Trinity Rep's Production of DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE Begins Previews 2/19

Trinity Rep continues its 46th season with Sarah Ruhl's dark comedy Dead Man's Cell Phone, directed by Beth F. Milles. Trinity Rep resident acting company member Janice Duclos stars as Jean, an unassuming woman who is thrown headlong into an unexpected odyssey when she answers an incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café.

Matters get a little trickier when she discovers the reason why the phone's owner was neglecting to pick up his phone - he's dead. Jean soon finds herself trying to make things right with the mysterious dead man's widow (Phyllis Kay), his mother (Barbara Meek), and his mistress (Rachael Warren). All the while, she actually might be falling in love with a dead man (Richard Donelly). From the author of The Clean House comes this quirky comedy which examines the connections, both real and virtual, holding us together in these modern times.

Artistic Director Curt Columbus states: "We are delighted to have Sarah Ruhl's work back on our stage for the first time since The Clean House was a hit at Trinity three seasons ago. This is another chance for local audiences to hear from one of the finest, funniest, and most insightful playwrights working in American theater today."

The New York Times hails Ruhl as of "the most acclaimed and accomplished young playwrights on the contemporary scene." Writer Charles Isherwood observes that "Ms. Ruhl's signature style blends a vibrant emotionalism with quirky comedy in theatrically adventurous ways." The Washington Post raves: "Satire is her oxygen. . . . Sarah Ruhl is forever vital in her lyrical and biting takes on how we behave."

The production stars resident acting company members Janice Duclos, Phyllis Kay, Barbara Meek, and Rachael Warren along with guest artist Richard Donelly. The production team includes set design by Michael McGarty, costume design by William Lane, lighting design by Russell Champa, and sound design by Peter Sasha Hurowitz.

Director Beth F. Milles is the Head of the Directing Program at the Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs. Last season she brought Trinity Rep audiences to their feet with the rollicking comedy The Importance of Being Earnest. Milles comes to Trinity Rep from Cornell University, where she is an associate professor. Recent work includes Lazarus Disposed at Perishable Theatre and Tim Robbins and Adam Simon's Carnage at The Actors' Gang in Los Angeles. Other work includes the world premiere of Nero: Another Golden Rome at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco and the West Coast premiere of Carson Kreitzer's Self Defense (three LA Weekly Awards) at The Actors' Gang. She directed Julia Sweeney's God Said "Ha" on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre; She Stoops to Conquer at Shakespeare Santa Cruz; and A Certain Labor Day, written by and starring Carroll O'Connor at the Union Square Theatre in San Francisco. Beth adapted and directed The Imaginary Invalid at The Actors' Gang which toured at the Rushmore Festival (four LA Ovation Awards including Best Adaptation). As the founder of Banter Company, she directed and developed an adaptation of Carlo Gozzi's The Love of Three Oranges, which premiered at the ASK Commonground Festival in Los Angeles, and Servant of Two Masters (three LA Ovation nominations). Other work includes the world premiere of Private Battle and Lynn Manning's adaptation of Woyzeck with The Actors' Gang and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (three LA Weekly nominations). Additional credits include new works by Wendy Wasserstein at Naked Angels, Will Scheffer, John Ford Noonan, Steven Sater, Max Mayer at New York Stage and Film, and Lynn Martin. She has developed new work at many well-known theaters including Playwrights Horizons, The Juilliard School, Sundance Theatre Institute, American Repertory Theatre, Young Playwrights Inc., New York Stage and Film, Mark Taper Forum, New York Shakespeare Festival, Summer Play Festival, ASK Theater Projects and South Coast Repertory Theatre. Other work includes the Guthrie Theater, Classical Theatre Lab, Two River Theater, Kitchen Theatre Company and Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Playwright Sarah Ruhl received her MFA in playwriting from Brown University, where she studied with Paula Vogel. Her Pulitzer Prize finalist play The Clean House was produced at Trinity Rep as part of its 2007 season. Her newest play, In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), just made its Broadway debut this winter at the Lincoln Center Theater. Ruhl's other work includes Passion Play, a cycle (The Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award from The Kennedy Center, a Helen Hayes Awards nomination for best new play); Melancholy Play; Eurydice; Orlando; and Late: A cowboy song. Her plays have been produced at Lincoln Center Theater, Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, South Coast Rep, Yale Rep, Berkeley Rep, The Wilma Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Madison Rep and the Piven Theatre, among others. Her plays have also been produced in London, Germany, Australia, Canada and Israel, and have been translated into Polish, Russian, Spanish, Norwegian, Korean and German. In 2003, she was the recipient of the Helen Merrill Emerging Playwrights Award and the Whiting Writers' Award. Ruhl is a member of 13P and New Dramatists, and won the MacArthur Fellowship in 2006.

The show opens in previews on February 19 and runs through March 28, 2010 in the Dowling Theater. Tickets are on sale now at the Trinity Rep box office, 201 Washington Street; by phone at (401)-351-4242; and online at www.trinityrep.com.

Continuing this season is a unified curtain time of 7:30 PM for all evening performances. Regular performances start at 7:30 pm on Tuesday through Sundays with selected Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 2pm. The first performance on February 19 at 7:30PM is Pay What You Can (PWYC). PWYC tickets go on sale at 6:30 pm, limit one per person. Trinity Rep continues to offer $20 discounted seating for all shows, subject to availability. Additional discounted and rush tickets are also available, call box office for details. For information on group rates (parties of 10 or more) contact Group Sales at (401) 453-9223.

Talkbacks will be held after every performance of Dead Man's Cell Phone. Audiences are invited to share their response to the play's production and themes for approximately twenty minutes. Visit www.trinityrep.com to view a full performance calendar.

Trinity Rep's 46th season is sponsored by NBC 10, with supporting sponsors Cox Media, Rhode Island Monthly and RISCA.

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