Roundabout Theatre Company's ROAD TO MECCA Begins Rehearsals

Rehearsals begin today, Tuesday, November 15th for Roundabout Theatre Company's (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), Broadway premiere production of Athol Fugard's play The Road To Mecca starring Tony Award® winner Rosemary Harris as "Miss Helen," Carla Gugino as "Elsa Barlow" and Tony Award® winner Jim Dale as "Marius Byleveld", directed by Gordon Edelstein.

The Road to Mecca will begin previews on December 16 and open officially on January 17, 2012 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). This will be a limited engagement through March 4th, 2012.

The design team includes Michael Yeargan (Sets), Susan Hilferty (Costumes), Peter Kaczorowski (Lights) and John Gromada (Original Music and Sound Design).

Roundabout's production of The Road to Mecca will begin Athol Fugard's 80th birthday celebration which will continue in February 2012 at Signature Theatre Company. Signature will launch their theatre's new home, Signature Center with Athol Fugard as its inaugural Residency One playwright. Residency One is Signature's core one year playwright-in-residence program that produces a series of plays from the body of work of one accomplished writer. Throughout the season, Signature will explore the works of Fugard, the South African playwright, director and actor, who also was honored with a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Tony Awards this past season. Roundabout's production of The Road to Mecca is by special arrangement with Signature Theatre Company.

Athol Fugard's "Master Harold"...and the Boys was produced at Roundabout in 2003. The world premiere production of The Road to Mecca at the National Theatre in London and at the Promenade Theatre off-Broadway was directed by Mr. Fugard. Mr. Fugard played the role of "Marius Byleveld" in both productions which won the 1988 Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play.

Gordon Edelstein has the distinguished honor of having directed Roundabout's first Broadway production 20-years ago: Harold Pinter's The Homecoming at the Criterion Center. Gordon returns to Roundabout having most recently directed the critically acclaimed production of The Glass Menagerie (2010) and Martin McDonagh's A Skull in Connemara (2001).

Rosemary Harris was last seen on the Roundabout stage in Edward Albee's All Over (2002). Carla Gugino made her Broadway debut at Roundabout in Arthur Miller's After the Fall (2004) and returned to star in Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer (2006). Jim Dale received Tony Award nominations for both of his performances at Roundabout: Joe Egg (1985) and The Threepenny Opera (2006).

Set in the region of South Africa known as the Karoo, The Road to Mecca tells the story of an elderly woman who has spent the years since her husband's death transforming her home into an intricate and dazzling work of art. The reclusive Miss Helen (Rosemary Harris) has become depressed and appears increasingly unable to care for herself. Pastor Marius Byleveld, who embodies the village's conservative values, is determined to get Miss Helen into an old-age home. Her friend Elsa (Carla Gugino), a young teacher from Cape Town who is deeply suspicious of the patriarchal traditions Byleveld represents, is just as determined that Miss Helen remain free.

Major support for The Road to Mecca provided by Beth and Ravenel Curry.

Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the American Airlines box office (227 West 42nd Street). Ticket prices range from $67.00-117.00.

Roundabout Subscribers save up to 50% off of ticket prices and have access to special in-theatre events and perks. To become a Roundabout Subscriber, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org/joinnow or call Roundabout Ticket Services (212)719-1300 today.

The Road to Mecca will play Tuesday through Saturday evening at 8:00PM with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00PM.

Roundabout Theatre Company's 2011-2012 season features Terence Rattigan's Man and Boy, starring Frank Langella, directed by Maria Aitken; Stephen Karam's Sons of the Prophet, directed by Peter DuBois; Andrew Hinderaker's Suicide, Incorporated, directed by Jonathan Berry; Athol Fugard's The Road To Mecca starring Rosemary Harris, Carla Gugino & Jim Dale, directed by Gordon Edelstein and John Osborne's Look Back in Anger, directed by Sam Gold; Marc Camoletti's Don't Dress For Dinner adapted by Robin Hawdon, directed by John Tillinger. Roundabout's Tony Award winning production of Anything Goes starring Sutton Foster & Joel Grey, directed & choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, is currently playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

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