59E59 Theaters Presents MERRICK, THE ELEPHANT MAN, Opens 11/24

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Proteus Theatre Company (Basingstoke) to Brits Off Broadway with the US premiere of Mary Swan and Saul Jaffé's MERRICK, THE ELEPHANT MAN, directed by Ms. Swan. MERRICK, THE ELEPHANT MAN begins performances on Tuesday, November 24 for a limited engagement through Sunday, December 13. Press opening is Tuesday, December 1 at 7:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday at 7:30 PM; Wednesday - Friday at 8:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM and 8:30 PM; and Sunday at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Please note, there is no performance on Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26). Tickets are $25 ($17.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.ticketcentral.com. For more information, visit www.59e59.org or www.britsoffbroadway.com

Fusing burlesque, new circus and physical theater, MERRICK, THE ELEPHANT MAN is a highly physical, one-man tour-de-force version of this classic story recharged for the 21st Century. Often the most remarkable stories are the true ones, and the story of Joseph Carey Merrick is certainly that. From an object of curiosity and social revulsion to celebrity, Merrick's life and tragic destiny is as relevant today as it ever was.

Saul Jaffé gives a captivating performance as Merrick in this extraordinary story that is re-imagined like no other. What's On Stage called it "Beautifully heartbreaking-a spectacular achievement in theatre! A perfect production!"

Proteus Theatre Company at Brits Off Broadway is generously supported by Shire, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Basingstoke. Shire focuses on the development of a range of treatments for specialist medical conditions, including medicines for rare diseases, like the one from which Merrick suffered.

The design team for MERRICK, THE ELEPHANT MAN includes production design by Sam Pine and music by Paul Wild.

As an actor, Saul Jaffé (playwright/performer) has worked in, and with, some of the most exciting theatres in Britain such as the Young Vic, Tricycle, Arcola, BAC, Birmingham Rep and the National. Notable productions include: The Ramayana; Broadway in The Shadows; Telling Tales and If I Were Lifted Up. For over 10 years he forged a close working relationship with Mary Swan, artistic director of Proteus Theatre Company, devising, creating and/or co-writing over half a dozen productions. New pieces include Liquidizing Lizards and Field. As a radio actor he can be heard in episodes of Sapphire & Steel, The Tomorrow People and as Sabbath Dei in The Faction Paradox, a Dr Who spin-off series. He is currently in the Early Stages of creating a new storytelling piece that will link the folk tales he has developed for The Globe thus far, tentatively entitled: The Bard Bites Back!

Mary Swan (playwright/director) joined Proteus Theatre Company as Artistic Director in December 2004. Previously she was Associate Director at The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, Associate Director for Solent Peoples Theatre and Artistic Director of Fortnight Productions. She began her career as an actor and community arts practitioner. Her work at The New Wolsey included Liquidizing Lizards, a collaboration with poet Brian Patten, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Field, Daisy Jones and the Jellybean Conspiracy and a sell out run of Macbeth. Prior to Ipswich Mary's work at Solent included Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Shrinkwrapped a multi-media installation piece. Mary's first show for Proteus was the sell-out national tour of Peter Pan followed by Whatever Happened to Bette & Joan?, Beauty and the Beast and The Wedding Present. Mary is developing another one-man production charting the life and career of Harry Houdini for 2010. Mary has just finished directing and writing a sold out UK tour of Dracula. She has plans to develop participatory projects in the areas of domestic violence and post traumatic stress disorder working with servicemen and women in Hampshire, England. Both projects are planned for 2010.

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