A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE Opens at The Keegan Theatre Tonight

The Keegan Theatre presents A Behanding in Spokane, the hilarious dark comedy from award-winning Irish playwright, Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, The Lieutenant of Inishmore). It opens tonight, March 16, 2013, at the Church Street Theater in Washington, DC. Keegan company member Colin Smith directs.

The title is just the starting point; take a man searching for his missing hand, two con artists out to make a few hundred bucks, and an overly curious hotel clerk, and the rest is up for grabs. Scathing and hilarious, A Behanding in Spokane is another dazzlingly macabre tale from the brilliant, twisted mind of Martin McDonagh. It features 2012 Helen Hayes Awards© nominees Bradley Foster Smith and Mark A. Rhea, joined by Laura Herren and Manu Kumasi, who makes his Keegan debut

"In Behanding, McDonagh, with his singular style and brilliantly dark humor, delves into a world of secrets and lies, both those we tell each other and those we tell ourselves," says director Colin Smith. " I have been a huge fan of McDonagh's work since first reading The Beauty Queen of Leenane many years ago--and it is a privilege to bring his first American play to the Keegan stage with this fantastic cast."

Martin McDonagh was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his first feature film, In Bruges. Born in 1970 and raised in London, McDonagh dropped out of school at age 16, lived on the dole, and borrowed a how-to book on writing. On February, 1996, his first play The Beauty Queen of Leenane, written in only 8 days, opened at the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, Ireland. Only a month later it transferred to The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London. It netted him the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright and the first of four Tony nominations for Best Play. Martin McDonagh has also written The Lonesome West (Tony nominee, Best Play 1999), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Olivier Award winner, Best Comedy 2003) and The Pillowman (Olivier Award winner 2004, Tony nominee, Best Play 2005). Films include Seven Psychopaths, and Six-Shooter (Oscar- Best Short 2006).

A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE runs through April 7, 2013. The press opening is Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00pm. The Keegan Theatre is in its 16th season and is the resident company at Church Street Theater in Dupont Circle, 1742 Church Street, NW Washington, DC. *Recommended for mature audiences. Contains profanity, violence, and adult situations.

Press opening is set for Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 8:00pm. Regular performances run Saturday, March 16- April 7, 2013 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm Sunday matinees at 3:00pm. Special added performances: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 8:00pm Wednesday, March 29 at 3:00pm. Runtime: 1 hours 25 minutes with no intermission.

Tickets are $35 - General admission/$30 -students and seniors. Group rates available. Call the box office at 703-892-0202, email boxoffice@keegantheatre.com, or visit www.keegantheatre.com.

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