Pear Theatre's AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE Changes Directors

Ray Renati, originally scheduled to direct Pear Theatre's upcoming production of "An Enemy of the People," has withdrawn due to medical issues. The production, which opens October 20, will now be directed by Artistic Director Betsy Kruse Craig, using Renati's cast.

Written in 1882, Ibsen's story of a altruistic man undermined by people concerned with profit still rings disturbingly true. Dr. Stockmann has discovered serious contamination in the town's new bathing complex, an enterprise which had promised to revitalize the town economy. Unwilling to undertake the expense of correction, however, the town mayor - his own brother - accuses Stockmann of fabricating the story to enrich himself, and manages to turn most of the town's population against the doctor and his family. This production will feature Rebecca Lenkiewicz's adaptation of Ibsen's work, which premiered in London in 2008 and saw a successful Broadway run in 2012.

"An Enemy of the People" features Steven Guire Knight as Dr. Thomas Stockman, Hannah Mary Keller as his wife Petra Stockmann, and Rich Holman as his brother and town Mayor, Peter Stockmann. Rounding out the cast are Matt Brown as Billing, Michael Craig as Captain Horster, John Musgrave as Dr. Stockmann's father-in-law Morten Kiil, Mohana Rajagopal as Katherine Stockmann, Anthony Silk as the printer Aslaksan, Ron Talbot as the newspaper publisher Hovstad, and Jerry Hitchcock and Mihaela Robb, as townspeople. The design and crew team includes costume designer Kathleen Qiu, lighting designer Meghan Souther, and stage manager Caylyn Skoog.

Betsy Kruse Craig directed the critically acclaimed production of MAJOR BARBARA last October at Pear Theatre. In addition to being the new Artistic Director for the Pear, she is also an instructor for theatre, speech, and debate at Stratford Middle Schools (San Jose, Fremont, and Santa Clara). She holds a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts from University of Minnesota Moorhead and a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting/Directing from University of Arizona.

There is one preview on Thursday, October 19, 2017 before the press opening on Friday, October 20, 2017. The production runs through Sunday, November 12, 2017, playing Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM, at the Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View, CA. Tickets: $15 (Previews) - $35; savings available for seniors & students. For information or tickets, visit www.thepear.org or call (650) 254-1148.

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