New Rep Theatre Opens INDULGENCES 1/18/2010

New Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, is thrilled to present Indulgences a New England premiere and farcical comedy by Chris Craddock. Indulgences opens for the press on Monday, January 18, 2010 at 7:30pm and plays through Saturday, February 6, 2010 at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in the Charles Mosesian Theater.

"I am so excited to be directing Indulgences and to introduce Chris Craddock's intelligent work to New England," states Kate Warner, New Rep's Artistic Director and director for Indulgences. "Indulgences is incredibly witty. Craddock is a brilliant playwright. He infuses significant themes into a zany and entertaining comedy."

Ms. Warner continues, "I am also thrilled to be working with such an astonishing cast and crew. Their talents will undoubtedly make Indulgences an unforgettable and extraordinary experience for our audience."

Indulgences features New Rep favorites, such as Steven Barkhimer (The Misanthrope, Orson's Shadow, The Pillowman, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet, Quills, The Threepenny Opera, Scapin, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Twelfth Night), Leigh Barrett (Dessa Rose, Side by Side, Ragtime, Into the Woods, and The Threepenny Opera), Neil A. Casey (Picasso at the Lapin Agile), Ben Evett (Permanent Collection, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Quills, A Girls War, and Jerusalem), and Ed Hoopman (Mister Roberts). Making their New Rep debuts are Joel Colonder and Tony Larkin.

Once upon a time in a kingdom somewhere: a king and a commoner swap identities; a prince and his lover plot to protect their union; two advisors conspire to foil everything; and a man known only as "Salesman" bargains for everyone's "happily ever after." In this New England Premiere by Canadian playwright Chris Craddock, we discover the solution to life's puzzles just might exist in this fractured fairy tale.

New Repertory Theatre presents provocative and intelligent works of both established and emerging playwrights in an intimate setting that involves and engages the audience. New Rep has earned a reputation for Dynamic Productions that honor the writers and feature talented professional actors from the New England Theatre community as well as guest artists from around the U.S. New Rep has received Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards
for outstanding acting, scenic design, directions, and production. Programming for New Repertory Theatre is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The Artists

Steve Barkhimer (Bartender/Advisor 2) was last seen in The Taming of the Shrew with Actors Shakespeare Project. New Rep appearances include The Misanthrope, The Pillowman, Quills, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, The Threepenny Opera, and others. This year he directed The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) for Orfeo Group. A recent graduate of the MFA Playwriting program at Boston University, his entry at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival was honored with the 2009 national award for Best Short Play. Mr. Barkhimer is a recipient of an IRNE Award for Best Supporting Actor. A collection of his original music, entitled "Time Was," is available at www.cdbaby.com.

Leigh Barrett (Advisor 1) Recently, Ms. Barrett was seen as the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (Stoneham Theatre). Other projects with New Rep: Dessa Rose (Ruth), Ragtime (Mother), Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Cratchit), The Three Penny Opera (Jenny Diver), Side By Side By Sondheim, Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman), Into the Woods (Baker's Wife), and The Wild Party (Madeline True). Last season, Leigh starred in the critically acclaimed role of Little Edie Beale in Grey Gardens at the Lyric Stage Company. Other favorite roles include Mama Rose in Gypsy (Stoneham Theatre), Jacques Brel (Gloucester Stage Company), Fosca in Passion (SpeakEasy), Sally in Follies (Lyric/Overture), and Florence Foster Jenkins in Souvenir (Lyric). Leigh is the grateful recipient of the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actress (2004/2007) and two IRNES.

Neil A. Casey (Man 2) is delighted to be back at New Rep. Last season, he was seen on New Rep's Mainstage in Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Albert Einstein). Other local credits include: Love's Labour's Lost (The Huntington Theatre Company); This Wonderful Life, November, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Underpants, Noises Off, When Pigs Fly, Glengarry GLen Ross, Assassins, and most recently Kiss Me, Kate (Lyric Stage). Other credits include: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Boston Theatre Works); Take Me Out and Theatre District (SpeakEasy); The Violet Hour and The Dazzle (Stoneham Theatre), for which Neil won an IRNE Award for Best Actor. Neil is a company member of the long-running Boston production of Shear Madness and has also appeared in both the Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. productions. Neil holds a BFA in Theatre Studies from Niagara University and has taught acting and directing at his alma mater. He has also served as an adjunct professor in the Acting Program at The University of Massachusetts, Boston. He currently leads the Actors in the Classroom Program at Waltham High School and has developed a Reader's Theatre Program for the Waltham Elementary Schools. Neil is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.

Benjamin Evett (Salesman) is the Founding Artistic Director of the Actors' Shakespeare Project where he has directed numerous productions and played Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, the title role in Coriolanus, Caliban in The Tempest, the title role in Hamlet, Edmund in King Lear, and Cassius in Julius Caesar. At New Rep, he has been seen as Paul Barrow in Permanent Collection (for which he won the Elliot Norton award), Abbe de Coulmier in Quills, Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Stephen in A Girl's War, and Will in Jerusalem. He was a member of the Resident Acting Company at the A.R.T. in Cambridge from 1983 to 2003, acting in more than 50 productions including: Waiting for Godot, The Bacchae, Phaedra, Ivanov, The King Stag, and Six Characters in Search of an Author. He has also performed at The Huntington Theatre Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare, Hartford Stage Company, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Cleveland Play House, and others. Internationally, he has performed at the Festivale Biennale in Venice, the Festival d'Automne in Paris, the Taiwan National Theatre, and The Moscow Art Theatre. He is a graduate of Harvard College with a degree in Classics.

Chris Craddock (Playwright) has written or co-written over 20 plays for Fringe, Mainstage, and TYA audiences, as well as 2 feature films. Chris has also helped create three musicals, two of which received commercial productions in major cities. Some highlights include: BASH'd a gay rap opera, which played three months Off Broadway and is the recipient of a GLAAD award; BoyGroove, which received a six week commercial run in Toronto and a Dora Award. 3...2...1, co-written with OFT partner in crime Nathan Cuckow, toured to the Magnetic North Festival in Ottawa 2006; The Pharmacist/La Pharmacien, a bilingual feature film written by and co-starring Craddock is currently in audio-post; and Summer of My Amazing Luck (adapted by the novel of the same name by Miriam Toews), which toured extensively in Canada and is being developed into a feature film by Merit Productions in Winnipeg. His hit solo show Moving Along has toured across Canada and has been presented by such companies as One Yellow Rabbit and Theatre Network. It was filmed for Bravo Television's Singular Series. Chris was Artistic Director of Azimuth Theatre from 2001 to 2005 and Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre from 2005 to 2009. Chris has been nominated for eighteen Sterling Awards and has won five. He is the recipient of the Alberta Book Award, and the Centennial Medal of Alberta for his contribution to the Arts.

Kate Warner (director, New Rep's artistic director) Made her New Rep directing debut with Mister Roberts. Before coming to New Rep, Kate Warner was Artistic Director of Dad's Garage Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Her body of directorial work includes, for Dad's Garage: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Skin, and Mojo; for Actor's Express: The Last Five Years, Pulp, and Octopus; for Theatrical Outfit: Waiting for Godot and The Island; for American Stage: Proof; and for Magic Theatre: Octopus. She has championed new work from playwrights such as Lisa Kron, Alice Tuan, Chris Craddock, Kyle Jarrow, Suzan-Lori Parks, Megan Gogerty, David J (Bauhaus), Caridad Svich, Ross Maxwell, Rolin Jones, David Holstein, John Pierson, Steve Yockey, Heather Woodbury, Chay Yew, and Greg Kotis. Kate serves as a board member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for non-profit theatres. She is also a member and facilitator of the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors' Lab in New York, a member and panelist of the Directors Lab West in Los Angeles, and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. In summer 2004, Kate completed the Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders in the Arts at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the New Artistic Leadership Institute with TCG/Dance USA at the McCarter Theatre. Recognition for Kate's recent local and national directing work includes a Suzi Bass Award Nomination for Best Director and Best Musical 2008, Sunday Paper Top 10 Director 2007 and 2008, Suzi Bass Award for Best Director and Best Play 2006, and Best Director Readers' Pick in Creative Loafing's Best of Atlanta 2007 and 2006. She is a graduate of Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI with degrees in Theatre and Anthropology.

 

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