B Street Theatre to Stage Regional Premiere of CONSTELLATIONS

B Street Theatre presents the regional premiere of CONSTELLATIONS by Nick Payne.

In this clever, eloquent and moving story, a romance plays out over a myriad of possible lifetimes, capturing the extraordinary richness of being alive in the universe. Having moved from London to Broadway (starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilsom), CONSTELLATIONS has played to rave reviews on two continents.

John Lahr titles his February 2015 New Yorker article Nick Payne's "Constellations": A Singular Astonishment. Lahr goes on to say, " It's rare these days, at any time really, to encounter a play which owes nothing to theatrical influences and which exists as a singular astonishment, at once eloquent and mysterious but which nonetheless articulates within its own idiosyncratic idiom something that touches an audience as real."

We all wonder how our lives might have been different if we had not gone out for that cup of coffee or had attended that dinner party of old friends. We can never know the destination of the paths not taken or the impact of each small decision. Constellations poetically examines the twist and turns of a romance playing out with different scenarios and choices; each small change, each small choice informing those to come. This is achieved through the application of the principles of string theory, relativity and quantum mechanics (the topics character Marianne studies in her work) but it fortunately, doesn't require an understanding of these ideas to understand and appreciate the play. Constellations is inspiring and devasting, thought provoking and funny. This play will hold you fast and linger with you long after you've left the buidling.

While B Street's Mainstage focuses on producing plays that are more mainstream, the B3 Series allows us to produce works that appeal to the venturesome theatergoer. Since its genesis in 2007, the B3 Series has become one of the many ways in which B Street offers theatre for everyone.

One relationship. Infinite possibilities. In the beginning, Marianne and Roland meet at a party. They go for a drink, or perhaps they don't. They fall madly in love and start dating, but eventually they break up. After a chance encounter in a supermarket they get back together, or maybe they run into each other and Marianne reveals that she's now engaged to someone else and that's that. Or perhaps Roland is engaged. Maybe they get married, or maybe their time together will be tragically short.

CONSTELLATIONS runs July 2 to July 30, 2016. SHOW TIMES: Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 7:00 pm, Thursdays at 2:00 pm** & 7:00 pm, Fridays at 7:00 pm, Saturday at 8:00 pm and selected Sundays** at 1:00 pm. PREVIEWS: June 29 - July 1, 2016 at 7:00 pm OPENING: Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 8:00pm. All performances play the B Street Theatre B3 Space, 2727 B St., Sacramento.

Tickets: $26-$38*, $8 Student Rush, $18* Preview tickets. Call (916) 443-5300 or visit www.bstreettheatre.org for tickets and more info. *Please note this price includes a $5 Facility Fee. For details, please visit bstreettheatre.org/next-stage/fee. ** Select performance dates only; please call the Box Office at 916-443- 5300 to confirm.

Playwright: Nick Payne

Nick Payne won the prestigious George Devine Award in 2009 with his play If there Is I Haven't Found It Yet. This was produced at the Bush Theatre in October 2009, directed by Josie Rourke and starring Rafe Spall. Nick studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama and the University of York. He made his debut at the Royal Court Theatre in September 2010 with his comedy Wanderlust and is currently under commission at Paines Plough, the Royal Court and Manhattan Theatre Club/Alfred P Sloan Foundation writing a new play about Nobel prize winning mathematician, Paul Dirac. In January 2012, Nick's play, Constellations, opened at the Royal Court Upstairs starring Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins directed by Michael Longhurst. Constellations transferred to the West End in November 2012. It received universally glowing reviews and won the Evening Standard Best Play Award and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Play.

Director: Lyndsay Burch

Originally from North Carolina, Lyndsay Burch has been working at B Street Theatre since graduating from Elon University's Acting Program. In her time at B Street, Lyndsay has directed eight Equity productions, directed and written for three touring productions, recruited two full-time intern companies, produced a three-city International Tour to India, cast over 50 productions, and cultivated B Street's relationship with the National New Play Network, resulting in two Rolling World Premieres. Most recently, Lyndsay has directed Grounded (B3 Series), Fantasy Festival xx (B Street School Tour), Mud Blue Sky (Mainstage) and The Realistic Joneses (B3 Series). Lyndsay has also served as an assistant director to Giovanna Sardelli on Halftime with Don at the National Playwrights Conference and as the director of The Mermaid Hour for Actor's Theatre of Charlotte's nuVoices Play Festival. Lyndsay is currently a member of 2016 - 2017 Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation Observership Class, an alumn of Lincoln Center's Directors Lab West and an Artistic Associate at B Street.

The Setting: Various parallel universes.

Time: The present.

Cast:

Marianne: Dana Brooke - Dana is a founding member of B Street Theatre's Acting Company where she has performed in over 20 productions. She was most recently seen at B Street in The Realistic Jones and Outside Mullingar. Her New York credits include Hate Mail, Love a Pig and Venencia (with Chita Rivera). Internationally, Dana traveled to India twice, appearing in I'll Become Yours in 2010, and returning in 2014 for B Street's production of Around the World in 80 Days. Dana has appeared in such television series as Damages, Ed, and Canterbury's Law. She makes her home in New York City.

Roland: Tom Patterson - This is Tom's B Street Theatre debut. New York credits include: Streamers (440 Studios); Greg Ayers' Sick (Coyote Rep). Regional: Constellations (Studio Theatre); The Hound of the Baskervilles, Shotgun (Florida Studio Theatre); Ether Dome (Hartford Stage, Huntington

Theatre Company); Sideways, Ether Dome (La Jolla Playhouse); Bedroom Farce, Murder on the Nile (Barnstormers); Arms and the Man (Electric Theatre Company); Of Mice and Men (Northern Stage). AEA. Training: UCSD (MFA). He is originally from South Bend, Indiana.

B3 Series Background

The newest series of the B Street Theatre has a more serious and dramatic focus and features new contemporary plays for the more adventurous theatregoer. The B3 Series opened with a Pulitzer Prize winning drama on September 25, 2007 and presents four to five new plays each season. The B3 Series currently operates in the 112-seat theater space at alternate times than the scheduled Family Series productions.

More about B Street Theatre: B Street Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre company producing primarily new work for adults, families and children. The two-theatre playhouse on B Street in Midtown Sacramento is home to the Mainstage Series, B3 Series and Family Series, each created to feature intimate, quality theatre for audiences year-round. Recognized as one of the nation's top professional theatres, B Street Theatre has produced more than 160 world premieres written by B Street playwrights and numerous productions which were world, national, West Coast or regional premieres.

B Street Theatre was originally founded in 1986 with the purpose of bringing the excitement of live performance to children through the B Street Theatre School Tour. This educational outreach program still serves over 200,000 students in Northern California annually.

B Street Theatre programs include the Mainstage Series, B Street Theatre Family Series and Family Series Student Matinees (for school field trips), the B3 Series, B Street School Tours, Sketch Comedy, B Street Acting Conservatory and Studio for Young People, and the B Street Theatre Internship program for pre-professional/post-college training.

In 2014, B Street brought its most popular play ever, "Around the World in 80 Days", to India. The original cast performed in three Indian cities, furthering the organization's mission by bringing high quality theatre to an international audience, while also raising money for Indian educational enrichment and schools and partnering with an overseas performing arts center with the hope of future international collaboration. B Street Theatre has produced over 250 professional productions since 1986.

The mission of B Street Theatre is to promote education and literacy, social interaction, and cultural enrichment by engaging children and adults in the highest quality theatre arts and playwriting.

Pictured: Dana Brooke and Tom Patterson. Photo by Rudy Meyers.

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