Andrew Garman to Star in THE CHRISTIANS at the Taper This Winter; Cast Announced!

Center Theatre Group and Playwrights Horizons have announced casting for "The Christians," a new play written by Lucas Hnath ("A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney," "Isaac's Eye," "Death Tax").

After a limited engagement at Playwrights Horizons (August 28 through October 11), "The Christians" will be performed at the Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum, December 2, 2015, through January 10, 2016. The opening is set for December 13.

Directed by Obie Award-winning Les Waters ("Marjorie Prime" at the Taper and "Girlfriend" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre), this production of "The Christians" will feature four cast members from the world premiere at the Actors Theatre of Louisville: Emily Donahoe ("33 Variations" on Broadway, "Homeland"), Andrew Garman ("Salome" on Broadway), Larry Powell ("While I Yet Live" and "Broke-ology" off-Broadway) and Linda Powell ("On Golden Pond" and "Wilder Wilder Wilder" on Broadway), joined by Philip Kerr ("A Time to Kill," "Macbeth" and "Tiny Alice" on Broadway, opposite Dame Judith Anderson's "Hamlet" at Carnegie Hall.)

The pastor of a large and wildly successful church has a startling message for his congregation. After 20 years of growing his church members into the thousands, Pastor Paul does some soul searching and reaches a conclusion that shakes the church's very foundation with a message that challenges one of the basic tenets of his ministry.

As Pastor Paul (Andrew Garman) summons the courage to lead his flock in a new direction, he faces questions about his motivations, and his personal and professional relationships begin to fray. "The Christians" is a compelling drama that conveys the deep emotions and consequences of one man's personal revelation. "The Christians" is staged as a church service, complete with a choir whose members will be drawn from local choral groups.

"The Christians" was part of the 2014 Humana Festival. Hnath's other plays include "Red Speedo" (Studio Theatre, D.C.), "A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney" (Soho Rep), "nightnight" (2013 Humana Festival), "Isaac's Eye" (Ensemble Studio Theatre), "Death Tax" (2012 Humana Festival, Royal Court Theatre) and "The Courtship of Anna Nicole Smith" (Actors Theatre of Louisville). He has been a resident playwright at New Dramatists since 2011 and is a proud member of Ensemble Studio Theatre. Lucas won the 2012 Whitfield Cook Award for "Isaac's Eye" and the 2013 Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award Citation for "Death Tax." He is also a recipient of new play commissions from the EST/Sloan Project, Actors Theatre of Louisville, South Coast Repertory, Playwrights Horizons, New York University and the Royal Court Theatre.

Center Theatre Group (Michael Ritchie, Artistic Director; Stephen D. Rountree, Managing Director; Douglas C. Baker, Producing Director; Gordon Davidson, Founding Artistic Director) is one of the largest and most active theatre companies in the nation, programming seasons at the Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum at the L.A. Music Center, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Producer of numerous Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning plays and musicals, CTG has, in the most current 10 seasons, presented a total of 40 world premieres. Of these, 18 productions have gone on to be produced in New York, including "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Curtains," "9 to 5: The Musical," "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," "13," "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" and "Venice."

Playwrights Horizons is a writer's theatre dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers and lyricists. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, the theatre continues to encourage the new work of veteran writers while nurturing an emerging generation of theatre artists. In its 45 years, the theatre has received numerous awards, including six Pulitzer Prizes for Annie Baker's "The Flick," Bruce Norris' "Clybourne Park" (2012 Tony Award, Best Play), Doug Wright's "I Am My Own Wife" (2004 Tony Award, Best Play), Wendy Wasserstein's "The Heidi Chronicles" (1989 Tony Award, Best Play), Alfred Uhry's "Driving Miss Daisy" and Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's "Sunday in the Park with George."

Tickets for "The Christians" are available by calling (213) 628-2772 or visiting online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Tickets range from $25 - $85 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Mark Taper Forum is located at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.

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