Rubicon Theatre Launches National Tour Of THE GIN GAME This Weekend

The Rubicon Theatre in Ventura will open the company's doors once again for its first production since the pandemic began with a very special pre-season event featuring acclaimed stars of screen and television, JoBeth Williams and Joe Spano, starring in The Gin Game by D.L. Coburn and directed by Jenny Sullivan. Rubicon Theatre is the first stop on a national tour of this Pulitzer Prize winning dramedy.

The Gin Game begins previews on Wednesday, March 16; opens on Saturday, March 19 at 7p.m.; and runs through Sunday, April 3 at the Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District.

Weller Martin, played by Emmy and L.A. Drama Critics' Circle Award-Winner Spano, is an irascible retired businessman. He plays a lonely game of solitaire at the nursing home where he has been a longtime resident. When he finds newcomer Fonsia Dorsey (played by Academy Award nominee JoBeth Williams) in a private moment of grief on the porch, he engages her in a game of gin rummy. The two strike up a friendship as they share stories about the lives they led in the outside world. But when the prim and proper Fonsia, new to the game, wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly competitive and frustrated, until their gin games and conversations become a battleground.

Says Rubicon Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns, "This piece originally played on Broadway with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn, and is recognized as a tour de force for the actors. JoBeth Williams and Joe Spano are both extraordinary, powerful actors and we are excited to welcome them back to the Rubicon stage before they tour the nation in these roles."

The Gin Game previews on Wednesday, March 16, Thursday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. and Friday, March 18 at 8:00 p.m. Opening is Saturday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. The production runs through Sunday, April 3. Performances are Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (followed by a talkback), Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.; Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $30.00- $79.50.

To purchase tickets for The Gin Game or the company's 2022-2023 Season, call the Rubicon Box Office at (805) 667-2900 or visit rubicontheatre.org or visit in person at 1006 E. Main Street (Laurel entrance), from Noon to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Single tickets for each of the shows are also on sale and available via the box office or the company's website: www.rubicontheatre.org.

Season tickets include special savings, guaranteed seating, ticket insurance, free exchanges (with 72 hours' notice), and advance notice of special events. Flex passes are also available at a savings.

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