FIVE MILE LAKE Completes McCarter's 2014-15 Season

Jamie (Tobias Segal) enjoys a quiet life in his small Pennsylvania town, fixing up his grandfather's old lake house and pining after Mary (Kristen Bush), his troubled coworker. When his brother (Nathan Darrow) comes back to town with a new girlfriend (Mahira Kakkar), Jamie's peaceful world is thrown into disorder. What follows is a tender and heartfelt tale about regret, lost loves, and the murky depths that lie beneath still waters.

Continuing its proud tradition of introducing major new plays and writers to the American Stage,(Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Convert, and Anna in the Tropics) McCarter Theatre Center is pleased to present the East Coast Premiere by playwright Rachel Bonds, whose work contains a "sublime tone" (The New York Times) in its well-constructed mix of character, potent dialogue, and nuanced subtext.

Five Mile Lake was presented as part of the 2013 McCarterLab Reading Series. Costa Mesa, CA's South Coast Repertory presented the world premiere in the spring of 2014 with a script lauded as "a gift for actors" by the Los Angeles Times.

In the words of director Emily Mann, "I am exceedingly proud of McCarter's reputation as a home and a hub for original work and emerging artists. Rachel's writing is exquisite. Her plays capture quiet moments and interactions that have large, life-changing implications for the characters, all of whom are vividly drawn, familiar, and lovable. Five Mile Lake is about a small town-not unlike the small towns from which both Rachel and I hail. When I read it, I immediately connected to the story, which seems, in so many ways, to capture elements of my own young adulthood."

The cast of Five Mile Lake includes returning McCarter artists Kristen Bush (Proof) as Mary, Tobias Segal (Antony & Cleopatra) as Jamie, and Mahira Kakkar (Miss Witherspoon) as Peta. Newcomers to McCarter include Jason Babinsky (Billy Elliot and Ghost on Broadway) as Danny and Nathan Darrow (known for his role as Secret Service Agent Edward Meechum on Netflix' House of Cards) as Rufus.

The creative/design team for Five Mile Lake consists of five artists at the top of their creative games. Scenic Designer Edward Pierce, whose Broadway credits include Wicked, Billy Elliot, 9 to 5, and Pippin (just to name a few) returns to McCarter after opening the current season in a starkly beautiful fashion with the design for Antony & Cleopatra. Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter, veteran of numerous McCarter productions including Miss Witherspoon and Last of the Boys, won the 2012 Best Lighting Design of a Play Tony Award for his stellar work on Peter and The Starcatcher. Sound Designer Daniel Perelstein contributes original music as well, and is a 2-time Barrymore Award Winner for Outstanding Sound Design. Obie Award-Winning Costume Designer Jennifer von Mayrhauser returns to McCarter, having designed for more than 15 productions directed by Emily Mann.

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