Denver Center Theatre Company Closes GREAT WALL STORY Tonight

The Denver Center Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of GREAT WALL STORY by Lloyd Suh, which plays The Ricketson Theatre through tonight, April 22 (opening night Thursday, March 22). The play was read at the 2011 Colorado New Play Summit and selected for production. Tickets can be purchased now, by calling 303.893.4100 or www.denvercenter.org.

On a slow news day in 1899, three Denver reporters decide to dream up a hoax. Their story: the Great Wall of China is being torn down. Based on actual events, Lloyd Suh’s fast-paced, high spirited play is a timely examination of the power of the media.

The cast of GREAT WALL STORY includes Christopher Kelly (The Cripple of Inishmaan, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing) as Jack Tournay, Gabe Koskinen-Sansone (A Christmas Carol) as Charles Tournay and Jacob Knoll (DCTC debut) as Al Stevens. DCTC veteran actors John Hutton (20 seasons, World Premiere Two Things You Don’t Talk About At Dinner, To Kill a Mockingbird) and Mike Hartman (13 seasons, The Taming of the Shrew, To Kill a Mockingbird) play the roles of Joseph Pulitzer and John King respectively. Larry Paulsen (The 39 Steps, You Can’t Take It With You) plays the roles of Simon, Morris, the Reporter, Editor-in-Chief and Eddie Gardner.

GREAT WALL STORY is by Lloyd Suh and directed by Art Manke. Scenic design is by Lisa M. Orzolek (21 seasons, The Liar, Superior Donuts, Othello) while costume design is by Angela Balogh Calin (To Kill a Mockingbird, Absurd Person Singular). Lighting design is by Jane Spencer (The House of the Spirits, Well, The Voysey Inheritance), sound design is by William Burns (World Premiere The Whale, American Night: The Ballad of Juan José, Ruined) and projection design is by El Armstrong (The 39 Steps). Musical composition is by Gary Grundei (To Kill a Mockingbird, Dracula), dramaturgy is by Doug Langworthy (World Premiere Two Things You Don’t Talk About At Dinner, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), and vocal and dialect direction is by Kathryn G. Maes, Ph.D (The Taming of the Shrew, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer).

About the playwright, Lloyd Suh: Debut at the Denver Center. Lloyd Suh is also the author of American Hwangap, produced at the Magic Theatre (SF), with Ma-Yi and The Play Co. (NYC), with Tanghalang Pilipino at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (Manila) and forthcoming at the Guerilla Theatre in Seoul, Korea, supported by the Lark Play Development Center and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Launching New Plays into the Repertoire Inititiave. Other plays include: Jesus in India (Magic), The Children of Vonderly (Ma-Yi), Happy End of the World (commissioned by Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis; NEA Arena Stage Distinguished New Play Development program), and Masha No Home (Ensemble Studio Theatre and East West Players), among others. His work has been published by Samuel French, American Theatre Magazine, Playscripts, Inc., and in Smith & Kraus’s Best New Playwrights anthologies. Awards and fellowships include support from the New York Foundation of the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, Jerome Foundation, Theatre Communications Group, EST/Sloan Foundation and the Dramatists Guild. He has served as Director of Onsite Programs at the Lark Play Development Center since January 2011.
Single tickets for GREAT WALL STORY start at $35 (non-SCFD) and also are available for $10 (SCFD 10 for $10 Program) and are on sale now. To purchase, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100. Groups of 10 or more, please call 303.446.4829. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582. Tickets also may be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex lobby. Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org. Student $10 rush tickets are available one hour prior to curtain with a valid student ID subject to availability. Senior and military rush tickets are available one hour prior to curtain, subject to availability. No children under six will be admitted to any theatre. GREAT WALL STORY is recommended for middle school children and up. It contains strong language.

This production of GREAT WALL STORY is a featured attraction in the Denver Center Theatre Company 2011/12 season, which is generously supported by the Steinberg Charitable Trust, Wells Fargo Advisors, Ashford University, Larimer Square and SCFD. Media sponsorship for DCTC is provided by The Denver Post and CBS4. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Please visit our website at www.denvercenter.org.

Special Events for GREAT WALL STORY

Perspectives on the Play | March 16 at 6pm
The DCTC’s creative team provides the audience a unique perspective on the production. In The Jones. Free.

General Talkbacks | March 25, post-show
Join us for a free post-show free discussion with the actors from the show

Theatre & Theology | March 27, post-show
In a continued partnership with Pastor Dan Bollman with the Rocky Mountain Evangelical Lutheran Synod, this free discussion examines the relevant connections to the productions through the theological lens.

Talkback hosted by the Higher Education Advisory Council | April 1, post-show
Join the cast for a discussion led by members of our academic community.

Student Night | April 13, 7:30
Students purchase $10 tickets ahead of time on-line, in person or over the phone for these designated student nights (promo code STUDENT, valid student ID required).

ASL Interpretation/Audio Described Performance | April 22, 1:30pm

For more information on these special events, please visit http://www.denvercenter.org/education/EducationResources.aspx