Deep Dish Theater Stages JOURNEY'S END, Now thru 3/21

A band of British soldiers, hunkered down in the trenches in France in World War I, battle their own demons as they await a rumored German attack in R.C. Sherriff's landmark play, Journey's End, the next offering of the Deep Dish Theater Company. This warm and clear-eyed drama opens tonight, February 27 and plays through March 21, continuing the company's fourteenth season at University Mall.

Drawn from the author's own experiences in the Great War, the play follows a small group of men, led by the young and volatile Stanhope (Gus Allen) and the veteran Osborne (Eric Carl). The rest of the company, including the waggish Trotter (Carl Martin), the anxious Hibbert (Brett Stafford), and the wry cook (David Hudson) are doing their best to pass the time -- racing earwigs and complaining about the accommodations and the food -- when they are joined by a young officer new to the battlefield (Max Bitar), Other cast members include Josh Benjamin, Doug Lally, Austin Lord, Jack Prather, and Matt Verner.

The production is directed by Karen O'Brien, a professor in UNC's Department of Dramatic Art. "Amongst the many great features of Journey's End, I'm most drawn to the emotional journey," she said. "That journey is intensified by the play's interweaving of tragic and comic elements, revealing the worst possible circumstances of trench warfare, as well as the men's great capacity for human compassion."

The design staff includes scenic designer Michael Allen, who previously designed the settings for Othello at Deep Dish; lighting designer Doug Wood, who lit Arcadia and The Cripple of Inishmaan, among many others; Karin Bagan, who created props most recently for The Landing; and costumer Megan Rutherford, making her Deep Dish debut. David Berberian is the technical director and Jen Bauer the stage manager.

Dramaturg John Harris will present a pre-show "Meet the Play" talk on Friday, March 6 at 7 pm. Post-performance discussions will take place Sunday, November 2 (with John Harris and Karen O'Brien); Sunday, March 8 (with cast members and Joseph Caddell of the UNC Departments of History and Peace, War and Defense); Thursday, March 12 (a "Meet the Designers" discussion with the production staff); and Sunday, March 15 (with cast members and John McGowan, Professor of Humanities at UNC-CH). The Deep Dish Book Selection -- All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque -- will be discussed on Tuesday, March 17 at 7 pm at the Chapel Hill Public Library.

Performances begin Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday (matinee) at 2 p.m. Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, on Estes Drive and US 15-501.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors and educators, and $21 for students, with a $2 discount for Wednesday and Thursday shows. Every Wednesday, a certain number of "Cheap Dish" tickets will be for sale at the door for just $14. Call 919-968-1515 for ticket reservations and for more information visit www.deepdishtheater.org.

The Deep Dish Theater Company is committed to presenting compelling, human-centered dramatic work that contributes to the cultural richness of the Triangle area and challenges audiences to explore concerns of the community and the world-at-large.

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