THE ELEPHANT MAN to Open New Rep's 30th Season, 9/7

By: Jul. 29, 2013
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New Repertory Theatre announces its 30th season opening play THE ELEPHANT MAN by Bernard Pomerance, September 7 through 29, 2013. Directed by Jim Petosa, THE ELEPHANT MAN performs in the Charles Mosesian Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, in Watertown, MA. Tickets are $28-$60 and may be purchased by calling the box office at 617-923-8487 or online at newrep.org. Student, senior, and group discounts are available. The press performance is Monday, September 9 at 7:30pm.

"This revival resonates today," says Artistic Director Jim Petosa "because the play raises larger issues about the human need for and right to basic health care. The character Dr. Frederick Treves ends up doing precious little for Merrick (the elephant man) or the further great masses of human suffering. Today, congress attempts to repeal Obamacare--we still face the dilemma of determining who deserves healthcare and at which level. Is it a privilege of economic success? Is it a basic human right? We're still asking."

"We're geared up for a strong 30th Season," says Managing Director Harriet Sheets. "With a diverse range of plays and an agile stable of theatre artists, audiences will enjoy top notch New Rep productions starting with THE ELEPHANT MAN this fall."

THE ELEPHANT MAN features Esme Allen (ensemble), Joel Colodner* (ensemble), Russell Garrett* (as Carr Gomm and Conductor), Michael Kaye* (as Frederick Treves), Valerie Leonard* (as Mrs. Kendall), Ross MacDonald* (ensemble), and Tim Spears* (as John Merrick). *Denotes member of Actors' Equity Association.

This Tony Award-winning drama offers an intense look at John Merrick, a physically deformed Londoner of the late 1880s. Intelligent and sensitive, he strives to be normal, even as he is viewed as a carnival freak and later a scientific celebrity by London's socialites. This deeply poignant story raises questions about faith, science, charity, and with particular resonance for our time, asks us to consider societal responsibility-what does it mean for citizens to be responsible for one another?

New Repertory Theatre is the award-winning, professional theatre company in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. Entering its 30th season as a leading self-producing theatre in greater Boston, New Rep produces contemporary and classic dramas, comedies, and musicals in both the 340-seat Charles Mosesian Theater and the 90-seat Black Box Theater. Annually New Rep serves 45,000-50,000 patrons, including over 2200 season Subscribers. In addition to its mainstage productions, the non-profit theatre produces New Rep's Next Voices, with four playwrights each season; develops new plays into three staged readings and one world premiere production. Under its Lifelong Enrichment Arts Programs (LEAP), New Rep also produces its Classic Repertory Company, summerSTAGE2, Page To Stage, Insider Experiences, and Spotlight Symposium Series.

New Repertory Theatre produces plays that speak powerfully to the essential ideas of our time. Through the passion and electricity of live theater performed to the highest standards of excellence, New Rep expands and challenges the human spirit of both artists and audience. New Rep presents world premieres, contemporary and classic works in several intimate settings. We are committed to education and outreach, including special dedication to the creation of innovative in-school programming and providing access to underserved audiences. New Rep is an active advocate for the arts and a major voice in the national dialogue defining the role of theater in our culture.

Jim Petosa (Director/Artistic Director) joined New Repertory Theatre as an award-winning theater artist, educator, and leader in 2012. He has served as Director of the School of Theatre, College of Fine Arts, at Boston University since 2002, and Artistic Director of Maryland's Olney Theatre Center for the Arts and its National Players educational touring company (1994-2012). While at BU, he established the Boston Center for American Performance (BCAP), the professional production extension of the BU School of Theatre in 2008. Throughout the Northeast, Petosa has directed for numerous institutions, including Amadeus, Three Viewings, The Last Five Years, and Opus at New Rep. In Boston, his work was nominated for two IRNE awards for A Question of Mercy (BCAP). He is one of three artistic leaders for the Potomac Theatre Project (PTP/NYC) since 1987. In Maryland, his work earned over 25 Helen Hayes Award nominations as well as the award for outstanding direction of a musical for Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well...; his production of Look! We Have Come Through! was nominated for the Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play; and he earned the Montgomery County Executive's Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Award for Outstanding Artist/Scholar. A member of Actors' Equity Association, Petosa has served on the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for StageSource. Originally from New Jersey, he was educated at The Catholic University of America and resides in Quincy.

Tim Spears* (John Merrick) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in Amadeus and Mister Roberts. Other area credits include Clybourne Park (Speakeasy Stage Company); Monster, House (IRNE Nomination), Good, and A Question of Mercy (Boston Center for American Performance); and The Devil's Teacup (Boston Playwright's Theatre). In New York he performed in A Question of Mercy (Potomac Theatre Project) and JUMP! and Realism (The Exchange). Mr. Spears earned his BFA at Boston University School of Theatre where is currently earning his MFA. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, he resides in Allston.

Michael Kaye* (Frederick Treves) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in Amadeus, Opus, House With No Walls, and Silence. Other area credits include Clybourne Park (SpeakEasy Stage Company); Monster, Glass Menagerie, and Good (Boston Center for American Performance); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Actors' Shakespeare Project); Book of Days (The Lyric Stage Company); and various productions at The Huntington Theatre Company and Boston Playwrights Theatre. Mr. Kaye serves as Assistant Professor of Acting at The Boston University School of Theatre, where he earned both his BFA and MFA in Acting and Theatre Education respectively. Originally from Chicago, he lives in Arlington.

For tickets, call 617-923-8487, go online at newrep.org, or visit in person from 10am to 6pm, Arsenal Center for the Arts 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472. Free, six-level parking garage next to the Arsenal Center for the Arts. #70 or #70A bus to the School Street stop from Central Square Station, Red Line. Wheelchair Accessible, Assistive Listening System Large-Print and Braille Programs Available.


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