IN FRIENDSHIP: STORIES BY ZONA GALE Begins Tonight at Z Space

To mark the the 20th Anniversary of both Word for Word and Z Space, the Word for Word Charter Members present "In Friendship: Stories by Zona Gale", opening with a press night on Saturday August 17, 8pm and running through September 8 (previews today, August 14 -16) at Z Space's new second venue, Z Below, at 470 Florida Street.

A comedy of American manners, the stories by the acclaimed author Zona Gale (the first female to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama) are directed by Delia MacDougall and Joel Mullennix. "These are Gale's stories about a small American town in the beginning of the last century, that speak of the "sodality" of women, of community, democracy and of a group that has been together for many years in good times and bad - not unlike the Word for Word Performing Arts Company." remark Artistic Directors Susan Harloe and JoAnne Winter. "In Friendship" will feature for first time in 10 years the entire Word for Word core company of actors and the original founders (9 of them) for this 20th anniversary production including; Susan Harloe, JoAnne Winter, Sheila Balter, Jeri Lynn Cohen, Stephanie Hunt, Amy Kossow, Delia MacDougall, Nancy Shelby, Patricia Silver, as well as Paul Finocchiaro and Joel Mullennix.

"A gathering of Zona Gale stories, "In Friendship" explores both a year in the town of Friendship Village and the idea of friendship itself. In a series of episodes the village reveals itself in both its comic absurdity as 'What's what depends on what you agree on for What' and in simple moments of quiet tenderness." states director Delia MacDougall. Published a century ago in serialized form in American magazines, Zona Gale's Friendship Village stories were widely popular. Set in a fictionalized middle American town, her humorous and plainspoken characters were comfortingly familiar to readers. Through these characters, Zona Gale introduced progressive ideas such as women's suffrage and racial equality.

Word for Word presents : "In Friendship:Stories by Zona Gale", August 14 through September 8 (previews August 14 -16), Press Night Saturday August 17, 8pm at Z Below, Z Space's new second venue, at 470 Florida St. Performances; Wednesday-Thursday 7 pm, Friday-Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 3 pm. Ticket prices: $30- $50, previews $20. Tickets: 866.811.4111 or at www.zspace.org.

"The common thing about people is that they are human beings and want to be with other human beings...Only of late has the truth grown to recognition that the health of the community depends largely on the wholesome satisfaction of this wholesome need..." Zona Gale in her author's note from Friendship Village "If there were shrines to these things, we would seek them. The urgency is to recognize shrines."

Zona Gale (author) was born in Portage, Wisconsin, often used as a setting in her writing. Her activism on behalf of women is reflected in her writing, and is strongly felt in the "Friendship Village" stories. She attended the University of Wisconsin, receiving a Bachelor of Literature degree in 1895, and then a master's degree. After college, Gale wrote for newspapers in Milwaukee and New York City, but in 1904, returned to Portage to concentrate full time on fiction. She wrote and published in Portage, with occasional visits to New York, until her death in 1938. She published her first novel, Romance Island, in 1906, and began the very popular "Friendship Village" series. In 1920, she published Miss Lulu Bett, depicting life in the Midwestern United States. She adapted it as a play, receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1921, the first woman to be so honored. Zona Gale was also involved in the campaigns of Wisconsin Progressives Robert and Philip La Follette, and was an active member of the National Women's Party. Zona Gale did not marry until the age of 54, when she was wed to William L. Breese, also of Portage, Wisconsin.

Delia MacDougall (director) Delia MacDougall is a company member and has been directing for the company for many years, some of her directing credits include: "Immortal Heart" by Amy Tan, "Winesburg Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson, "Oil! The Ride" by Upton Sinclair, "Mrs.Dalloway's Party" by Virginia Woolf, "Miss Furr and Miss Skeene" by Gertrude Stein, "The Confessions of Madame Psyche" by Dorothy Bryant, "The Falling Girl" by Dino Buzzati, as well as many school and library tours of stories by authors Sandra Cisneros, John Steinbeck, and Shirley Jackson. Delia has performed as an actor for the company and for many theater companies throughout the Bay Area.

Joel Mullennix (director) most recently directed the highly successful productions of "The Last Stand","Olive Kitteridge", "More Stories by Tobias Wolff" and "Which is More Than I Can Say About Some People" for Word For Word, and "Family Alchemy" for A Traveling Jewish Theatre. He has also directed works by Chekhov, Shakespeare, Miller, Stephen Adly Guirgis and others. Joel is also an actor and has performed in many Bay Area Theatres as well as in New York and Europe.

WORD FOR WORD is the theatre company that transforms classic and contemporary fiction into performance works for the stage. Founded in 1993 by Susan Harloe and JoAnne Winter, the company is in its 20th year. Word for Word performs short stories in their entirety, preserving the author's language and honoring his or her literary intent. Word for Word has staged works throughout the Bay Area, as well as in France. In 1997, Word for Word received a special Bay Area Critics Circle Award for its unique concept and in 1998, 2002, 2003, and 2005, the Bay Area Critics Circle awarded the company numerous honors for productions including "The Halfway Diner," "Winesburg, Ohio," Stories by Tobias Wolff," and "Immortal Heart." In 2008 Word for Word received the Best Ensemble Award for "Sonny's Blues," with composer Marcus Shelby receiving the best Original Score for the production. Playwright Octavio Solis, Cal Shakes Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone, and Word for Word co-Artistic Directors JoAnne Winter, and Susan Harloe, came together in 2006 to create an adaptation of John Steinbeck's The Pastures of Heaven which premiered at Cal Shakes in 2010. Word for Word is a program of the Z Space.

Z SPACE was founded in 1993 to promote the artistic and professional advancement of Bay Area theatre. With our signature Word For Word and Youth Arts programs, along with our commissioning and careful development of new plays, we have become one of the nations leading laboratories for the development of new works and emerging playwrights. In August, 2009, we moved to our new home in Project Artaud, and commenced the upgrade and transformation of this iconic theatre venue where we will create a most welcoming hub of outstanding artistry from all disciplines including theatre, dance, music, multimedia and visual arts.