People's Light & Theatre Presents MARK TWAIN: SACRED COWS MAKE THE BEST HAMBURGERS, Now thru 11/4

People's Light & Theatre presents Mark Twain: Sacred Cows Make the Best Hamburgers, running tonight, October 10-November 4, 2012 on the Steinbright Stage. David Bradley directs. People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, Penn. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org.

Mark Twain is part of the PNC Arts Alive Discovery Series. The infamous wit, imagination, social critique, youthful joy, and literary craftsmanship of Twain is celebrated in this irresistible world premiere. Highlights from Twain's famous tales such as "Tom Sawyer," "Life on the Mississippi," and "Huckleberry Finn" are interwoven with excerpts from Twain's writings and lectures on everything from childhood to politics and religion. Adapted by People's Light Company Member Wendy Bable, this "new entertainment" can be enjoyed by audiences ages 9 and up.

This production evolved from a companion project created in tandem with People's Light's 2010 production of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. That previous 45-minute piece was entitled Mark Twain On Stage and was adapted by Wendy Bable and directed by David Bradley. The iconic figure of Mark Twain was brought to life by long-time company member Tom Teti. Mark Twain On Stage was performed at numerous libraries as part of the NEA Big Read initiative.

The creative team of Bable, Bradley, and Teti have reunited to create this new piece where a theatre in Malvern, Penn., in the year 1908 is Twain's final stop on his most recent lecture tour. Two advance men, played by Chris Bresky and Akeem Davis, are responsible for scouting each location before "The Man in the White Suit" arrives. Believing it will just be another lecture, they are surprised when Twain asks them to perform the stories he typically reads during his lectures. Playwright Wendy Bable believes that Twain is THE American author.

"There's a universality of truth imbedded in his writing that transmits across time, geography, and ideology. Twain's writings seem so relevant today, though they were written over a century ago." Bable continues, "For me, actor Tom Teti IS 'the man in the white suit.' He makes Twain live and breathe with an authenticity that is rare and astonishing."

Mark Twain: Sacred Cows Make the Best Hamburgers previews tonight, October 10th, Thursday, October 11th and Friday, October 12th at 7:00 pm. The play opens on Saturday, October 13th at 7:00 pm and runs through November 4th. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists for a conversation about the production after each performance.

PNC Access half-price tickets are available for performances on Thursday, October 11th and 25th at 7 pm. Single tickets: $35-$40 for adults, $25 for youths under 18. For tickets, call the Box Office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x134 or email charles@peopleslight.org.

Subscription tickets are still available for the 2012-2013 Season. Remaining productions in the season include Aladdin: A Musical Panto (November 14, 2012-January 6, 2013), The Winter's Tale (January 31-March 3, 2013), The Trip to Bountiful (March 13-April 7, 2013), Barcelona (May 29-June 23, 2013) and Noises Off (July 10-August 4, 2013). Two other productions remain in the PNC Arts Alive Discovery Series and include Aladdin: A Musical Panto (November 14, 2012-January 6, 2013) and Stargirl (April 20-May 12, 2013). Actors, prices, productions, performance dates and times are subject to change. Additional service charges will apply. Contact the Box Office for more details.

People's Light, a professional, not-for-profit theatre in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community. We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration. Founded in 1974, we produce seven to nine plays each season, in two black box theatres with 350 and 170 seats respectively, mixing world premieres, contemporary plays, and fresh approaches to classic texts for our 6-Play and Discovery Series.

PNC Arts Alive is a five-year, $5 million initiative of The PNC Foundation that supports visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement. Over the past four years, 97 regional arts groups with innovative ideas for increasing access to the arts have received support from PNC Arts Alive. For more information, visit www.pncartsalive.com/philadelphia.

Wendy Bable (Playwright) Wendy Bable is a director, teaching artist, and playwright who has directed over thirty plays for both young audiences and adults, including Schoolhouse, Many Moons, Still Life with Iris, For Which it Stands, Through the Darkness, i'm not a writer but i got a story to tell, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pippin, The Bald Soprano, Gypsy, Antigone, Lysistrata, and The Lesson. During her tenure as Assistant Producer for the David Mark Cohen New Works Festival in Austin TX, Wendy was a driving force in diversifying the canon of dramatic literature for young audiences. She received the prestigious distinction of WiniFred Ward Scholar by the American Alliance for Theater and Education in 2008. In 2011 she was selected as the U.S. ambassador to the ASSITEJ International Directing Seminar in Cologne, Germany, and her direction of The Transition of Doodle Pequeño was featured at the Kennedy Center in the 2012 New Visions/New Voices festival.

David Bradley (Director) A PLTC company member since 1991, David's directed more than two dozen productions, most recently Of Mice and Men and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He's directed frequently at Indiana Rep and the National Constitution Center (most recently the 7th season of Living News), and Philadelphia Young Playwrights (with whom he's creating a production for the 2013 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts). Also this year, he's developing a play with Temple's Institute on Disabilities. As teaching artist and consultant, David Often focuses on the intersection of art and community/civic engagement. He's co-founder of LiveConnections, which creates and curates cross-genre music experiences at World Cafe Live.

Chris Bresky (Advance Man #1) Chris Bresky is honored to be returning to People's Light and the world of Twain after his great experience in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Mr. Bresky has starred in Peter Pan, History Boys (Barrymore Nom.): Arden, The Credeaux Canvas: Centre Theater. King John: New York Shakespeare Exch. Lorenzaccio: Red Bull Theatre. Taming of the Shrew: Capitol Repertory Theatre. The Hit: Lamb's Players Theatre. Restoration Comedy, Much Ado, Titus Andronicus, Midsummer, Richard III, Othello, Hamlet at the Globe. He will be seen this fall in the new TV Series Elementary starring Lucy Liu, other TV and film credits include Medium, Numbers and the R&J film Private Romeo. He dedicates this show to his two greatest loves: his family and his Wendy Lady.

Akeem Davis (Advance Man #2) Akeem Davis (Miami, FL) is a graduate of The Florida State University and a proud man of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Last season Akeem was seen on stage with Flashpoint Theatre Company, Interact Theatre Company, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Shakespeare in Clark Park and the National Constitution Center. This is Akeem's first show with People's Light & Theatre Company.

Tom Teti (Mark Twain) Tom Teti last played Marc in ART at Hedgerow Theater. Prior to that he appeared in Of Mice and Men, Treasure Island and Hatchetman at PLTC. Last spring he was seen in Seth Rozin's Two Jews Walk into a War at InterAct and directed Shirley Valentine at Hedgerow. He also appeared at People's Light in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Three Musketeers, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Emperor's New Clothes, and Stretch: A Fantasia. He can be seen in the new feature film Limitless, with Bradley Cooper. He teaches acting at Hedgerow Theatre.

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