Ensemble Theatre Co Premieres EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED

ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY (ETC) presents the fourth show of its 40th Anniversary Season, the Southern California premiere of the stunning and wildly popular novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED, adapted by Simon Block and directed by Jonathan Fox. EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED begins previews on Thursday, April 11, opens on Saturday, April 13 at 8:00pm, and runs through Sunday, April 28, 2019 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.

Jonathan, a young Jewish-American writer, travels to Ukraine to seek out the woman who may have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. He hires Alex, a young Ukrainian tour guide who takes him on a hilarious road trip in search of the woman's village. Along the way, they confront haunting memories as Jonathan and Alex's histories become entwined.

"Jonathan Safran Foer is one of my favorite contemporary writers," said Jonathan Fox, ETC's Artistic Director. "Simon Block's adaptation is remarkably successful in capturing the novel's comic absurdity as well as its surprising and evocative twists and turns. We are delighted to present this thrilling theatrical journey in its Southern California premiere."

JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER (Author) is the author of three award-winning internationally best-selling novels: Everything is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Here I amas well as two works of nonfiction: Eating Animals and The New American Haggadah. He won The Guardian Book Prize for his debut novel, was included in Granta Magazine's "Best of Young American Novelists issue" as well as The New Yorker's "20 under 40" list of the best young writers in the US. His books have been published in over 30 languages.

Simon Block (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter. His work for theater includes: Not a Game for Boys (Royal Court), Chimps, Hand in Hand and Everything is Illuminated (Hampstead Theatre), A Place at the Table (Bush Theatre), and 1/25th of the National Theatre Chain Play (National Theatre). His work for television includes: "North Square" (Channel 4), "Trust" (BBC 1), "The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall" (Channel 4), "Casualty 1909" (BBC 1), "The Eichmann Show" (BBC), and "Home Fires" (ITV). He co-wrote the film "The Physician."

Jonathan Fox (Director) joined ETC in 2006. He recently directed David Ives' The School for Lies at ETC. His 2018 production of The Invisible Hand transferred to The English Theatre of Frankfurt. In 2017, he 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. He has collaborated with Opera Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Symphony on many productions. Prior to ETC, he served as the Managing Director and later the Artistic Director of Two River Theater Company in New Jersey. 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 EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED features Jeremy Kahn as Jonathan making his ETC debut and revisiting Everything is Illuminated after appearing in last year's production at Aurora Theatre Company. He has also appeared onstage in Office Hour (Berkeley Rep and Long Wharf Theatre), Bad Jews (Capital Stage), and Peter and the Starcatcher (Theatreworks), among many others. ETC favorite Matt Wolpe returns for his fifth play here, playing Alex, Jonathan's translator who speaks in a "sublimely butchered English." Past ETC credits include Philinte in The School for Lies, Matt in The Fantasticks, Cliton in The Liar, and Matt/Gene in Striking 12. He has also appeared on Broadway in Finding Neverland as well as the national tour of Once. Emily Goglia plays Brod as well as several other characters and was recently on the ETC stage in Husbands and Wives. She has also been seen on TV in "Grease Live" and NBC's "The Sing-Off." Los Angeles theater favorite Anne Gee Byrd plays the woman, and most recently starred in The Cripple of Inishmaan for Antaeus Theatre Company and Murder on the Orient Express at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Rounding out the cast is Adrian Sparks playing Alex's grandfather. Adrian is an Ovation nominated actor for his role as Ernest Hemingway inPapa and he has played leading roles at some of the most prestigious theaters in the country including The Guthrie in Minnesota, Seattle Repertory, Long Wharf, and the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, DC.

Scenic design is by François-Pierre Couture. Lighting design is by Pablo Santiago. Sound design is by Randall Robert Tico. Costume design is by Dianne K. Graebner. Properties design is by Ilana Molina. Casting by Amy Lieberman. The Production Stage Manager is Michael Friedlander.

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED is made possible through the generosity of the 2018-19 Season Sponsor Leatrice Luria. This production is sponsored by Zegar Family Foundation. Additional sponsorship provided by Ellen and Peter Johnson, Nancy and Doug Norberg, Sybil Rosen & Barbara and Sam Toumayan.

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED begins previews on Thursday, April 11, opens on Saturday, April 13, and runs through Sunday, April 28, 2019 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 April 16 and a Saturday 4:00pm matinee performance on April 20, 2019.

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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