Shining City To Open On Broadway November 10th at The Schoenfeld Theatre

Barry & Fran Weissler, Scott Rudin/Paramount Pictures Corporation, Roger Berlind and Debra Black will present Rufus Sewell and Stanley Townsend in SHINING CITY, a new play written and directed by Conor McPherson, opening on Broadway Thursday, November 10th at the Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W 45th St). SHINING CITY also features Geraldine Hughes and Keith Nobbs. Preview performances begin Tuesday, October 18th.

The production will play a pre-Broadway engagement at San Francisco's Curran Theatre September 13th to October 9th.

In Dublin a man seeks help from a therapist, claiming to have seen the ghost of his recently deceased wife. But what begins as just an unusual encounter becomes a desperate struggle between the living and the dead - a struggle which will shape and define both men for the rest of their lives.

Under the direction of Conor McPherson, SHINING CITY had its world premiere at London's Royal Court Theatre on June 9, 2004, where it received rapturous reviews. The Daily Telegraph raved, "SHINING CITY is moving, compassionate, ingenious and absolutely gripping." The Sunday Express praised the show as "constantly compelling,yielding the biggest theatrical surprise of the year." "With moments that are literally breathtaking," wrote The Sunday Times, "SHINING CITY springs surprises like a jack-in-the-box. When it finally springs open, it's hard to stop thinking about it, hard to cram its terrifying questions back under cover."

It subsequently moved to the Gate Theatre Dublin where it opened September 28, 2004. Conor McPherson's previous New York credits include The Weir on Broadway and St. Nicholas, This Lime Tree Bower and Dublin Carol off-Broadway.

SHINING CITY will feature scenic design by Santo Loquasto, costume design by Ann Roth and lighting design by Paul Gallo.

Ticket information will be announced shortly.

BIOGRAPHIES

Rufus Sewell (Ian) has established himself with an eclectic group of projects in film, television and on the stage. This fall, he will be seen in "The Legend of Zorro" opposite Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones. Sony will be releasing the film nationwide on October 28th. Scheduled for release next year, is "Tristan & Isolde" opposite Sophia Myles and James Franco, and "The illusionist" starring Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti. On stage, Sewell made his West End theatrical debut in 1993 as 'Thomas Kratsky,' the Czechoslovakian hustler in Making It Better, which won him the London Critics Circles' Best Newcomer Award. Sewell opened to rave reviews in the Broadway production of Brian Friel's Translations, opposite Brian Dennehy. His other notable theatre credits include Rat In The Skull directed by Stephen Daldry, the title role of Macbeth in London's West End, and, his acclaimed performance in the revival of John Osborne's Luther at the Royal National Theatre. Sewell first gained mainstream attention in 1994, with his television debut as Will Ladislaw in the BBC adaptation of "Middlemarch". This November, he will be seen in BBC's modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Sewell returned to the small screen in 2003 earning rave reviews for the title role in "Charles II" directed Joe Wright for the BBC. Some of his other Hollywood features include "A Knight's Tale, Dark City," "Dangerous Beauty" and "Bless The Child." He also appeared in Christopher Hampton's "Carrington" opposite Emma Thompson and Jonathan Pryce, as well as John Schlesinger's "Cold Comfort Farm," Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet," John Turturro's "Illuminata" and "The Very Thought Of You" with Joseph Fiennes and Tom Hollander. Sewell studied at London's Central School of Drama before making his film debut in Don Boyd's "Twenty One."

Stanley Townsend (John) received an Evening Standard Award nomination for his performance in the world premiere engagement of Shining City. He previously appeared at the Gate Theatre Dublin in Pride & Prejudice, Oleanna, The Dream, The Double Dealer and The Cherry Orchard. Other theatre work includes Under the Blue Sky (Royal Court); Remember This, Guys & Dolls and The Little Clay Cart; The Weir; The Gingerbread Mix Up; Amphibians; The Wake, Trinity for Two and Sacred Mysteries; Art; Prayers of Sherkin; Who Shall Be Happy?; Democracy; Speed the Plow; Someone to Watch Over Me; The Plough & The Stars; Saint Oscar; Sexual Perversity in Chicago, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Country Wife, Nightshade and The White Devil; I Can't Get Started. His film work includes The Libertine, Inside I'm Dancing, Tulse Luper II, Suzie Gold, Wondrous Oblivion, American Girl, Monsieur N, Mystics, The Van, My Friend Joe, Moll Flanders, Jake's Progress, Beyond Reason, Good Girls, In the Name of the Father, Blue Ice, Into the West, The Miracle and Taffin.

Geraldine Hughes (Neasa) just finished touring her award-winning solo show Belfast Blues. Having garnered the 2003 Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best Solo Performance, the Los Angeles Garland Award for Performance, and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Writing, Belfast Blues had successful runs in London, Chicago and the Culture Project in New York. The celebrated actress has received numerous awards and critical acclaim throughout her career, including her performance as Joan Plowright in Orson's Shadow and as Betty Boylan in Kevin's Bed. She made her New York debut as Frieda in Ourselves Alone. Geraldine co-starred opposite Piper Laurie in the film St. Patrick's Day and has appeared in Danny DeVito's Duplex and with Angela Lansbury in the "Murder She Wrote" telefilm "The Celtic Riddle." Other television credits include "ER," "The Guardian," "Oliver Beene," and "The Profiler." She is a graduate of UCLA's School of Theatre, Film & Television.

Keith Nobbs (Laurence). Broadway: The Lion in Winter (Roundabout). Off-Broadway: Romance (Atlantic), Fuddy Meers (MTC, Minetta Lane), Dublin Carol (Atlantic), Hope Is the Thing with Feathers (Drama Department), Four (MTC), Stupid Kids (WPA, Century Theatre). Workshops/labs: Four (Cherry Lane Alternative), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Sundance), Mean Creek (O'Neill Conference). Film: Phonebooth (Joel Schumacher), Double Whammy (Tom DiCillo). TV: "Law & Order," "The Sopranos," "New York Undercover." Graduate LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts. Member Drama Dept. and The Vineyard Community of Artists.

Conor McPherson (Playwright, Director) made his Broadway debut with 1999's acclaimed play The Weir. Off-Broadway, his productions include Dublin Carol, St. Nicholas and This Lime Bower Tree. McPherson was awarded the 1997 George Devine Award, the 1997 Critics' Circle Award and the 1997 Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright for The Weir. The Weir also won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best New Play.

Santo Loquasto (Set Design) was recently inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. He has received three Tony Awards: Cafe Crown (Set Design), The Cherry Orchard and Grand Hotel (Costume Design). He has collaborated with Woody Allen on 24 films. His costume designs for Zelig and production design for Bullets Over Broadway and Radio Days received Academy Award nominations. Recent designs include Glengarry Glen Ross, Movin' Out and Salome at the Metropolitan Opera.

Ann Roth (Costume Design) has designed approximately 80 Broadway shows as well as projects at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, ACT in San Francisco and Off-Broadway. And for the movies: Midnight Cowboy, Klute, Hair, Working Girl, Sweet Dreams and more recently The Birdcage, The English Patient (Academy Award) and The Talented Mr. Ripley (Academy Award nomination).

Paul Gallo (Lighting Design). Broadway includes Never Gonna Dance, 42nd Street, The Rocky Horror Show, The Man Who came to Dinner, Titanic, Smokey Joe's Cafe, The Sound of Music, On the Town, Triumph of Love, Forum, Big, Crazy for You, Guys and Dolls, Anything Goes, The Crucible, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Skylight, The Tempest, Six Degrees of Separation, Little Foxes. Off-Broadway: Mystery of Irma Vep, Assassins. Seven Tony nominations, six Drama Desk nominations, five Outer Critics Circle Awards and three Obie Awards.

BARRY & Fran Weissler (Producer) have received five Tony Awards for the following productions: the current hit production of Chicago, Othello starring James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer, Fiddler on the Roof (Topol), Gypsy (Tyne Daly) and Annie Get Your Gun (Bernadette Peters and Reba McEntire). Other Broadway productions include Sweet Charity, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Zorba, My One and Only, Falsettos, Grease! and Wonderful Town.

Scott Rudin (Producer). Film: The Life Aquatic, Closer, Team America, I (heart) Huckabees, The Village, The Manchurian Candidate, School of Rock, The Hours, Iris, The Royal Tenenbaums, Changing Lanes, Zoolander, Sleepy Hollow, Wonder Boys, Angela's Ashes, South Park, The Truman Show, A Civil Action, In & Out, Ransom, Mother, First Wives Club, Clueless, Nobody's Fool, The Firm, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Sister Act, The Addams Family, Little Man Tate. Theatre: Passion; Skylight; Forum; The Chairs; The Judas Kiss; The Blue Room; Closer; Amy's View; The Ride Down Mt. Morgan; Copenhagen; The Designated Mourner; The Goat; Medea; Caroline, or Change; The Normal Heart; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Doubt.

Roger Berlind (Producer). Productions produced or co-produced on Broadway include: Amadeus; Sophisticated Ladies; Nine; All's Well That Ends Well; The Rink; The Real Thing; Joe Egg; Precious Sons; Big Deal; Long Day's Journey Into Night; Ain't Misbehavin'; Jerome Robbins' Broadway; Artist Descending a Staircase; City of Angels; Lettice and Lovage; Death and the Maiden; Guys and Dolls; Hamlet; Passion; Indiscretions; Getting Away With Murder; Skylight; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Steel Pier; The Life; The Judas Kiss; A View From the Bridge; The Blue Room; Amy's View; Closer; The Ride Down Mount Morgan; The Wild Party; Copenhagen; Kiss Me, Kate; Proof; The Dance of Death; Medea; Anna in the Tropics; Wonderful Town; Caroline, or Change; the current revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the Tony Award winning production of Doubt. These productions have won a total of 67 Tony Awards, including 13 for best production in their

Debra Black (Producer). Broadway: The Pillowman, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sly Fox, Sixteen Wounded, Prymate. Off-Broadway: Ears on a Beatle, Woman Before a Glass. Vice chairman of New York State Council on the Arts.