Pioneer Theatre Company to Present Utah Premiere of PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

Pioneer Theatre Company will present the Utah premiere of Prayer for the French Republic by Joshua Harmon. PTC is among the first theatre companies in the nation to be granted the rights to the three-time Tony-nominated play, which enjoyed an acclaimed Broadway run earlier this year. PTC’s production of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle winner will run October 25-November 9, 2024.

A curious American student named Molly seeks to connect with her family in France. When her cousin becomes the victim of an anti-Semitic attack, Molly’s French family decides to move to Israel. Set in 2016, against the terrorist attacks at Charlie Hebdo and the Bataclan—and the growing threat of political extremism in France. Timely and poignant, Prayer for the French Republic had several extended sold-out runs both off and on Broadway. Deadline calls the production “blistering, funny, and heartbreaking,” and The Wall Street Journal said it was “easily the finest play of the Broadway season.” Don’t miss your chance to see one of the hottest plays in the nation—in one of its first productions outside of New York.

“When I saw Prayer for the French Republic on Broadway, I was floored to see such a powerful, intergenerational drama touching on so many timely, yet timeless, themes. The play is also a haunting reminder that what we may think is ancient history may be a sobering contemporary reality. ” said Director Karen Azenberg. “I hope PTC audiences will appreciate the universal nature of this play, especially the idea that one’s home (whether literally or figuratively) could be taken in an instant—and that is something that would shake any human to their core, regardless of where they fall politically.”

CAST & CREATIVE

Featured in the company are PTC alumni Robert Mammana* (Mary Stuart, Broadway’s Les Miserables) as Patrick and Matthew McGloin* (Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Law & Order on NBC) as Lucien. Also featured are PTC newcomers Japhet Balaban* (Broadway’s Leopoldstadt, Fargo on FX) as Daniel; Judith Lightfoot Clarke* (Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Casa Valentina) as Marcelle; Joel Leffert* (world premiere of Tennessee Williams’ Not About Nightingales, San Francisco company of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) as Adolphe/Pierre; Kim Taff* (Austin Pendleton’s Orson’s Shadow at Theatre for the New City, The Wolves at Dallas Theatre Center) as Elodie; and Alok Tewari* (Broadway’s The Band’s Visit, Monsoon Wedding: The Musical at St. Ann's Warehouse/Berkeley Rep) as Charlie.

Also featured are Jayne Luke (PTC’s In the Heights: The Concert, The Producers) as Irma; and PTC newcomers Maggie Goble (Dancing at Lughnasa at Studio 115) as Molly; True Leavitt (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood at SLAC) as Young Pierre; and Zoe Lupcho (Dancing at Lughnasa at Studio 115) as Elodie understudy.

Karen Azenberg directs Prayer for The French Republic. The 2024-2025 Season marks Azenberg’s 13th as PTC Artistic Director. Her recent work includes Jersey Boys; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812; The Lehman Trilogy; and The Rocky Horror Show.

Azenberg is joined on the Creative Team by Scenic Designer Bryce Cutler (PTC’s Bonnie & Clyde, Broadway’s Grand Horizons); Costume Designer Susan Branch Towne (21 productions at PTC, including Christmas at Pemberley and A Comedy of Tenors); Lighting Designer José Santiago (PTC’s Bonnie & Clyde, Paramount Theatre’s Into the Woods); Sound Designer Joe Payne (PTC’s Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, 20 seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival); Dramaturg Alexandra Harbold (PTC’s Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and The Lehman Trilogy); and Hair & Makeup Designer Tami Lee Thompson (Jersey Boys and Bonnie & Clyde). James O. Hansen* is Production Stage Manager. Casting is by Murnane Casting (Chad Murnane, CSA; Amber Snead, CSA).

PANEL DISCUSSION WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

Following the matinee on Saturday, October 26, PTC will host a panel discussion featuring several community experts. These guests are Vanessa Brutsche (Assistant Professor of French at the University of Utah), Dr. Alli Martin (Director of Social-Emotional Learning for Salt Lake City School District), and the play’s director Karen Azenberg. The conversation, moderated by the play’s dramaturg Alexandra Harbold, will explore the concepts of identity, belonging, and the universality of other themes featured in Prayer for the French Republic. The discussion will begin at 5:00 PM on October 26 and is open to the public.

LOGE GALLERY

During the run of Prayer for the French Republic, Pioneer Theatre Company will present “Contrasts in Canvas” in the Loge Gallery. The exhibit will feature large and small works from the Intermountain Society of Artists. Select works will be available for purchase through the PTC Box Office.

TICKETS

Prayer for the French Republic runs from October 25 through November 9 at the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre. Tickets are available now at PioneerTheatre.org or by calling PTC’s Box Office at 801-581-6961. 
Prayer for the French Republic is made possible through the generosity of the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation. 

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