Stone Soup Theatre Presents MISS JULIE 4/26-5/5

After several attempts to stage this steamy Strindberg classic in venues throughout San Diego, Stone Soup Theatre's Miss Julie has finally found a home. Thanks to a unique collaboration with North Coast Repertory Theatre, the production will be staged and presented to audiences as a companion piece to NCR's production of Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen.

"We are excited to present Stone Soup Theatre's production of Strindberg's dramatic and passionate masterpiece," said David Ellenstein, Artistic Director of North Coast Rep. "We welcome the opportunity to share our stage and partner with other theatre artists in the San Diego community. Collaborations like this help grow audiences and enliven the theatre environment for artists and theatre-goers alike."

Stone Soup Theatre has staged successful production in various venues including the 10th Avenue Theatre, 6th @ Penn, Academy of Performing Arts and the La Jolla Stage Company, but this is their first venture into North County. "We are excited to share our work with audiences in North County and hope our loyal patrons will stick with us and make the drive for this limited run," explained Johannsen.

"The timing is just perfect," said Stone Soup's Rebecca Johannsen, who will produce and star in the long-awaited production. "All the components have come together to present this extraordinary work of theater in a new venue with a new director." This provocative drama will be co-directed director Lisa Berger and Carrie Klewin.

Berger,who has an MFA in Directing from the University of Montana and is a graduate of the Meisner actor intensive in NYC, is committed to an edgy and erotic staging using a translation by noted translator and scholar A.C. Harvey. Miss Julie, written in 1888 by August Strindberg, deals with class, love/lust, the battle of the sexes - all set on midsummer night of 1874 on the estate of a Count in Sweden.

Miss Julie will be presented April 26, 27 and May 3, 4, 5. All shows are at 7:30 and run 90 minutes. Patrons can enjoy $1 drafts of locally brewEd Stone Pale Ale before the show in honor of Stone Soup Theatre's residency.

HOW TO BUY TICKETS: Tickets for Miss Julie are available only at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach at 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Suite D, 92075. For ticket information or reservations call (858)-481-1055 or visit www.northcoastrep.org. Box Office hours are Noon to 4pm daily and Noon to Curtain day of shows.

Stone Soup Theatre's Miss Julie Cast Announced

Written in 1888 by August Strindberg, Miss Julie deals with class, love/lust, the battle of the sexes - all set on midsummer night of 1874 on the estate of a Count in Sweden. This steamy Strindberg classic will be directed by Lisa Berger and Carrie Klewin and presented to audiences as a companion piece to NCRT's production of Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen.

Rebecca Johannsen will star as Miss Julie. Jean will be played by Jason Maddy and Kristin will be played by Erika Beth Phillips. The production is based on a translation by A.C. Harvey.

COMPANY BIOS:
Rebecca Johannsen is a founding member and Artistic Director of Stone Soup Theatre Company. During her time with Stone Soup, Rebecca has produced 10 plays and musicals, including the critically acclaimed Death and the Maiden, Tongue of a Bird and tick, tick...BOOM! Rebecca has also directEd Stone Soup's San Diego premiere of Sarah Kane's provocative 4.48 Psychosis and starred in The Corpse Bride and Lainie Wells in Lee Blessing's Two Rooms. Outside Stone Soup, Rebecca has played Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Martha Dobie in The Children's Hour and the title role in Electra. She holds a Ph.D. in Theatre from UC Irvine and an M.A. in Theatre from SDSU. She currently teaches theatre and film at MiraCosta College.

Lisa Berger has an MFA in Directing from the University of Montana and a graduate of the Meisner actor intensive William Esper Studio, NYC. She is a director, actor and teacher. Her directing credits include Killer Joe (Compass Theatre), The Corpse Bride (Stone Soup), Crimes of the Heart (Canyon Crest Academy) Buried Child (UCSD) The Long Christmas Ride Home (Patte Award) and Looking for Normal (Diversionary Theatre), Handbag (AASD) The Pirates of Penzance (Lyric Opera Academy), and Islands of Repair (NYC Fringe). In addition, Lisa has worked as a teaching artist for various arts organizations including La Jolla Playhouse. Disney's The Lion King, Theatre for a New Audience and Arts Genesis. She currently teaches at Mira Costa College, Cal State San Marcos and UCSD.

Carrie Klewin has developed and directed many world premiers of plays, musicals, and operas. She is known for generating collaborative devised productions, often including non-traditional use of music, language, and movement. Carrie has worked with The Sundance Theatre Institute, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, and The Kennedy Center, among others. She is a former Helen Hayes Judge, an alumna of Director's Lab West, and a member of SDC.

Jason Maddy received his BA at Cal State San Bernardino and his MFA at the University of Illinois Urban-Champaign. He is an Acting Instructor at Mt. San Jacinto College in the Inland Empire, and has taught for numerous companies and age groups including the La Jolla Playhouse and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Locally, Jason has performed with Premiere Productions, the Welk Resort Theatre, San Diego Musical Theatre, Moonlight Stage Productions and North Coast Repertory Theatre. One of the highlights of Jason's career was spending the summer of 2007 as a mime in the Sea Lion and Otter show at Sea World San Diego.
Erika Beth Phillips trained at the NY Academy of Theatrical Arts, Royal Academy of Music, Playwright's Horizons Acting Internship and Wesleyan University, BA. Theater Major, Honors & Phi Beta Kappa. She has appeared on stages in NY, London and Louisville, KY, and performed locally with Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company and Lamb's Players Theater. In addition to acting and directing skills she is trained in juggling, magic and illusion, stilt walking and has the ability to escape from straight jacket and chains.

About Stone Soup Theatre:Stone Soup Theatre Company is committed to bringing important social issues to the forefront and creating a unique experience between actors and audience members. Productions create an atmosphere for social dialogue and the cathartic experience unique to theatrical productions. Stone Soup has three primary goals: to produce plays that encourage dialogue about important social issues; to develop a collaboration between actors, directors, designers and dramaturges; to promote more roles, both on and off stage, for women in theatre.

About the North Coast Repertory Theatre: North Coast Repertory Theatre is a professional equity theatre founded in 1982. For over 28 years, North Coast Rep has received critical acclaim from media and audiences alike. With the fifth largest operating budget of non profit theatres and employing the third most Actors' Equity Association members (the union of professional actors and stage managers) in San Diego, North Coast Rep continues to produce high quality, award winning theatre and has evolved into one of the area's leading performing arts organizations. Located in Solana Beach, California, NCR not only draws its audience from the North County region but 50% of its audience base resides in metro San Diego and throughout Southern California. Recognized for the quality of its work and its commitment to quality, this season will be performed on the Blakistone Stage, newly dedicated to North Coast Rep founders Olive Blakistone and her recently departed husband Tom, who passed away in March of 2009.
David Ellenstein is now the Artistic Director and Leader of North Coast Repertory Theatre since 2003. His bio is as follows:

David Ellenstein (Artistic Director) A nationally recognized director and actor, David served as Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Repertory Company and the Arizona Jewish Theatre before joining North Coast Rep in 2003. Over 200 career productions include directing 22 shows at North Coast Rep, including TALLEY'S FOLLY, THE DRESSER, OVER THE TAVERN, HALPERN & JOHNSON, THE CHOSEN, and ROMEO AND JULIET. Elsewhere; SONIA FLEW starring Lucie Arnaz, HALPERN AND JOHNSON starring Hal Linden and Brian Murray, and THE CHOSEN starring Theo Bikel and John Lloyd Young at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Other venues include the Paper Mill Playhouse, Alabama, California, Nevada, Great Lakes, Southwest, and Kingsmen Shakespeare Festivals, Laguna Playhouse, Meadow Brook Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Portland Repertory Theatre, and Gaslamp Quarter Theatre Company.

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