Maria Aitken Replaces Nicholas Martin as Director of Huntington's THE SEAGULL

Huntington Theatre Company favorite and frequent director Maria Aitken (The Cocktail Hour, Betrayal, Private Lives, Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps) will return to the Huntington this spring to direct Tony Award nominee and television star Kate Burton in Anton Chekhov's passionate classic, The Seagull. Aitken replaces Nicholas Martin who was previously slated to direct the production but has withdrawn for personal reasons.

"Maria is such a beloved member of the Huntington family and gifted interpreter of the classics," says Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois. "Nicky assembled an extraordinary group of artists for this production, and I know Maria will build upon that foundation to bring this masterpiece to life."

"I am honored to step in for my dear friend Nicholas," says Aitken, "and pleased to return to my favorite theatre in America to work with this wonderful cast and exquisite design team."

Burton (TV's "Scandal," Hedda Gabler and The Cherry Orchard at the Huntington) will play celebrated actress Irina Arkadina, mother of Konstantin, who will be played by Burton's real-life son Morgan Ritchie. The two previously appeared together at the Huntington in The Corn is Green.

In The Seagull, Arkadina's visit to her aspiring playwright son Konstantin with her successful novelist lover in tow kindles unrequited passions and petty jealousies. Chekhov's masterpiece is about love, missed connections, and what it means to be an artist.

The Seagull, translated by Paul Schmidt, begins previews at the Boston University Theatre on March 7, opens March 12, and plays through April 6, 2014. More information at huntingtontheatre.org/seagull.

Recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award and named Best of Boston 2013 by Boston magazine, the Huntington Theatre Company has developed into Boston's leading professional theatre and one of the region's premiere cultural assets since its founding in 1982. Bringing together superb local and national talent, the Huntington produces a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current to create award-winning productions, runs nationally renowned programs in education and new play development, and serves the local theatre community through its operation of the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Under the direction of Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso and in residence at Boston University, the Huntington cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form. For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.