WATER BY THE SPOONFUL and More Set for Premiere Stages' 2016 Season at Kean University

Premiere Stages will celebrate its 12th year as the professional theatre in residence at Kean University with an intriguing season of plays, all presented professionally for the first time in the Garden State, featuring innovative new alliances and exciting community-based partnerships.

Premiere's mainstage season begins in July with the New Jersey Premiere of Quiara Alegría Hudes' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Water by the Spoonful, the second installment in Hudes' acclaimed "Elliot Trilogy," which follows the character of Iraq War veteran Elliot Ruiz.

In September, Premiere follows up last season's blockbuster production of The People Before the Park with 2016 Play Festival winner Las Cruces, Vincent Delaney's enigmatic story of buried secrets, improbable friendship, and redemption in the New Mexico desert. The season concludes in October with a full production of My Lord, What a Night, Deborah Brevoort's absorbing fictionalized account of the real-life meeting between Albert Einstein and Marian Anderson.

Premiere will also offer a free workshop performance of Play Festival finalist Three Rules for the Dragon by Jeff Talbott in June; Mr. Talbott is a past recipient of the Laurents/Hatcher Award and Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award for his Off-Broadway hit, The Submission.

"The power of unlikely friendships in impacting social change is a key component in a line-up that promises to inspire as well as resonate with audiences this season," stated John J. Wooten, producing artistic director of Premiere Stages. "The shielding of secrets and the search for redemption are the prevailing themes in these topical and thought-provoking plays we'll be sharing with New Jersey audiences for the very first time."

Premiere's 2016 season kicks off with a free staged reading of Jeff Talbott's Three Rules for the Dragon (June 17-19; Murphy Dunn Theatre, Vaughn Eames Hall), directed by Wes Grantom, artistic director of New York's Crowded Outlet. In this provocative and unabashedly theatrical new play, Douglas Barnes is having difficulty balancing his top secret job and his crumbling home life. As he struggles to extract information from a suspected terrorist, he must also try to salvage a marriage that hangs in the balance. Recently named this year's Runner-Up in the Premiere Stages Play Festival, Three Rules for the Dragon was one of four finalists featured in Premiere's popular Spring Reading Series in March, and returns for expanded development.

The season continues with the New Jersey Premiere of Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes (July 14-31; Zella Fry Theatre, Vaughn Eames Hall), directed by Kel Haney. In this stirring portrait of redemption and forgiveness, Elliot, an Iraqi War vet, and his cousin Yazmin, a recent divorcee, search for a way out from the shadows. Odessa, Elliott's estranged mother, has found her escape: a new online family of fellow addicts who she can keep stable and sober each and every day. As the fractured family negotiates the limitations of loyalty, friendship, and community, they also discover acceptance and grace. Water by the Spoonful was the recipient of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Next up is the winner of the 2016 Premiere Stages Play Festival, Las Cruces by Vincent Delaney (September 1-18; Zella Fry Theatre, Vaughn Eames Hall), directed by producing artistic director John J. Wooten. Set in the New Mexico desert, not far from the casinos and the spaceport, Las Cruces tells the story of Sheridan, camped out and hiding in a gutted trailer, and Soledad, the colorful teenage card player he befriends who - like Sheridan - seems to be hiding something. Selected from over 400 submissions to the Festival, the play provides a moving and fascinating exploration of the power of friendship in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

Premiere's 2016 season concludes with the highly-anticipated full production of the 2015/2016 Liberty Live Commission, Deborah Brevoort's My Lord, What a Night (October 13-16; 1882 Carriage House, Liberty Hall Museum), directed by Kel Haney. Based on actual events, My Lord, What a Night provides a thought-provoking account of the night legendary singer Marian Anderson spent at the home of Albert Einstein. What begins as an event that threatens to divide the Princeton community ends with a lifetime bond between two of New Jersey's most fascinating people of the 20th century. A unique partnership between Premiere Stages and the Liberty Hall Museum, Liberty Live celebrates New Jersey history with professional theatrical productions, museum tours, interactive displays, workshops for children, and talk-backs with local historians.

Tickets to Premiere's 2016 Season range from $15 - $30, with deep discounts available for season packages, groups, seniors, and students; admission to Three Rules for the Dragon is free. Premiere Stages also offers a series of free interactive post-show discussions, known as "talk-backs," after select matinee performances. To purchase tickets or inquire about season packages, please call the box office at 908-737-SHOW (7469) or visit www.kean.edu/premierestages. If you'd like more information on Premiere's season programming or talk-back schedule and speakers, please call Premiere's administrative offices at 908-737-4092 or email premiere@kean.edu.

In addition to its mainstage season, Premiere Stages will again collaborate with other professional theatres in the area to present dynamic theatre programming exclusively for children, with performances open to the public as well as school and camp groups. This season's Play Factory Performance Series for young audiences will include Yates Musical Theatre's Sleeping Beauty (July 13 at 10:30 am; Wilkins Theatre), Pushcart Players' Peter and the Wolf (July 27 at 10:30 am; Wilkins Theatre), and Yates Musical Theatre's Pinocchio (August 3 at 10:30 am; Wilkins Theatre). The recommended age for all three productions is 3 - 10. For group sales or more information, please contact Heather Kelley, director of audience services, at 908-737-4077 or hkelley@kean.edu.

Limited slots are also available for Camp Premiere, Premiere Stages' innovative summer program for young aspiring theatre artists. Session I is a performance and playwriting camp for students entering Grades 6-8 (July 18-29), and Session II is an acting camp for Grades 9-12 (July 25-August 5). Camp Premiere is dedicated to fostering a creative and nurturing environment for young theatre artists of all experience levels, and both sessions will culminate in a public showcase performance. Tuition is $295, and must be paid in full by July 1. For more information, please contact producing associate Courtney Little at 908-737-4092 or colittle@kean.edu.

Premiere Stages offers affordable prices, air-conditioned facilities, and free parking close to the theatre. Premiere Stages also provides free or discounted tickets to patrons with disabilities. All Premiere Stages facilities are fully accessible spaces, and companion seating is available for patrons with disabilities. Assistive listening devices and large print programs are available at all times; publications in alternate formats are available with advanced notice. Please call 908-737-4092 for a list of sign-interpreted, audio-described or open-captioned performances. For more information, visit Premiere Stages online at www.kean.edu/premierestages.

Founded in 1855, Kean University has become one of the largest metropolitan institutions of higher education in the region, with a richly diverse student, faculty and staff population. Kean continues to play a key role in the training of teachers and is a hub of educational, technological and cultural enrichment serving nearly 15,000 students. The Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers four doctorate degree programs and more than 60 options for graduate study leading to master's degrees, professional diplomas or certifications. The University's six undergraduate colleges offer 50 undergraduate degrees over a full range of academic subjects. With campuses in Union and Toms River, New Jersey, and Wenzhou, China, Kean University furthers its mission by providing an affordable, accessible and world-class education. Visit Kean online at www.kean.edu.

Pictured: Premiere Stages will present the New Jersey Premiere of Water by the Spoonful, by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes, in July. Courtesy of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.