THE WHIPPING MAN Opens in Columbus 5/4

Gallery Players and New Players Theater will present the Columbus premiere of Matthew Lopez' THE WHIPPING MAN, a recent off-Broadway success that was extended four times when it ran in New York, won Obie, Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards, and was the third most produced play in the country last year, according to American Theatre Magazine.

Lopez' breakout hit conveys the seldom told story of Jewish Americans in the Confederacy after the Civil War. THE WHIPPING MAN is the sort of rare, thrilling entertainment that also comes packed with powerful themes, raising questions about race, history, family, and war. Intended for more mature audiences, THE WHIPPING MAN is an opportunity for both teenagers and adults to confront the tensions and challenges these themes raise.

THE WHIPPING MAN takes audiences back to the time of Passover, 1865. The Civil War has just ended and the annual celebration of freedom from bondage is being observed in Jewish homes across the country. One of these homes, belonging to the DeLeons of Virginia, sits in ruins. Confederate officer Caleb DeLeon has returned from the war to find his family missing and only two former slaves remaining. Caleb is badly wounded and the two men, Simon and John, are forced to care for him. As the three men wait for the family's return, they wrestle with their shared past as master and slave, digging up long-buried family secrets along the way. Slavery and war, they discover, warp even good men's souls.

The production will feature local actor Bryant Bentley as Simon, the first Actors' Equity Association member to perform with NPT. Caleb will be played by Chris Tucci, and John by Christopher Austin. Denison University technical theatre professor Peter Pauze will design the set, and OSU's Lindsay Simon designs costumes. NPT Artistic Director Tim Browning will direct.

NPT produced multiple Columbus premieres of new plays in the last year, including award-winning takes on David Lindsay-Abaire's GOOD PEOPLE and Yasmina Reza's GOD OF CARNAGE. Gallery Players' commitment to the central Ohio's Jewish community and New Players Theater's commitment to producing challenging contemporary plays in their Studio Season has made for a compelling collaboration, one that both companies hope will continue to embolden and enrich central Ohio's live theatre audience.

As Gallery Players approaches its 65th year introducing audiences to relevant plays and playwrights highlighting the Jewish experience, they are partnering with New Players Theater to bring audiences yet another example of high quality theater while examining the intersections of racial and religious intolerance.

The Jewish Community Center, Gallery Players' home since 1950, celebrates its 100th anniversary of bringing inclusive programming to the whole community with multiple events that will coincide with the production of THE WHIPPING MAN. Those who attend the show will gain access to the lobby installation chronicling the history of the JCC and highlighting central Ohio's Jewish heritage. The JCC will present its next Gaynor Lecture during the run of THE WHIPPING MAN. This free lecture by Jonathan Sarna, author of the book When General Grant Expelled the Jews, will take place on Monday, May 6, from 7-9 p.m. in the Roth-Resler Theatre. In addition, the NAACP recently recognized the JCC for its commitment to diversity.

There will also be a weekday matinee open to students, seniors, and the general public on Friday, May 10, at 10 a.m. The education staff at NPT prepared a packet that was distributed to area school teachers in Grades 8-12. To receive a copy of the packet or to find out how to bring a student group to this performance, contact NPT Patron Services Manager Sonda Staley at sonda@newplayers.org.

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