The Pearl Theater Co Presents TARTUFFE, Opens 3/30

THE PEARL THEATRE COMPANY is pleased to present the fourth play of its 25 th Anniversary Season; Molière's riotous comedy Tartuffe. The production will open March 30, 2009. This wickedly gleeful comedy offers the story of the hypocritical Tartuffe and his designs on the affluent (and painfully gullible) Orgon.

Orgon's family must find a way to break Tartuffe's hold on them before they lose everything - and it won't be easy. In THE PEARL THEATRE COMPANY'S production of Tartuffe, Molière's madcap dance of cunning plans and comic irrationality, the question is: what will win the day - blind faith or common sense? "This translation is Richard Wilbur's masterpeice", says Tartuffe Director, Gus Kaikkonen. In this revival, Kaikkonen plans to explore what happens when an entire family combats each other, all in the name of love.

Tartuffe was first presented in 1664 at the court of King Louis XIV at Versailles - and was promptly banned for its audacious attack on religious hypocrisy. It invites us into a lush and fashionable world endangered by deceit and the ridiculous. And while this scathing satire skewers false moralists and those unfortunate enough to follow them, Tartuffe also offers the hope that goodness and truth can save anyone - if only they'll agree to be saved.

The cast features 2008-2009 Resident Acting Company members TJ Edwards (Orgon), Bradford Cover(Tartuffe), Dominic Cuskern (Cléante), Rachel Botchan (Elmire), Sean McNall (Damis), Robin Leslie Brown (Dorine), and Carol Schultz (Madame Pernelle).

The production's guest artists are Carrie McCrossen (Mariane), John William Schiffbauer (Valère), Kila Packett (Laurent), Julie Ferrell (Flipote), and Kraig Swartz (M. Loyal/Officer) Design and Production Team Gus Kaikkonen, director of The Pearl's acclaimed productions of Heartbreak House in 2003 and The Gentleman Dancing Master in 2005, helms the production and design team which includes: scenic design byHarry Feiner; costume design by Sam Fleming; lighting design by Stephen Petrilli; sound design by M.L. Dogg.

The stage manager is Lisa Ledwich and the dramaturge is Kate Farrington. About The Pearl Theatre Company"The Pearl [serves] as an intimate outlet for the presentation of important works, both famous and obscure...it may be as crucial to the future of New York theatre as any of the larger companies uptown; it is a caretaker of the legacy."-Peter Marks, The New York Times An OBIE Award-winning company, The Pearl has produced five mainstage productions each year since 1984, displaying international variety and theatrical excellence, firmly rooted in the classical canon. Our goal is to bring the audience to the world of the play, rather than mold the play to the confines of modern idiom.

The Pearl Theatre Company is an Off-Broadway classical theatre that nurtures an ongoing resident company of actors, a structure which is both important and rare. The Pearl believes that a resident company, made up of a cohesive and experienced community of actors, is best equipped to keep vital our rich tradition and to keep fresh the wisdom, wit, and craft of the classics.

As founding Artistic Director, Shepard Sobel explains, "The Pearl produces a classical repertory because the great plays of the last 2500 years provide a context, a perspective, by which we here in America in 2008 may see ourselves more clearly. We can - and have an obligation to - design the strength and character of the future only by knowing the character of the past."

Our 25 th Anniversary season began in ancient Greece with a family caught in the web of their own legacy in The Oedipus Cycle. The New York Times proclaimed, "Mr. Sobel and his cast pull off a difficult feat," and Back Stage heralded the production as "brave" and "ambitious."

For the holidays, we journeyed to Jerusalem during the Christian Crusades to discover if religious tolerance and understanding are possible in Nathan the Wise. Twelfth Night brought us to Illyria where whimsy, fancy, and love distracted and delighted us.

Back Stage has called this production, "...something inspired...".

We now land in decadent Paris where we witness both the humor and harm of blind faith in Tartuffe. In the last show of this season, we arrive at a dilapidated boarding house in New Orleans, where Tennessee Williams' Vieux Carré challenges us to seek light in even the darkest of places.

The 2008/2009 Resident Acting CompanyOur Resident Acting Company consists of veterans of the New York and Regional stages including: JollyAbraham, Rachel Botchan, Robin Leslie Brown, Joanne Camp, Bradford Cover, Dominic Cuskern, TJ Edwards, Robert Hock, Sean McNall, Carol Schultz, and Edward Seamon.

The 2008/2009 resident stage managers are Lisa Ledwich and Dale Smallwood. 2008/2009 Ticketing and Performance InformationThe Pearl Theatre Company offers several packages for audiences to discover the 25 Anniversary Season.

A variety of ticketing and subscription packages are all currently available for the remaining two shows of the season by contacting our box office at 212-598-9802 or in person at The Pearl Theatre Company located at the historic Theatre 80 on the corner of 1 Avenue and St. Marks Place in New York's vibrant East Village.

Box office hours are 12PM - 6PM Monday thru Saturday and 12PM - 3PM on Sunday. thst Production Schedule:Tuesday at 7PM; Wednesday at 2PM; Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8PM; Saturday and Sunday at 2PM. Previews begin March 17, 2009. Opening night is Monday, March 30, 2009.

There will be a 2PM and 8PM show on April 1, 2009.

There is no performance on Tuesday, March 31.

Regular Ticket Prices:$25 for all preview performances; $45 for performances on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; $55 for performances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Youth and Senior Tickets: $23 weekdays and $28 weekends. Remaining tickets at each performance can be purchased at a reduced price by people 24 and younger or 65 and older on the day of performance, one half-hour prior to curtain,
subject to availability.

Valid for 1 ticket only per ID in person at the box office. Thursday Rush Tickets:Remaining tickets for Thursday evening performances are available for $10 fifteen minutes prior to curtain. Pay What You Can Night:On Tuesday, March 24, The Pearl will institute a "Pay What You Can Night" in which there will be no set ticket price, and audience members will literally pay what they can for a ticket.

First Thursday Pizza Party: Join The Pearl Theatre Company on Thursday, March 19 th for our popular "First Thursday Pizza Party." Sponsored by Two Boots Pizza, this event is geared toward audience members under the age of 35.

Participants are welcome to partake in free pizza, with the purchase of their ticket to the performance, while mingling with the company members and production staff of Tartuffe. First Thursday Pizza Parties begin at 6:30 PM in the lobby of The Pearl Theatre Company. Tuesday Talk Post-Performance Discussion: These in-depth discussions give audiences the opportunity to participate in intimate talk-backs led by published scholars and experts within their fields. Tuesday Talks during Tartuffe will take place following the performances on April 7, 2009 and April 14, 2009.

Directions: The company performs at Theatre 80, 80 St. Mark's Place at 1 st Avenue. The Pearl can be reached by taking the R/W train to 8 th Street, 6 train to Astor Place, L train to First Avenue, or the F train to Second Avenue. By bus the M15 to 9 th Street or the M8 to First Avenue

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