Delta Boys & Burning Coal Present THE CHERRY ORCHARD 3/19-29

Delta Boys, a small theatre company in Raleigh, NC, will be teaming up with Burning Coal Theatre's Wait 'Til You See This! series to present Anton Chekov's classic The Cherry Orchard, directed by Kathryn Milliken. The production runs March 19-29, 2009 at Meymandi Theatre at the Murphey School, 224 Polk St., Raleigh, NC.

All performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. All tickets are $18 or $12 (students, seniors 65+ and active military personnel). For tickets and information, please contact Delta Boy's Artistic Director, Lucius Robinson at 919.259.0812 or visit Burning Coal Theatre's website at www.burningcoal.org.

Milliken's adaptation of Anton Chekov's comedy takes a minimalist approach to its staging and core message. Madame Ranevskaya is a spoiled, aging aristocratic lady, who returns from a trip to Paris to face the loss of her magnificent Cherry Orchard estate after a default on the mortgage. In denial, she continues living in the past, deluding herself and her family, while the beautiful cherry trees are being axed down by the re-possessor Lopakhin, her former serf, who has his own agenda.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR, Kathryn Milliken is Burning Coal Theatre's Associate Artistic Director and a 2008/09 company member. For the company, she has directed Kids Write!, and assistant directed Hamlet, The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Inherit the Wind, Crowns, Hysteria and the American premiere of David Edgar's The Prisoner's Dilemma. Her direction for Howie the Rookie received five stars from the Independent Weekly as part of Burning Coal's Wait 'Til You See This! series co-produced by Delta Boys. Also a member of the Lab at Burning Coal Theatre, she uses her skills as a director for the development of new works through innovative and unique processes. Ms. Milliken grew up in China, and is a Mandarin/English translator. Other directing credits include Fool for Love, Art, This is Our Youth, and Easter. Kathryn is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and Stellar Adler Studio of Acting.

ABOUT THE CAST & CREW The Raleigh based cast will include Fred Corlett (Firs), Jeffery Dillard (Simon Yephikodov), Chelesey Lee Gaddy (Anya), George Jack (Boris Simeonov-Pischik), Tamara Farias Kraus (Mrs. Lyuba Ranevsky), Stephen LeTrent (Yermolay Lopakhin), Allan Maule (Yasha), Jennifer Neale (Varya ), Paul Paliyenko (Leonid Gayev), Lucius Robinson (Peter Trofimov), Angela Santucci (Charlotte), Al Singer (Vagrant), and Amanda Watson (Dunyasha). The scenic designer will be Joshua Benjamin of the Triangle. The lighting designer will be Burning Coal Company member Rebecca Buck of Durham. The costume designer will be Johannah Maynard, a New York University graduate. The sound design will be created by Elijah Vick of Raleigh.

For tickets or information on The Cherry Orchard or Delta Boys, please contact Lucius Robinson at 919/259.0812 or visit Burning Coal's website at www.burningcoal.org.