THE AMOROUS ADVENTURES OF ANATOL Plays Tarragon Theatre, Now thru Feb 10

Tarragon Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of The Amorous Adventures of Anatol, a contemporary re-visioning of Austrian playwright/novelist Arthur Schnitzler's Anatol (1893), adapted and directed by Morris Panych, one of Canada's most celebrated playwrights and directors. This theatrical treat about a Viennese womanizer and his amorous trials and tribulations runs January 9 to February 10, 2013 in Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace (with previews beginning tonight, January 1). Tickets range from $27-$53 (inclusive of HST) and are available by calling the box office at 416.531.1827 or by visiting www.tarragontheatre.com.

It is fin de siècle Vienna. The young, incurably romantic - and indecisively neurotic - Anatol pursues each woman as if she is "the one," without commitment or care. With Anatol's eye ever-wandering, his psychologist friend Max tries to counsel his incorrigible friend. Though Anatol demands absolute loyalty in his lovers, it is not the same yardstick he holds up for himself. As the narcissistic Anatol woos a succession of seven different women, we learn what Anatol knows - and does not know - about women, while revealing all about himself.
A talented cast take to the stage for this sharp and fast-paced black comedy: Shaw and Stratford Festival star Mike Shara portrays philanderer Anatol, the role he originated at the play's premiere in 2008 at the Vancouver Playhouse. Nicole Underhay (Toronto Theatre Critics' Award winner for Best Actress in Tarragon's The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs last season, plays all seven women); Robert Persichini, a 10-season Stratford Festival veteran is Max while Dora Award winner Adam Paolozza, Urjo Kareda resident artist at Tarragon and artistic director of TheatreRUN, plays a variety of roles.

Morris Panych is back at Tarragon, adding to his long list of acclaimed black comedies, including 7 Stories, Vigil, Lawrence and Holloman, Girl in the Goldfish Bowl, Earshot, The Dishwashers and Benevolence. His plays have garnered countless awards including two Governor General's Literary Awards for Drama (for The Ends of the Earth and Girl in a Goldfish Bowl), fourteen Jessie Richardson Awards, and five Dora Mavor Moore Awards. He has directed over 100 theatre productions across Canada and the U.S. including Parfumerie, The Government Inspector, Blithe Spirit (Soulpepper); The Arsonists, Art, Vigil, Amadeus, Sweeney Todd and the groundbreaking The Overcoat which toured internationally to great acclaim (Canadian Stage); The Doctor's Dilemma, A Little Night Music, Nothing Sacred, You Never Can Tell, Design for Living (Shaw Festival). Productions of the much lauded Vigil, Girl in a Goldfish Bowl, The Trespassers and Lawrence and Holloman are being mounted throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia. He has written twenty-five works for the stage and his plays have been produced in over two dozen languages. His newest work, In Absentia, premiered at Centaur Theatre in Montreal in 2012. Panych made his Stratford Festival directorial debut in 2008 with his adaptation of Moby Dick, followed by The Trespassers the following season. Also in 2008, he premiered The Amorous Adventures of Anatol at the Vancouver Playhouse. The much-lauded A.C.T. (San Francisco) production of Vigil starring Olympia Dukakis and Mario Barricelli was remounted at the Mark Taper Theatre in Los Angeles in fall, 2011.

Set designer Ken MacDonald, who works regularly with Panych, revisits his original design, dominated by a large wall of drawers. Award-winning costume designer and Tarragon regular Charlotte Dean has fun with period costumes and wigs, partly inspired by the paintings of Schnitzler contemporary Gustav Klimt. The lighting designer is Jason Hand (The Ugly One for Theatre Smash, A Midsummer Night's Dream for Canadian Stage). Emily Porter is the sound designer and Kate Porter is the stage manager.

Tarragon Theatre presents The Amorous Adventures of Anatol by Arthur Schnitzler, Adapted and directed by Morris Panych. Starring Mike Shara, Nicole Underhay, Robert Persichini, Adam Paolozza, the production features Set Designer: Ken MacDonald, Costume Designer: Charlotte Dean, Lighting Designer: Jason Hand, Sound Design: Emily Porter and Stage Manager: Kate Porter.

Opens January 9 and runs to February 10, 2013 (Previews from January 1) in Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace, 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto, M5R 1X3, Tuesday-Saturday at 8pm, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30pm starting January 6.

Tickets range from $27-$53 (including discounts for students, seniors and groups) AND a Pay-What-You-Can 2:30pm matinee on Saturday, February 2 - $13 Rush Tickets at the door Fridays (on sale at 6pm) & Sundays (on sale at 1pm) starting January 11.

Tarragon Theatre is known for its creation, development and production of new Canadian work. Now in its 42nd season, more than 190 plays by this country's most pre-eminent writers have premiered at Tarragon. Tarragon presents new plays from all parts of the country, revives significant Canadian plays and produces international work, contemporary and classical. Tarragon is also a pioneer in presenting Quebecois plays in translation. The theatre offers extensive play development programs in a concerted effort to develop the next generation of playwrights and an active outreach and education department. Tarragon received the 2012 Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts in recognition of producing and developing leading edge and thought-provoking Canadian Theatre, both nationally and on the world stage. Richard Rose is the Artistic Director.

Pictured: Mike Shara stars as Anatol in Tarragon's The Amorous Adventures of Anatol, January 1-February 10. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

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