theatre and has served as the Co-director of Fifth Amendment Ltd (UK), the founder and artistic director of Santa Fe Stages InterNational Theatre Festival, the General Director, Birmingham Opera Theatre and was the founder and artistic director of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

In August Mr. Platt's production of I'LL NEVER SEE THE STARS AGAIN, based on the songs of Monteverdi, will have its European premiere at the Edinburgh Festival. In Spring 2006 Mr. Platt will direct and co-produce the premiere of Sallie Bingham's TREASON, based on the life of Ezra Pound.

As a producer Mr. Platt produced HERE LIES JENNY, starring Bebe Neuwirth (directed and choreographed by Roger Rees and Ann Reinking) as well as SHYLOCK at the Perry Street Theatre. His directing credits include THE TAMING OF THE SHREW for Hubbard Hall Theatre Company, and a new "flamenco opera" DON JUAN FLAMENCO (Bienale de Flamenco in Seville), the premiere of CIO CIO SAN, a new

opera/music-theatre work he wrote with composer Brad Carroll as well as the New York premieres of Verdi's STIFFELIO and GIOVANNA D'ARCO and the U.S. premieres of Tom Stoppard's ROUGH CROSSING, Tim Firth's NEVILLE'S ISLAND and premieres of plays by Lanie Robertson and Wendy McLeod

He directed the Drama Desk nominated production of D.H. Lawrence's THE DAUGHTER IN LAW for the Mint Theatre (New York), which made the NY Times "10 best of 2004 list and Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST for Hubbard Hall in Cambridge, New York. Regionally he has directed over 100 productions at theatres across the U.S.

Recently in the U.S. he has directed Jon Marans' OLD WICKED SONGS at Merrimack Rep, the premiere of Karim Alrawi's KILLING TIME (about Jack Kevorkian) at Meadowbrook Theatre, and Ionesco's THE CHAIRS at the Court Theatre (Chicago).

Overseas he has directed MISS EVER'S BOYS (Barbican Centre, London, and Bristol Old Vic); LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL (Riverside Studios, London/Birmingham Rep); THE FREE STATE with Janet Suzman (Birmingham Rep/West Yorkshire Playhouse); and EL FLAMENCO ES VIDA (Cordoba, Spain; touring in Spain, France, and US). With Fifth Amendment, Ltd (UK) he has co-produced the West End productions of NIXON'S NIXON, A WOMAN IN WAITING, and GUMBOOTS; as well as over fifty productions in the UK including Biyi Bandele's THINGS FALL APART, a Nigerian YERMA, the musical INNER CITY JAM, and the Junction Avenue Theatre/Johannesburg musical MARABI.