DOWNTON ABBEY's Allen Leech to Star Opposite Ginnifer Goodwin in CONSTELLATIONS at the Geffen

The Geffen Playhouse today announced that Downton Abbey star Allen Leech will make his U.S. stage debut opposite Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time, Big Love) in the Los Angeles Premiere of Constellations, Nick Payne's 2015 Broadway sensation. The Geffen's production is directed by Giovanna Sardelli (Guards at the Taj) and marks Goodwin's Los Angeles stage debut.

Constellations will begin previews on Tuesday, June 6 in the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse, with opening night on Wednesday, June 14. The production closes Sunday, July 16.

Constellations is the story of Roland, a beekeeper, and Marianne, a quantum physicist. What are their odds of falling in love? With infinite moments that can change the trajectory of a life, it's anyone's guess how cosmic collision is possible. Nick Payne's Olivier and Drama League nominated hit is a charming, devastating and profound exploration of the universal truth of finding and losing love. A play that balances on the question of "what if" is, at its core, a poignant picture of "what is."

Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Constellations opened on Broadway in 2015 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson, the production received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Wilson) and a Drama League Award nomination for Best Play.

IF YOU GO:

CONSTELLATIONS

Written by Nick Payne
Directed by Giovanna Sardelli
Featuring Ginnifer Goodwin as Marianne and Allen Leech as Roland

Previews: Tuesday, June 6 - Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Opening Night: Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Closing Night: Sunday, July 16, 2017

Schedule:
Monday No performance
Tuesday - Friday 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.

At Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Tickets currently priced at $32.00 - $90.00. Available in person at the Geffen Playhouse box office, by phone at 310.208.5454 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org. Fees may apply.

Rush tickets for each day's performance are made available to the general public 30 minutes before showtime at the box office. $35.00 General / $10.00 Student

Through a variety of events and other opportunities, the Geffen Playhouse welcomes college students to experience the live storytelling presented on our stages. We are proud of our association with UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television, and open our doors to all college students throughout Los Angeles. More information is available at www.geffenplayhouse.org/college.

SIGNATURE SERIES:

In addition to the opening night, the run of Constellations will feature the Geffen's Signature Series events. These include Talk Back Tuesdays, Girls Night Out, Lounge Fridays and Wine Down Sundays. Thanks to the support of Geffen Playhouse partners and sponsors, all elements of Signature Series evenings are complimentary as part of the ticket price. Signature Series events include:

TALK BACK TUESDAYS

Talk Back Tuesdays give theater lovers a chance for a deeper conversation to discuss plot, character themes or any other questions directly with the artists with a post-show Q&A from the stage. Dates: June 20, June 27, July 4 and July 11, 2017

GIRLS NIGHT OUT

It's a globally accepted piece of pop-culture that girls just wanna have fun, and this Signature Series was designed with that in mind; although gentlemen are welcome to join. These unique events only happen once during each Gil Cates Theater production, and every Girls Night Out features partnerships with different lifestyle experts, brands or products that keep patrons on the cusp of what's hot in LA. Each night features different partners ranging from private shopping events to showcasing the latest beauty trends, but every Girls Night Out promises a festive evening of theater followed by a unique party complete with complimentary signature drinks, delectable buffets, the popular GNO photo booth, plus a Pixi Beauty take-away gift. Date: June 22, 2017

LOUNGE FRIDAYS

Happy hour Lounge Fridays turn the Geffen Playhouse into a haven to help fast-paced Angelenos ease into their weekend and unwind. Complimentary sparkling joins other enticing refreshments starting at 7:00 p.m. with eclectic jams from DJ Mike on the courtyard patio. Sponsored by LAArtsOnline.com. Dates: June 23, June 30, July 7 and July 14, 2017

WINE DOWN SUNDAYS

Wine Down Sundays provides the perfect pairing - pre-performance wine sampling followed by a 7:00 p.m. curtain time to close out the week. These evenings feature different vintages for each production, so patrons who come regularly will discover a new wine brand before their theatrical experience. Dates: June 18, June 25, July 2, July 9 and July 16, 2017

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Nick Payne (Playwright)

Theater: If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet (Bush Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company, New York), Wanderlust (Royal Court Theatre), Sophocles' Electra (Gate Theatre), One Day When We Were Young (Paines Plough/Sheffield Theatres and Shoreditch Town Hall), Lay Down Your Cross (Hampstead Theatre), Constellations (Royal Court Theatre, Duke of York's and U.K. tour), The Same Deep Water As Me (Donmar Warehouse, nominated for 2014 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy), Blurred Lines (The Shed, National Theatre), Incognito (Nabokov/Live Theatre, Newcastle), The Art of Dying (Royal Court Theatre), Elegy (Donmar Warehouse). Film: The Sense of an Ending (adaptation of Julian Barnes' Man Booker Prize-winning novel for BBC Films/Origin Pictures). Television: The Secrets (Working Title TV for BBC One), Wanderlust (Drama Republic for BBC One), Us (adaptation of David Nicholls' novel for BBC One). Awards: 2009 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright, 2012 Harold Pinter Playwright's Award, 2012 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play for Constellations.

Giovanna Sardelli (Director)

Giovanna Sardelli returns to the Geffen Playhouse, having most recently directed Guards at the Taj (Ovation Award for Best Production of a Play). She is an award-winning director who has worked on world premieres of plays by Rajiv Joseph, Matthew Lopez, Theresa Rebeck, Lynn Rosen, Joe Gilford, Jeff Augustin, Lauren Yee and Zoe Kazan, among others. She has worked Off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre, Second Stage Theatre, Vineyard Theatre, Playwrights Realm, Women's Project Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company. She has directed numerous productions for Dorset Theatre Festival, where she is the Resident Director, Barrington Stage Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Old Globe, Hartford Stage Company, Cleveland Play House, Cincinnati Playhouse, Hudson Stage Company, San Francisco Playhouse and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, among others. She received her M.F.A. in acting from NYU and is also a graduate of their Directors Lab. Though based in New York, she is the Director of New Works for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Currently running: Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley (TheatreWorks through February 5, 2017), Archduke by Rajiv Joseph (World Premiere at the Mark Taper Forum).

Ginnifer Goodwin (Marianne)

A multi-faceted film, television and theater actress, Ginnifer Goodwin holds a B.F.A. in acting from Boston University's School for the Arts and was additionally trained in England at Stratford-Upon-Avon's Shakespeare Institute, London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She was most recently seen on stage in The Corn Is Green at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Nicholas Martin and starring Kate Burton. She appeared in her first play, Dead End, also directed by Nicholas Martin, at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company in 2000. Goodwin is best known for her work in the critically acclaimed HBO series Big Love and is currently starring in the hit ABC drama Once Upon A Time. Last year she lent her voice to Disney's Zootopia, which earned more than 1 billion dollars worldwide. Other film and television credits include Walk the Line, Killing Kennedy, Mona Lisa Smile, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, Something Borrowed, He's Just Not That Into You and A Single Man.

Allen Leech (Roland)

Allen Leech is best known for his television work, notably as Tom Branson on the beloved series Downton Abbey, for which he won three Screen Actors Guild awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, as well as HBO's Rome and BBC and Showtime's The Tudors. His film credits include Morten Tyldum's The Imitation Game, opposite Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, which was nominated for five Golden Globe and eight Academy Awards; The Sweeney with Ray Winstone, Ben Drew and Hayley Atwell; and the independent feature Grand Piano with Elijah Wood and John Cusack. On stage, Leech starred as Mick in the revival of Mike Leigh's hugely successful play Ecstasy at The Hampstead and Duchess Theatres in London. He was most recently seen playing the lead role in the CBC miniseries Bellevue opposite Anna Paquin and will next be seen in Jonathan Mostow's The Hunter's Prayer with Sam Worthington.

Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and second productions, the not-for-profit organization continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates, and is currently helmed by Artistic Director Randall Arney, Executive Director Gil Cates, Jr., and Co-Chairs of the Board Martha Henderson and Pamela Robinson. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, and maintains extensive education and community engagement programs, designed to involve underserved young people and the community at large in the arts. Visit www.geffenplayhouse.org for more.