TINKER TO EVERS TO CHANCE Up Next at MRT

Merrimack Repertory Theatre continues its 2015-16 Season with the regional premiere of "Tinker to Evers to Chance," the touching new work from playwright Mat Smart about mothers, daughters, and baseball. The story spans a century of Chicago Cubs fandom, and resonates with honest questions about love, heartbreak, and hope. MRT Artistic Director Sean Daniels will direct.

The 1-hour, 45-minute play runs from February 10 - March 6, with press performances at 8:00 on Saturday, February 13 (Opening Night), as well as at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Sunday, February 14. All performances will be held at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre, located at 50 East Merrimack Street in historic downtown Lowell. Tickets range from $60 - $23 and are on sale now at www.mrt.org or by calling 978-654-4678.

MRT's production follows the 2014 world premiere at Rochester, New York's Geva Theatre Center. Sean Daniels (who also directed this season's smash-hits "The Lion" and "I and You") has championed Smart's play from the beginning, and helmed its world premiere in Rochester. "Mat does this amazing thing, where he shows you that to be a sports fan is to be the greatest romantic in the world. Because every year, you believe this could be your year-even though every year before has shown you it's not." Daniels notes that the play is perfect for the Greater Boston scene: Red Sox fans (especially those from who remember the pre-2004 days) will empathize with the hapless Cubs, who haven't won a World Series since 1908. "For people that love the sport and love to talk about it, this is a great show."

At the center of the "Tinker to Evers to Chance" are die-hard fans: Lauren, a young professional who's traded the windy city for the big apple, but still "bleeds Cubbie blue;" Lauren's mom Nessa,; and RJ, a home care aide who works for Lauren's mother, Nessa - herself a true fan, who in her younger years made a pilgrimage to meet legendary second baseman Johnny Evers. When Nessa goes missing during a pivotal 2003 playoff game, Lauren and RJ are left to track her down-and to confront truths, both painful and beautiful, about just how far we're willing to go for love.

Humor and humanity - with brilliant interweaving of flashbacks - grace the plot's 97-year span. We meet the fast-talking Johnny Evers in 1906 (who along with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance, comprised one of the greatest infield combos in baseball history.) We also visit the feisty Nessa at several key moments in her younger life. The back story unfolds layer by layer, building to a poignant climax.

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle praised Mat Smart for hitting "this remarkably funny, tender story out of the ballpark" in its premiere at Geva.

Playwright Mat Smart is the recipient of the 2014 Otis Guernsey New Voices Award from the William Inge Center for the Arts, as well as the recipient of two Jerome Fellowships and a McKnight Achievement Grant. His work has been produced and workshopped in Boston at the Huntington Theatre Company ("The Hopper Collection," "The Royal Society of Antarctica.") Himself a Chicago native and avid baseball fan, Smart has watched a game at every one of baseball's 30 Major League ballparks.

The two-person cast features Emily Kitchens and James Craven, both of whom have been with the show since early readings and workshops. They created their respective roles in the Geva premiere and now have the opportunity explore their roles even more deeply in this production.

In addition to Daniels, Kitchens, and Craven, sound designer Stowe Nelson is also reprising his role in the production.

Joining them are designers Randall Parsons (sets), A. Lee Viliesis (costumes), and Brian J. Lilienthal (lights). Lilienthal is a member of MRT's Patriot Program, a network of theatre artists from around the country who share MRT's resources and call the company their "theatrical home."

Tickets range from $60 - $23 and are available at www.mrt.org or by calling 978-654-4678. A senior discount is offered for 10% off adult ticket prices. Student tickets are $15. Group discounts are available for groups of six or more by calling 978-654-7561. $5 Night: Wednesday, February 10, at 7:30 pm. Patrons may purchase tickets for $5, cash only, at the Box Office between 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm. Limit 2 tickets per person.?Lowell Night: Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 pm. Lowell residents may purchase tickets for $10 at the box office from 4:30 pm-7:30 pm. Proper ID required, limit 2 per person. A Military Discount of $10 off per ticket (up to four tickets per production) applies to any performance for active duty, retired, veteran, and reservist members of the military.

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