Noah Robbins, Arnie Burton & More To Star In LEWISTON and CLARKSTON At Rattlestick

RATTLESTICK PLAYWRIGHTS THEATER announces casting for the New York premieres of LEWISTON and CLARKSTON, two plays written by MacArthur Genius Grant Winner Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale, Bright New Boise, The Few) and directed by his long-term collaborator Davis McCallum.

These two plays, written to be in conversation with one another, will be performed together for the first time in a communal evening of gathering, watching, and breaking bread. Previews begin on October 10, 2018, with an opening night set for October 25, 2018, and a limited run through December 2, 2018 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (224 Waverly Place). Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.rattlestick.org

A gutted theater. Two plays. One epic evening. An achingly human exploration of the end of the American experiment.

Rattlestick is currently renovating their theater to accommodate the unique needs of this intimate diptych of plays. The LEWISTON and CLARKSTON experience at Rattlestick will unfold in three acts for a small and intimate audience of fifty-one people each night. First, the audience will gather to watch LEWISTON. Second, the audience will share a communal meal-break during which guests may bring their own food or pre-purchase a catered meal in the spirit of Idaho cuisine that will be served in the space. The evening will conclude with the production of CLARKSTON.

Together the plays focus on two modern-day descendants of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Set at a failing fireworks stand in Lewiston, Idaho, and across the river at a big box store in Clarkston, Washington, the plays LEWISTON and CLARKSTON share the essential question: what is the true legacy of the great American push West?

LEWISTON is a play fundamentally about the past. An aging descendant of Meriwether Lewis has been selling off her family's land piece by piece for years, becoming increasingly convinced that her family's past is less of a legacy and more of a curse. But when an unexpected visitor blasts into her life, she is forced to consider if there is anything good left in the world at all.

CLARKSTON is a play fundamentally about the future. A young descendant of William Clark has made the journey out west from his home in Connecticut, desperate to find meaning in his own history. But when he finds a landscape dotted with small, struggling towns and big box stores, his faith in his future-and indeed the future of the entire country-starts to feel misplaced.

The cast of LEWISTON includes Arnie Burton (Peter and the Starcatcher), Kristin Griffith (Animal), and Leah Karpel (Porto).

The cast of CLARKSTON includes Heidi Armbruster (Time Stands Still), Edmund Donovan (The Snow Geese), and Noah Robbins (Grease: Live, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt").

LEWISTON and CLARKSTON will feature set design by Dane Laffrey (Once on This Island, Spring Awakening), costume design by Jessica Wegener Shay (A Kid Like Jake, LCT3), lighting design by Stacey Derosier (Measure for Measure), and sound design by Fitz Patton (Three Tall Women). The Dramaturg is John Baker, the Stage Manager is Katie Young, the Production Manager is Jenny Beth Snyder, the Technical Director is Aaron Gonzalez, and the Associate Directors are Shadi Ghaheri and Lillian Meredith.

This production is supported by The Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation and the W Trust.

LEWISTON and CLARKSTON were developed in part with assistance from SPACE on Ryder Farm, and will be presented at Boise Contemporary Theater later this Spring.

The performance schedule for LEWISTON and CLARKSTON is as follows: Wednesdays through Mondays at 7pm, and Sundays at 3pm. The evening will run about 3 and a half hours in total.

Tickets for LEWISTON and CLARKSTON are $90 (previews $75) with artist/senior tickets for $50 and student tickets for $30. Meal options along with pricing will be available at checkout. Tickets for shows and meal options can be purchased at www.rattlestick.org and by phone at 212-627-2556. Standard ticketing fees apply to all orders.

To post a comment, you must register and login.