Photo Flash: First Look at A WILDER CHRISTMAS Off-Broadway

The Peccadillo Theater Company production of A WILDER CHRISTMAS, an evening of two rarely seen one-acts by Thornton Wilder, is set to open tomorrow, December 8th at 7 pm at Theatre at St. Clement's.

THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER traverses 90 years in the life of an American family as they gather around the dining room table for a holiday celebration. As generations appear, have children, wither and depart, the patterns of behavior within this comically extended family are revealed as well as the essential values in every generation.

PULLMAN CAR HIAWATHA follows a diverse band of characters bound for Chicago during the 1930 holiday season. No ordinary train, this Pullman car allows us to eavesdrop on the thoughts and feelings of its many passengers, creating a cacophony of self-absorbed humanity. Notable for its use of the "Stage Manager" character several years before OUR TOWN, conventional time is suspended in this free-wheeling comedy in which people of all ages, classes and backgrounds are brought together for one unforgettable train ride.

Under the direction of Obie Award-winner Dan Wackerman, the 17-member cast of A WILDER CHRISTMAS features James Beaman, Victoria Blankenship, Jamil Chokachi, Brad Fryman, Michael Sean McGuinness, Kristin Parker, John Pasha, Jeremy Russial, Gael Schaefer, Anna Marie Sell, Rafe Terrizzi, Barbra Wengerd, Giselle Wolf, Merissa Czyz, LaMar Giles, LaWanda Hopkins, and Barbara Salant.

Thornton Wilder was a legendary American playwright and novelist. Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner for the plays OUR TOWN and THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH as well as the novel THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY, Wilder's other plays include THE MATCHMAKER and THE HAPPY JOURNEY TO TRENTON AND CAMDEN. For Alfred Hitchcock, he penned the screenplay to the classic thriller SHADOW OF A DOUBT. In 1968, Wilder received a U.S. National Book Award for his longest novel THE EIGHTH DAY.

Scenic and lighting design for A WILDER CHRISTMAS is by Harry Feiner, costume design by Marianne Custer and sound design by Quentin Chiappetta.

Founded in 1994, The Peccadillo Theater Company is devoted to the "lost classics" of the American theater - plays of obvious literary and theatrical merit which, for whatever reason, have fallen off the radar. Beginning with Eugene O'Neill, generally considered the starting point of modern American theater, Peccadillo concentrates on the era of the so-called well-made play, a period of sparkling wit and sophistication in comedy as well as deepening realism in the drama. It encompasses such diverse and little-known dramas as Clifford Odets' ROCKET TO THE MOON, William Inge's A LOSS OF ROSES, Elmer Rice's COUNSELLOR-AT-LAW, as well as the neglected plays of celebrated authors like Dorothy Parker and John O'Hara. Taken as a whole, this work represents nothing less than the American experience itself in all its contradictions and screwball energy. Peccadillo's mission is to restore these buried gems to their rightful owner - the American theatergoer.

A WILDER CHRISTMAS will play a limited Off-Broadway engagement through January 3rd at Theatre at St. Clement's, 423 West 46 Street (between Ninth & Tenth Aves.) The performance schedule is Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 pm, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, with matinees Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $25 and are available through www.ThePeccadillo.com or by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111.

Photos by Carol Rosegg

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