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How much are we willing to blur the line between fact and fiction in order to leave our mark on the world? Inspired by the real-life autobiography of Louis de Rougemont, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies celebrates the power of storytelling with a fantastical theatrical adventure sure to bring out every audience member's inner child.Luke Yankee (ICT's Private Lives, former artistic director of Long Beach Civic Light Opera and Struthers Library Theatre) directs Shipwrecked! for an October 14 opening at International City Theatre. Two low-priced previews take place on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13.
In 1898, Louis de Rougemont's amazing story of 30 years of adventure in the Australian outback left 19th century England spellbound, his astonishing tales of bravery, survival and exotic locales turning him into an instant celebrity. But was it real, or just a figment of his imagination? Fully titled Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself), this family-friendly frolic dares audiences to be whisked away by Rougemont's fascinating account of the high seas, a narrative populated by exotic islanders, flying wombats, giant sea turtles and a monstrous man-eating octopus.Jud Williford (ICT's Around the World in 80 Days, first and second national tours of Wicked as Dr. Dillamond)stars in the title role, while Nick Ley (Crown City Theatre's A Funny Thing Happened...) and Laurine Price (The Count of Monte Cristo: The Musical at Hollywood Fringe) play over 40 different roles between them.
"The magic of theater is its power to astonish, but astonishment can occur only if the audience is willing to suspend its disbelief," said Margulies in an interview. "My aim with Shipwrecked was to capture the attention of the hidden child in everyone in my audience. I wanted to write a play that would make no attempt to replicate onstage what television and movies do, but would instead celebrate the uniqueness of theater."
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Margulies' love of theater was fostered early by his father, who, despite his low income, found a way to take his children to see plays and musicals on Broadway. Margulies initially studied visual arts at the Pratt Institute but transferred to the State University of New York to pursue playwriting. His career took off in 1992 when he won the OBIE Award for Best New American Play for Sight Unseen. His other works include The Loman Family Picnic; Pitching to the Star; Zimmer; Luma Park; What's Wrong With This Picture?; The Model Apartment; Broken Sleep; and Dinner With Friends, which premiered at Actors Theatre and won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize. He currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut, where he teaches playwriting at the Yale School of Drama.
The creative team for Shipwrecked! includes set designer Tesshi Nakagawa, lighting designer Donna Ruzika, costume designerKim DeShazo, Sound Designer Dave Mickey, props designers Patty and Gordon Briles and hair and wigs designer Anthony Gagliardi. Casting is by Michael Donovan and the production stage manager is Bradley Zipser.
Shipwrecked! runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., Oct. 14 through Nov. 6. Two preview performances take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 and Thursday, Oct. 13, both at 8 p.m. Tickets are $47 on Thursdays and Fridays, and $49 on Saturdays and Sundays, except opening night (Oct. 14), for which tickets are $55 and include a post-performance reception, and previews which are $35. Children ages 5-18 pay only $25 at any performance. International City Theatre is located in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center at 330 East Seaside Way in Long Beach, CA 90802. For reservations and information, call 562-436-4610 or go to InternationalCityTheatre.org.
