Arden Theatre Company Presents Beckett's ENDGAME, Beginning 1/16

Arden Theatre Company, now celebrating its 25th Season of great stories by great storytellers, presents the work of Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett for the first time with Endgame. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Edward Sobel, Endgame plays on the Arcadia Stage from January 16 to March 10, 2013.

Hamm can't stand up. Clov can't sit down. Neither can leave the single room they've shared for who knows how long. For them, the end is in the beginning. Philadelphia actors Scott Greer (The Threepenny Opera, Something Intangible, Barrymore Awards for Assassins and Baby Case) and James Ijames (The Whipping Man, Barrymore Award for Superior Donuts, F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Theatre Artist) bring Hamm and Clov to visceral and vital life.

In the Arden's 25 year history, the company has yet to tackle Beckett's wicked and complex work. "We do the classics when there seems to be the perfect match of actor and role," says Producing Artistic Director Terrence J. Nolen. "That's what we have here with our production of Endgame: Scott Greer as Hamm; James Ijames as Clov. Two of Philadelphia's finest bringing these iconic roles to vibrant life -- one with a huge roaring heart; the other with a soaring, searing spirit."

Under the direction of Sobel (Clybourne Park, Superior Donuts), Greer and Ijames are joined on stage by Dan Kern (Arden debut) and Nancy Boykin (Superior Donuts), a couple in real-life who play Hamm's parents confined to trashcans. Bringing the ambiguously destructed location to life are set designer Kevin Depinet (Superior Donuts), costume designer Millie Hiibel (Arden debut, costume director for the Opera Company of Philadelphia), lighting designer Thom Weaver (Next to Normal, August: Osage County), and sound designer Daniel Perelstein (Next to Normal, Women in Jep).

The New York Times said "Beckett's plays became the cornerstone of 20th Century Theatre," and the playwright is best known for his existentialist Waiting for Godot. Written in 1957, Endgame further explores a co-dependent relationship between two trapped men, utilizing spare language, vaudevillian inspired comedy, and an absurdly grim sense that nothing is funnier than unhappiness.

Endgame previews begin on Thursday, January 17. Preview performances run January 17, 18, 19, 20, and 22. Opening night is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 23. The closing date is set for Sunday, March 10, 2013.

Single ticket prices are $36-$48, with discounts available for seniors, students, military and educators. Groups of 15+ enjoy significant discounts; please inquire about group rates. Mainstage Subscriptions are on sale for $84-$135. Call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122, order online at www.ardentheatre.org, or visit the box office at 40 N. 2nd Street in Old City, Philadelphia.

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