CTC’s 28th Season Opens With THREE SISTERS

Chautauqua Theater Company Artistic Directors Vivienne Benesch and Ethan McSweeny announce the first production of CTC's 28th season: Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, translated by Paul Schmidt.

An Army General's three educated daughters yearn to escape their provincial garrison town, their days relieved only by a procession of officers, suitors, husbands, lovers and the ever-present dream of returning to Moscow. Known for his provocative and piercingly human stagings, celebrated director Brian Mertes takes on Chekhov's enduring classic, leading an ensemble featuring artistic director Vivienne Benesch, Joel de la Fuente, Lynn Cohen, Ted Schneider, Keith Randolph Smith, and members of CTC's incomparable conservatory company.

Brian Mertes currently heads up the MFA Directing program at Brown/Trinity. Brian has directed television for ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, garnering three Emmy and three DGA nominations as well as an Emmy for directing. In New York, Brian recently directed Balm in Gilead in Brooklyn, Theater for One with Christine Jones in Times Square, and The Myopia at The Atlantic Stage. With his wife, director Melissa Kievman, Mertes directs an annual retreat at an old stone house in upstate New York. With their company, they have presented epic, environmental stagings of Chekhov's Ivanov, Platonov, The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, Seagull and Uncle Vanya with New York's top actors, designers, and musicians in collaboration with the local community. Artistic Director, Ethan McSweeny describes Mertes' work; "Brian is a remarkable director - a seasoned innovator of theater who brings the language of film to the stage and vice versa. His productions of Chekhov on Lake Lucille are legendary, and we are thrilled to bring his challenging and insightful vision to the Bratton Stage."

Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch returns to the Bratton Theater playing Ólga. Ms. Benesch's recent work includes the Off-Broadway revival of Michael Frayn's Benefactors, the title role in Major Barbara at The Shakespeare Theatre and the West End revival of Edward Albee's The Lady from Dubuque opposite Maggie Smith. She received an OBIE Award for her performance in Lee Blessing's Going to St. Ives. Broadway credits include: After the Fall, Salome, The Deep Blue Sea and The Heiress.

Playing the garrison commander/philosopher Vershínin is CTC newcomer Joel de la Fuente. Though perhaps most recognizable to audiences for his role as Ruben Morales on "Law & Order: SVU," de la Fuente is an accomplished classical stage actor, having played Florizel in the critically praised The Winter's Tale at the Williamstown Theater Festival, Valentine in The Two Gentlemen of Verona for New York Shakespeare Festival, Ivanov in Ivanov and Iago in Othello with NAATCO, among many others. Lynn Cohen returns to CTC as the family's aging nurse, Anfísa. Audiences will instantly identify Cohen from her role as Magda on HBO's "Sex and the City." Cohen's extensive stage career has seen her play Broadway (Orpheus Descending; Ivanov) Off-Broadway (Hamlet; Macbeth; Uncle Vanya) and many of the great regional theaters across the US (Guthrie Theatre, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf; Yale Rep, Actors' Theatre of Louisville (three Humana festivals), Cincinnati Playhouse, Sundance Theatre Lab; O'Neill Theatre Center), as well as her previous work with Brian Mertes at Lake Lucille.

The role of the eccentric doctor and longtime family friend Chebutýkin brings Keith Randolph Smith back to Chautauqua for his second season, having previously played Charley in Death of a Salesman. No stranger to Chekhov or director Brian Mertes, Smith has appeared on Broadway in Fences, Come Back Little Sheba, Salome; King Hedley II, and Piano Lesson, in numerous Off-Broadway productions, and regionally throughout the country, including his performance in Ivanov at Lake Lucille with Mr. Mertes. Rounding out the guest artist company is Ted Schneider as Masha's older (and cuckolded) husband, Kulýgin. Schneider recently completed the national tour of Merchant of Venice with F. Murray Abraham. His many New York credits include work with Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Flea and Classic Stage Company. He too is a veteran of Chekhov at Lake Lucille, where he's appeared in Ivanov, Platanov, The Cherry Orchard and The Seagull.

Members of CTC's extraordinary Conservatory complete the cast. Charlie Thurston returns for his second season to play the lovesick lieutenant Baron Túzenbach. Last season, Mr. Thurston (Brown/Trinity) played Tony Kirby in You Can't Take It With You and Lennox in Macbeth. Laura Gragtmans (Yale School of Drama) makes her CTC debut as the fiery Másha while Charlotte Graham (Brown/Trinity) completes the sororal triumvirate as Irína. Lucas Dixon (Yale School of Drama) takes the stage as the conflicted brother, Andréy Prózorov. In addition, Andrea Syglowski (Julliard) portrays Natásha, Tyee Tilghman (American Conservatory Theatre) plays Solyóny, Biko Eisen-Martin (National Theatre Conservatory) is Fedótik, Peter Kendall (Brown/Trinity) does double-duty as Musical Director/Composer and Ródhe and Dave Quay (NYU) as the aged Ferapónt.

CTC welcomes an outstanding design team, all working for their first time in Chautauqua. Two-time Obie Award winner Jim Findlay (scenic) works across specialties as a designer, director, performer, and creator with a constellation of theater, performance, and music groups. His recent work includes video design for R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe (A.R.T. and Arena Stage), and How Can You Stay in the House All Day... by Ralph Lemon (BAM 2010 Next Wave and US Tour). Findlay's current projects include a commission for the creation of a non-text based work with director Phil Soltanoff for the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles. Olivera Gajic (costumes) was a 2004 recipient of the NEA/TCG Career Development Program award for Designers and Directors. Her recent New York Credits include Edward II directed by Sam Gold, A Midsummer Night's Dream opera directed by Eve Shapiro, Miss Julie at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater directed by Anders Cato, and One Million Butterflies at Primary Stages. Peter Ksander (lights) has worked extensively in New York and around the country as both a lighting and scenic designer. His credits include scenic and/or lighting designs for: The Brothers Size for The Public Theater, The Studio Theater, and in Dublin, Othello at Theater for a New Audience, On the Levee for Lincoln Center Theater 3 and The Scarlet Letter and Arms and the Man for the Intiman Theater. Daniel Baker of Broken Chord (sound) completes this stellar team. Broken Chord is a sound design and music production collective that composes and designs music and sound for theater, film, and dance. Broken Chord has been represented extensively Off-Broadway with productions including The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, Oohrah!, and Scarcity for Atlantic Theater Company, Hoodoo Love at Cherry Lane Theatre, The Greeks Trilogy, The Americans: part 1, A Lifetime Burning (Primary Stages) and The Good Negro at The Public.

Patrons seeking further information about Three Sisters or other CTC programming are encouraged to visit: www.CTCompany.org. The site also provides useful links to information about other events at the Institution.

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