Pioneer Theatre Company Presents Its First Production Of The New Year, MARY STUART

Mary Stuart, the drama depicting the intertwined lives of England's Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots opens at PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC) on JANUARY 10, 2020 and runs through JANUARY 25, 2020. Tickets for this production can be purchased by calling 801-581-6961 or visiting pioneertheatre.org.

Playwrights Jean Stock Goldstone and John Reich'S adapt the dynamic conflict of the two matriarchs in their reworking of Friedrich Schiller's classic German script, Maria Stuart.

"The story of these two powerful women, from a time where women were not typically found in positions of leadership, is a compelling one," said PTC Artistic Director Karen Azenberg discussing her reasons for selecting this particular adaptation. "I always seek to offer an historical play in our season. Including the gripping drama about the battle of these two women was an easy decision because there are current religious and political themes in this story that will resonate with our audiences even today."

The fated cousins and leaders, Elizabeth I of England and Mary of Scotland are portrayed by Anne Bates and ERIKA LA VONN respectively. BATES has appeared in Paul Sorvino's King Lear, as well as in the films Stella and The Collective. Off-Broadway, she has starred in Dan Cody's Yacht, The Effect, and is a founding member of F.A.B. WOMEN theatre group. LA VONN appeared on Broadway in The Lion King as Nala, and received the 2019 Drammy Award for Best Actor for her role in Portland Playhouse's production of Fences.

Additional cast members include SPENCER MC CABE HUNSICKER, HARRISON J. LIND, and BENJAMIN YOUNG. Shelley Butler directs this production, after premiering Lucas Hnath's A Doll's House, Part 2 at South Coast Repertory and the Japanese premiere of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

The creative team includes scenic designer Sara Ryung Clement, who has designed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Guthrie Theater, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, and others. Costume design is by BRENDA VAN DER WIEL, who serves as the head of the Performing Arts Design Program for the University of Utah, as well as has designed for several Pioneer Theatre Company productions, including last season's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. David Neville will design lighting. He has previously worked on King Charles III at PTC, and has worked for various regional theatres, and also designs for Off-Broadway, national, and international tours.

Sound design is by JOHN BALLINGER, who is also composing the score. Most recently he has scored the film 3 Days With Dad, which stars Brian Dennehy, JK Simmons, and Tom Arnold. WARREN HOLZ will design hair. Dialect coach SARAH SHIPPOBOTHAM has worked on many PTC productions, including last season's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and the current production, The Play That Goes Wrong. ALEXANDRA HARBOLD is dramaturg for the production.

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