CRT Presents TOO MUCH MEMORY 3/25-4/3

Storrs: Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present Keith Reddin's and Meg Gibson's Too Much Memory, March 25 - April 3, in the Studio Theatre on the Storrs campus. For tickets and information, call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

THE PLAY

"So it's the Greeks tonight."
Antigone won't take no for an answer - and it's going to cost her. She's the daughter of Oedipus and his own mother, now defying Creon, leader of Thebes, by insisting that her traitorous brother be given an honorable funeral. Despite being engaged to Creon's son, she'll face death if she won't back down. This smart retelling of the Fifth Century classic is set firmly in the present and doesn't take itself too seriously, with a wise-cracking chorus that describes the play as an "adaptation of an adaptation of a re-translation."

Director Helene Kvale said, "Death, sex and the whiff of revolution. How far would you go to defend your truth? Too Much Memory is a contemporary retelling of Antigone; a fast and furious modern tale about speaking out. Sophocles' classic play was first produced in 442 BC and has been reinvented countless times ever since. Tapping into the raw energy of youth, our ensemble production is set right here, right now. The theme of Too Much Memory is conflict. Conflict between loyalty to the state versus loyalty to family in times of war. It asks what is truth? And does anybody care? The play is a call to action and reminds us that we have an obligation to speak up as a fatalistic pull draws us to the inevitable conclusion."

Playwright Meg Gibson said, "Too Much Memory is an adaptation of Antigone firmly set in the present. Playwright Keith Reddin and I used this classic play to ask, when a country is in crisis, what are the rights of the individual? Of the government? How are we silenced? How do we lead? How do we maintain democracy? We've just come out of a groundswell of political activism demanding change. We're finding out it isn't so simple, it takes speaking up over and over. I find that whereever and whenever audiences experience Too Much Memory, the play mirrors the nuance of our current landscape."

THE CREATIVE TEAM
Helene Kvale (Director) joined the Department of Dramatic Arts as Assistant Professor in Residence in 2004. She graduated from The London School of Economics, reading Anthropology and then went on to train as an actor at The Drama Studio. Her theatre career in London spanned two decades where she played the West End (Burning Blue, Life During Wartime and To Kill A Mockingbird) as well as regional and touring theatres. She was part of The National Theatre company headed by Ian McKellan which toured the world with Richard III and King Lear, followed by Napoli Milionaria, Shift and Gitta's Attonement on the South Bank. Other credits include: The Secret Rapture, Roman and Marys, Diary of Anne Frank, Getting Out, Brand, Canadian Gothic and Sexual Perversity in Chicago. Helene has appeared in over 20 television dramas, including as a regular in Soldier Soldier, London Bridge and The Bill. She is best known in this country for her work in Prime Suspect 4, This Life, Deceit and Lovejoy. Film work includes Tomorrow La Scala! (BAFTA nominee, Juried at Cannes Film Festival), Talk and 5:45 (Winner Berlin Short Film Festival). Helene directed The Skin of Our Teeth (2008) for CRT's Main Stage, The Gut Girls (2005) for the CRT Studio series and Marat Sade (2006) for the Drama Dept. Helene is artistic director and founding member of Bated Breath Theatre Company, which premiered her translation of A Doll's House at The Gene Frankel Theatre in New York City (2008). She is currently working on Bated Breath's next production entitled The Parkville Project.

The Design team includes: Marti Simmons, Scenic Designer; Derek Jones, Lighting Designer; Natalie Abreu, Costume Designer; Greg Purnell, Sound Designer; Elysse Yulo, production dramaturg

The play features undergraduate acting students: Anastasia Brewczynski as Ismene, Cayla Buettner as Stuart/Messenger, Tom Foran as Creon, Aaron Lloyd as Haemon, Zane Roberts as Chorus, Dan Seigerman as Barnes, Bryan Swormstedt as Jones, Ali Perlwitz as Antigone, and Laura Zabbo as Eurydice.

Anastasia Brewczynski (Ismene) is a senior BFA Actor. Recent credits include: Galileo (ensemble), Icarus (the Rouser), Spring Awakening (Mrs. Gabor) and in the Drama Dept.'s production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (the First Fairy/Mustardseed).
Cayla Buettner (Stuart/Messenger) is a senior BFA Actor. Recent credits include: CRT - Galileo (Ensemble), The Skin of Our Teeth and A Man For All Seasons. Other past theater credits include: The Tempest (Juno), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Juno) and A Merchant of Venice (Jessica) at various theaters in CT. She has recently assisted directed for Bated Breath Theater Company, Hartford Stage: Breakdancing Shakespeare, plus a web series on financial literacy for CPTV.

Tom Foran (Creon) is a junior BFA from East Hartford. Recent credits Include: The Unethical Quack/The Devil in the Blunt Objects Theatre original guerrilla show Who the Devil Are You?, Doctor Q in the Band-Aid Boy - Doctor Q & the Liberation of Coatsville workshop, and Tom

Hauser/Walter/Abe in CRT's Studio production of Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party.
Aaron Lloyd (Haemon) is a junior BFA actor. His past credits include: Spring Awakening (George), Hair (Tribe) and The Exonerated (Ensemble). He has collaborated with the Lark Theater in a staged reading of Wider Than the Sky (Dr. Bernard) written by Jessica Litwak and was most recently seen in a staged reading of Michael Bradford's play The Rootwoman as Cleveland Temple. Arron has also appeared in productions such as The Actor's Nightmare (George Spelvin), and done improvisational film work for Uconn. He's also written, directed, produced and performed in a short experimental independent film of his own.

Zane Roberts (Chorus) is currently a 6th semester BFA actor. Past credits include: Galileo (Matti), Icarus (King's Snooty Attendant), The Skin of Our Teeth (Ensemble), The Odd Couple (Oscar), Noises Off (Garry/Roger), The Shadow Box (Joe) and The Cave Dwellers (Duke). Before UConn, Zane attended the Arts at the Capitol Theater magnet school for 4 years, in which he studied acting.

Dan Seigerman (Barnes) is a senior BFA Actor. In the summer he acted with Capital Classics Shakespeare in Hamlet (Guildenstern/Priest) and The Seductive Countess (Jeanot). Past credits include: CRT - Galileo (Mucius/Mathematician), Hair (Ensemble); UConn Studio Theatre - Spring Awakening (Moritz Stiefel) and Thin Air (Johnny); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Flute),15 Minute Hamlet (Hamlet), Twelfth Night (Sir Andrew) as well as A Midsummer Nights Dream (ensemble) with Connecticut Free Shakespeare.

Bryan Swormstedt (Jones) is a 2nd year BFA actor and Puppetry double major. Past credits include: Galileo (Puppet Captain/Ensemble), Tell Tale Heart (Puppeteer) and Hole in the Head (Gabe, Analyst, Army Man).

Ali Perlwitz (Antigone) is a 3rd year BFA Actress. Past Credits include: CRT- Galileo (Cobbler's Boy/Young Girl), Pericles (Marina), Spring Awakening (Wendla Bergman); CPTV- Who Wants To Be Financially Responsible? (Isa/Drama Queen); and Arts at the Capitol Theatre- Noises Off (Dotty/Mrs. Clackett), The Effect of Gamma Rays...(Beatrice), The Cave Dwellers (Queen), Rewind: 80 Years Behind the Silver Screen (Katharine Hepburn).

Laura Zabbo (Eurydice) is a second year BFA Actor. Past credits include: Galileo (Ensemble) at CRT, Grease (Rizzo), Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), Ice Wolf (Storyteller) and two Rhode Island State Drama Festival winning performances. At UConn, Laura was a member of an all female a Capella ensemble, the Chordials, and starred in and produced a UCTV production: Tuesday Night Pregame with Tommy and Laura in 2007. 

Please call 860-486-4226 for tickets or for more information. Please call the box office or visit www.crt.uconn.edu for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change.

Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $11- $29.
For more information or press tickets contact Frank Mack at 860-486-4799.

March - April 2010

CRT is the professional producing arm of the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. CRT productions are directed, designed by, and cast with visiting professional artists, including Equity actors, faculty members, and the department's most advanced student artists. The synergy between professional and advanced student artists creates extraordinary theatre and a unique learning environment.

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