A Play About Physics and Celebrity Opens In Redwood City This Weekend

Imagine a meeting of the minds between Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Senator Joe McCarthy, and Joe DiMaggio in a New York hotel room in the 1950s. Using these archetypes as a jumping off point, playwright Terry Johnson shows that celebrity, sex, death, and politics are all intertwined. Hilarious and heartbreaking, Insignificance shows us that everything is in fact relative.

Insignificance by Terry Johnson is the first show of Dragon Productions Theatre Company's 20187 Main Stage series. The 2018 season is The Season of Everything and it starts with Insignificance. Albert Einstein's final challenge was the Theory of Everything, in which he was trying to unify all physical aspects of the universe. It required a deeper understanding of how things work on a fundamental level. Theatre teaches compassion and empathy and by combining theatre with science we aim to show in 2018 that as humans, we are all connected, that science and art are intertwined, and that our actions make ripples both in the present and in the future. As Albert Einstein once wrote, "The greatest scientists are artists as well" and we think that this season reflects the dual nature of technology and art of our Silicon Valley community. This season also marks the final season of founding Artistic Director Meredith Hagedorn and is a nice button to the end of an astonishing career in the theatre on the Peninsula. This show is sponsored in part by Dr. Katharine Miller.

Of the play, director Laura Jane Bailey says "Terry Johnson's comedy/melodrama Insignificance features four American icons wrestling with celebrity, the shape of the universe, the theory of everything, the threat of nuclear war, and desire for legacy. Fantasy and reality. Fact and fiction. They grapple with the messy experience of being actual human beings in a world with other actual human beings."

Managing Director Kimberly Wadycki says "what drew me to the play was the incredible depth of the story. Terry Johnson chose to use some incredibly recognizable personas as archetypes to deep dive into some very weighty and contemporary themes. In today's social and political climate, the themes and stories of these archetypes still rings incredibly true. Plus, you get to see a beautiful woman give one heck of an entertaining physics lecture. As the daughter of a high school physics teacher it tickled me to visualize putting Einstein's theories on the stage in such an accessible and interesting way."

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT: Terry Johnson (born in 1955) is a British dramatist and director working for stage, television and film. Educated at Birmingham University, he worked as an actor from 1971 to 1975, and has been active as a playwright since the early 1980s.

Johnson's stage work has been produced around the world. He has won nine British Theatre awards including the Olivier Award for Best Comedy 1994 for his play Hysteria, and in 1999 for his play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick.

He has had many West End productions as director and/or writer including: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (director, featuring Alex Kingston and Christian Slater), Hitchcock Blonde (writer/director featuring Rosamund Pike), The Graduate (writer). Johnson won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical for La Cage aux Folles.

He has worked with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, directing John Malkovich in The Libertine (nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Awards including Best Production) and Lost Land, both plays by Stephen Jeffreys.

He has written and directed television drama that has been broadcast worldwide, most recently Not Only But Always for Channel 4, which won five International Award nominations, Best Film at Banff, and a BAFTA for Rhys Ifans.

The film version of his play Insignificance (directed by Nicolas Roeg) was the official British entry at the Cannes Film Festival in 1985.

Featuring the talents of: Jim Johnson (The Professor), Jessica Lea Risco (The Actress), Gary Mosher (The Senator), and Nick Mandracchia (The Ballplayer)

Designers & Production Team: Laura Jane Bailey (Director), Karl Haller (Technical Director), Eric Johnson (Scenic Designer), Edward Liptzin (Lighting Designer), Kathleen Qiu (Costume Designer), Jonathan Covey (Sound Designer), Beth Covey-Snedegar (Properties Master), Cameron Wells (Dialect Coach), Stephen Fick (Fight Choreographer), Maggie Ziomek (Graphic Designer), Lance Huntley (Photographer)

WHEN: January 26 - February 18, 2018

Thursdays - Saturdays, 8pm, Sundays, 2pm. Doors open 30 minutes before the show.

Pay what you will preview on Thurs., Jan. 25 at 8p

Opening night performance on Fri., Jan. 26 at 8p

Post-show discussion with the cast and director Sun., Feb. 4

This show is rated PG-13 for adult themes. The run time is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.

SPECIAL EVENT: Because the play "takes place" on the evening that Marilyn filmed her legendary scene in the film The Seven Year Itch, we'll be showing the film The Seven Year Itch on Saturday, February 3 at 2p. This event will be pay what you will in cash at the door and the concessions bar will be open to purchase refreshments to enjoy during the film. Doors open at 1:30p.

$35 for general admission seats; $27 for student/senior tickets.

$15 rush tickets on Thursdays and Fridays starting 2nd week. Limited availability and cash only at the door.

Pay what you will preview on Thursday, Jan. 25th - no reservation necessary, just walk up and pay cash at the door. Doors open at 7:30p; show starts at 8p.

$175 for the VIP box (seats 4 people and includes champagne and chocolates.)

The Dragon Box Office is not staffed 7 days a week so there might be a delay in response. Buying tickets online at http://www.dragonproductions.net is the very best way to reserve a ticket in advance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TIX & MORE INFO: http://dragonproductions.net/