Whirlwind Holiday Adventure GREAT EXPECTATIONS Opens Today

TheatreSquared announced the full cast and creative team for its upcoming holiday feature, a world premiere stage adaptation of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. After a startling Christmas Eve encounter, Pip's life will never be the same. Plucked from poverty and thrust into the Victorian upper class, he strives to discover himself and find true love while untangling a web of secrets. Six actors portray more than 30 characters in this virtuosic retelling for the stage. Performances are scheduled for November 30 through New Year's Day, with tickets ($15-$45) available at theatre2.org or (479) 443-5600.

"What a joy to reimagine Dickens's timeless coming-of-age tale for the stage," said T2 artistic director Robert Ford. "There's a question at the heart of so many great holiday stories, from Wonderful Life to Christmas Carol: what matters more, worldly advancement or true human connection? Pip's dreams and journey - and often missteps - are at the center of a theatrical whirlwind as this talented cast keeps the adventure humming. Great Expectations is a heady mix of heart, hope and Dickensian shadow, with a redemptive message that resonates today more than ever."

T2's premiere adaptation of Great Expectations is directed by Associate Artistic Director Amy Herzberg, whose previous work at T2 includes audience favorites One Man, Two Guvnors, Amadeus, Next to Normal, Good People, The Last Five Years, Moonlight and Magnolias, and the company's inaugural production, Bad Dates. Playwright and adaptor Robert Ford, the theatre's artistic director, previously premiered The Spiritualist, 'Twas the Night, Look Away, Fault, and My Father's War at T2.

The cast for Great Expectations includes Mason Azbill (Around the World in 80 Days, Sons of the Prophet), Stephanie Bignault (Rapture, Blister, Burn), Kieran Cronin (Around the World in 80 Days, Good People), Bryce Kemph (Peter and the Starcatcher, All the Way, It's A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and many others), Steven Marzolf (All the Way, Amadeus, The Spiritualist, The Fall of the House) and Michelle Shupe. The lead creative team includes assistant director Kholoud Sawaf, scenic designer David Arsenault, lighting designer Caitlin Smith Rapoport, Sound Designer Daniel Baker of Broken Chord, costume designer Ruby Kemph, properties master Brodie Jasch, fight choreographer Scott Russell, dialect coach Kathy Logelin, and stage manager David A. Loranca.

TheatreSquared's production is made possible in part with support from lead show sponsors Bob and Becky Alexander and Margaret and Dick Rutherford, as well as show sponsor The Walmart Museum.

Performance Schedule
Performances are scheduled November 30-New Year's Day, 2016, Wednesdays through Sundays at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios (505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville, AR).

Monday-Tuesday No Performances

Wednesday-Friday 7:30pm

Saturday 2:00pm; 7:30pm

Sunday 2:00pm

An added performance is scheduled on Friday, December 23 at 2pm. There is no performance on Sunday, December 25.

Great Expectations is appropriate for all ages, and recommended for ages 8+. The approximate running time is two hours and fifteen minutes with one intermission.

Ticket & Subscription Info

Tickets range from $15-$45 ($10/Under 30) and are available at (479) 443-5600 or online at theatre2.org.

Subscriptions to TheatreSquared's upcoming 2016/17 season are also available. Four-play packages are available for purchase at theatre2.org or (479) 443-5600, ranging from $60 for the Preview Saver Series to $150 for Opening Night.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas' professional regional theatre, offering an intimate live theatre experience for 40,000 patrons each year at the theatre and in schools throughout the state. TheatreSquared was recognized by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards, as one of the nation's ten most promising emerging theatres. TheatreSquared has experienced remarkable growth in recent seasons, expanding its audience tenfold in the past five years. The theatre is currently in the design phase for a new 50,000 square-foot facility to be completed in 2019. For further information or press tickets, contact TheatreSquared at (479) 445-6333 or visit theatre2.org.

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