FIREWORKS FESTIVAL At Berkeley Rep To Feature Sedaris, Hoyle and Nisker

The Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre is thrilled to set off Fireworks, a new festival of colorful and explosive performances that takes off this summer. The Fireworks display includes sparkling solo shows from Dan Hoyle and Wes "Scoop" Nisker, as well as a workshop with David Sedaris which was announced in December and has already sold out its limited run. All performances take place on Berkeley Rep's intimate Thrust Stage, a favorite home for renowned solo artists like Mike Daisey, Danny Hoch, Sarah Jones, Anna Deavere Smith, and Nilaja Sun.

"Berkeley Rep has a long history of presenting accomplished solo performers on our stage," said Tony Taccone, the Theatre's artistic director. "It's the perfect environment for this kind of personal and populist storytelling. I'm pleased to welcome these talented artists to our theatre and to offer our audience an opportunity to enjoy their work."

Experience the passion and intelligence of incendiary storytelling when Berkeley Rep lights the match on Fireworks. The schedule for the festival is as follows:

June 14 - 20: An Evening with David Sedaris (sold out)
June 24 - 26: Dan Hoyle's The Real Americans
June 30 - July 1: Dan Hoyle's Tings Dey Happen
July 2 - 3: Wes Nisker's Crazy Wisdom Saves the World Again

NPR humorist and bestselling author David Sedaris takes the stage at Berkeley Rep to workshop stories from his upcoming book with a live audience. The author of wildly popular works such as Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, And When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Sedaris has become one of America's preeminent humor writers. The skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that he is a master of satire and one of the most observant authors addressing the human condition. "Sedaris's droll assessment of the mundane and the eccentrics who inhabit the world's crevices make him one of the greatest humorists writing today," declares the Chicago Tribune. Now audiences at Berkeley Rep can participate in the creation of his next hilarious and heartwarming work.

Dan Hoyle immerses himself in a subject, and then crafts a riveting show from the people he meets and the places he visits. "In the spirit of theatrical journalism exemplified by Anna Deavere Smith, Mr. Hoyle is both a first-rate reporter and actor," raves the New York Times. In Tings Dey Happen, which he researched as a Fulbright scholar, Hoyle examines the complexities of Nigerian oil politics in a tale fueled by fascinating, real-life characters, including ambassadors, warlords, and prostitutes. The show won the Glickman Award for best new play in the Bay Area and has been performed off Broadway, at colleges across the country, and on a Nigerian tour sponsored by the US State Department. In his latest work, The Real Americans, Hoyle leaves the liberal bubble of San Francisco on a 100-day odyssey that explores America's culture wars. With humor and sympathy, he introduces audiences to the small-town residents he encounters as he searches for a bridge between the Obama Nation and Palin Country. Now he brings both shows, directed by Charlie Varon, to Berkeley Rep.

A radio commentator, author, and meditation teacher, Wes "Scoop" Nisker calls himself a "recovered cynic" and "the world's first Buddhist stand-up comedian." The New York Times declares, "He delivers zingers with Borscht Belt timing." In his books and performances, Nisker tackles the big questions - Where did we come from, and why are we here? - with a smile and a healthy dose of humor. Whether he's riffing on Einstein, Nietzsche, or Wavy Gravy, Nisker and his "New Age New Deal" pack a big bang which proves that wisdom can be the ultimate high. This summer, with directorial assistance from Mina Morita, Crazy Wisdom Saves the World Again at Berkeley Rep.

Tickets for Dan Hoyle and Wes "Scoop" Nisker are $25 each. Seats are half price for anyone under 30 years of age, and Berkeley Rep subscribers save $5 on every ticket. Seats go on sale to the general public on Sunday, March 14; subscribers and donors to Berkeley Rep can take advantage of an exclusive pre-sale period until then. Tickets for David Sedaris, $35 each, are no longer available.

Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage is located at 2025 Addison Street, near bus lines, bike routes, and parking lots - and only half a block from BART. For tickets or information, call (510) 647-2949 or toll-free at (888) 4-BRT-Tix - or simply click berkeleyrep.org.

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