Artists Rep Extends GOD OF CARNAGE Through 10/16

With full houses and rave reviews, Artists Rep will extend the season-launching production of "God of Carnage" with five additional evening performances October 13-16 at 7:30pm; and one matinee Sunday, October 16 at 2pm.

This 2009 Tony winner for Best Play has been a hit as the theater season kicks off in Portland. The play tells the story of two sets of parents who meet to discuss a bullying incident in what they hoped would be a "civilizEd Manner. " As the evening wears on that intent goes awry, and the play turns ferociously hilarious, shocking and disturbing, as the parents battle for ethical superiority.

Set in a renovated loft apartment in The Pearl, what begins as a calm, collected negotiation between two high-powered and well-to-do couples quickly unravels into a situation where both parties are stripped of their urbane pretense. At times violent, at times crude, at times intoxicated, the parents' attempt to rise above the carnal inclinations of their developing children turns into a battle between the sexes and a test of their marriages.

"Come watch people you will recognize getting in touch with their inner 11-year old," said Director Denis Arndt. "Parents behaving badly can be lots of fun. In this play the audience will play with us... this is not a spectator sport here."

In 2009, God of Carnage opened on Broadway in a production starring Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden. It ran for over a year, received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and was the third-longest running play of that decade. It won three Tony awards, including Tony Award for Best Play. Roman Polanski directed the film adaptation starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly.