Stages Repertory Theatre Presents LUNA GALE

Stages Repertory Theatre presents the regional premiere of award-winning playwright Rebecca Gilman's Luna Gale, a powerful family drama about a burned-out social worker who faces an increasingly complex moral dilemma as she tries to determine the best home for an at-risk infant. Luna Gale premiered in 2014 at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and won the prestigious Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award at the 2015 Humana Festival of New American Plays.

Carolyn Johnson, star of last season's runaway hit End of the Rainbow, returns to Stages in the central role of Caroline, the social worker. Continuing Stages' ongoing partnership with Sam Houston State University, Luna Gale also features Tanith Albright (making her Stages debut) and Jeremy Gee (Panto Wonderful Wizard), both appearing as performance interns. Rounding out the cast are Kevin Crouch (Bad Jews), Justin Doran (Shear Madness, The Spiritualist, Panto Red Riding Hood), Melissa Molano (I and You, The Book of Maggie, Dollhouse), and Elaine Robinson (Stupid f-ing Bird, The Spiritualist, Miss Teen).

Directed by Seth Gordon (The Whipping Man, I and You, The Spiritualist), Luna Gale centers on Caroline, the veteran social worker, who must decide where to place baby Luna Gale. Troubled teen parents Peter and Karlie are recovering meth addicts accused of neglecting their child, so according to best practice, care of Luna Gale passes to Karlie's mother. But as Carolyn digs beneath the surface, she finds layers of family history that call into question whether a "by the book" approach is really best for this baby. Faith meets doubt and the best intentions meet reality as the people who care about Luna struggle to protect her future.

According to Gilman, the play was inspired by a real-life trip to the emergency room, where she overheard two teenage drug addicts having what sounded like a conversation with a babysitter. Intrigued by the question of whether a couple like that could somehow be good parents, she found the initial idea for Luna Gale.

Gilman was a 2001 Pulitzer Prize finalist for her work The Glory of Living and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship as well as The Harper Lee Award, The Scott McPherson Award, The Prince Prize for Commissioning New Work and The Roger L. Stevens Award from the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays. Stages previously has produced Gilman's acclaimed play Dollhouse (2013), a modern adaptation of Ibsen's classic A Doll's House.

Post-show Q&A discussions with the cast and creative team will take place Sunday, May 14 at 2:30pm, Thursday, May 18 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, May 21 at 2:30pm.

Performance times are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays 8pm, Saturdays 2:30pm and 8pm, and Sundays 2:30pm.

Regular tickets start at $21 with savings for groups of 6 or more. To purchase, call the Stages Box Office at 713.527.0123 or reserve online at www.stagestheatre.com.

ABOUT STAGES REPERTORY THEATRE
Founded in 1978, Stages is a professional Equity theatre that produces new work, presents established work in new ways, nurtures and develops talent, and cultivates and strengthens relationships with Houston audiences. Characterized by courage, generosity, ingenuity and intimacy, Stages works to advance theatre and enliven community to make a more vibrant Houston.

Stages presents a broad scope of plays and musicals in an intimate setting, generating critical acclaim and creating powerful connections between plays and people. The third-largest theatre in Houston and the sixth-largest in Texas, Stages performs year-round, one of only a handful of Texas theatres that offers year-round employment for creative professionals. On average, Stages produces 12 productions per year totaling more than 340 performances and reaching 50,000+ patrons. All of Stages' shows are rehearsed and constructed on-site in Houston, brought to life by an exceptional community of locally-based artists and craftspeople along with occasional guest directors, actors and designers from around the world.

For more than a decade Stages has made a strong investment in nurturing emerging artists and craftspeople who have now become field leaders and working professionals. Stages' learning opportunities include performance and production internship programs for college students and conservatory-style training for middle and high school students.

Through this robust scope of activities Stages encourages conversation about important ideas, provides insight into other cultures and viewpoints, and helps develop each new generation of artists, audiences and citizens. For more information visit www.stagestheatre.com.

UPCOMING SHOWS IN THE 2016-2017 SEASON

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance by Jethro Compton, based on the short story by Dorothy M. Johnson
May 24 - June 25, 2017

UPCOMING SHOWS IN THE 2017-2018 SEASON

Always... Patsy Cline by Ted Swindley
June 28 - August 20, 2017

REGIONAL PREMIERE
Woody Sez - The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie devised by David M. Lutken with Nick Corley and Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell and Andy Teirstein
July 26 - September 3, 2017

Xanadu based on the book by Douglas Carter Beane with music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar
presented at Miller Outdoor Theatre
September 8 & 9, 2017

WORLD PREMIERE
Balls by Bryony Lavery and Kevin Armento
a co-production with One Year Lease Theater Company
October 11-29, 2017
WORLD PREMIERE
A Midnight Clear - A Musical Tale of Christmas by Kenn McLaughlin, music and lyrics by David Nehls
November 8 - December 24, 2017

Panto Cinderella by Kate Hawley, music and lyrics by Gregg Coffin
November 29 - December 31, 2017

REGIONAL PREMIERE
Alma en venta (Soul on Sale) by Phillip Boehm
January 24 - February 11, 2018

Sin Muros - A Latina/o Theatre FestivalFebruary 1-4, 2018
WORLD PREMIEREPurple Eyes by Josh Inocéncio
Ann by Holland Taylor
February 14 - April 8, 2018
REGIONAL PREMIERE
We are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South-West Africa From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
March 14 - April 1, 2018

REGIONAL PREMIERE
The Revisionist by Jessie Eisenberg
presented at The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center
April 10 - 22, 2018

The Great American Trailer Park Musical by Betsy Kelso, music and lyrics by David Nehls
May 2 - June 24, 2018

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