Purple Rose Presents A STONE CARVER CHISELS AT FORGIVENESS

The Purple Rose Theatre Company continues its 2011/12 Season with A Stone Carver, a heartfelt story about the rekindling of a father-son relationship by William Mastrosimone. The production will enjoy an eight-week engagement from Thursday, January 19 – Saturday, March 10, 2012. Eight low-priced previews of A Stone Carver will be performed Thursday, January 19 – Thursday, January 26, with Press Opening on Friday, January 27, 2012. Regular performances for the duration of the run are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00PM with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3:00 PM and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM.

There will be two matinees performed for students at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, February 7 and Tuesday, March 6. Exclusive underwriting support for this production comes from The Mosaic Foundation (of R. & P. Heydon). Additional support is provided by media partners, WJR and Michigan Radio. All performances will be held at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137
Park Street, Chelsea, Michigan 48118.

A Stone Carver tells the story of a retired stonemason who clings to the past and his son who refuses to look back. When Agostino, a seventh-generation stone carver is evicted from his home to make space for a highway, he barricades himself in his house, determined to outlast the bulldozers. In a last-ditch effort to save his father from jail, Raff, Agostino’s only son, arrives at the house with his new fiancée. A battle of wills ensues, putting their already-rocky relationship to the test. Can Raff convince his father to move forward before it’s too late?

Inspired by events in the playwright’s own life, A Stone Carver was first produced in 1987 at Seattle Repertory Theatre under the title, The Understanding. This production will mark PRTC resident artist Rhiannon Ragland’s professional directing debut (Flint, MI). The cast will feature PRTC artistic director Guy Sanville (Chelsea, MI) as Agostino, Matthew David (Flint, MI) and Charlyn Swarthout (Union City, MI). 

Founded in 1991 by acclaimed actor and Chelsea native Jeff Daniels, The Purple Rose Theatre Company (PRTC) is a leading American theatre dedicated to producing the new American play and creating opportunities for Midwest theatre professionals. The PRTC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit professional theatre operating under a Small Professional Theatre agreement with the Actors’ Equity Association. The PRTC promotes the development of new American theatre and its practitioners, provides valuable educational opportunities for young artists, and, through consistently high quality production values, has earned the respect of local and National Theatre
communities.

Tickets are now on sale for A Stone Carver. Ticket reservations can be made by calling The Purple Rose Theatre Company Box Office at (734) 433-ROSE (7673); Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM– 6:00 PM. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.purplerosetheatre.org

To post a comment, you must register and login.