Phoenix Theatre to Stage Regional Premiere of BUTLER

Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces the Regional Premiere of Butler opening January 7, 2016 on the Frank and Katrina Basile Stage. This production runs through February 7, with Dale McFadden serving as director.

ABOUT THE PLAY

It's the beginning of the Civil War, and lawyer Benjamin Franklin Butler has just been promoted to Union General at Fort Monroe, a Union hold-out in the state of Virginia. He soon finds himself face-to-face with Shepard Mallory, an escaped slave seeking asylum at the fort for himself and other slaves. Sworn to uphold the law, Butler prepares to return the slaves, until Mallory forces him to question whether what is legal is actually moral. Inspired by real events and relevant to the Black Lives Matter movement of today, Butler is part comedy, part historical drama, and according to The New York Times, simply "splendid."

THE DIRECTOR

Dale McFadden's work at the Phoenix Theatre includes River City, Seminar, This, Mauritius, Stuff Happens, Fat Pig, A Number, Lunching, Beauty Queen of Lenane, Florida, Woman in Mind and The Day Room. Other recent work: Coming To See Aunt Sophie presented at Chopin Theatre Chicago, Crossroads Repertory Theatre, TIG 7 Theatre, Mannheim, Germany followed by a three-city tour in Poland. Off-Broadway: Table 17 and Tweaked, 78th Street Theatre; Chicago: High Holidays, Victory Gardens Theater; Indiana Festival Theatre: The Gentleman from Indiana, The Miracle Worker, The Matchmaker, You Can't Take It With You, and Ah, Wilderness! Dale's productions have been the recipient of several of Chicago's Joseph Jefferson Awards and Nominations. He is Head of the Acting and Directing Program and Associate Chair in Theatre and Drama at IU - Bloomington. He is pleased to be continuing his association with the Phoenix Theatre which began in 1989.

THE CAST

The cast includes Stephen Hunt as Major General Benjamin Butler, Ramon Hutchins as Shepard Mallory, Brandon Alstott as Lieutenant Kelly, and Doug Powers as Major Cary.

Stephen Hunt's recent Indiana credits include Christopher in Tribes and Butch in Next Fall at the Phoenix Theatre, as well as Sam/Orfeo in Sonia Flew and Benny Silverman in The Value of Names, both for The Jewish Theatre of Bloomington.

Ramon Hutchins makes his Phoenix debut as Shepard Mallory. He has been doing theatre locally since 2011 and has been in 14 productions, which has led to two Encore Awards.

Brandon Alstott has been seen at the Phoenix this past summer in American Idiot and in Spring Awakening in 2011.

Doug Powers makes his Phoenix debut as Major Cary. He has appeared on numerous other stages around town in such productions as As You Like It, The Cherry Orchard, The Tragedy of Hamlet, A Streetcar Named Desire, Rabbit Hole, and Quills.

THE PLAYWRIGHT

Richard Strand is the author of The Bug and The Death of Zukasky, both of which premiered at Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival. Ten Percent of Molly Snyder premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre, and My Simple City premiered at Chicago's Rivendell Ensemble and was nominated for best new script by both the American Drama Critics Association and the Joseph Jefferson Committee. Other productions include Clown, produced by Victory Gardens Theater and The Lincoln Park Zoo which premiered at Geva Theatre under the direction of Anthony Zerbe. The Second-Story Man, was developed at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center's National Playwrights Conference and premiered at the Cricket Theatre in Minneapolis. His works have been published by Samuel French, Dramatists Play Service, Heinemann Books and Applause Theatre Books. He lives in California with his wife Mary Lynn, and teaches at Mt. San Antonio College.

TICKETS

Tickets for Butler are on sale now. Tickets are $27.00 per person on Thursdays and Sundays, $33.00 per person on Fridays and Saturdays, and $20.00 for anyone 21 & under. During CheapSeats Weekend, January 7-10, all tickets are $20. Tickets for Butler may be purchased by calling the box office at 317.635.7529 or visiting phoenixtheatre.org. Curtain times for the production are: Thursdays at 7 pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm.

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