Ensemble Theatre Co Opens Season with THE SCHOOL FOR LIES

ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY is thrilled to announce the first show of its 40th Anniversary 2018-2019 Season, the deliciously hilarious THE SCHOOL FOR LIES, written by David Ives (the playwright of ETC's wildly popular 2013 production ofThe Liar) and directed by Jonathan Fox. THE SCHOOL FOR LIES begins previews on Thursday, October 4, opens on Saturday, October 6, and runs through Sunday, October 21, 2018 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.

A side-splitting, freewheeling adaptation in rhyming verse of Molière's classic comedy The Misanthrope, from the author who wrote The Liar, Venus in Fur, and All in the Timing. It's 1666, and Frank, a caustic and crabby guy who despises social niceties, falls for Celimene, a beautiful young widow and dazzling social butterfly.

"Is there a better way to start our 40thseason than to bring another play to our subscribers and audiences from David Ives, writer of our smash-hit productions of The Liar and Venus in Fur?" said Ensemble Theatre Company Artistic Director Jonathan Fox. "I am also delighted that three of the actors from our audience favorite The Liar will be returning to ETC to perform in this production. Get ready for an uproarious evening that will start our season off on a joyous note."

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

David Ives (Playwright) is perhaps best known for his evening of one-act plays, All In The Timing (he has been included in the "Best Short Plays" series seven times), and for his drama Venus In Fur, which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. His plays include New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch De Spinoza; The School for Lies (adapted from Molière's The Misanthrope);The Liar (adapted from Corneille); Time Flies; and Is He Dead? (adapted from Mark Twain). He has also translated Feydeau's A Flea in Her Ear and Yasmina Reza's A Spanish Play. A former Guggenheim Fellow in playwriting and a graduate of The Yale School of Drama, he lives in New York City.

Jonathan Fox (Director) joined ETC in 2006. He recently directed Ayad Akhtar's The Invisible Hand, which transferred to The English Theatre of Frankfurt in 2018 and adapted and directed ETC's production of Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives. His other ETC productions include Porgy and Bess, Macbeth, Sweeney Todd, Woyzeck, Amadeus, A Little Night Music, The Liar, Crime and Punishment, and a dozen others. In 2016, he directed ETC's production of Bad Jews, which traveled to Germany for the play's German premiere. He received his MFA from Columbia University, and is a recipient of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship. He has served as an adjunct faculty member in theater departments at UCSB, Columbia University, University of Utah, and Monmouth University.

The Cast of THE SCHOOL FOR LIES will feature: Adam Mondschein, Jill Van Velzer, Lara Hillier, Matt Wolpe, Samantha Eggers, Ross Hellwig, Gino Montesinos, Matt Shea and Jamie Torcellini.

Scenic design is by Harry Feiner. Lighting design is by Jared A. Sayeg. Costume design is by Kate Bergh. Properties Design is by John McElveney. The Production Stage Manager is Ricky Moreno.

THE SCHOOL FOR LIES is made possible through the generosity of 2018-19 Season Sponsor of Leatrice Luria and Production Sponsor The Pulitzers. Additional sponsorship is provided by Helene Segal and George Konstaintinow, Gwen and Henry Baker, and Gail Beust.

THE SCHOOL FOR LIES begins previews on Thursday, October 4, opens on Saturday, October 6, and runs through Sunday, October 21, 2018 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.

Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, with an added Tuesday 7:00pm show on October 9 and a Saturday 4:00pm matinee performance on October 13, 2018.

All preview tickets are $40. Regular adult ticket prices range from $60 to $75 with discounts available for seniors.

Student tickets are available for only $25 each, and tickets for patrons age 29-and-under are always just $40. Single tickets are available through the ETC box office at (805) 965-5400, or online at etcsb.org.

For group sales information, please call (805) 965-5400. Prices subject to change.

 

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