Provincetown Theater to Present THE DRESSER, 4/6-24

The Provincetown Theater brings the Broadway and West End hit "The Dresser" to its stage April 6 to 24. "The Dresser", written by Ronald Harwood, chronicles the end times of Great Britain's once-grand theatrical touring companies. The play, set in 1942, is both touching and hilarious, revealing the shabby egos, ridiculous obsessions, and blind loyalties played out behind the glamour of the stage.

The play itself is structured as a "backstage play" shifting between various onstage and offstage crisis situations. The singular dedication of the company's dresser (Norman) holds the show together despite its ailing and often drunken lead actor (Sir). The touring company and its other actors struggle to complete a performance of Shakespeare's "King Lear" in spite of every distraction (including wartime bombing in the nearby countryside).

The language of the play is rich with theatrical lore, traditions and superstitions, as well as deeper truths about self-sacrifice and human loneliness. As the actors bring Shakespeare's words to the stage, the humor and sadness of "The Dresser" is further intensified.

Playwright Ronald Harwood based "The Dresser" on his own experiences as a backstage dresser for one of Britain's great touring company actor-managers, Sir Donald Wolfit. In a forward to "The Dresser" Harwood has noted that these touring companies were a proud tradition from the early 18th century until the late 1930s. "They worshipped Shakespeare, believed in the theatre as a cultural and educational force, and saw themselves as public servants," according to Harwood. "They nursed and kept alive a classical repertoire which is the envy of the world, and created a magnificent tradition which is the foundation of our present-day theatrical inheritance."

Artistic Director, Tristan DiVincenzo, and Director Anthony Jackman promise to incorporate great atmospheric elements such as British newsreels from the World War II era, bomb effects, and theatrical fakery. The cast will include: Clyde Shelby Mellert, Bragan Thomas, Judith Partelow, Edwige Yingling, Bill Salem, Jo Brisbane, Bob Junker, Rod Owens, Roger Chauvette and Alison Hyder.

Following are curtain times for "The Dresser": April 6 to 9 at 7:30pm and April 10 at 2 pm; April 13-16 at 7:30pm and April 17 at 2pm; April 21 to 23 at 7:30pm and April 24 at 2pm.

All productions take place in The Provincetown Theater located at 238 Bradford Street, Provincetown, MA. Tickets are available at the theater's website: www.provincetowntheater.org and by calling the box office at 508-487-7487.

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