Two River Theater to Present LIVES OF REASON; Cast Announced

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the full cast and creative team for its production of Lives of Reason, a world premiere written by Robert Rechnitz and Kenneth Stunkel, directed by Jonathan Fox. Performances will begin in Two River's Marion Huber Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, on Saturday, January 9 and continue through Sunday, February 7. The opening night performance is Friday, January 15 at 8pm. Tickets are available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org. The lead production sponsors are Monmouth University and Saker ShopRites.

Set at an English Department faculty party, Lives of Reason brings audiences inside the world of academia, exposing the challenges of intellectual life-and what happens when one woman's secret passions explode and her authentic self is revealed.

Says Artistic Director John Dias, "Robert Rechnitz and Kenneth Stunkel are late-career playwrights who spent much of their professional lives as professors at Monmouth University, which is where Bob-with his wife Joan-founded Two River Theater 22 years ago. It has been moving for us to witness both men, who began their careers as artists-Bob as an actor, Ken as a dancer-embark on a new creative endeavor as co-writers of this play."

Featured in the company are Matthew Lieff Christian (Anthem), Philip Goodwin (As You Like It), Maurice Jones (Romeo and Juliet), Mairin Lee (The Heiress), Patrick Monaghan (Two River Theater's A Little Shakespeare program), William Parry (Sunday in the Park with George), Peter Rini (Proposals), Jay Russell (End of the Rainbow), Maureen Silliman (The Glass Menagerie), and John C. Vennema (The Ride Down Mt. Morgan).

Robert Rechnitz founded Two River Theater in 1994 and serves as the theater's Executive Producer. An educator, writer, and director, he is one of New Jersey's most esteemed theater leaders. He was a Professor of American Literature at Monmouth University for 35 years, contributing scholarly articles and short stories to various academic journals. Among the notable productions he has directed at Two River are Curse of the Starving Class, A View from the Bridge, The Glass Menagerie, Uncle Vanya, American Buffalo, You Can't Take It with You, and True West.

Kenneth Stunkel was a Professor of History at Monmouth University for many years, serving for 13 years as Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and Dean of Arts and Sciences. He is author or co-author of nine books and numerous articles and essays about India, China, and Japan, ancient Greece and Rome, the history of ideas, energy and the environment, technology and ethics, and world politics. Previously, he studied ballet and modern dance; he was with the National Ballet for two years, and was a lead dancer in the performing company of Ethel Butler, who was closely associated as a dancer and teacher with Martha Graham.

Jonathan Fox is Executive Artistic Director of Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara, where his recent productions include Sweeney Todd and Tom Waits's musical adaptation of Woyzeck. European productions include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the English Theatre of Frankfurt and Crimes of the Heart at the Vienna English Theatre. In 1994, he joined Robert and Joan Rechnitz in establishing Two River Theater, serving as managing director through 1999 and artistic director through 2006. His Two River productions include The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and a festival of work by Samuel Beckett.

The creative team includes scenic designer Charlie Corcoran, costume designer Karen Perry, lighting designer Gina Scherr, and sound designer Jane Shaw. The fight director is J. Steven White, the casting is by Dale Brown, and the production stage manager is Larry Copeland.

Ticket Information

Ticket prices range from $45 to $65, with discounts available for groups, seniors, and U.S. military personnel, their families, and veterans. A limited number of $20 tickets are available for every performance; $20 tickets may be partial view. Tickets for patrons under 30 are $20 and include the best available seats at every performance. Tickets are available from tworivertheater.org or 732.345.1400.