Ross Valley Players to Stage IMPRESSIONISM, 1/15-2/15

Ross Valley Players starts the New Year with the romantic comedy, Impressionism by Michael Jacobs.

First performed in 2009 with Tony Award winners Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons, Impressionism is the story of a world traveling photojournalist and a New York gallery owner who discover each other and also that there might be an art to repairing broken lives. Michael Jacobs has written for Broadway and television. His fifteen television series have won the Emmy, People's Choice, Parent's Choice and Environmental Media Awards, among others. He produced the movie Quiz Show, which won the NY Film Critics' Circle Award and was nominated for an Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Picture in 1994.

Impressionism begins with a preview on Thursday, January 15th and runs through Sunday, February 15th. Opening night is Friday, January 16th at 8PM. For more information, visit www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

Katharine Keenan (Mary Ann Rodgers) is the owner of a small art gallery who, for symbolic reasons, can't bring herself to sell her merchandise. Thomas Buckle (Tom Reilly), Katherine's employee for two years, is a photographer who seems to be suffering from the photographer's version of writer's block. Both use the gallery as a hiding place, to separate themselves from a world which has wounded them. He, by his time as a world traveling photojournalist. She, by many failed relationships. Thomas brings Katharine coffee each morning, and tells her stories of its particular origin, although these stories are actually reflections of his own experiences. These lead to flashbacks of iconic moments that have led to their present state, as well as their relationship to the art that hangs in the gallery. In the end, the audience is taken on a journey through a love story which shows Katharine and Thomas, that just like the Impressionist art on the walls, the more they step away from the canvas of their lives up to now, the more they realize that their future together might hold more depth than the past that has led them to each other. Impressionism is directed by Billie Cox, and production by Maureen O'Donoghue.

Impressionism Cast: Mary Ann Rodgers (Katharine Keenan), Tom Reilly (Thomas Buckle), Ellen Brooks (Julia Davidson), Elena Gnatek and Juliana Postrel (Young Katharine), Phillip Percy Williams (Chiambuane/Mr. Linder), Dale Camden (Douglas), James Montellato (Ben) and Alana Samuels (Nicole).

Performances are Thursday, January 15th (Preview Night) through Sunday, February 15th, with Opening Night on Friday, January 16th at 8PM. Regular Thursday performances are at 7:30PM; Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM; Sunday matinees at 2PM. (Please note there is no matinee on Sunday, January 18th or Super Bowl Sunday, February 1st.) SPECIAL: There will be 2 PM and 8 PM performances on Saturday, February 14th. All performances take place at the Barn Theatre, home of the Ross Valley Players - 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, CA 94957. Ticket prices are $25 for seniors 62+; $14 for children (under 18) and student with valid ID; $29 general admission. Preview night ticket prices are $10 for children and students; $15 general admission. Thursday night tickets prices are $14 for children and students with a high school or college ID, $23 for adults. To order tickets, call 415-456-9555, ext. 1 or visit www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

Now in its 85th year, Ross Valley Players, a non-profit arts organization, is the oldest continually operating community theater on the West Coast. Created in 1930 as a way to escape the hardships of the Depression, Ross Valley Players has introduced live theater to thousands of Marin residents over the years. Each year, RVP presents a regular season of six full productions, running a total of 30 weeks. RVP offers special events and short-term productions outside the regular season. Plays include recent Broadway material, popular plays, classic theater, and a selection of works by well-known playwrights from around the world. RVP features all genres: comedy, drama, mysteries, and musicals. Their Ross Alternative Works (RAW) program presents short run, minimal set productions of original scripts by Bay Area playwrights in two festivals each season.

Pictured: Thomas Buckle (Tom Reilly) and Katharine Keenan (Mary Ann Rodgers). Photo by Robin Jackson.

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