WSU Studio Theatre Presents Arthur Miller's BROKEN GLASS, Now thru 10/27

The Studio Theatre will open its 2012-2013 season with Arthur Miller's Broken Glass. This historical drama is brought to life tonight, October 18, 2012 and runs for two weekends only, ending October 27. Tickets are $10-$12 and are available by calling (313) 577-2972, by visiting www.wsustudio.com, or by visiting the Wayne State University Theatres' Box Office at 4743 Cass Avenue on the corner of Hancock.

The play is based off of the historical events that took place in Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on November 9-10, 1938. Windows of hundreds of Jewish shops, houses and synagogues were shattered and individuals attacked. The event would become known as "Kristallnacht" or "Night of Broken Glass" and led to 91 deaths and the arrest of 30,000 Jews who were sent to concentration camps.

Miller's Broken Glass takes place just days later, across the Atlantic in New York. Sylvia Gellburg, after reading about the events in the newspaper, collapses and becomes paralyzed from her hips down. With no physical explanation for her condition, the ground is shattered beneath the feet of the Gellburg family. The family hires Dr. Hyman, who embarks on a painful yet persistent investigation into the buried secrets of their lives.

Arthur Miller wrote Broken Glass at the age of 78, 50 years after his Broadway debut; a true testament to one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Never before has Miller explored more fully his own Jewish identity in writing. Many of the characters are based off of his personal life, such as Dr. Hyman, who is similar to one of the doctors who treaTed Miller's wife, Marilyn Monroe. After a disastrous 1994 opening in New York, Miller brought a slightly modified version to The National Theatre in London's West End that same year winning him an Olivier Award for Best Play.

Director and PhD student Bilha Birman-Rivlin explains, "Broken Glass is a journey into the mystery of the soul where the social, political and the personal meet. The characters in this play wrestle above all with their own private demons. Faced with painful truths, they have chosen denial but there comes a moment when protective strategy becomes the source of disabling pain."

The cast includes (in alphabetical order): Myles DeLeeuw (Sterling Heights, MI) as Harriet, Michael Fisher (Livonia, MI) as Dr. Hyman, Michael Gingerella (Royal Oak, MI) as Phillip Gellburg, Kelly Robinson (Royal Oak, MI) as Margaret Hyman, Luke Rose (Harrison Twp, MI) as Stanton Case, and Tiaja Sabrie (Midland, MI) as Sylvia Gellburg.

The production team includes: Bilha Birman-Rivlin (Director), Jamie Spinelli (Stage Manager), Christa Tausney (Scenic Design), Jessica Freedland (Property Master), Melissa Hall (Costume Designer), Amy Schneider (Lighting Designer), Ryan Koprince (Sound Designer), Felix Li (Publicist).

The Studio Theatre is an intimate, 110-seat, open-stage theatre in the lower level of the Hilberry Theatre on Wayne State University's campus that is often used for experimental, student and classroom productions. Annual programming includes the PhD Directors' Series, the Student Stage and the Louise Heck-Rabi Dramatic Writing Competition. For nearly fifty years the Studio Theatre has presented great theatre featuring WSU undergraduate students. With generous support from WSU Theatres' patrons and donors, the Studio Theatre recently underwent renovation.

For box office hours and information on performances, tickets, and group discounts, call the box office at (313) 577-2972 or visit the theatre's website at www.wsustudio.com.

Pictured: Michael Fisher (Dr. Hyman), Tiaja Sabrie (Sylvia Gellburg)

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