'The Oedipus Cycle' Begins Previews Oct. 14 at The Pearl Theatre Company

THE PEARL THEATRE COMPANY will present a limited engagement of The Oedipus Cycle beginning October 14th and ending Sunday, November 16, 2008. The production is a world premiere translation of Sophocles' The Oedipus Cycle by two time PEN Literary Award finalist Peter Constantine.

This groundbreaking production offers a once in a lifetime chance to experience the complete story of Oedipus and his family in a single sweeping production that explores the legend and legacy of one family's struggle for grace and wisdom through suffering and loss. Peter Constantine's raw, bold translation of Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone has been specially adapted for this unique three hour Pearl event, directed by The Pearl Theatre Company's founder and artistic director Shepard Sobel.

 

The cast of The Oedipus Cycle includes Resident Acting Company members Jolly Abraham (Coram Boy, Bombay Dreams), Dominic Cuskern (Inherit the Wind, A Perfect Ganesh), TJ Edwards (Lincoln Center Theatre's King Lear), Eduardo Placer (Zhivago at La Jolla Playhouse) and guest actors John Livingstone Rolle (Measure for Measure at the The Public/New York Shakespeare Festival) and Susan Heyward (I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to me by a Young Lady from Rwanda at St Peter's Theatre).

Design and Production Team

The Oedipus Cycle production and design team is a collection of world class artists whose work has been seen at venues all over the city and regionally. The scenic design for the production is by Harry Feiner; costume design is by Devon Painter; lighting design is by Stephen Petrilli; sound design is by Mark Huang; Dassance Resler is the stage manager ; and Kate Farrington is the dramaturge; and it is helmed by The Pearl's founder and artistic director Shepard Sobel.

About The Pearl Theatre Company

Founded in 1984, The Pearl Theatre Company is an Off-Broadway classical theatre that nurtures an on-going resident company of actors. A structure which is both important and rare. The Pearl believes that a resident company, made up of a cohesive and experienced community of actors, is best equipped to keep vital our rich tradition and to keep fresh the wisdom, wit, and craft of the classics. As Artistic Director, Shepard Sobel explains, "The Pearl produces a classical repertory because the great plays of the last 2500 years provide a context, a perspective, by which we here in America in 2008 may see ourselves more clearly. We can - and have an obligation to - design the strength and character of the future only by knowing the character of the past."

About The Pearl's 25th Anniversary Season

Our 25th Anniversary season begins in ancient Greece with a family caught in the web of their own legacy in The Oedipus Cycle. We then move to Jerusalem during the Christian Crusades to discover if religious tolerance and understanding are possible in Nathan the Wise. Twelfth Night brings us to Illyria where whimsy, fancy, and love arrest our senses. We then land in Paris where we witness both the humor and harm of blind faith in Tartuffe. Finally we arrive at a dilapidated boarding house in New Orleans, where Tennessee Williams' Vieux Carré challenges us to seek light in even the darkest of places.

The 2008/2009 Resident Acting Company

Our Resident Acting Company consists of veterans of the New York and Regional stages including:

Jolly Abraham, Rachel Botchan, Robin Leslie Brown, Joanne Camp, Bradford Cover, Dominic Cuskern, TJ Edwards, Robert Hock, Sean McNall, Eduardo Placer, Carol Schultz, and Edward Seamon. The 2008/2009 resident stage managers are Lisa Ledwich and Dale Smallwood.

2008/2009 Ticketing and Performance Information

The Pearl Theatre Company offers a variety of packages for audiences to discover the 25th Anniversary Season. An assortment of ticketing and subscription packages are all currently available by contacting our box office at 212-598-9802 or in person at The Pearl Theatre Company located at the historic Theatre 80 on the corner of 1st Avenue and St. Marks Place in New York's vibrant East Village.

Beginning September 15, 2008 box office hours will be 12PM - 6PM Monday thru Saturday and 12PM - 3PM on Sunday.

Production Schedule:

Tuesday at 7PM; Wednesday at 2PM; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8PM; Saturday and Sunday at 2PM. The opening night performance is on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 7PM.

Schedule changes:

There is no performance on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 and there is an added performance on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 8PM.

Regular Ticket Prices:

$25 for all preview performances; $45 for performances on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; $55 for performances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Youth and Senior Tickets:

$23 weekdays and $28 weekends. Remaining tickets at each performance can be purchased at a reduced price by people 24 and younger or 65 and older on the day of performance, one half-hour prior to curtain, subject to availability. Valid for 1 ticket only per ID in person at the box office.

Thursday Rush Tickets:

Remaining tickets for Thursday evening performances are available for $10 fifteen minutes prior to curtain.

Tuesday Talk Post-Performance Discussion:

Go behind the scenes and join The Pearl for its Tuesday Talk Series. Each of the productions will have 2 post-performance Tuesday Talks, featuring a different guest speaker at each talk. The discussions will give audiences the opportunity to participate in intimate talk-backs led by published scholars and experts within their fields. Tuesday Talks during The Oedipus Cycle will take place following the performances on November 4th and November 11th.

First Thursday Pizza Party:

Join The Pearl Theatre Company on Thursday, October 16, 2008 for our popular "First Thursday Pizza Party." Sponsored by Two Boots Pizza, this event is geared toward audience members under the age of 24. Participants are welcome to partake in free pizza, with the purchase of a $10 ticket to the performance, while mingling with the company members and production staff of The Oedipus Cycle. First Thursday Pizza Parties begins at 6:30PM in the lobby of The Pearl Theatre Company.

Directions:

The company performs at Theatre 80, 80 St. Mark's Place at 1st Avenue. The Pearl can be reached by taking the R/W train to 8th Street, 6 train to Astor Place, L train to First Avenue, or the F train to Second Avenue. By bus the M15 to 9th Street or the M8 to First Avenue.