Palo Alto Players Present GOD OF CARNAGE November 1-17, 2013

Palo Alto Players follows up on its successful season premiere with the hilarious comedy of manners (without the manners!), God of Carnage. Written by Yasmina Reza (and translated by Christopher Hampton), this brilliant farce won three Tony Awards and will run for 11 performances (November 1-17, 2013) at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets are on sale now by ordering online at www.paplayers.org or calling 650.329.0891.

About God of Carnage:

While gathered around a coffee table sporting imported tulips and liberally covered with art books, the Novaks and the Raleighs share espresso and recipe secrets. What brings these two highly civilized married couples together, however, is the sincere desire to amicably resolve an altercation in the park between their 11-year-old sons in which Benjamin Raleigh suddenly whacked his playmate Henry Novak with a stick, breaking two of his incisors. Boys will be boys, but as this winner of the 2009 Tony Award and coveted Olivier Award proves, parental impulses can often be far, far worse. And ferociously funny.

God of Carnage has been a huge hit since it premiered in London's West End in 2008, where it won the Olivier Award for Best New Play. It then went on to appear on Broadway where its popularity made it the third-longest running play of the 2000s. Executive Director Peter Bliznick chose this play as one of the centerpieces of his 30th season with Palo Alto Players. "God of Carnage is such a rare opportunity to experience four terrific actors as they come together on our stage," explains Bliznick. "The electrifying dynamic of these four Bay Area actors - Todd Wright, Scott Solomon, Melissa O'Keefe, and Betsy Kruse Craig - promises to be unforgettable! They each possess such measures of uniqueness and really band together on stage to deliver an evening of truly high-powered theatre."

The cast includes:

Todd Wright, San Jose - Michael

Betsy Kruse Craig, Sunnyvale - Veronica

Scott Solomon, Half Moon Bay - Alan

Melissa O'Keefe, San Francisco - Annette

Show director Jeanie Smith will be in cooperation with stage manager Shiboune Thill and set designerKuo-Hao Lo to bring the audience into the Raleigh's living room and witness the mayhem up close! God of Carnage will also feature costumes by Shannon Maxham, props by Pat Tyler, and lighting design bySelina Young.

Opening night for God of Carnage is Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 8 pm, and runs until November 17, 2013; there is also a paid preview performance on Friday, November 1. The curtain lifts at 8:00pm Thursday through Saturday, and Sunday performances are a matinee at 2:30pm. Ticket prices are priced according to seating chart, and range from $23 to $45. Discounted tickets are available to Seniors and Students for select performances. Special discounts of 20-25% for groups of 10 or more are also available. For ticket services, please call 650.329.0891 or visit Palo Alto Players online atwww.paplayers.org.

Palo Alto Players' 83rd season will continue in 2014 begins with a beautifully rendered production of the timeless play The Heiress (by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, directed by Dennis Lickteig). PAP's spring musical, Young Frankenstein, is sure to tickle your funny bone in April (book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, music and lyrics by Mel Brooks; directed by Patrick Klein). The 83rd season will close in June 2014 with The Farnsworth Invention, an epic tale of invention sure to forever change the way we view the world (by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Dave Sikula). Seasons tickets are available for as little as $120 for the remaining four shows in the season, including God of Carnage.

The Lucie Stern Theater is located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, CA. God of Carnage and the 83rd season of Palo Alto Players are produced in cooperation with the City of Palo Alto Division of Arts and Sciences.

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