Rice Theatre Program Presents MAURITIUS, Now thru 4/13

Rice Theatre Program will present Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck, directed by Julia Traber. Stamp collecting is far more risky than you think.

After their mother's death, two estranged half-sisters discover a book of rare stamps that may include the crown jewel for collectors. One sister tries to collect on the windfall, while the other resists for sentimental reasons. In this gripping tale, a seemingly simple sale becomes dangerous when three seedy, high-stakes collectors enter the sisters' world, willing to do anything to claim the rare find as their own. "Mauritius" was written by Theresa Rebeck, the creator of the Golden Globe nominated TV show "Smash."

Julia Traber will be the guest director of "Mauritius." Traber's most recent directing credits include "The Lion in Winter" for the Texas Repertory Theatre Companyand "Miss Julie" for the Classical Theatre Company. The Houston Chronicle described her direction of "Miss Julie" as "detailed, succinct, and stunning" and the Houston Press praised her for the characterizations she obtained from her cast. She has worked with various theatres and institutions including Alley Theatre, Houston Shakespeare Festival, The Texas Repertory Theatre Co., and The University of Houston. Currently, she is the assistant artistic director at the Classical Theatre Company.

Matt Schlief is the production manager and lecturer of theatre at Rice University, whose most recent work was as set designer for Rice's fall production of "Tartuffe." Schlief will be designing sets working with lighting designer Dustin Tannahill. Tannahill (a former student of the Visual and Dramatic Arts Department) has designed lights for Rice University for both "Drunken City" and "Tartuffe," as well as Classical Theatre Company's production of "Miss Julie."

Performances are tonight, April 5 and 6^th at 8:00pm, April 7^th at 3:00pm and April 11-13^th at 8:00pm. Tickets: Students $5, Rice Alumni, Faculty, Staff & Senior Citizens $8, General Admission $10, and Groups of 10+ $5. Performances are at Hamman Hall. Tickets are available in advance by calling 713-348-PLAY. For more information on the performances, or to inquire about group rates, visit www.arts.rice.edu. For parking information, visit parking.rice.edu.