Karen MacDonald Directs Bridge Rep's GIDION'S KNOT, Now thru 6/22

After producing a large-scale period piece, a world premiere, and a musical in its first season, Bridge Repertory Theater of Boston will conclude the year with Gidion's Knot -- a suspenseful, contemporary two-hander by Johnna Adams. Revered Boston actress Karen MacDonald will direct the piece, which opens in June at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts.

The cast features Deb Martin* and Olivia D'Ambrosio*, who also serves as Producing Artistic Director of the company. The design team includes David Remedios (Sound), Chip Schoonmaker (Costumes), Katy Atwell (Lighting), Esme Allen (Scenic/Bridge Rep Founding Artistic Associate), and John Tracey (Properties), while Skylar Burks and Brian Remlinger serve as Production Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager, respectively. McCaela Donovan is Assistant Director, Joe Short serves as Technical Director, and MJ Halberstadt acts as Production Manager - all three are Founding Artistic Associates at Bridge Rep.

Part of the company's mission is to "connect artists to artists" - a value that is on full display in this production. As D'Ambrosio explains, "I am proud that the creative team we have curated for Gidion's Knot includes an array of professionals coming together at different stages in their careers. Our Stage Management team is comprised of newly minted college graduates - one from BU and the other from MIT. Our design team includes recent MFA graduates as well as long-time professionals. And of course at the helm we have Karen MacDonald, whose reputation as an actor precedes her. I am delighted she sought out an opportunity to direct, that she came to us specifically, and that Bridge Rep can be a catalyst for Karen to explore another dimension of her work as a theatre artist."

A finalist for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, Gidion's Knot is Johnna Adams' suspenseful drama about a fraught interaction between a mother named Corryn Fell (played by Martin) and her son's 5th grade school teacher, Heather Clark (played by D'Ambrosio). As the unannounced parent/teacher conference unfolds over the course of a single act, questions arise about everything from the proliferation of school bullying to the nature of creative expression.

Gidion's Knot will play today, June 5 - June 22 in Deane Hall at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. To reserve your seat, call 617 933 8600 or visit www.bridgerepofboston.com.