Cal Rep Opens 2016-2017 Season with Arthur Miller's A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

California Repertory Company (Cal Rep) at California State University, Long Beach announces the opening of its 2016-2017 season with Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, directed by CSULB alumnus Jeff Paul. The Broadway production of A View from the Bridge recently received the 2016 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Cal Rep's staging of this timeless classic runs September 23-October 8 in the recently renovated University Theatre. This intense examination of human nature - the dangers of obsessive jealousy, xenophobia, and homophobia verses the inherent instinct for survival - was a powerful comment on current events when it was written in 1955, and resonates still.

A View from the Bridge follows the story of an Italian-American family as they welcome two undocumented immigrants into their home. Eddie, his wife Beatrice, and their orphaned niece Catherine host two of Beatrice's nephews, Rodolpho and Marco, who travel from Italy to Brooklyn in search of the American dream. Tensions rise when Rodolpho and Catherine start dating - revealing Eddie's true feelings for Catherine with tragic results. Director Jeff Paul points out that despite its mid-century setting, this play is still relevant to today's audiences. "This is not some museum piece of history, of some other time. There is a reason to be telling this story now. It is pertinent right now. It's timeless in a way...how people, sooner or later, will show you who they are."

Cal Rep's production of A View from the Bridge features Kathleen Wilhoite, known for her roles on Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy, in the role of Beatrice, as well as Sky Paley, whose screen credits include Gangster Squad and Covert Affairs, playing the role of Alfieri. Wilhoite and Paley, both of whom are new to the Cal Rep stage, will be performing alongside undergraduate actors, bringing world-class professionals together with emerging artists. Josh Nathan, who was previously seen on the Cal Rep stage inThe Cannibals, Dream of a Common Language, Assassins, Tango, Britannicus, and The Pool of Bethesda, fills the role of Eddie. The director said in regards to his casting, "I think this is going to be a very actor-driven piece. There's a lot to explore and a lot that these individuals can bring to Miller's characters."

Jeff Paul is Director of Musical Theatre at the Orange County School of the Arts. He has performed in numerous roles throughout Southern California, and received a Drama Logue Award for his role in Sweeney Todd. Paul has previously directed the CSULB productions of Jack Goes Boating; Almost Maine; The Tempest; The Boys Next Door; andCome Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. A CSULB MFA Acting/Directing alumnus, he has been recognized as an Outstanding Graduate by the CSULB College of the Arts and by the CSULB Department of Theatre Arts. With Cal Rep he has appeared in Next to Normal, Festen, Assassins, Much Ado About Nothing, Jacques Brel, Merlin (for which he received a Drama Logue Award), and Cyrano de Bergerac, and most recently as Bob in S/He & Me: A Theatrical Cabaret.

A View from the Bridge opens Friday, September 23, and closes on Saturday, October 8, with a preview performance on Thursday, September 22. Performances runWednesday through Saturday and start at 8pm, in the University Theatre on the southeast corner of the CSULB campus, accessible via East Campus Drive. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $20 for seniors, students, and CSULB faculty and staff (with valid ID). Parking is available for $7 in CSULB Parking Lot 7, next to the theatre. For tickets and information, please call (562) 985-5526 or visit www.calrep.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.