A.R.T.'s PIRATES OF PENZANCE Begins Tonight

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), in association with the Loeb Drama Center, begins performances of the runaway hit of the 2012 Emerging AmericaFestival, Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, in a new adaptation by Sean Graney and Kevin O'Donnell, arranged by Kevin O'Donnell and the Cast. Performances begin tonight, May 10, 2013 with press opening on Wednesday, May 15, and runs through June 2, 2013.

The cast includes Robert McLean as the Pirate King, Matt Kahler as the Major General, Zeke Sulkes as Frederic, Christine Stulik as Ruth/Mabel, and Ryan Bourque, Kate Carson-Groner, Emily Casey, Dana Omar, Doug Pawlik, and Shawn Pfautch in the ensemble. Set Design is by Tom Burch, Costume Design by Alison Siple, Lighting Design by JaRed Moore, Sound Design by Darby Smotherman, Properties Design by Maria DeFabo. The Music Director is Andra Velis Simon, and the Choreographer is Katie Spelman.

The Hypocrites, known for their insightful illuminations of classic and obscure theater texts, will bring Pirates of Penzance back to Cambridge to complete the A.R.T.'s 2012/13 Season. Irreverent and hilarious, the eighty-minute excursion features bathing beauties, philosophizing pirates, and remarkably short shorts. Audiences of all ages will be invited to sing along with the banjo picking Mabel and the instrument-laden cast.

Founded in 1997 by Artistic Director Sean Graney, The Hypocrites are recognized as a groundbreaking company and mainstay of theater in the city of Chicago. The company has grown significantly in the past few years, receiving national acclaim for The Threepenny Opera at the Garage Space at Steppenwolf, The Hairy Ape produced in association with Goodman Theatre as part of its O'Neill Festival, Oedipus at The Building Stage, Cabaret presented at the DCA Storefront, and No Exit at the Athenaeum. The company's smash-hit production of Our Town, directed by David Cromer, transferred in 2009 to Off-Broadway and has subsequently toured the US. They are currently working on a new production of The Mikado.

Sean Graney has directed over 30 productions for The Hypocrites since he founded the company. He was a participant in the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors. He has won two Joseph Jefferson Citation Awards for the direction of Equus and Machinal. He has directed Edward II (Chicago Shakespeare), The Hairy Ape (Eugene O'Neill Festival at Goodman Theatre), The Comedy of Errors, The Mystery of Irma Vep and What the Butler Saw (Court Theatre), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) and Yankee Tavern (Milwaukee Rep), The Elephant Man (Steppenwolf for Young Audiences), and The Hundred Dresses, Hana's Suitcase and Honus and Me (Chicago Children's Theatre). He also has adapted several plays, most recently Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses, an adaptation of all seven surviving texts of Sophocles.

Kevin O'Donnell is a musician, composer, and sound designer based in Chicago; he has worked on over 20 Hypocrite productions (including Pirates of Penzance, Sophocles Seven Sicknesses, No Exit, Oedipus, Bald Soprano, The Glass Menagerie, and Machinal); and hasbeen nominated for 20 Jeff Awards, receiving 8. He also received 2 consecutive After Dark Awards for Outstanding Season. He is also a company member of The House Theatre, where his song cycle Ploughed Under will be produced this spring. Other Chicago credits: Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, ATC, Redmoon, Time-Line. Regional: 59E59, St Anne's Warehouse, Cherry Lane (NYC); Stages Rep (Houston); A.C.T. (San Francisco); Baltimore CenterStage;Tangent (Montreal); The Arsht Center (Miami); and the Kansas City Rep. He is also a drummer.

Single tickets, starting at $25, are available through the A.R.T. box office (617-547-8300) or online, at http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/events/show/pirates-penzance.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of theater. Winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival for its production of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, the A.R.T. is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. The A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by RoBert Woodruff. In 2008, Diane Paulus became the A.R.T.'s Artistic Director. The A.R.T. is the recipient of numerous other awards including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater, the Pulitzer Prize, and many Elliot Norton and I.R.N.E. Awards. Its recent premiere production of Death and The Powers: The Robots' Opera was a 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist.

During its 32-year history, the A.R.T. has welcomed many major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoirethat includes premieres of American plays, bold reinterpretations of classical texts and provocative new music Theater Productions. The A.R.T. has performed throughout the U.S. and worldwide in 21 cities in 16 countries on four continents. The A.R.T. is also a training ground for young artists. The Theater's artistic staff teaches undergraduate classes in acting, directing, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, voice, and design at Harvard University. In 1987, the A.R.T. founded the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. A two-year, five-semester M.F.A. graduate program that operates in conjunction with the Moscow Art Theater School, the Institute provides world-class professional training in acting, dramaturgy and voice.

Since becoming Artistic Director, Diane Paulus has enhanced the A.R.T.'s core mission to expand the boundaries of theater by continuing to transform the ways in which work is developed, programmed, produced and contextualized, always including the audience as a partner. Productions such as Sleep No More, The Donkey Show, Gatz, The Blue Flower, Prometheus Bound, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Pippin, and Wild Swans have engaged audiences in unique theatrical experiences. The A.R.T.'s club theater, OBERON, which Paulus calls a Second Stage for the 21st century, has become an incubator for local and emerging artists, and has also attracted national attention for its innovative programming model.

The Loeb Drama Center, located at 64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge, is accessible to persons with special needs and to those requiring wheelchair seating or first-floor restrooms. Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons can alsoreach the theater by calling the toll-free N.E. Telephone Relay Center at 1-800-439-2370.

For further information call 617-547-8300 or visit americanrepertorytheater.org

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