Photo Flash: First Look at WITTENBERG at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

The Shakespeare Theatre presents the New Jersey premiere of the award-winning play WITTENBERG by David Davalos, in which he ingeniously manipulates time and space to unite an unusual trio-Doctor Faustus, Martin Luther, and Hamlet-for a witty and provocative debate about faith, fate, existence, and tennis. The "big questions," the enigmas that eternally puzzle mankind, are given clever and delightfully quirky forum in this contemporary riff on the age-old and eternal conudrums. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Wittenberg begins in northern Germany, the year 1517, on the University of Wittenberg campus. Young Hamlet, prince of Denmark, is a senior, unsure of his beliefs after an eye-opening summer spent studying abroad. Upon his return to school, he seeks guidance from his two trusted professors-philosopher John Faustus and theologian Martin Luther.

Inspiration struck when Davalos, an actor as well as playwright, worked on a production of Hamlet. As he listened in the wings to the young prince's speeches, he considered the prince's intellectual and religious background, the foundation of Shakespeare's tragedy. Both Hamlet's mother Gertrude and his scheming uncle, the new king Claudius, plead with the prince to "go not to Wittenberg," declaring "for your intent in going back to school in Wittenberg, it is most retrograde to our desire" (Act I, scene ii). Davalos, speaking with the San Antonio Current, said he began to wonder, "what was Hamlet doing in school before Hamlet?"

After nearly eight years of research, Wittenberg premiered in 2008 at Philadelphia's Arden Theatre Company. The New York premiere followed in 2011.

As the moody, wavering college senior, Hamlet, Jordan Coughtry appears in his ninth season with The Shakespeare Theatre. An alumnus of Shakespeare LIVE! and the Next Stage Ensemble, Coughtry appeared on the Main Stage in last season's Our Town as George Gibbs, Trelawny of the Wells and as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, among others. His regional credits include productions at Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Theatreworks, Arkansas Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and The Shakespeare Theatre/RSC.

Mark H. Dold plays Reverend Martin Luther, a professor and confessor at the University of Wittenberg. Dold appeared in The Shakespeare Theatre's productions of Our Town, Cymbeline, and Amadeus, all directed by Mr. Discher. He has worked extensively on and off-Broadway, notably appearing as C.S. Lewis in Freud's Last Session at New World Stages and in The Seagull with Meryl Streep at the New York Shakespeare Festival's Delacorte Theatre. Regionally, he served as Associate Artist at Barrington Stage Company for eight seasons.

As Luther's foil, the philosophic Professor John Faustus, Anthony Marble returns to the Theatre where he played Sergius in Arms and the Man and Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. He's worked with Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and The Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis, Swine Palace Theatre, Actor's Theatre of Louisville. He played a lead in the recent Syfy Channel movie Snakehead Swamp and appears in upcoming PBS special, The Mystery of Matter.

Shakespeare Theatre veteran Erin Partin returns to the Theatre as The Eternal Feminine, playing multiple roles including "a working girl," "a lady of pleasure," and Mary, the Mother of God. Partin last appeared as Ariel in the Theatre's season-opening production of The Tempest. Recently, she played Ophelia in The Resident Ensemble Player's production of Hamlet (Delaware). She has also appeared at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, TheShakespeare Theatre Company, and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.

Creating the world of Wittenberg are director Joseph Discher, scenic designer Brittany Vasta, costume designer Hugh Hanson, sound designer Steven L. Beckel, and lighting designer Matthew Adelson. Denise Cardarelli serves as production stage manager.

Performances began September 10 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue in Madison. Tickets start at $25 for preview performances and $32 for regular performances. Student rush tickets for all performances are $15, available a half-hour before curtain for with a valid student ID. Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

Photo Credit: Jerry Dalia, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

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