Merrimack Repertory Theatre Presents East Coast Premiere Of LETTERS FROM HOME

Letters from Home premiers on the East Coast this January exclusively at MRT. Far from his native Cambodia, Chinary Ung studies music on scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music and later, Columbia University. As he grows into an award-winning composer and eventual American Academy of Arts and Letters inductee, Ung receives letters from his family during the Khmer Rouge genocide. Decades later his daughter Kalean uncovers these letters and crafts a generational narrative like no other. Developed with her father and director Marina McClure, Kalean puts her heart, soul, and nuanced artistic journey into her original work, Letters From Home.

As Kalean reflects on her family's past, scenes begin to animate, and relatives are called into being. She weaves the past and present seamlessly to unearth the mysteries of her family's history as a ritual for intergenerational healing. A multimedia theatrical experience, Letters from Home asks audiences to reflect on their own place in their family history and to journey with Kalean into the universal shared humanity found through suffering and resilience.

Letters from Home interweaves humor, passion, and a bit of Shakespeare, stemming from Kalean's many Shakespearean performances in A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, Richard III, and Othello, all with the critically acclaimed Independent Shakespeare Co. Other performances include Camino Real at the Theatre @ Boston Court and Jomama Jones: Radiate! at The Kirk Douglas Theatre. Chinary Ung's compositions, which incorporate Eastern musical characteristics in Western Classical context, include Inner Voices, Aura, and Rain of Tears. Marina McClure's directing works include Alice Birch's Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. as well as the site-specific premiere of Leisure, Labor, Lust. McClure frequently teaches at The National Theatre Institue and directs student work at Dartmouth College and Brown University.

The creative team also includes Stage Manager Jordan E. Moore, Production Assistant Sarah R. Katz, Scenic Designer Mark Kanieff, Costume Designer Yao Chen, Lighting Designer Chu-hsuan Chang, Video Projection Designer Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh, Sound Designer Chris Porter with original music by Chinary Ung.

For tickets and further information, visit www.mrt.org or call the Enterprise Bank Office at 978-654-4678. Tickets start at $15 with 2-for-$30 specials available for select performances. MRT's COVID policy does require that all guests wear masks at all times. The theatre does not require vaccine or test proof.

Once Letters from Home concludes its East Coast premiere, MRT will move forward in preparation for its final two performances of its 44th season, How High the Moon: The Music of Ella Fitzgerald, conceived by Rob Ruggiero and featuring Tina Fabrique, running from May 3-21, 2023, as well as a new adaptation of Red Riding Hood by Allison Gregory geared towards younger audiences, running from April 6-16, 2023.

Other discounts are also available for Letters from Home, including student discount ticket prices of $15 to any show, in person, by phone, or online. For Middlesex Community College (MCC) and UMass Lowell (UML) students, $10 tickets are available with Student ID proof required for ticket pickup. Recurring discounts include the $5 first night, $10 Lowell night as well as Educator, Group, Military discounts, and much more. For further information, visit www.mrt.org/discountsandevents or contact the Enterprise Bank Office at box_office@mrt.org or 978-654-4678.

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