CT Rep Announces Cast And Creative Team Of THE CHERRY ORCHARD

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) opens its 70th season with Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" adapted by Jean-Claude van Itallie. John Miller-Stephany will direct. Performances will be held in the Harriet S. Jorgenson Theatre from October 3rd through October 13th, 2019. For tickets and information please visit crt.uconn.edu or call (860) 486-2113.

One of the great plays of the 20th century, Chekhov's final masterpiece captures a world and a family in transition. Faced with the sale of their cherished orchard, the Gayev family returns home in an attempt to preserve what they can of their family's once great estate. This magnificent work combines the hope and absurdity of the human spirit. A stirring, touching piece of theatre you won't soon forget.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director, Michael Bradford, says, ""We are very excited to open our 70th season with Chekhov's 'The Cherry Orchard' under the steady hand of director John Miller-Stephany. This is one of the great tragicomedies of modern drama. Echoes of the financial crisis of 2008 abound as an aristocratic family finds itself on the verge of financial ruin and simply cannot find the wherewithal to adapt. Even in the midst of the inevitable reckoning, Chekhov's unique style provides moments of pure, absurd hilarity."

John Miller-Stephany (Director) has enjoyed long-term relationships with two of America's most noteworthy theater companies: The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and The Acting Company in New York City. As its Associate Artistic Director, John directed seventeen acclaimed productions for the Guthrie including "Sweeney Todd," "1776," "Jane Eyre," and "The Music Man." Other productions directed by John at the Guthrie include: "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Wintertime" (Charles L. Mee), "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Night of the Iguana," and the world premiere of "To Fool the Eye" (Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of "Leocadia" by Jean Anouilh). Prior to the Guthrie, John was affiliated with The Acting Company for sixteen years and served as that theater's Associate Producer for seven years. John is delighted to be making his debut at Connecticut Repertory Theatre.

Miller-Stephany says, "Although the trappings of our society are very different from the ones on display in the world Chekhov portrays, people have changed very little. Just like it was for people living in Imperial Russia a dozen or so years before the Bolshevik Revolution, the trivial and the tragic are tightly intertwined in our lives today. The relationships between the recognizably flawed characters in 'The Cherry Orchard'could be the subject of any number of trendy cable television series. But Chekhov's subtle artistry and profound sense of humanity elevate the mundane to a sophisticated and compassionate examination of the human heart.

Caralyn Kozlowski (Ranevskaya) is thrilled to return to CRT, having played Rosalind in "As You Like It" in 2006. She most recently played Nora in "Doll's House Part 2" at St. Louis Rep. Other regional credits include The Old Globe, South Coast Rep, Seattle Rep, Cal-Shakes, Northern Stage, Orlando Shakes, and 10 seasons with The Shakespeare Theater of NJ. Some New York credits include Manhattan Theatre Club, 59 E 59th, St. Clements, Classic Stage Company. Selected film and tv credits are "Third Watch," "Law and Orders," "Numbers," "6 Degrees," and "Practical Magic." She holds a BFA from SUNY-Purchase in Acting.

Mark Light-Orr's (Gayev) New York credits include "Counsellor at Law" (Lucille Lortel Award) and the world premiere of Patrick Barlow's "Christmas Carol" (Joe Calarco, dir.). Other NYC credits include the Irish Repertory Theatre, Expanded Arts, the Midtown International Theatre Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Theatre at St. Clements, and the Drama League. Regional credits include multiple seasons with the Utah and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals, the Fulton Opera House, Delaware Theatre Company, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, the Pioneer Theatre Company, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Northern Stage, Dorset Theatre, Weston Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, and the Engeman Theatre. Television includes CBS' Person of Interest and the acclaimed Hulu series "40 North."

The creative team includes: John Miller-Stephany (Director), Zach Broome (Scenic Design), Toni Sterling (Lighting Design), Xurui Wang (Costume Design), Mack Gauthier (Sound Design), Eilis Garcia (Dramaturg) Tom Kosis (Stage Manager).

The cast includes: Caralyn Kozlowski (Ranevskaya), Mark Light-Orr (Gayev), Nikolai Fernandez (Lopakhin), Rob Barnes (Yepikhodov), Matthew Antoci (Simeonov-Pischik), Tristan Rewald (Yasha), Sebastian Nagpal (Firs), Bryan Mittelstadt (Trofimov), Anthony Giovino (Vagrant), Erin Cessna (Dunyasha), Abigail Hilditch (Anya), Alex Campbell (Varya), Sierra Kane (Charlotta).

"The Cherry Orchard" is presented by Special Arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Select matinee performances start at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Single tickets are available now. Single tickets range from $10 to $33. All student tickets are only $10.

Pay-What-You-Can will be available for the Saturday, October 5th, 8 PM performance. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket price is $1 plus a canned good/non-perishable food item. 1 ticket per food item. Tickets are only available 1 hour prior to the performance in person at the box office. Not valid on prior sales.

Children must be at least 4 years old to attend CRT productions. For additional ticket information or to charge tickets by phone, call 860.486.2113. All sales are final; no refunds. Play selections and performance dates are subject to change.

Please call the box office at 860.486.2113 for tickets and additional information or visit www.crt.uconn.edu for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change.

Due to on-going construction on the UCONN- Storrs campus, please visit the CRT website for the most up to date parking information.

The Harriet S. Jorgenson Theatre is located on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT.

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