A Noise Within to Present Free Readings of UNCLE VANYA, HEROES & THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING this Summer

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, presents FREE readings of Chekhov's classic comedy Uncle Vanya, directed by Joel Swetow, on Wednesday, June 25 at 7pm; Heroes by Gerald Sibleyras, translation by Tom Stoppard, directed by Susan Angelo, on Wednesday, July 23 at 7pm; and The Lady's Not For Burning by Christopher Fry, directed by William Dennis Hunt, on Monday, August 4 at 7pm.

Admission for all of the readings is free. Please RSVP via phone to 626-356-3100 x1 to reserve your seat.

Uncle Vanya by Chekhov, June 25
Uncle Vanya is widely viewed as Chekhov's masterwork about the human struggle to survive in the face of desperate loneliness, unfulfilled desires and the loss of dreams.

Actor/director Swetow says about the piece, "Many years ago, when I had just decided, quite out of the blue and in a sort of revelation, to pursue acting as a career and to apply to acting school, I happened to see a bare bones, student production of Uncle Vanya at A.C.T. I was so moved and deeply affected by it, that I never forgot it. And seeing it confirmed my crazy desire to be an actor. That play, that work was what I needed to do. Because, like so much of Chekhov (as I learned later), it captured and communicated the very essence of what it means to be alive, of the sadness and pain and tiny joys of the human struggle. The play has held a special place in my heart ever since. So I was honored and delighted when I was asked to direct it."

The cast includes Mitchell Edmonds* as Alexander Serebriakov, Abby Craden* as Yelena, Abigail Marks as Sonya, Stephen Rockwell* as Ivan Petrovich (Vanya), Freddy Douglas* as Mikhail Lvovich Astrov, and Jeremy Rabb* as Ilya Ilych Telegin; the roles of Marina and Mrs. Voinitsky are yet to be cast. *denotes member of Actor's Equity

Heroes by Sibleyras, July 23
In Tom Stoppard's hilarious and poignant translation of Gerald Sibleyras's Heroes, we meet World War I veterans who pass their monotony-filled days in a military hospital by engaging in verbal battles of long-forgotten military campaigns, grumbling about the staff, and reflecting on their own lives. The play won the Laurence Olivier Best New Comedy Award in 2006.

The cast includes Apollo Dukakis* as Henri, Mitchell Edmonds* as Philippe, and William Dennis Hunt* as Gustave. *denotes member of Actor's Equity

The Lady's Not For Burning, August 4
'We are all of us lost. The best we can do is make whatever we're lost in, as much like home as we can.'

Christopher Fry (1907-2005) came to prominence following World War II, when his verse dramas made him a major force in postwar British theatre. The multi-award winning The Lady's Not for Burning, while reflecting the exhaustion and despair at the close of WW II, is a pungent pastoral comedy, rich in poetic language.

The cast includes Freddy Douglas*, Jessie Losch, Jill Hill*, Andy Stokan*, Alison Elliott, Jeremy Rabb*, Mitchell Edmonds*, Rafael Goldstein*, Mark Jacobson. *denotes member of Actor's Equity