Berkeley Rep Hosts Chats with GREAT GAME Director, 10/25

Direct from London, where it debuted to rave reviews, The Great Game: Afghanistan makes its West Coast premiere this month at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Artists and military experts, liberals and conservatives agree: this is an important work because it's that rare moment when world news and current events are illuminated by what we see on stage. Go behind the scenes of The Great Game at 7:00 PM on Monday, October 25 when director Indhu Rubasingham is interviewed in the Roda Theatre by Dr. Mohammad Qayoumi, a native of Afghanistan and the president of California State University, East Bay.
 
Theatres are usually dark on Mondays, but Berkeley Rep makes those evenings glow with Page to Stage, a series of talks that engage brilliant artists in sparkling conversation. Past programs have featured luminaries such as David Edgar, Danny Hoch, Tom Hulce, Sarah Jones, Tony Kushner, Michael Mayer, Terrence McNally, Rita Moreno, Salman Rushdie, and Mary Zimmerman. No tickets are necessary for these free events, but seating is limited. Each talk begins at 7:00 PM. The lobby and café open at 6:00 PM, and the theatre opens at 6:30 PM for general-admission seating. Donors to Berkeley Rep get an opportunity to meet the guests of honor at an exclusive reception catered by eVe Restaurant and Raymond Vineyards.
 
Indhu Rubasingham is known for directing new plays on Britain's most esteemed stages, including the Gate Theatre, the National Theatre, the Royal Court, and the Young Vic. In addition to co-directing The Great Game, she recently commissioned, directed, and produced an acclaimed season of nine new plays at the Tricycle Theatre entitled Women, Power and Politics. Prior to that, she staged the European premiere of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Ruined at The Almeida Theatre. She has also directed for BBC Radio 3 and the World Service.
 
Dr. Mohammad Qayoumi, the first US university president of Afghan descent, took the helm of Cal State East Bay in 2006. Previously, he served as vice president and chief financial officer at Cal State Northridge from 2002 to 2006. Dr. Qayoumi earned a BS degree from American University of Beirut. He also holds an MS, an MBA, and a PhD from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Qayoumi served as a senior advisor to the Minister of Finance of Afghanistan from 2002 to 2005 and a member of the board of directors for the Central Bank of Afghanistan from 2004 to 2007.
Whether you know it or not, you're part of The Great Game. A sweeping cycle of short scripts by 12 top playwrights, this unprecedented show explores Afghanistan over the last 150 years. It's a captivating collection of stories performed by Britain's finest actors. Presented in three parts - on different days or in one impassioned marathon - The Great Game explores the eternal struggle to control Central Asia. World powers and warlords, diplomats and activists, opium farmers and ordinary people... all of them tangle with the tribes and traditions of Afghanistan. It's an emotional event that illuminates the impressive culture of another land. See one part or see them all. Get your tickets for The Game!
 
Produced with the Tricycle Theatre and supported by the British Council, The Great Game has a limited run at Berkeley Rep: this exclusive two-week run begins October 22 and must end November 7. For more information about Page to Stage or tickets to the show, call (510) 647-2949 or (888) 4-BRT-tix (toll-free) - or simply click berkeleyrep.org.
 
Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to a national leader in innovative theatre. Known for its core values of imagination and excellence, as well as its educated and adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. The Theatre welcomes an annual audience of 180,000, serves 20,000 students, and hosts dozens of community groups, thanks to 1,000 volunteers and more than 400 artists, artisans, and administrators. With two stages, a school, and a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Berkeley Rep is proud to premiere exhilarating new plays. In the last five years alone, the company has helped send five shows to Broadway: American Idiot, Bridge & Tunnel, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), Passing Strange, and Wishful Drinking. Come see tomorrow's plays today at Berkeley Rep.