Barton Cowperthwaite Completes the Cast for LONE STAR Off-Broadway

Ruth Stage announced today that Barton Cowperthwaite (“Tiny Pretty Things”, The Outsiders, “Girls5eva”, An American in Paris National Tour) will star as ‘Ray', completing the casting for the upcoming off-Broadway premiere of James McLure's dark comedy Lone Star, playing Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street) beginning Saturday, November 25th. The production marks Barton Cowperthwaite's off-Broadway debut.

He joins the previously announced leads Ana Isabelle (‘Rosalia' in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story) as ‘Elizabeth', Ryan McCartan (Wicked, Frozen, Heathers The Musical, Fox's The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as ‘Cletis', and Matt de Rogatis (‘Brick' in Ruth Stage's off-Broadway premiere of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, opposite Courtney Henggeler) as ‘Roy'.


Barton Cowperthwaite starred as the male lead in the Netflix's hit YA drama, “Tiny Pretty Things”. By the third day of its release, “Tiny Pretty Things” became the #1 most streamed series on Netflix globally. Barton can also be seen as the recur on the second season of Peacock's hit comedy “Girls5eva”. He is a classically trained dancer, and his stage credits include featured performances at The Met. He was recently in La Jolla Playhouse's The Outsiders. Previously, he starred in Director X's Center Stage alongside Peter Gallagher and was seen in the FX limited series “Fosse/Verdon”. 

“I'm so pleased to be joining the Ruth Stage production of Lone Star. ‘Ray' is a piece of me I hadn't know was there until now. He wears his heart on his hat, he's a breath of cool night air, and he is helping me slow down in this fast world. This one's for my siblings!” said Barton Cowperthwaite.


Director Joe Rosario said, “I am beyond thrilled for someone as young and as talented as Barton to be joining our off-Broadway debut of Lone Star. We have assembled such a fantastic group of actors, and can't wait for everyone to see this dark comedy.”

Also announced today are the complete creative team. Joining director Joe Rosario are Matthew Imhoff (Set Design), Christian Specht (Lighting Design), Tomas Correa (Sound & Projection Design), Legacy Comix (Comic Book Illustrations), Tollie Boone (Stage Manager), and Milton Elliott (Assistant Stage Manager). Casting is by Ruth Stage.

Lone Star takes place in the cluttered back yard of a small-town Texas bar. Roy, a brawny macho type, is back in town, battling symptoms of PTSD, after a hitch in Vietnam. Joined by his younger brother Ray, this hilarious and poignant study of a pair of Texas "good ole boys" explores the depths of brotherhood and the scars to be dealt with from battles fought at home and abroad.

Ruth Stage has been granted exclusive permission from the McLure Estate to combine elements of Lone Star's sister play, Laundry and Bourbon, to create a one-of-a-kind adaptation. Laundry and Bourbon's central character of Elizabeth enters this production with dialogue from both Laundry and Bourbon as well as an unpublished Lone Star screenplay which was set to be made into a film in the 1980's with Sigourney Weaver but never came to fruition. Live music from the Vietnam era will also be woven throughout this timely adaptation.

Additionally, the show will feature an original song written and performed by Ms. Isabelle.

Directed by Joe Rosario (Ruth Stage's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Courtney Henggeler), Lone Star is set to begin preview performances on Saturday, November 25th at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street), with an opening night set for Sunday, December 3rd. The strictly limited engagement is set to run through Saturday, December 23rd, 2023.

Tickets, beginning at $49, can be purchased at either www.ruthstage.org/lonestar or https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/lone-star-by-james-mclure/. Additionally, tickets can be purchased by calling the Theatre Row Box Office at 212-714-2442 x45 (https://bfany.org/theatre-row/). Theatre Row is located at 410 West 42nd Street. The Box Office is available by phone Monday – Friday from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm.

Lone Star is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. (www.dramatists.com).

Additional information, including remaining casting, will be announced shortly. For more information, please visit www.ruthstage.org/lonestar.

ABOUT Barton Cowperthwaite

Barton Cowperthwaite starred as the male lead in the Netflix's hit YA drama, “Tiny Pretty Things”. By the third day of its release, “Tiny Pretty Things” became the #1 most streamed series on Netflix globally. Barton can also be seen as the recur on the second season of Peacock's hit comedy “Girls5eva”. He is a classically trained dancer, and his stage credits include featured performances at The Met. He was recently in La Jolla Playhouse's The Outsiders. Previously, he starred in Director X's Center Stage alongside Peter Gallagher and was seen in the FX limited series “Fosse/Verdon”. 

ABOUT RUTH STAGE

Ruth Stage is an edgy and innovative New Jersey based nonprofit multi media group, founded by the late Bob Lamb in 2017. Over the last several years, this maverick organization has inspired a generation to get involved in the arts. By re-introducing thought provoking, seminal playwrights to more audiences, Ruth Stage aims to keep the classics alive. Ruth Stage re-imagines, reinvents and accessibly presents must see, formative works to audiences of all ages. In the summer of 2022 and winter of 2023, Ruth Stage produced the first ever Off Broadway productions of the Pulitzer Prize winning play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. This past June, Ruth Stage launched their first podcast, The Magnificent Bastards, which can be watched on their YouTube channel (@officialruthstage) and downloaded on all podcast platforms. Additionally, Ruth Stage is currently developing a dramatic television series for a major streaming service. For more information, please visit www.ruthstage.org.

ABOUT THEATRE ROW 


Theatre Row is an Off-Broadway multi-theater complex in the heart of NYC's Theater District that serves as an affordable home for performing artist organizations, and a lively, accessible venue for diverse audiences. Located just two blocks from Times Square, Theatre Row offers theater rentals, rehearsal studio rentals, office space, ticketing and box office, as well as tech support to actors, producers, dancers, and musicians. Theatre Row encourages its varied mix of nonprofit theater companies to share ideas and resources as they work in its intimate spaces. Over 160,000 patrons come to Theatre Row each year.

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