Stages Repertory Theatre Presents The World Premiere Of Mickey Fishers' REPLICA

For the final production of its 40th Anniversary Season, Stages Repertory Theatre presents the world premiere of Mickey Fisher's Replica, running May 23 - June 10, 2018. Replica is the fourth world premiere Stages has produced this season (in addition to Balls, A Midnight Clear: A Musical Tale of Christmas and Purple Eyes). A television writer and producer as well as a playwright, Fisher is best known as the creator of the television series Extant (CBS, starring Halle Berry), Mars (National Geographic) and the upcoming Reverie (NBC), which premieres May 30.

Fisher, who attended the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music for Musical Theater, worked as a theatrical writer, producer and director in regional theatres and in New York before winning a screenwriting contest that led to his first television series, Extant, being produced on CBS with Steven Spielberg as Executive Producer. According to a 2014 Variety interview, "Fisher got the official word from Spielberg himself on Aug. 7, which happened to be his 40th birthday. 'Extant' was quite the gift."

In Fisher's play Replica, set in the near future, a woman with a terminal illness volunteers for an experimental procedure that would allow her memories, mannerisms and personality to live on in her "Replica" so that her children won't grow up without a mother. As she and her replica undergo a series of tests to determine the success of the procedure, she uncovers startling revelations about her life and inevitable death. Directed by Seth Gordon, Associate Artistic Director of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Replica is a sci-fi thriller that tackles the type of complex moral and ethical issues humanity may soon face and asks the fundamental question: "What does it mean to be human?"

Director Gordon is no stranger to Stages, having directed Luna Gale, I and You, The Whipping Man, The Spiritualist and The Unexpected Man. "I'm very excited and proud to be directing the world premiere of Replica for Stages," said Gordon. "I've known this play and have worked on it with Mickey Fisher for over two years, and I'm convinced that it's a story Houston will find moving and provocative. I feel so lucky to have a place like Stages where I can do work that is as challenging and entertaining as Replica."

Replica stars real-life twins Janna and Julie Cardia, who will make their Stages debut in the production, along with Houston stage veteran John Feltch. Writer Fisher conceived the play with the Cardia sisters in mind after Julie mentioned to him that she wanted to do something with her twin sister, Janna, for her thesis. "I offered to write something and sold her on the idea of doing something that only twins could do, with one of them playing the other's clone," Fisher said. "I had just sold my sci-fi series Extant and was really interested in the way stories like these can explore the big questions about what it means to be human and where we might be headed as a species. I wanted to look at the ways we're pushing the boundaries of our potential, to prolong life or even extend it indefinitely, but in a fun, twisty-turny kind of way."

The play had its first workshop in early 2014 at Cal State Fullerton, then came to director Gordon's attention a few years later when Julie was working on a play in St. Louis. Gordon directed a reading of the play in 2016, and then sent it to PlayPenn in Philadelphia for another reading. According to Fisher, "With [PlayPenn's] help (and Seth's direction) it took another big jump. After that long journey I'm thrilled to be doing the world premiere production here at Stages with this group of talented artists. I hope audiences enjoy this brief window into our future and come away asking themselves the big question: 'How far would I be willing to go for one more year, month, even a day with the people I love?'"

Performance times are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 2:30pm and 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:30pm.

Regular tickets start at $25 with savings on Wednesdays - Saturday matinees for groups of 6 or more, or Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees for groups of 10 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 375 performances and reaching 65,000+ patrons. Almost 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.

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