People’s Light & Theatre Presents SHIPWRECKED!, 3/22-4/15

People's Light & Theatre presents Donald Margulies' Shipwrecked! An Entertainment-The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself), running March 22 – April 15, 2012 on the Steinbright Stage.  Jackson Phippin directs.  People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA  19355.  For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org.  Shipwrecked! is part of the PNC Arts Alive Family Discovery Series.

Shipwrecked! is described as "a delight-filled traveler's tale (which may or may not be true) that takes you from the exotic islands of the Coral Sea to Queen Victoria's garden to the Royal Geographic Society.  Fun for ages nine and up, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies has crafted this fast-paced, exciting play based on the stories from history's Louis de Rougemont.  Born in 1844, De Rougemont claimed to have survived 30 years in the Australian Outback before returning to London to tell of his outrageous experiences.  While his stories enthralled the nation, Australians booed him, not believing his tales.  Margulies' Shipwrecked! leaves it up to the audience to decide what to believe."

Longtime People's Light company member Graham Smith plays the role of Louis, while James Ijames (2011 recipient of the F. Otto Haas Emerging Artist Award) and Mary McCool play an assortment of characters.  Director Jackson Phippin returns to People's Light, bringing to the stage his extensive experience working with experimental theatre.

Phippin says, "This is a story of adventure and wanderlust.  It is also a story of the imagination.  The story flows out of one man's mind.  It moves very quickly at times, changing venues in the blink of an eye.  So we've decided that our approach needs to be suggestive-transformative-that it needs to be inherently theatrical and playful.  We want the audience to imagine with us the suggested reality of these adventures."

He continues, "Like all plays, Shipwrecked! begins with language and as we read we sense a world.  Most times that world is fixed and encumbered by its historical and cultural reality.  This piece isn't nearly as rigid and invites the artistic team to create a special reality that will be highly entertaining.  To have the opportunity to create such a special theatrical space and performance style is always to be relished!"

TICKET INFORMATION
Shipwrecked! previews on Thursday, March 22nd at 7pm.  The play opens on Friday, March 23rd at 7pm and runs through April 15th.  Audiences are encouraged to join the artists after each performance for a conversation about the production.

Single tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for youths under 18.  For tickets, call the box office at 610.644.3500.  Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.  For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x134 or email  HYPERLINK "mailto:charles@peopleslight.org" charles@peopleslight.org.  Actors, prices, performance dates and times are subject to change.  Additional service charges will apply.  Contact the box office for more details.

Subscription tickets are still available for the 2011-2012 Season.  Productions in the PNC Arts Alive Family Discovery Series include Shipwrecked! (March 22 – April 15, 2012) and A Wrinkle in Time (April 26 – May 20, 2012).  Productions in the 2-Play Series include Shakespeare's Will (May 30 – June 24, 2012) and Mr. Hart and MR. Brown (July 18 – August 19, 2012).  

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