People's Light & Theatre to Stage WOODY SEZ, 5/7-25

People's Light & Theatre presents Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie running May 7-25 on the Leonard C. Haas Stage. Nick Corley directs. People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org.

Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie is a biographical-music review that utilizes the famous American folk singer's own words, writings, and songs to present a retelling of Guthrie's inspirational life and share why Guthrie's experiences and activism are still relevant today. "Woody Sez is a show about a man and his songs," says co-creator David M. Lutken, who also portrays the folksy bard himself. Co-devisor Nick Crowley directs a talented ensemble of four actors, who collectively play over 30 of Guthrie's songs on acoustic instruments ranging from guitar, violin, autoharp, banjo, harmonica, and spoons.

The variety of songs showcased in Woody Sez highlights Guthrie's unique ability to touch on world-wide and personal events and features many of his hits including, "Riding in My Car" and "This Train is Bound for Glory," as well as his more activist inspired songs like "Vigilante Man" and "The Ballad of Tome Joad."

Corley, Lutken, and the ensemble have traveled the world presenting this unique tale of America's folk hero, who utilized the power of his voice to speak out for those without the power to do so. Woody Sez premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, and since then has traveled all over the world from London's West End, to China, to Washington D.C., to Milwaukee and now to Malvern, PA.

ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT PEOPLE'S LIGHT

People's Light continues its program called Scoop on Sundays: History, Context, and Gossip, a lively discussion before every Sunday 7 pm performance (May 11, 18 & 25). Resident Dramaturg Gina Pisasale will host an artist from the production and get the inside scoop about such things as the rehearsal and production process, design choices, and the world of the play. The program begins at 5:30 in The Farmhouse Bistro. Cost of $15 includes light fare. Call the Box Office at 610.644.3500.

In the spirit of Woody Guthrie, join us for Hootenanny Thursdays following the 7:30pm Thursday performances on May 8th, 15th, and 22nd. These post show-jam sessions are a great opportunity to meet the cast of Woody Sez, as well as share your musical talents, as all level of musicians are invited to bring their instruments and carry on the legacy of America's greatest folk activist.

Treat mom to an extraordinary Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11. We can accommodate gatherings of any size in our beautifully appointed ballroom and adjacent tented patio. Our Mother's Day package includes a buffet brunch and 1 ticket for Woody Sez. Pricing for children 12 and under is $38, $58 for teens and $74 for adults. Reserve your table and tickets online at PeoplesLight.org or call the box office at 610.644.3500.

Enjoy a prix fixe dinner and a show package for $70 (Wed, Thurs, Sat matinee, Sun eve) and $80 (Fri, Sat eve, Sun matinee) at The Farmhouse Bistro prior to Wed-Sun evening performances. That's a savings of up to 15% off the single ticket price! If you already have tickets, you can add dinner for just $35. Dinner and a show packages are available through the box office or online at PeoplesLight.org.

Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie previews on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 pm and Friday, May 9 at 8 pm. The play opens on Saturday, May 10 and runs through Sunday, May 25.

Single tickets: $26 - $46. For tickets, call the Box Office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x111 or email wright@peopleslight.org. Actors, prices, productions, performance dates and times are subject to change. Additional service charges will apply. Contact the Box Office for more details.

ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIGHT: Now in its 39th season, People's Light, a professional, not-for-profit theatre in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community. We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration. Founded in 1974, we produce seven to nine plays each season, in two black box theatres with 340 and 160 seats respectively, mixing world premieres, contemporary plays, and fresh approaches to classic texts for our 7-Play and Discovery Series.

BIOS

Nick Corley

Director/Deviser
Nick has directed Woody Sez all over the world (including London, Chicago, Boston, D.C., Edinburgh, Israel, and China) and also co-wrote the show. NYC: Flight (Callaway Directing Nom.), About Face (NYMF Best Dir. Nom.), Tall Grass, Fables in Slang, Tim and Scrooge, Mother Russia (Carnegie Hall), and Tallboy Walkin'. Regionally he co-wrote and directed A Young Lady of Fashion (Fulton Opera House) and Eliot Ness... in Cleveland (Denver Theatre Center). Other directing credits include Milwaukee Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, St. Louis Rep, Houston's Alley Theatre, Adirondack Theater Festival, Lyric Oklahoma, and Vermont's Commons Group. His acting credits include Bway (Drood, Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol, She Loves Me) off-Broadway, regional, film (Kissing Jessica Stein), recordings, and television.

Darcie Deaville

Deviser/Performer
At 16, Darcie left home to make her living as a Toronto street musician, and has since toured from the Yukon Territories to Central America, Europe to the Far East. Now in Austin, Texas, Darcie is well known for her fiery fiddling and singing her American roots based songs. A writer, producer, musical director and coach, Darcie's theatre work includes Woody Guthrie's American Song, Oil City Symphony, Back Bog Beast Bait, Cottonpatch Gospel, and Always, Patsy Cline. The latest of her five CDs is called Livin' on the Lucky Side (Taller Dog Music). Darcie is currently in a band called the Austin Lounge Lizards.

David Finch
Performer

David made his Broadway debut in the revival of Cabaret. In London's West End, he did Woody Sez. National/Int. Tours - Cabaret, Fame the Musical. Off Broadway credits include Fame on 42nd and the NYC premiere of Tennessee Williams' Spring Storm. He is the co-creator of Careless Love: A Down Home Musical: carelesslovethemusical.com, his website is dhfinch.com and you can get his CD - the fiddle made me do it ­- on iTunes.

David M. Lutken
Deviser/Music Director/Performer
Broadway: Inherit The Wind; Ring Of Fire; The Civil War; The Will Rogers Follies. NYCO: Paul Bunyan. Off-Broadway: Southern Comfort; Stars In Your Eyes; Winter Man. West End: Woody Sez (Nominated 2011 Best Musical, toured the U.K., U.S.A., Germany, Israel and China) Regional (U.K.): Dark Of The Moon, Bonnie And Clyde. (U.S.A.): Man of La Mancha; Elmer Gantry; Finian's Rainbow, Big River...For Woody Sez, David received the 2013 Helen Hayes and Joseph Jefferson Best Actor Awards.

Helen J. Russell
Deviser/Performer
Helen is an original cast member of Woody Sez and was part of its 2007 debut in Edinburgh, as well as subsequent tours throughout the UK, Europe, and the U.S. At home in Manhattan, she works as an actor, musical director and publishing technology consultant. Helen was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Best Lead Actress in 2012. Her debut CD, Holly Days, was released in 2008, and she is currently working on a second. "Her voice, pure and supple, handed down through generations, recalls the rich and rolling piedmont of her native home."

Andy Teirstein
Deviser/Performer
In addition to performing, Andy writes music inspired by the rich and diverse folk roots of modern culture. His compositions have been described by The New York Times and The Village Voice as "magical," "ingenious," and "superbly crafted." A student of Leonard Bernstein and Henry Brant, Teirstein writes music for the concert hall, film, theater, and dance. He has composed film scores for BBC and PBS. His new opera, A Blessing on the Moon, premiered in 2012, and two of his musicals, Winter Man and Skels received NEA Opera/Musical Theatre Awards.