Marin Theatre Company Presents Comedy BOOM 11/12-12/6

Marin Theatre Company is delighted to present the comedy BOOM by award-winning Marin native Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. BOOM received its world premiere at Ars Nova in New York in 2008, and has been produced at Woolly Mammoth, Seattle Rep, and Cleveland Public Theatre to critical acclaim. In addition to MTC's Bay Area premiere, BOOM will be one of the most produced plays nationally during the 2009-10 season, with productions at 12 other theater companies around the U.S.

In this explosive comedy about the end of the world, Jo answers a casual encounters ad for "sex to change the course of the world." She has no idea that grad student Jules actually fears the apocalypse is at hand and is looking for a partner to repopulate the species. That he's gay and she hates babies is the least of their problems.

"We are pleased to welcome Peter to MTC, and delighted to introduce the Bay Area to his funny and insightful play BOOM," says MTC Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis. "In Peter's brilliant hands, what starts out as an oddly quirky date play quickly transforms into a mind-bending, apocalyptic exploration of the delicate nature of our existence."

San Francisco playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb was raised in Mill Valley and is a graduate of Marin Academy. He studied both theater and biology at Brown University and draws on his experience as a biology student for BOOM. Last year, Encore Theatre produced the world premiere of his most recent play, T.I.C. (Trenchcoat in Common). His play Hunter Gatherers had a sold-out three month world premiere at Killing My Lobster, and received the 2007 American Theatre Critics Association/Steinberg New Play Award for best new play, and the 2007 Will Glickman Prize for best new play in the Bay Area. Nachtrieb is currently under commission with South Coast Repertory Theatre.

Bay Area comedic legend Joan Mankin returns to the MTC stage in BOOM. Award-winning Mankin has appeared with every major theater company in the region including A.C.T., Berkeley Rep, and Cal Shakes. She is celebrated for her work with the San Francisco Mime Troupe and the San Francisco Circus Center, and was a founding member of the Pickle Family Circus. Rounding out the cast, MTC introduces Blythe Foster (Jo) and Nicholas Pelczar (Jules) to our audiences.

For more information visit http://www.marintheatre.org or call 415.388.5208.
Marin Theatre Company is located at 397 Miller Ave, Mill Valley CA 94941.

Previews-Thursday, Nov 12 through Sunday, Nov 15, 2009
Opening Night Gala-Tuesday, Nov 17 at 8:00 pm

Performance Schedule
November 12 through December 6, 2009
Tues, Thu, Fri and Sat 8:00 pm
Wed 7:30 pm
Sun 7:00 pm
Matinees: Thu 1:00 pm | Sat and Sun 2:00 pm

Ticket Prices $20-51
Previews: Thu through Sun: $31
Tues: $31 (exc. Opening)
Wed, Thu, & Sun Evenings: $34 & $41
Fri: $39 & $46
Sat Evenings: $44 & $51
Thu, Sat & Sun Matinees: $34 & $41
Opening Night (Tues) with Cast Reception: $44 & $51
Discounts
Pay What You Can Tuesdays (exc. Opening)
Students $20, all performances
Rush tickets $10 (based on availability, 1/2 hour prior to curtain)

ABOUT MTC. Marin Theatre Company is the Bay Area's premiere mid-sized theater and the leading professional theater in the North Bay. We produce a five- to six-show season of provocative plays by passionate playwrights from the 20th century and today in two intimate theaters-a 231-seat proscenium and a 99-seat thrust. We are committed to the development and production of new plays by American Playwrights, with a comprehensive New Play Program that includes at least one world premiere each season, two nationally recognized annual playwriting awards, numerous new play readings and workshops by the nation's best emerging playwrights, and a leadership position in the National New Play Network. Our educational programs serve more than 6,000 students each year.

ARTIST BIOS

Peter Sinn Nachtrieb (Playwright) is a San Francisco-based playwright whose works include BOOM, Hunter Gatherers, Colorado, T.I.C. (Trenchcoat In Common), and Multiplex. His work has been seen in the Bay Area at Encore Theatre, Killing My Lobster, Magic Theatre, Impact Theatre, and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. His plays have also been produced off-Broadway and across the country at Ars Nova, SPF, Woolly Mammoth, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival of New American Plays, Cleveland Public Theatre, Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep, the Bailiwick Theatre, Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theatre, and Dad's Garage. Hunter Gatherers received the 2007 American Theatre Critics Association/Steinberg New Play Award for best new play to premiere outside of New York, and the 2007 Will Glickman Prize for best new play in the Bay Area. He is under commission from South Coast Rep and is a Resident Playwright at the San Francisco Playwrights Foundation. Peter holds a degree in theater and biology from Brown University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. He likes to promote himself online at www.peternachtrieb.com.

Ryan Rilette (Director) is in his second season as Producing Director at MTC, where he directed the world premiere of Magic Forest Farm, managed the theater's transition to the League of Resident Theaters, led last season's facelift to the theater's exterior and lobby, and helped establish the Poutiatine Fund for Leadership. From 2002-2008, Rilette served as Producing Artistic Director of Southern Rep Theatre, the premier professional theater of New Orleans, where he directed the world premieres of The Breach, Rising Water, The Sunken Living Room, The Vulgar Soul, and The House of Plunder; and Kimberly Akimbo, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, and In Walks Ed. During his tenure, Southern Rep received the Governor's Arts Award for "Outstanding Arts Organization" and was named "Theater of the Year." He is the Vice President of the National New Play Network, co-founder and former Executive Artistic Director of Rude Mechanicals Theatre Company in New York, and a former professor at Tulane and Loyola Universities.

Blythe Foster (Jo) makes her MTC debut with BOOM. She recently played Gretchen in Faust and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, both directed by Mark Jackson at Shotgun Players. She has worked with Berkeley Rep, the Playwrights' Center, and foolsFURY. In New York, she has worked at Classic Stage Company, the Lion Theatre, and Theatre of the Riverside Church. Music projects include the botticellis and kuma/koshka. Blythe trained in Poland with GardzienIce Theatre, in Vermont with Bread and Puppet, and holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University.

Joan Mankin (Barbara) returns to MTC where she has performed featured roles in Morning's At Seven, Beggar's Holiday, and The Pavilion. Recent credits include Mrs. Gottlieb in Dead Man's Cell Phone at S.F. Playhouse; Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest at Marin Shakespeare Company; Lady Markby in An Ideal Husband and Marya in Uncle Vanya at Cal Shakes; Henny in Bosoms and Neglect at the Aurora Theater (Critics Circle Award); Bobchinsky in The Government Inspector at A.C.T.; and The Mother in Black Rider at the Ahmanson Theater. She is on the faculty of the San Francisco Circus Center, and spent five weeks in China last year, teaching clowning to professional acrobats. She has also taught at the A.C.T. Conservatory, UC Santa Cruz, San Francisco State University, and the Dell'Arte School of Physical Theater.

Nicholas Pelczar (Jules) makes his MTC debut in BOOM. He has appeared at A.C.T. in War Music, Rock ‘n' Roll, and A Christmas Carol. Other Bay Area credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream for San Francisco Shakespeare Festival; Marius and Dublin Carol for Aurora Theatre; Daniel Handler's 4 Adverbs for Word for Word; and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Othello, All's Well That Ends Well, and The Importance of Being Earnest at Cal Shakes. He is a recent graduate of the A.C.T. MFA acting program where he appeared in many student productions including Romeo and Juliet, Servant of Two Masters, Overruled, La Ronde, Our Lady of 121st Street, and Escape from Happiness. In addition to A.C.T. Nick has trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Prima del Teatro in Italy, and Michael Howard Studios in New York. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

 

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