'Rachel Corrie' to Close Dec. 17; More Productions Planned

Dena Hammerstein and Pam Pariseau for James Hammerstein Productions announce that the acclaimed Royal Court Theatre production of My Name is Rachel Corrie to play its final performance Off Broadway on Sunday, December 17th.  Subsequent productions are being planned throughout the Unites States and internationally following its New York engagement.  The play began previews on Thursday, October 5, 2006, opened at The Minetta Lane Theatre on Sunday, October 15, 2006 at 7pm and will play  its final performance on Sunday, December 17th at 7pm.  It will have played 9 previews and 71 regular performances.

"We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to bring My Name is Rachel Corrie to New York," said Dena Hammerstein.  "As the play makes its way to  theatres around the country and the world, Rachel's words will have the opportunity to reach an even greater audience and we couldn't be more proud of that."

Diane Borger, general manager of The Royal Court Theatre added,  "It has  been a full time job to handle the number of requests that have come my way to produce this play around the world, even more so following the success of the New York production.  It is a testament to the power and truth of this  play that inquires have come in from both Israel and Palestine.  That is everything that Rachel Corrie was about."

The play stars Bree Elrod as Rachel Corrie. It is directed by Alan Rickman, who edited the piece with Katharine Viner, Features Editor of The Guardian newspaper in London, in collaboration with the Royal Court Theatre's International Department and produced with the kind permission of The Corrie family.

The show was originally produced at London's Royal Court Theatre, where it opened in April 2005 and returned for an encore engagement in October 2005.  In Spring 2006, it played for nine weeks at the Playhouse Theatre in London's West End.  Compiled from writings left behind in the  diaries, letters and e-mails of American activist Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old protester who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003, My Name is Rachel Corrie chronicles the human, social and political evolution in the life and controversial death of a young woman. The play traces the life of Rachel from her early days in Washington State through her experiences as an activist seeking to learn more about the community  within Gaza.

The play also received the 2006 London Theatregoers' Choice  Award for Best Play, Best Director and Best Actress; and was nominated for a Time Out Award (Best Actress), a South Bank Show Award (Best Production) and an Olivier Award (Outstanding Achievement).

The play has a set design by Hildegard Bechtler, lighting design by Johanna Town, sound and video design by Emma Laxton.   Kerry Bishe¢ performs the role of Rachel Corrie at select weekend performances.

Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.com at 212-307-4100 or at the Minetta Lane Theatre box office, 18 Minetta Lane (just off Sixth Avenue) in person or at 212 420-8000.

For more information about Rachel Corrie, please go to: www.mynameisrachelcorrie.com.