IMAGINING HESCHEL to Open at Stella Adler Studio, 1/28

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting presents "Imagining Heschel," a new play that explores the relationship between the renowned philosopher and religious leader Abraham Joshua Heschel, and the highly influential priest of Vatican II, Cardinal Augustin Bea. The play opens Saturday, January 28, 2012.

Set in the tumult of the 1960's, "Imagining Heschel" envisions a series of highly charged and personal conversations between Heschel and Bea in order to aid the Vatican Council in formally exonerating the Jews for the death of Christ - a crucial repudiation of anti-Semitism. The imagined conversations examine themes of peace, forgiveness and the justification of violence by any faith.

The play features Mickey Ryan, Guy Mandic, and Chet Carlin of The Harold Clurman Laboratory Theater Company, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting's professional theater company. Tom Oppenheim, President and Artistic Director of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, directs the play written by Colin Greer, President of A New World Foundation.

Stella Adler Studio of Acting is one of the world's most famous acting institutions. The nonprofit acting school has trained actors such as Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, and Benicio del Toro.

Established in 1949 by Stella Adler, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting was founded upon Adler's belief in the supreme seriousness of her art, and has, for the last five decades, enriched every part of the American theater and film arts. Adler's philosophies kept many well-known members of the theater coming back for her intelligent and passionate advice and the school has since trained many of the brilliant actors of our time, including Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Elaine Stritch, Benicio del Toro and Salma Hayek. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is a nonprofit organization, which trains over 500 actors annually and also presents world-class lectures, poetry readings, jazz, classical music, theater, and dance theater events. www.stellaadler.com

The Harold Clurman Laboratory Theater Company is Stella Adler Studio of Acting's professional company. The mission of the Lab Theater is to produce theater committed to the standards and ideals set out by Stella Adler, Harold Clurman and the Group Theater. It serves as a launching pad for students and an artistic home for faculty to grow and evolve. The Lab also includes actors, directors, and designers from outside the immediate Adler community who share their humanistic impulse and vision.

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