THE MISANTHROPE Begins Previews at the Pearl Theatre Company, 1/14

THE Pearl Theatre Company (J.R. Sullivan, Artistic Director; Shira Beckerman, Managing Director) proudly presents Molière's wryly personal comedy, The Misanthrope, translated into English verse by the renowned and prolific Richard Wilbur. The production begins performances on January 14 at New York City Center Stage II and is directed by the former Artistic Director of Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Joseph Hanreddy.  The Misanthrope is supported by The Florence Gould Foundation and the Grand Marnier Foundation. Tickets are currently on sale through CityTix® and at nycitycenter.org.

The Misanthrope satirizes the hypocrisies of French aristocratic society, chronicling an eventful day in the unstable love-life of the petulant Alceste and a flirtatious young gossip, Célimène, and the many fops and fools flitting in and out of her fashionable salon.

"The Pearl is thrilled to have the beautiful language of Molière's immortal comedy on our stage," said Artistic Director J.R. Sullivan. "We are happy to welcome Resident Actor Sean McNall back to our stage for the first time this season, as Alceste the misanthrope, and we are also excited to have so many talented young actors in the cast of this marvelous ensemble-driven play."

The Cast

The Misanthrope features two members of the Pearl's Resident Acting Company. Dominic Cuskern (Basque and Dubois), most recently played Mortensgaard in The Pearl's production Rosmersholm. He has been a member of the Resident Company since 2000. Sean McNall returns to The Pearl's stage having worked on Broadway this fall understudying for T.R. Knight in A Life in the Theatre. McNall appeared last season at The Pearl in The Playboy of the Western World, Misalliance, and Hard Times.  Joining The Misanthrope are six guest actors, including Matthew Amendt (Acaste) who made his Pearl Theatre debut last spring as Timmy Cleary in The Subject Was Roses. He was seen this summer at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and has worked extensively at the Guthrie Theater, where he studied acting. The rest of the cast are newcomers at The Pearl. Janie Brookshire (Célimène) has been seen on Broadway in The Philanthropist at Roundabout Theatre Company and, recently off-Broadway, in Wife to James Whelan at the Mint Theater Company. Shawn Fagan (Philinte) appeared with Brookshire in Wife to James Whelan at the Mint Theater Company and has worked regionally with the Denver Center, Arena Stage, and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Patrick Halley (Clitandre) was seen this past summer at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in The Bomb-Itty of Errors and Troilus and Cressida. Robin LeMon (Eliante) has worked extensively at theatres in New York City including The Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem, and the National Black Theatre. Kern McFadden (Oronte and a guard) has appeared in New York and regionally with the Irish Repertory Theatre, The Old Globe, the La Jolla Playhouse, and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Rounding out the cast is Joey Parsons (Arsinoe), who has been seen at Yale Rep, Hartford TheaterWorks, and the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.

Production Team

The production team includes: Harry Feiner, scenic design; Sam Flemming, costume design; Stephen Petrilli, lighting design; M.L. Dogg, sound design. The stage manager is Dale Smallwood and the dramaturg is Kate Farrington. 

About The Pearl Theatre Company

Founded in 1984, The Pearl Theatre is a New York City repertory company producing a full range of plays rooted in the classic tradition, impacting over 30,000 artists and audiences each year. Over its 27-year history, The Pearl has been awarded with a 1992 Obie grant for Continued Artistic Excellence; a special Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance; a sweep of Actors' Equity Association's awards for Performance in Classical Plays; an American Theatre Wing grant for consistent commitment to excellence in the professional theatre; and the Board of Education's Friend of Manhattan High Schools Award for Classics in the Classroom, the Pearl's Arts-in-Education initiative which has allowed thousands of New York City high school students to experience classical theatre.                                                                                 

The Pearl, performing at New York City Center's Stage II, currently finished its run of the critically acclaimed Rosmersholm, by Henrik Ibsen. Following The Misanthrope, the season will conclude with David Davalos' comedy Wittenberg in March. 

The 2010-2011 Resident Acting Company

The 2010-2011 Resident Acting Company consists of veterans of the New York and regional stages including: Jolly Abraham, Rachel Botchan, Robin Leslie Brown, Bradford Cover, Dominic Cuskern, Dan Daily, TJ Edwards, Robert Hock, Sean McNall, Carol Schultz, Edward Seamon, and Lee Stark. The 2010-2011 resident stage managers are Lisa Ledwich and Dale Smallwood.

2010-2011 Ticketing and Performance Information

The Pearl Theatre Company provides a variety of ticketing options for the performance space at New York City Center, including season subscription packages.

For subscription tickets and information, contact Audience Services at 212-598-9802 or visit www.pearltheatre.org. 

Single tickets can be purchased through New York City Center by calling CityTix® at 212-581-1212, going online to www.nycitycenter.org, or visiting the City Center Box Office (131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues).

Production Schedule:

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30PM; Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:30PM.

The Misanthrope will perform one Thursday matinee performance on January 27, 2011 at 2:30PM. 

Previews begin January 14, 2011 at 7:30PM. Opening night is Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 7:30PM. 

Ticket Prices:

$55 for performances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; $45 for performances on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; $35 for all preview performances.

Senior Discount: $25 tickets can be purchased on the day of the performance only, up to one hour before curtain, subject to availability, by people 65 and older. One ticket per valid ID (with date of birth) at the box office. Not available during preview performances. 

Student Rush: $10 tickets can be purchased on the day of the performance only, up to one hour before curtain, subject to availability, by students with a valid student ID. Limit 2 tickets per I.D at the box office. Not available during preview performances. 

Thursday Rush: $10 tickets are available to anyone for Thursday evening performances on the day of performance only, up to one hour before curtain, subject to availability at the box office. Not available during preview performances. 

Groups of ten or more receive up to 25% off single tickets. Contact The Pearl's Audience Services Manager at 212.598.9802 for details.

Tuesday Talk Post-Performance Discussion: These in-depth discussions give audiences the opportunity to participate in intimate talk-backs led by published scholars and experts within their fields.  Tuesday Talks during The Misanthrope will take place following the performances on January 25, 2011 and February 8, 2011.