FAITH HEALER Concludes Waxlax Season at Riverside Theatre, Now thru 4/14

Riverside Theatre presents the third and final production for this season's Waxlax Stage. The Award-winning Faith Healer will perform on the Waxlax Stage from tonight, April 4-14, 2013 and is presented by Riverside Theatre's Patron Producers.

Written by one of the greatest living English-language dramatists, Faith Healer follows in the wonderful tradition of great Irish storytelling. Francis (Frank) Hardy is the basis for this intriguing and dramatic piece about a traveling faith healer who claimed to have the power to cure. Told through four conflicting monologues, the story is revealed, revised and contested by the people who know him best. Faith Healer traces a thin line between miracles and confidence tricks and gives a glimpse into the life of a charismatic man who could not understand nor command his unreliable "powers".

Born January 9, 1929, Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. A great playwright who has been hailed as an "Irish Chekhov", Friel is "the universally accented voice of Ireland." Best known for plays such as Philadelphia, Here I Come! and Dancing at Lughnasa, he has written more than thirty plays in a six-decade spanning career. Elected "Saoi," the highest honor that members of the Irish Association of Artists, AOSD'ANA, can bestow upon a fellow member, his plays have been a regular feature on Broadway throughout this time. Friel is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the British Royal Society of Literature and the Irish Academy of Letters and was appointed to Seanad Éireann (Senate of Ireland) in 1987 and served until 1989. The Brian Friel Theatre, a Studio Theatre in Belfast, is named after him.

Faith Healer opened on Broadway in 1979 for a very short run and starred James Mason, Clarissa Kaye, and Donal Donnelly. Subsequently, the play has been successfully performed all over the world including the most recent Broadway revival in 2006, which starred Ralph Fiennes, Cherry Jones, and Ian McDiarmid. The play was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Play Revival and won Best Featured Actor in a Play for Mr. McDiarmid.

Directed by Allen D. Cornell, Riverside Theatre's Producing Artistic Director, the cast includes: Colin Lane as Frank Hardy, Laurie Dawn as Grace Hardy, and Lucius Houghton as Frank's manager, Teddy.

Along with directing the production, Mr. Cornell will also design the set. The rest of the production team includes: Angela Hooper (Costume Design), Rob Siler (Lighting Design), and Kyle Atkins (Stage Manager).

Faith Healer performs tonight, April 4 - 14, 2013 on the Waxlax Stage at Riverside Theatre. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at www.riversidetheatre.com. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday Evenings at 8pm and Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday Matinees at 2pm.

Riverside Theatre is the largest professional producing, not-for-profit theatre in the state of Florida. Riverside Theatre programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Riverside Theatre is a member of the Cultural Council of Indian River County.

MEET THE CAST

Laurie Dawn (Grace) is making her Riverside Theatre debut! At home in New York City, Laurie has starred Off-Broadway in Strictly Personal and has bowed on stages all over the United States & Europe: Her favorites: A Christmas Carol & Dinner For One (American Drama Group-Europe), The Quality Of Life, Always... Patsy Cline, (Broadway World Nomination), Mountain Song (2011 Sam French Short Play Winner), The Beauty Queen Of Leenane, Moon Over Buffalo, Steel Magnolias, The Underpants, Crumbs From The Table Of Joy, and How I Learned To Drive. A familiar face on film and television, Laurie recently worked opposite Michael Shannon in the hit HBO series, "Boardwalk Empire." Other Film/TV: Revolutionary Road, The Adjustment Bureau, "Law & Order: SVU" and the new 9/11 tribute film, 8:46, (Netflixs.com).

Lucius Houghton (Teddy) is happy to be returning to riverside Theatre where he has performed in: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Tru, Brigadoon and Cash on Delivery. Other regional theatres include: The Cleveland Playhouse, The Barter Theatre, TriadStage, CharlotteRep, Warehouse Theatre and The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival where he was a founding member and performed in over fifty classic plays. He is a graduate of The North Carolina School of the Arts where he has directed and taught. He was also on the faculty for The South Carolina Governors School. Film and TV include: Critical Condition with Richard Pryor, Traxx, "The Ryan White Story," "American Gothic" and "Matlock."

Colin Lane (Frank) Florida: Florida Studio Theatre - Ghost-Writer (Woolsey), directed by Kate Alexander; Palm Beach Theatre Works - A Doll's House (Rank), William Hayes, director; Asolo - Dancing at Lughnasa (Gerry Evans), Remembrance (Victor), Terence Lamude, director. B'way: Molly Sweeney, A Touch of The Poet. Off-B'way: After Luke/When I was God, The Colleen Bawn, Philadelphia Here I Come, A Child's Christmas in Wales, Seconds Out - all for the Irish Rep.; Trust, Poor Beast in The Rain, Portia Coughlan, The Seagull (workshop), How Love is Spelt, King Lear, Liverpool Fantasy. Mr. Lane has worked at most of the major regional theaters, from American Repertory Theatre to the Guthrie to L.A.'s Mark Taper Forum, where he was a Dramalogue Award Winner for Frank in Molly Sweeney. He has previously performed Faith Healer at the Berkshire Theatre Festival and is a regular each summer at Elm Shakespeare Company in New Haven. Movies: Broken Harvest, The Blood Oranges, Time Bomb, First Steps, A Will of Their Own.

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