TheaterWorks Presents BROKE-OLOGY 9/17-10/24

Renowned director Tazewell Thompson stages the poignant comic-drama Broke-ology, by Nathan Louis Jackson at TheaterWorks in Downtown Hartford.

In keeping with the play's theme of "Stayin' Alive Despite Your Broke-ness", the characters of Broke-ology love, laugh, dance and fight in ways that truly honor their bittersweet survival. This stirring portrait of a poor African-American family was chosen last year to open Lincoln Center Theater's 25th season. Broke-ology provides a richly humorous and touching close to the current season at TheaterWorks in Downtown Hartford, running September 17 through October 24, 2010.

Special programs associated with TheaterWorks' production of Broke-ology are supported by Aetna, Bank of America, The Hartford, Lincoln Financial Foundation, Travelers, and United Technologies Corporation. TheaterWorks' 25th Anniversary Sponsor is The Roberts Foundation.

In Broke-ology, the King family has weathered life's hardships, surviving with their love for each other intact. William King lives in the house in which his two sons grew up. He's alone, but maintains his allegiance with their mother in his own way. When the brothers are called home to take care of him, they find themselves strangely at odds. "Thematically rich, structurally deft, and emotionally complex... Broke-ology is a play not just about two young men, but about the family they grew up in, and Nathan Louis Jackson's beautifully crafted shifts between past and present, between the future that family dreamed and the real future that followed instead, enrich and enlarge our sense not just of this family, but of our own families, our own cultures, and our lives." - Boston Globe.

Tazewell Thompson, whose consummate directorial artistry has been seen coast-to-coast, guides an exceptional quartet of actors in Broke-ology. Gina Daniels, Frank Faucette, Royce Johnson, and David Pegram all make their TheaterWorks' debuts in this sensitive, illuminating play.

The design team for Broke-ology includes Luke Hegel-Cantarella (Sets), Harry Nadal (Costumes), Greg Goff (Lights) and Fabian Obispo (Sound). Production Manager is Michael Lenaghan.

Broke-ology, by Nathan Louis Jackson, runs September 17 through October 24, 2010 at TheaterWorks at City Arts on Pearl - 233 Pearl Street in Downtown Hartford (wheelchair accessible).

Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. with weekend matinees at 2:30 p.m.

The play opens to press on Friday, September 24, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Seats for Broke-ology are $39 for weeknights and matinees; $49 for Friday and Saturday evenings. Seating is general admission. There is a $12 service charge for center reserved seats. College-age student rush seats are $15 at show time with valid school ID (subject to availability). Discounts are available for groups of 12 or more.

Subscriptions for TheaterWorks' upcoming five-play 25th Anniversary 2010-2011 Season are $129 - less than $26 per play.

For complete information and reservations, call TheaterWorks at (860) 527-7838. Visit TheaterWorks at: theaterworkshartford.org

Discounted parking is available to TheaterWorks' patrons for $5 at CityPlace Garage (diagonally up Pearl Street from TheaterWorks) or at the outdoor A & A Lot (corner of Asylum and Ann Streets, across from Mayor Mike's Bistro).

A completely free matinee for college students and faculty is offered on Saturday, October 2nd at 2:30 p.m. TheaterWorks "ALL-FREE" performance is sponsored by Bank of America.

Free seats for select performances of Broke-ology are available for young people ages 14 - 17 thanks to Lincoln Financial Foundation.

TheaterWorks' Gallery of Theatrical Art, sponsored by The Hartford, opens 90 minutes prior to all performances.

On Sunday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. CONCORA, Connecticut's premier professional choral organization, will open the second season of its cabaret series, On The Town!, on the set of Broke-ology. CONCORA On the Town! features Broadway songs, contemporary pop songs, and jazz standards woven together with dialogue, taking inspiration from TheaterWorks production. Tickets for CONCORA On the Town! are available by calling (860) 224-7500 or can be ordered online at www.concora.org.

TheaterWorks receives generous direct support for its programs from the following institutions:

Aetna sponsors TheaterWorks' REALCARE, which includes: free special needs reserved upgrades, including companion seat; free reserved upgrades for hearing / visually limited patrons; elevator / seating escorts; free health-mandated rescheduling; free rescheduling for late arriving patrons; free spring water offered to all patrons as an alternative to caffeinated or alcoholic beverages; live-only phone answering during business hours.

Bank of America sponsors TheaterWorks' "ALL-FREE" program which provides zero-cost arts access for students and faculty from colleges and universities statewide. "ALL-FREE" offers free admission for the first Saturday matinee of every TheaterWorks' production for college students and accompanying faculty from any academic institution in the State of Connecticut.

The Hartford sponsors TheaterWorks' "Gallery of Theatrical Art", a changing showcase of art and artistry for audience members and the general public.

Lincoln Financial Foundation sponsors TheaterWorks' "Young = Free" program, which provides thousands of free seats to young audience members (ages 14 - 17) for select performances throughout the season.

Travelers sponsors free seats for select performances of Broke-ology for specified nonprofit organizations in the Hartford region.

United Technologies Corporation supports TheaterWorks' "Urban Access", which provides free seats for select shows to employees of many Hartford companies.

TheaterWorks' 25th Anniversary Sponsor is The Roberts Foundation.

TheaterWorks also receives support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

BIOS

Nathan Louis Jackson (Playwright) Plays: Broke-ology, When I Come to Die, The Mancherios, The Last Black Play. Other: The Kennedy Center Summer Playwriting Intensive, William Inge 24 Hour Play Festival, Ebony Theatre's The Word, Kansas State Speech Team. Directing: The Colored Museum, The Island (Ebony Theatre). Awards: AFA Prose Interpretation Champion (two times), Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award Winner (two times), Mark Twain Comedy Playwriting ard, ACTF Region V Best Acting Partner, President of Ebony Theatre, Recipient of the Kennedy Center's Gold Medallion. TV: Southland. Education: BS, Kansas State University; The Juilliard School.

Tazewell Thompson (Director) Stage Director: Arena Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, Second Stage, Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, Roundabout Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Syracuse Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Old Globe Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, The Huntington Theatre Company, Delaware Theatre Company, People's Light & Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Classic Stage Company, Virginia Stage Company, The Cleveland Play House, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Soho Rep, The Acting Company, City Theatre, PlayMakers Repertory Company, MaYi Theater Company, Westport Country Playhouse, Florida Stage, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Children's Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company, The Laguna Playhouse, New Federal Theatre, Musical Theatre Works, Gateway Playhouse, Juilliard, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, University of Kansas, Sundance Theatre, Indiana University. Playwright: Constant Star (16 National Productions); A Christmas Carol (Commissioned by People's Light & Theatre, Produced for People's Light & Theatre and Westport Country Playhouse), Jam & Spice (Stage Adaptation of Kurt Weill music). Commissions: Lincoln Center Theater, Arena Stage, South Coast Repertory, People's Light & Theatre. Awards: Constant Star (9 Barrymore Awards, 5 NAACP Awards, 3 Carbonell Awards - Best Play/Musical Ensemble/Direction).

GINA DANIELS (Sonia) New York: Macbeth (TWAS); Napoleon Beazley (Incumbo); Wive's Tale (Summer Play Festival); Displaced (Nicu's Spoon); Zona, (Abingdon Theatre); Hairy Vest and Sconces (24 Hour Plays); Safehouse (Safehouse Productions). Regional: Measure for Measure (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival); Doubt (The Kansas City Repertory Theatre); Cyrano (Willamette Repertory Theatre); All's Well That Ends Well (Utah Shakespearean Festival); Private Lives (Shakespeare Santa Cruz); The Story (Milwaukee Repertory Theater); Medea (Pittsburgh Public Theater); An Ideal Husband (Center Stage); The Exonerated (Charlotte Repertory Theatre); The Taming of The Shrew, Dracula (Delaware Theatre Company); Much Ado About Nothing (Theatre Virginia); As You Like It (Arden Theatre); Christmas Carol (Geva Theatre); Other: Well, Winter's Tale, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Skin of Our Teeth, Darker Face of the Earth, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet among others (Oregon Shakespeare Festival - 6 Seasons). Education: University of Southern California.

Frank Faucette (William) Off-Broadway: Much Ado about Nothing (The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival), LA: Flight (Kirk Douglas Theatre/CTG) Regional: An Enemy of the People (Williamstown Theatre Festival), The Threepenny Opera (Williamstown), Song for New York (Sundance Institute/Bam Cafe Live), Rap (HBO Aspen Comedy Festival). Film / TV: Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property, Cold Case, Hacks, Racing for Home, Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, BET's Truth Hall (Producer). Writing: Sins of the Father. Education: MFA, NYU Graduate Acting Program.

Royce Johnson (Ennis) Off Broadway: Brother/Sister Plays (The Public Theater), Defiance (Manhattan Theatre Club), A Soldier's Play (2nd Stage), Light Raise the Roof (New York Theatre Workshop), Fly (Lincoln Center Institute), Macbeth (The Classical Theater of Harlem), The Taking of Miss Janie (New Federal Theatre). Regional: A Lesson Before Dying (Stamford Theatre Workshop), Fences (Bristol Riverside Theatre), Lobby Hero, Native Son, and The Piano Lesson. Film / TV: American Gangster, Brother to Brother, Good Sharma, Conspiracy X, A Magic Helmet, The Cycle, Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Rubicon, Life on Mars, Cupid, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Third Watch, Queens Supreme, Kidnapped (recurring), Guiding Light. Education: SUNY Purchase.

David Pegram (Malcolm) Theater: Suits & Ties, Tis Pity She's a Whore, In The Blood, and Red Flags. Training: BFA, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.

Luke Hegel-Cantarella (Sets) TheaterWorks: Speech and Debate, Blackbird, Driving Miss Daisy, Make Me a Song, The Exonerated, Blue/Orange, Ten Unknowns, The Last Five Years, Dinner with Friends, Spinning into Butter, Lobby Hero, and Chesapeake. NYC: New World Stages, The Atlantic Theater Company, Lucille Lortel Theatre, The Lamb's Theatre Company, HERE, Synapse Productions, Whitney Biennial. Regional: Pittsburgh Public Theater, City Theater, Two Rivers Theater Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Barrington Stage Company, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Yale Repertory Theatre, Adirondack Theatre Festival, Lyric Theater, Prince Music Theater, RoadWorks Productions. Opera / Dance: Wolftrap, The Wood Floor, Eastern Connecticut Ballet, Dance Connecticut, Curtis, New England Conservatory of Music. Film / TV: Damages, NOVA, Julie & Julia, Pink Panther 2, State of Play, Synecdoche, NY, The Accidental Husband. Upcoming: Woody Sez (Arts Theater/West End). Luke is the Head of the Set Design program at UCIrvine. Education: Yale School of Drama. www.lukecantarella.com

Harry Nadal (Costumes) TheaterWork's debut. Broadway: A Class Act and Paul Simon's The Capeman. New York: Pregones Theatre, The Atlantic Theatre, Lincoln Center Institute, LAByrinth Theater Company, Theatre for The New City. Regional: Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Open Stage of Harrisburg, Spectrum Stage, HOME, Miranda Theatre. International: The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, Ensemble InterNational Theatre. Broadway: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Assistant Costume Designer). Other: Assistant to the Curator, Curtain Call: Celebrating a Century of Women Designing for Live Performance (NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center). Education: MFA, NYU-Tisch.

GREG GOFF (Lights) TheaterWork's debut. New York Stage and Film, NYU Tisch Department of Dance, NYU Tisch Graduate Acting, Studio Tisch, CAP 21, Curtain Call Theatre, Playwrights Horizon Theater School, New York City 24-Hour Play Festival, The New York Musical Theatre Festival, New York City International Fringe Festival. Regional: Williamstown Theatre Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Design: Robert Wilson, Urban Tap, The Shelby Company, Liguorian Players, Patricia Norowol Dance Company. Education: MFA, NYU-Tisch. www.greggoff.com

Fabian Obispo (Sound) TheaterWork's debut. Off-Broadway: The Public Theater, Manhatten Theatre Club, MCC Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, Vineyard Theatre, New Group, Classic Stage Company, Primary Stages, New York Theatre Workshop, Theatre for a New Audience, MaYi Theater Company, The Acting Company. Regional: Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, Guthrie Theater, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Kennedy Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Huntington Theatre Company, Syracuse Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, Hartford Stage, Westport Country Playhouse, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Playmakers Repertory Company, Perseverance Theatre, Florida Stage, The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company. Awards / Recognitions: Theatre Wing's Hewes Design Award, Helen Hayes, Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Barrymore, NAACP, Audelco, Jackie and IRNE.