Camille Saviola Stars in TheatreWorks' 'Golda's Balcony'

TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, proudly presents Tony Award-winning playwright William Gibson's (The Miracle Worker) spellbinding Broadway sensation Golda's Balcony.

"Golda's Balcony details the rise of the late Golda Meir from impoverished schoolgirl to Prime Minister of Israel. Set during the events leading up to the Yom Kippur war of 1973, this riveting one-woman drama interweaves Meir's life in world politics with recollections of her family as she balances the weight of her people's dreams," explain press notes.

Aaron Davidman, Artistic Director of Traveling Jewish Theatre, directs this fascinating chronicle of a country born in conflict and the iron-willed woman whose passion helped nurture it to life.

Winner of Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards, Golda's Balcony had its World Premiere at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, in 2002. Directed by Scott Schwartz, the New York Premiere was produced off-Broadway at Manhattan Ensemble Theater in March 2003 and moved to Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre in October 2003. Golda's Balcony was nominated for the 2003 Drama League Award for Best Play and garnered a Tony-nomination for actress Tovah Feldshuh, who played the role of Meir. Golda Meir's story has been the subject of many fictionalized portrayals, with the role of Meir played by actresses as diverse as Swedish screen legend Ingrid Bergman, Australian actress Judy Davis, and most recently, on Broadway by Jewish-American actress Tovah Feldshuh. In 1977, Meir was portrayed by Anne Bancroft on Broadway in William Gibson's stage play Golda, which, in its revised version as Golda's Balcony, set a record as the longest-running one-woman play in Broadway history.

Veteran Broadway, television, and feature film actress Camille Saviola makes her TheatreWorks debut as Golda Meir in Golda's Balcony. Saviola began her career as lead singer of the female rock band the Margo Lewis Explosion in 1970, and has subsequently honed her skills in theater, television, and films. Her roles on Broadway include turns as Mama Maddelena in Nine and warden Mama Morton in the hit revival of Chicago; she has also appeared in various productions at the Manhattan Theatre Club, NYC Opera, Mark Taper Forum, and Pasadena Playhouse, among others, and is the recipient of a Los Angeles Critic's Circle Award, a Garland Award, and a Drama-logue Award. Saviola's numerous screen credits include the films Last Exit Brooklyn, and Woody Allen's Shadows and Fog, Broadway Danny Rose, and Purple Rose of Cairo; her television credits include roles on "Entourage," "ER," "Judging Amy,"" Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and "Friends."

Previews are October 3, 4 & 5 with an Opening Night Saturday, October 6; performances through Sunday, October 28

Previews are at 8PM.  Performance show times are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30PM; Thursdays and Fridays at 8PM; Saturdays at 2PM & 8PM; and Sundays at 2PM & 7PM.   "Visual Voice" audio-described performances are available October 26 & 27 at 8PM, and October 28 at 2PM.

TheatreWorks at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts is located at 500 Castro St. (at Mercy), Mountain View, CA.

Tickets are $20-56; savings available for youth, students, seniors, and members.  For tickets, information, and subscription information, call 650-903-6000 or visit www.theatreworks.org

Photo of Camille Saviola as Golda Meir (2007) by David Allen