Goodman Theatre Announces the Complete Line-Up for its 2010/2011 Season

Artistic Director Robert Falls announced two exciting mainstage additions plus an unprecedented partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art to Goodman Theatre's upcoming 2010/2011 season (begins September 2010), completing the season schedule. First, what was previously announced as Rain by Regina Taylor, has become the centerpiece production of Taylor's trilogy of short plays entitled The Trinity River Plays-including Jar Fly, Rain and Ghoststory. All three plays will be performed by one cast during the same evening, running January 15 - February 20, 2011 in the Albert Theatre; Ethan McSweeny directs this world premiere co-production with Dallas Theater Center. Next, the Goodman teams up with Teatro Vista for the world premiere co-production of El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho, running March 26 - April 24, 2011 in the Owen Theatre; Cecilie Keenan directs. Also in the spring, the Goodman partners with the Museum of Contemporary Art to bring Terminus from the Dublin-based Abbey Theatre to Chicago. Terminus appears in a limited run as part of the Museum's Global Stage Series, March 2 - 6, 2011 at the MCA.

The Trinity River Plays include Jar Fly, Rain and Ghoststory. In Jar Fly, Iris and her cousin Jasmine are opposites: determined Iris plans to go to college and become a writer, while rebellious Jasmine has dropped out of high school to follow a path of self-destruction. Seemingly headed in different directions, the cousins come to a crossroads when Jasmine draws Iris into the terrible secret she has been hiding since childhood. Rain was first seen as part of the Goodman's 2009 New Stages Series. Fiercely independent Iris has made a successful life for herself as a journalist in New York City, but when her marriage fails, she begins to unravel. In search of solace, Iris returns to her mother's house in Texas, but her homecoming proves more confounding than consoling when her mother makes a shocking announcement. As long-buried family secrets come to light, Iris must face her past and make some difficult decisions about the future. In Ghoststory, the third in The Trinity River triptych, Iris is surprised by a visit from her estranged husband, Frank, desperate for a reconciliation. But before this reconnection can be explored, she must confront and embrace the specters of her past that continue to haunt her present.

In El Nogalar, Maite and her daughters can't stand the idea of losing their family's land to developers, but their money-and their time-is running out. Despite warnings from her family and her friends, Maite ignores her declining fortune as ardently as she has ignored the social consequences of the Mexican Revolution. Set in present-day Northern Mexico, El Nogalar (Pecan Orchard) is a hilarious and poignant story about the choice between adapting to the changing world and getting left behind.

Terminus is produced by Dublin-based Abbey Theatre, Ireland's national theater, and is presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art in association with Goodman Theatre. Three characters, known simply as A, B and C, weave vivid intertwined monologues of loneliness, violence and despair. Set in the gritty underworld of Dublin's docklands, the characters are thrown into a fantastical world of serial killers, vengeful angels and love-sick demons as they seek their own quests. Irish playwright and director Mark O'Rowe constructs a poignant moral and dramatic rollercoaster ride.

Subscribe now to save up to 45% over single ticket prices: 312.443.3800 or ExploreTheGoodman.org. Five-play Albert Theatre subscriptions start at $100 and 3-play Owen Theatre subscriptions start at $57. A Platinum Subscription of all eight plays starts at $157. Terminus is part of the Museum of Contemporary Art's Global Stage series. Tickets will be available in mid-July on mcachicago.org or 312.397.4010.

About the Plays and Artists in Goodman Theatre's 2010/2011 Season
All plays, artists and dates are subject to change
IN THE ALBERT THEATRE
Candide
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Book Adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler
Lyrics by Richard Wilbur
Additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein
Directed by Mary Zimmerman
September 17 - October 26, 2010

Tony Award and MacArthur "Genius" Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman's breathtaking new production of Candide is the theatrical event of the season. In addition to the music of Leonard Bernstein, Candide features contributions from the greatest lyricists of the 20th century, from Richard Wilbur to Stephen Sondheim. In this racy musical satire, naive Candide is banished for romancing the Baron's daughter, only to be plagued by a series of absurd hardships that challenge his optimistic outlook of life and love.

The Trinity River Plays
By Regina Taylor
Directed by Ethan McSweeny
Janury 15 - February 20, 2011
A World Premiere Co-Production with Dallas Theatre Center

In Jar Fly, Iris and her cousin Jasmine are opposites: determined Iris plans to go to college and become a writer, while rebellious Jasmine has dropped out of high school to follow a path of self-destruction. Seemingly headed in different directions, the cousins come to a crossroads when Jasmine draws Iris into the terrible secret she has been hiding since childhood. Rain was first seen as part of the Goodman's 2009 New Stages Series. Fiercely independent Iris has made a successful life for herself as a journalist in New York City, but when her marriage fails, she begins to unravel. In search of solace, Iris returns to her mother's house in Texas, but her homecoming proves more confounding than consoling when her mother makes a shocking announcement. As long-buried family secrets come to light, Iris must face her past and make some difficult decisions about the future. In Ghoststory, the third in The Trinity River triptych, Iris is surprised by a visit from her estranged husband, Frank, desperate for a reconciliation. But before this reconnection can be explored, she must confront and embrace the specters of her past that continue to haunt her present.

God of Carnage
By Yasmina Reza
A Chicago Premiere
March 5 - April 10, 2011

Don't miss the Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation God of Carnage, by Yasmina Reza (Art). When Alan and Annette's son hits Michael and Veronica's son with a stick, the two couples meet to discuss the problem over appetizers. What starts as a civilized get-together quickly devolves into a scrappy, laugh-out-loud evening that The New Yorker calls "ninety minutes of sustained mayhem." In unanimous critical praise for its Broadway debut, God of Carnage has been hailed "first class" (The New York Times), "the best play in town!" (New York Post) and "scabrously funny" (USA Today) and earned the Laurence Olivier Award and three Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Stage Kiss
By Sarah Ruhl
A World Premiere Goodman Theatre commission
April 30 - June 5, 2011

In this quirky new comedy by MacArthur "Genius" Award-winner Sarah Ruhl, art imitates life-or is it the other way around? When ex-lovers HE and SHE are thrown together as romantic leads in an outrageously dreadful melodrama,
they quickly lose touch with reality as the story onstage begins to follow them offstage. Stage Kiss is a hilarious, off-
beat fairy-tale about what happens when lovers share a stage kiss-or when actors share a real one...

Chinglish
By David Henry Hwang
Directed by Leigh Silverman
A World Premiere Produced in Association with The Public Theater
June 18 - July 24, 2011

The truth is lost-or concealed-in Chinglish, a new work by Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly). When American businessman Daniel arrives in China hoping to make an important deal, he finds himself enmeshed in a system that he doesn't understand - and is more complex than he ever imagined.

IN THE OWEN THEATRE
The Seagull
By Anton Chekhov
Directed by Robert Falls
October 16 - November 14, 2010

Goodman Artistic Director Robert Falls directs an intimate new production of Chekhov's masterwork The Seagull, whose unforgettable characters reveal the passion and pathos of everyday life. When famed actress Irina visits her family with her young lover Trigorin in tow, they become ensnared in a tragicomic tangle of romance, intrigue and unrequited love. Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience this 19th century masterpiece, interpreted by one of America's outstanding directors-in the Owen Theatre.

Mary
By Thomas Bradshaw
Directed by May Adrales
A World Premiere Goodman Theatre Commission
February 5 - March 6, 2011

Outrageous. Ruthless. Explosive. Named "Best Provocative Playwright" by The Village Voice, Thomas Bradshaw pulls
no punches in his comic absurdist drama Mary. At the height of what Time magazine dubbed "AIDS hysteria" in 1983, college student David invites his boyfriend home to his parents' house in Virginia where nothing has changed since the 1800s-including the slave quarters. Confronting hypocrisy and oppression with exhilarating wit, Bradshaw's incendiary work is "likely to leave you speechless!" (The New York Times).

El Nogalar
By Tanya Saracho
Directed by Cecilie Keenan
March 26 - April 24, 2011
In the Owen Theatre
A World Premiere Co-Production with Teatro Vista

Maite and her daughters can't stand the idea of losing their family's land to developers, but their money-and their time-is running out. Despite warnings from her family and her friends, Maite ignores her declining fortune as ardently as she has ignored the social consequences of the Mexican Revolution. Set in present-day Northern Mexico, El Nogalar (Pecan Orchard) is a hilarious and poignant story about the choice between adapting to the changing world and getting left behind.

SPECIAL EVENT!
Abbey Theatre of Ireland: Terminus

Written and Directed by Mark O'Rowe

March 2-6, 2011

Presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art, MCA Global Stage Series, in association

Three characters, known simply as A, B, and C, weave vivid intertwined monologues of loneliness, violence, and despair. Set in the gritty underworld of Dublin's docklands, the characters are thrown into a fantastical world of serial killers, vengeful angels, and love-sick demons as they seek their own quests. Mark O'Rowe, acclaimed Irish playwright and director, constructs a poignant moral and dramatic rollercoaster ride. Terminus is produced by Dublin-based Abbey Theatre, Ireland's national theater, and is presented by MCA Stage in association with Goodman Theatre.

About Goodman Theatre

Currently on stage is the Chicago premiere of The Good Negro by Tracey Scott Wilson, directed by Chuck Smith (through June 6; Albert Theatre). Hephaestus, a Lookingglass and Silverguy Entertainment production at Goodman Theatre, appears in the Owen Theatre. (For press inquiries, call 773.564.9564). The final production in the 2009/2010 Season is The Sins of Sor Juana by Karen Zacarías, directed by Henry Godinez (June 19 - July 25; Albert Theatre), which launches the Goodman's 5th Latino Theatre Festival-including the U.S. debut of Teatro Buendía, Cuba's acclaimed theater company.

Goodman Theatre has been internationally recognized for its artists, productions and programs since its founding in 1925. Celebrating 10 years in the North Loop Theatre District, Goodman Theatre is a major cultural, educational and economic pillar in Chicago. Named the nation's "Best Regional Theatre" by Time magazine, Goodman Theatre has garnered hundreds of awards for artistic achievement and community engagement, including numerous Tony Awards and two Pulitzer Prizes. Under the leadership of artistic director Robert Falls and executive director Roche Schulfer,
Goodman Theatre's priorities include new plays, re-imagined classic productions, culturally specific work and musical
theater. Over the past thirty years, the Goodman has produced more than 100 world or American premieres. Robert Falls' contemporary versions Death of a Salesman, Long Day's Journey into Night and King Lear have been celebrated nationally and internationally, along with his artistic collaboration with actor Brian Dennehy. Cultural diversity stands at the forefront of the Goodman's mission; over the past two decades, one-third of Goodman productions have featured artists of color (including 21 world premieres) and the Goodman was the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson's 20th Century Cycle. Since 2003, the Latino Theatre Festival has been a biennial celebration of
Latin theater companies from Chicago and around the globe. Over the past two decades, the Goodman has produced 25 musical theater works, including 10 world premieres. Each year Goodman's numerous education and community engagement programs, including the highly praised Student Subscription Series, serve several thousand Chicago Public High School students. In addition, for 33 years the annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol has led to the creation of a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. Goodman Theatre's leadership includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Frank Galati, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, and Regina Taylor. The chairman of Goodman Theatre's Board of Trustees is Patricia Cox and Karen Pigott is President of the Women's Board. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre.

Visit us virtually at GoodmanTheatre.org; discover the 2010/2011 Season at ExploreTheGoodman.org; catch the latest news on the Goodman's Blog; Like us on Facebook; Follow us on Twitter; and peek behind-the-scenes on the Goodman's YouTube Channel.

For comprehensive content on Goodman Theatre's 2010/2011 Season, including exclusive artist videos for each production, visit Goodman Theatre's microsite, ExploreTheGoodman.org.

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