Berkeley Rep Presents THE GREAT GAME: AFGHANISTAN, 10/22

This fall, Berkeley Repertory Theatre welcomes THE GREAT GAME: AFGHANISTAN, a sweeping cycle of short scripts by 12 top playwrights that caused a sensation in London. Presented in three parts - on different days or in one impassioned marathon - this unprecedented show explores Afghanistan over the last 150 years. Produced with the Tricycle Theatre and supported by the British Council, THE GREAT GAME makes its West Coast premiere in the Roda Theatre. This limited run begins October 22 and must end November 7. The executive producers for this exclusive two-week engagement are Bill Falik and Diana Cohen and the Strauch Kuhlanjian Family. Meanwhile, the Tricycle - which has gained renown in Britain for presenting plays that examine contemporary issues and investigate cultural diversity - is hosting Berkeley Rep's production of Tiny Kushner.

Commenting from London, where he is restaging Tiny Kushner, Artistic Director Tony Taccone remarks, "It is a testament to the Tricycle Theatre, to the extraordinary vision of its artistic director, Nicolas Kent, and to the talented team he assembled for this project that The Great Game tackles a complicated subject and delivers a show on distinctly human terms. Bringing together a dozen leading playwrights, Mr. Kent has fashioned a three-part excursion that plunges the audience into the heart of one of the world's most mysterious countries. It provides perspective on the images we numbly see each night on the news and puts them in context with the lust of competing empires to control Afghanistan and its fierce resistance to foreign domination. The result is a terrifically entertaining show in which a world that was removed from us is suddenly made intensely real and immediate."

The Great Game debuted to rave reviews from the British press. "Astonishing," exclaimed the Evening Standard. "No former undertaking has boasted anything like the scope or ambition of The Great Game." "Fascinating," agreed Time Out London. It "leaves you hankering for more. After seven and a half hours, that's some accolade." "Mind-blowing," added the London Guardian. "Afghan history and culture are being made manifest in a uniquely challenging, theatrically exciting way."

The trilogy is staged by two respected directors: Nicolas Kent and Indhu Rubasingham. Artistic director of the Tricycle Theatre, Kent has earned highest honors from the British press: the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Evening Standard Award for Pioneering Political Theatre. Rubasingham is known for directing new plays on Britain's most esteemed stages, including the Gate Theatre, the National Theatre, the Royal Court, and the Young Vic.

"The original intention in mounting The Great Game was to inform audiences of the history of Western involvement in Afghanistan since the early 19th century until the present day," Kent comments. "The recent Obama Afpak policy review, the continuing ISAF operations in Helmand and in Afghanistan generally, and the mounting military and civilian casualty figures emphasize the importance of this. We very much hope that this trilogy and the theatre can play its part in continuing to stimulate the public's discussion and debate on what is currently the most important focus of UK and American foreign policy."

Twelve prominent playwrights from Britain and America contributed to this epic: Richard Bean, Lee Blessing, David Edgar, David Greig, Amit Gupta, Ron Hutchinson, Stephen Jeffreys, Abi Morgan, Ben Ockrent, Simon Stephens, Colin Teevan, Naomi Wallace, and Joy Wilkinson. Each crafted a short play, which together create an impressive mosaic of Afghanistan and its history. It's a captivating collection of stories performed by 14 of Britain's finest actors: Daniel Betts, Sheena Bhattessa, Michael Cochrane, Karl Davies, Vincent Ebrahim, Nabil Elouahabi, Shereen Martineau, Tom McKay, Daniel Rabin, Danny Rahim, Raad Rawi, Jemma Redgrave, Cloudia Swann, and Rick Warden.

The creative team includes Pamela Howard (project designer), James Farcombe (original lighting designer), Tom Lishman (sound designer), David I. Taylor (lighting for the US tour), Miriam Nabarro (associate designer), Rachel Grunwald (assistant director), Sydney Florence (costume supervisor), Jack Bradley (literary consultant), Zoe Ingenhaag (associate producer), Suzanne Crowley and Gilly Poole (casting directors), Bartolo Cannizzaro (technical director and stage manager), Sarah Alford-Smith (assistant stage manager), Ed Borgnis (assistant stage manager), Karen Habens (assistant stage manager), and Carl B. Hamilton (assistant designer). The Great Game makes only three other stops on its American tour - in Minneapolis, New York City, and Washington, DC courtesy of the Guthrie Theater, The Public Theater, and the Shakespeare Theatre.

ABOUT THE GREAT GAME: AFGHANISTAN

Whether you know it or not, you're part of The Great Game, a term coined by Rudyard Kipling to describe the bloody struggle for control of Central Asia. World powers and warlords, diplomats and activists, opium farmers and ordinary people... all of them tangle with the tribes and traditions of Afghanistan. The story unfolds in three parts:

Part One: Invasions & Independence (1842-1929)
The saga begins with Bugles at the Gate of Jalalabad by Stephen Jeffreys. After a devastating defeat, four British soldiers struggle with passionate questions about their purpose in a distant land: Are they following God's will? Spreading civilization? Or just following orders? Then, in Durand's Line by Ron Hutchinson, a British diplomat and the amir of Afghanistan engage in a stunning duel of wits. Can the simple act of drawing lines on a map impose order on a "lawless" culture? Or is it folly to forge a nation from competing tribes? Finally, Campaign by Amit Gupta and Now is the Time by Joy Wilkinson examine the legacy of Afghanistan's first president. Can one man with a glorious vision throw off British rule and create a secular democracy? Or will warlords enforce a new agenda? Questions that haunted history in 1842 continue to resonate in ways we can't help but hear today.

Part Two: Communism, the Mujahideen, and the Taliban (1980-1996)
A pair of provocative plays, David Edgar's Black Tulips and Lee Blessing's Wood for the Fire, burn up the stage when Soviet troops enter Afghanistan. Are the Russians invited guests or invaders? Who is the actual enemy, and where do they get their weapons? As victory proves elusive, the mission - and the meaning of success - must be redefined. Then, in Miniskirts of Kabul by David Greig, a journalist interviews the country's deposed Communist leader. Their hilarious and horrific conversation covers everything from hemlines to the Kremlin as the Taliban lay siege to the capital. Finally, in The Lion of Kabul by Colin Teevan, two men hired by the United Nations disappear - and only a midnight meeting can reveal their fate. Two decades of turmoil ignite your curiosity and compassion in this thrilling series of shows.

Part Three: Enduring Freedom (1996-2009)
While America blithely rides an economic boom in Ben Ockrent's Honey, an anxious CIA operative tries to buy back missiles that landed in the hands of militants. Next, in The Night is Darkest before the Dawn by Abi Morgan, a teacher invites girls to a free school - but fearful families recall all too well the harsh justice of the Taliban. In On the Side of Angels by Richard Bean, employees of a British nonprofit struggle to retain their integrity while raising funds at home and brokering deals abroad. Then Simon Stephens' Canopy of Stars captures a soldier in two intense encounters: one with a buddy before battle and the other when he returns to his wife. Has anything changed? What have we learned? The Great Game goes on in Afghanistan, yet the conclusions are up to you.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

The Great Game: Afghanistan is an emotional event that illuminates the complex culture of another land. See one part or see them all. See them in any order - or on one incredible day:

Special opening marathon on Friday 10/22:
Part One at 11:30 AM, Part Two at 3:30 PM, and Part Three at 8:00 PM
Part One: Wednesdays 10/27 and 11/3 at 7:00 PM
Part Two: Thursdays 10/28 and 11/4 at 8:00 PM
Part Three: Fridays 10/29 and 11/5 at 8:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday marathons on 10/23, 10/24, 10/30, 10/31, 11/6, and 11/7:
Part One at 11:30 AM, Part Two at 3:30 PM, and Part Three at 8:00 PM

Theatregoers can also enjoy several special events during The Great Game's limited local run:
The opening festivities on Friday 10/22 include a dinner for donors at the Hotel Shattuck Plaza and a post-show reception for the audience catered by Bistro Liaison, both of which feature wines from Raymond Vineyards.

Free 30-minute docent presentations about the show take place at 7:00 PM on Thursday 10/28 and Thursday 11/4. During the marathons on Saturdays and Sundays, there will also be free, 30-minute discussions from 2:30 to 3:00 PM and from 6:15 to 6:45 PM.

Post-play discussions moderated by theatre professionals follow the 8:00 PM shows on Thursday 10/28 and Friday 11/5.

And patrons can whet their palates for the play with free tastings from Numi Organic Tea at 7:00 PM on the following evenings: Sunday 10/24, Friday 10/29, Saturday 10/30, Friday 11/5, Saturday 11/6, and Sunday 11/7.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit berkeleyrep.org.

Photo Credit: John Haynes