Cygnet Theatre Presents MAN FROM NEBRASKA 9/24-11/1, Rehearsals Now Underway
By: Gabrielle Sierra Sep. 11, 2009
Cygnet Theatre presents the San Diego premiere of Man from Nebraska by Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Letts. Directed by Cygnet Associate Artistic Director Francis Gercke, the cast (many of whom have starred in other San Diego Letts' premieres) will include Robin Christ, John DeCarlo, Cygnet Resident Artist Sandra Ellis-Troy, Monique Gaffney, Jeffrey Jones, Linda Libby, Jack Missett, Mike Sears and Amanda Sitton. Man from Nebraska runs September 24th through November 1st, 2009 at Cygnet's Old Town Theatre. Press Opening is October 3rd at 8pm.
A luxury sedan, a church pew, a cafeteria table, a favorite TV show, and visits to a nursing home form the comfortable cycles of the dull daily life of middle-aged insurance salesman Ken Carpenter. Then one night, he awakens to discover that he no longer believes in God. To the surprise of his family, who think he has lost his mind, Ken decides to find himself and his faith by flying to London. He navigates through the unfamiliar and somewhat dangerous realm of British counter-culture and ultimately finds his way back home. Tracy Letts' moving, funny, and spiritually complex play dares to ask the big questions, and by doing so, reveals the hidden yearning and emotion that spur the eccentric behavior of seemingly ordinary people.
An ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Tracy Letts is an actor, a director and a playwright who, in addition to his stage credits, has appeared in several motion pictures and television shows.Tracy's work includes Killer Joe, Bug and Man from Nebraska (which premiered at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Illinois - opening on November 20, 2003 - and was named a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama). Letts was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2008 Tony Award for Best Play for August: Osage County. His most recent play, Superior Donuts, opens on Broadway this October. He was also named one of Time's "Best of 2003."
Cygnet's Man from Nebraska is directed by Associate Artistic Director Francis Gercke. Gercke previously directed Curse of the Starving Class and Mauritius at Cygnet Theatre. He also co-directed the most recent production of Fully Committed currently playing at Cygnet's Rolando Theatre through September 20th. He is a graduate of the Actors' Studio School of Drama in New York and is the recipient of multiple San Diego Critic Circle and Patte Awards for both directing and acting at numerous San Diego theaters. Gercke's Cygnet acting credits include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Desire Under the Elms, A Number and Love Song.
The cast for Man from Nebraska include several members from Cygnet's San Diego Premiere of another of Tracy Letts' works - Bug. Robin Christ (Cygnet's Las Meninas), John DeCarlo (Cygnet's Mauritius) and Monique Gaffney (Cygnet's Las Meninas and Yellowman) all brought Letts' provocative story to life on Cygnet's Rolando stage in October of 2006. Cast member Mike Sears, making his Cygnet debut in Man from Nebraska, recently starred in Compass Theatre's Killer Joe - another Tracy Letts' work. Other cast members from Man from Nebraska include Linda Libby (Cygnet's original production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Cygnet Resident Artist Sandra Ellis-Troy (Cygnet's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Matchmaker, A Little Night Music), Jeffrey Jones (Cygnet's Burn This and Atwater: Fixin' to Die) Jack Missett (Cygnet's Curse of the Starving Class and Mauritius) and Amanda Sitton (Cygnet's Las Meninas).
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