Cast and Creative Team Announced for HANGMEN West Coast Premiere At San Jose Stage Company

The San Jose Stage Company has announced the complete cast and creative team for the West Coast Premiere of Hangmen by Martin McDonagh.

When the United Kingdom abolishes the death penalty in 1965, all eyes in Oldham turn to Harry, the second-best hangman in the country, for his thoughts on this historic development. In a gripping tale, the news turns Harry’s pub into chaotic hub of locals and reporters seeking his reaction. Amidst the frenzy, a mysterious visitor arrives with a darker agenda. Sixth in the line of Martin McDonagh plays to grace The Stage (following The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Pillowman, The Lonesome West, A Skull in Connemara, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane), Hangmen is a darkly comedic exploration of justice and punishment that will have audiences laughing out loud, simultaneously shocked and delighted by its twists and turns.

"We are excited to unveil the highly anticipated West Coast premiere of Hangmen by the acclaimed British-Irish playwright, Martin McDonagh. Hangmen joins the ranks of McDonagh's distinguished plays at The Stage,” said Artistic Director Randall King. “Hangmen fearlessly navigates the realms of justice and capital punishment, interweaving a thought-provoking and darkly comedic narrative filled with its trademark McDonagh twists and turns.”

“I am pleased to be slipping back into the wonderfully dark and funny world of Martin McDonagh. When I first read Hangmen I was struck by how this play is the one that is probably the closest to McDonagh's world. The Irish plays, of course are brilliant, but McDonagh is a Londoner and the world of Hangmen is so very English. The combination of pitch-black humor and quirky behavior seems heightened with the maturity of a master storyteller,” says director James Reese. “Our cast and creative crew are creating a magical tale that I we hope everyone will enjoy.”

The cast for Hangmen will feature Will Springhorn Jr.* as “Harry,” Matthew Kropschot as “Mooney/Hennessy,” Julian Lopez Morillas* as “Pierrepoint”, Randall King* as “Arthur,” Keith Pinto* as “Syd,” Judith Miller as “Alice,” Carley Herlihy as “Shirley,” Nick Mandracchia as “Bill,” Michael Storm* as “Charlie,” Michael Champlin as “Inspector Fry,” and Matthew Locke as “Clegg.”

In addition to James Reese, the creative and production team includes Iliana Karbowski (Stage Manager), Robert Pickering (Scenic Design), Ashley Garlick (Costume Design), Maurice Vercoutere (Lighting Design), Steve Schoenbeck (Sound Design), Johnny Moreno (Fight Choreograhper), Bill Vujevich (Scenic Artist), Jenn Trampenau (Props Coordinator), Kristin Hill (Dialect Coach), and Kimberly Mohne-Hill (Assistant Dialect Coach).

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

The production will run from April 3 – 28, 2024 at San Jose Stage Company (490 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA, 95113), with the press opening scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Hangmen will be directed by James Reese. Ticket prices range from $34 to $74 and can be purchased online at www.thestage.org or through the box office at (408) 283-7142.

ABOUT Martin McDonagh

Martin McDonagh is an award-winning playwright and writer/director of films. His noteworthy plays include A Behanding in Spokane, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Hangmen, A Very Very Very Dark Matter, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and The Pillowman. Mr. McDonagh's films include "The Banshees of Inisherin," "Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri," "Seven Psychopaths," and "In Bruges." He has received an Academy Award, six BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, three Olivier Awards, and nominations for five Tony Awards.

ABOUT James Reese

James Reese is an actor and director. Plays he has directed for The Stage include, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, A Skull in Connemara, and The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh, True West by Sam Shepard, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Inherit The Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre adapted from the B. Traven novel by Herb Robbins (World Premiere), and I Hate Hamlet by Paul Runick. For Patter Merchant Productions, he has directed Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh (American Premiere) and Babylon Heights by Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh (World Premiere). Select roles as an actor for The Stage include Lenny in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Dale Wasserman, Dan In The Mound Builders by Lanford Wilson, and Ray in Lonestar by James McLure. Select film and television roles include 13 Reasons Why, Looking, Trauma, Nash Bridges, Midnight Caller, The Long Road Home, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, and It's Always Something (Derrick Scocchera) narrated by Stephen Fry.

ABOUT SAN JOSE STAGE COMPANY

San Jose Stage Company (The Stage) seeks to expand community, forge creative partnerships and challenge individuals in order to illuminate the human condition.

San Jose Stage Company is recognized as the South Bay’s leading professional theatre company, having earned a reputation for artistic excellence through imaginative and edgy theatrical experiences that spark ideas and dialogue with the audience. The Stage is dedicated to the presentation and development of new works, with a concentration on American literature scripted by modern playwrights that speak to the conditions, hopes and fears of humanity. With the farthest seat in the house no more than 15 feet from the three-quarter thrust stage, the connection between actor and audience is profoundly visceral.

The Stage is a multi-award-winning theatre company, including the 2018 Paine Knickerbocker Award for continued contributions to Bay Area theatre from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. The Stage has produced over 200 productions, including 20 world premieres and 50 new works and is ranked as the 2nd largest professional theatre and 8th largest performance arts organization in Silicon Valley (Silicon Valley Business Journal).

Attracting over 30,000 patrons to downtown and employing more than 150 local artists annually, San Jose Stage Company continues to be a vital force in the region’s economic and creative landscape.

TICKET INFORMATION

Single tickets to San Jose Stage Company’s 2023-2024 Season may be purchased online at www.thestage.org.

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