Doug Hughes to Helm WHIPPING MAN for MTC; Opens Feb. 1, 2011

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) are pleased to announce the New York premiere of Matthew Lopez's THE WHIPPING MAN, directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes (The Royal Family, Doubt). The limited engagement will begin previews at MTC's New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street) on Thursday, January 13, 2011 in preparation for a Tuesday, February 1, 2011 opening night.

April, 1865: The Civil War has ended. Caleb DeLeon, a Jewish Confederate soldier, returns wounded from the battlefield to find his family home in ruins, abandoned by everyone except Simon and John--two former slaves, who were raised as Jews in the DeLeon home. As the three men reunite to celebrate Passover, and recall the exodus from Egypt in light of their own new liberties, they uncover a tangle of secrets... ties that bind them together and that, ultimately, might cost each man his freedom.

The New York debut of Matthew Lopez's acclaimed historical drama is a tale of loyalty, deceit and deliverance, and a fascinating portrayal of three men, and this country, at a crossroads.

Casting and creative team for THE WHIPPING MAN as well as other listings information will be announced in the coming weeks.

MTC's 2010-2011 Broadway season at the Samuel J. Friedman includes Lee Hall's acclaimed play, THE PITMEN PAINTERS and the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire's GOOD PEOPLE. In addition to THE WHIPPING MAN, MTC's complete Off-Broadway season at New York City Center - Stage I includes CARL'S SISTER, the world premiere of the new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Alfred Uhry, based on the book Apples and Oranges by Marie Brenner; and SPIRIT CONTROL, a world premiere of the new play by Beau Willimon. The complete season will include a third Broadway production, to be announced.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC has become one of the country's most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. Over the past three decades, MTC productions have earned a total of 17 Tony Awards and six Pulitzer Prizes, an accomplishment unparalleled by a New York theatrical institution. MTC has a Broadway home at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) and an Off-Broadway theatre at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). Renowned MTC productions include Time Stands Still; The Royal Family; Ruined; The American Plan; Come Back, Little Sheba; Blackbird; Translations; Shining City; Rabbit Hole; Doubt; Proof; The Tale of the Allergist's Wife; Love! Valour! Compassion!; A Small Family Business; Sylvia; Putting It Together; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Crimes of the Heart; and Ain't Misbehavin.'

Matthew Lopez. Since its premiere at Luna Stage in Montclair, NJ, The Whipping Man has been produced at The Old Globe in San Diego, CA and at Barrington Stage. Other plays include Tio Pepe (Summer Play Festival 2008), Reverberation, and Zoey's Perfect Wedding. His work has been developed and seen at The McCarter Theatre, The New Group, Penumbra Theatre Company, Ars Nova and The Lark Play Development Center. He is a member of the Ars Nova Writers' Group, a New York Theatre Workshop Playwrighting Fellow and artist-in-residence at the Old Globe Theatre.

For more information on MTC, please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

Photo Credit: Monica Simoes