The Firehouse Theatre Project's 2012-13 Season to Include DEATH OF A SALESMAN, TIME STANDS STILL and More

The Firehouse Theatre Project today announced the four contemporary American plays being produced for the 2012-13 season, opening in September 2012 and closing in April 2013. The 2012-13 Season will feature A Bright New Boise, by Samuel D. Hunter; Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller; Any Given Monday by Bruce Graham; and Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies.

For nearly two decades, Firehouse has been presenting contemporary American theatre works to audiences, with an emphasis on plays not previously produced in the Richmond area. Firehouse productions consistently receive critical acclaim; The Firehouse has twice been the recipient of the Richmond Theatre Critic's Circle award for Best Play, in 2008 and 2009. Most recently, in the August 2011 issue of Richmond Magazine, readers voted Firehouse as Richmond's "Best Theater". The Firehouse continues its dedication to the Richmond community with outreach programs to educational and arts organizations, our monthly Reader's Theatre offerings, adult acting classes, and our flagship program, the annual Festival of New American Plays.

The season opens on September 20th, with Samuel D. Hunter's A Bright New Boise, winner of the 2011 Obie Award for Playwriting and nominee for the 2011 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play. In this play, a disgraced evangelical from Northern Idaho takes a job at a Hobby Lobby franchise in Boise, Idaho in order to reconnect with an estranged son. But as his fellow employees begin to uncover dark secrets from his past, and his son becomes increasingly interested in his reasons for leaving his church, he must choose whether or not to have a normal life and a healthy relationship with his son, or hold onto the beliefs that have given his life meaning. Called a "dark but deeply empathetic comedy" by the Washington City Paper, A Bright New Boise was originally commissioned and produced by Partial Comfort Productions, NYC. September 20th - October 13th.

Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning classic, Death of a Salesman will follow on November 15th. The story revolves around the last days of Willy Loman, a failing salesman, who cannot understand how he failed to win success and happiness. Through a series of tragic soul-searching revelations of the life he has lived with his wife, his sons and his business associates, we discover how his quest for the "American Dream" kept him blind to the people who truly loved him. A thrilling work of deep and revealing beauty, Arthur Miller's play remains one of the most profound classic dramas of the American theatre. Death of a Salesman is currently back up on Broadway, and has particular resonance with the country's current economic climate, showing that it is still relevant even now, over 60 years since it was first produced. November 15th - December 8th.

Next is Any Given Monday, by Bruce Graham, opening on January 31. This play is a biting comedy about the consequences of infidelity. The play discusses morality and religion, Old Testament vs. New, relevancy of Jewish law, and is part of the Acts of Faith Festival. Firehouse was one of the first theatres to produce Bruce Graham's play Something Intangible during the 2010-11 season, and as a result were included in the published Dramatist's script. Any Given Monday will be the second Bruce Graham show that Firehouse has presented. January 31 - February 23.

The season will conclude with Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Donald Margulies' play Time Stands Still. As the play opens, the challenges facing Sarah and her partner, James Dodd, seem clear enough. James has just brought Sarah home from a hospital in Germany, where she was recuperating from severe injuries suffered while she was covering the war in Iraq. Antsy and unused to the burdens of repose, Sarah rebuffs James' constant efforts to cushion her from the bumps and bruises of recovery. His anxiety is amplified by a lingering sense of guilt: a reporter himself, he had suffered a breakdown in Iraq and returned to the United States shortly before Sarah's accident, which has left her with a bum leg and scarred face. Time Stands Still premiered in 2009 and has since been produced on Broadway twice. The New York Times calls Mr. Margulies play a "quietly powerful drama" that "crackles with bright wit and intelligence." March 21 - April 13.

Opening nights feature special post-show catered receptions. Other special events, such as wine tastings, martini nights, and talk-back discussions with directors, performers, and guest panelists, will be announced prior to and during each run.

Subscriptions for the Firehouse Theatre Project 2012-13 Season are available now through www.firehousetheatre.org or by calling 804.355.2001. Season subscriptions to all four plays are $95 for adults, $85 for seniors 65 and older, and $40 for students. Earlybird subscription rates are available for a limited time. Season subscribers are offered preferred seating for the performances of their choice, invitations to opening nights, free admission and advanced tickets for special events at the Firehouse Theatre.

Purchases may be made by calling the box office at 804-355-2001 or online at www.firehousetheatre.org. To discuss group rates, please contact Annie Colpitts at annie@firehousetheatre.org or by calling 804-355-2001.

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