VSC Announces New Shows, Adds GOD OF CARNAGE & More

Today Virginia Stage Company (VSC) released updates to its previously announced Season 33 lineup, including the addition of two new Tony Award-winning shows: God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza and translation by Christopher Hampton and RED by John Logan, plus The Fantasticks, America's longest-running musical.

God of Carnage (Tony Award: Best Play 2009) will open VSC's season, running September 13 - October 2, 2011. When a playground skirmish brings together two sets of parents, the niceties quickly give way to name-calling, tantrums and tears. Marriage, parenting and our public personas are challenged and ridiculed in this dark comedy of oh-so-polite adults behaving very badly.

"A savvy and deliciously caustic new comedy of urban ill-manners" - Chicago Tribune

"...a keen, satiric understanding of middle-class values - and the pomposity that often comes along with them"

Associated Press

RED is the six-Tony Award-winning play (including Best Play 2010) that will be produced October 18 - November 6, 2011. The story follows abstract expressionist Mark Rothko's intense and personal struggle to paint groundbreaking murals for New York's famed Four Seasons restaurant. An intimate human drama of creating a single artistic masterpiece, the play also challenges audience members to explore how color, passion and creativity fit into their own lives.

"Tantalizing and astonishing" - Associated Press

"Intense & exciting. It's impossible not to feel thrilled" - The New York Times

"Electrifying" - Variety

To extend the impact of VSC's production of RED, an exhibit of Mark Rothko's famed abstract expressionist works will be shown through at The Chrysler Museum during the play's run. Additional events celebrating creativity and art are planned.

For the final play of the season, VSC will produce Tom Jones' and Harvey Schmidt's classic The Fantasticks, a magical story about the challenges and power of love. The story has delighted audiences for two generations and has added a host of songs to the American theater songbook.
"We're thrilled to be among the first regional productions of both God of Carnage and RED. Back-to-back Best Play Tony Award winners is a great way to start a season that also includes what is arguably the quintessential American play: Death of A Salesman," said VSC Artistic Director Chris Hanna. "And because everyone loves a great love story, we're closing the season with American audiences' favorite musical romance - The Fantasticks."

Tickets to God of Carnage, RED, Black Pearl Sings!, Death of a Salesman and The Fantasticks are available now only to VSC Season 33 subscribers. Subscriptions offer discount tickets, averaging $18 to $42 per show, as well as flexibility and convenience. For more information about subscriptions, visit www.vastage.com or the VSC Box Office at 757-627-1234. Single show tickets, ranging from $30 to $55, will go on sale in late August at the VSC Box office and online at www.vastage.com. Group discounts are available for every show by calling 757-627-6988 ext. 358.

Virginia Stage Company is the Hampton Roads region's only fully professional resident theater company, serving an annual audience close to 90,000. Since its founding, Virginia Stage Company has made significant contributions to the quality of life in Hampton Roads: presenting more than 185 plays through more than 3,700 performances; revitalizing and renovating the historic Wells Theatre; providing educational programs for students of all ages; and preserving the legacy of live theatre for future generations.

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