Geva's 40th Anniversary Season Continues with FREUD'S LAST SESSION, Now thru 11/11

Geva Theatre Center's 40th Anniversary Season continues with Freud's Last Session by Mark St. Germain and directed by Skip Greer. This intoxicating debate between two great minds trying to solve life's great mystery begins performances tonight, October 16 and runs in the Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage through November 11.

Just weeks before his death, legendary psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud invites young writer C.S. Lewis to his London study. On the eve of England's entry into World War II, the two brilliant men have a battle of the minds over God, love, sex, music and the meaning of life. This deeply touching, intellectually thrilling play laced with humor and insight was last season's Off-Broadway smash.

Mark St. Germain's play was suggested by the bestselling book The Question of God by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr., professor of psychology at Harvard University. Freud's Last Session had a two year run Off-Broadway where it received rave reviews from both the press and the public. It is currently winning over audiences in Chicago where it has been playing for several months.

The play centers around two icons of the 20th century: Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, and C.S. Lewis, novelist (best known for The Chronicles of Narnia), poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist. The confrontation between these two men and their differing viewpoints of God, love, sex and the meaning of life during a time of world crisis is at the heart of this exciting play.

Kenneth Tigar returns to the Geva Mainstage where he appeared in last season's On Golden Pond and The Price during the 2009-2010 Season. Tigar - best known to audiences as Mr. Kopeckne in "Barney Miller," Becker in the Lethal Weapon movies, and most recently The Avengers, as well as countless appearances in TV from "Dallas" and "Dynasty" to "NCIS" and "ER"- plays Sigmund Freud.

Ron Menzel portrays the young Oxford professor, C.S. Lewis. Mr. Menzel regularly appears on stage at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and Freud's Last Session marks his debut in the Wilson Mainstage. He last appeared at Geva in the very first reading of The Hornets' Nest series in 2007 in the Fielding Nextstage. Film and TV credits include Fall Into Me, The Coast, Vernie, New World Symphony and "Numb3rs."

Freud's Last Session is directed by Skip Greer, the director of last season's production of On Golden Pond and Over the Tavern during the 2010-2011 Season. The design team includes Robert Koharchik (scenic design), Ann Emo (costume design), Derek Madonia (lighting design) and Dan Roach (sound design).

Freud's Last Session begins performances tonight, October 16 and runs in the Mainstage through November 11. Tickets start at $25. Call (585) 232-GEVA (4382) or visit www.gevatheatre.org. Geva Theatre Center is located at 75 Woodbury Blvd, Rochester, NY.

Founded in 1972, Geva Theatre Center is a not-for-profit, professional theatre company dedicated to creating and producing professional theatre productions, programs and services of a national standard. As Rochester's leading professional theatre, Geva Theatre Center is the most attended regional theatre in New York State, and one of the 25 most attended in the country, serving up to 170,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students.

The 552-seat Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage is home to a wide variety of performances, from musicals to American and world classics. The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Nextstage is home to Geva's own series of contemporary drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva's New Play Reading Series and the Hornet's Nest - an innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. In addition, the Nextstage hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown.

Geva Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. Since 1995, the organization has been under the artistic direction of Mark Cuddy.

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