Ross Valley Players to Stage A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY, 3/12-4/12

Ross Valley Players presents Brian Friel's fresh adaptation of Ivan Turgenev's moving comedy, A Month in the Country.

Turgenev's iconic play chronicles the comic and erotic turmoil that befalls an otherwise quiet country estate when a handsome young tutor arrives to teach Natalya Petrovna's young son. Much to the dismay of her husband, and her long suffering friend, who is hopelessly and secretly smitten with her, Natalya soon starts to fall for the young tutor sending the quiet country estate into chaos. Rich in texture and tone with complex, fascinating characters, A Month in the Country reflects our nature to desire what we can't have.

A Month in the Country begins with a preview on Thursday, March 12th and runs through Sunday, April 12th. Opening night is Friday, March 13th at 8PM.

The setting is the Islayev country estate, Russia in the 1840s. Natalya Petrovna (Shannon Veon Kase), a headstrong 29-year-old, is married to Arkady Sergeyevich Islayev (Tom Hudgens), a rich landowner seven years her senior. Bored with life, she welcomes the attention of Michel (Ben Ortega) as her devoted but resentful admirer, without ever letting their friendship develop into a love affair.

The arrival of a handsome 21-year-old student Aleksey (Zach Stewart) as tutor to her son ends her boredom. Natalya falls in love with Aleksey, but so does her ward Vera (Emily Ludlow), the Islayev's 17-year-old foster daughter.

As Natalya risks everything she has to position herself in between the two, the destructive force of passion ripples through the rest of the estate. Her situation comes to represent the thoroughly modern predicament of never being satisfied with what one has. A Month in the Country is directed by James Nelson and produced by Robert Wilson.

A Month in the Country Cast: Anna (Kim Bromley), Matvey (Johnny DeBernard), Arkady (Tom Hudgens), Bolshintsov (Frederick Lein), Vera (Emily Ludlow), Natalya (Shannon Veon Kase), Dr. Sphigelsky (Wood Lockhart ), Michel (Ben Ortega), Katya (Jocelyn Roddie), Schaaf (Mark Shepard), Alexsey (Zach Stewart), and Lizaveta (Robyn Wiley).

Performances are Thursday, March 12th (Preview Night) through Sunday, April 12th, with Opening Night on Friday, March 13th at 8PM. Regular Thursday performances are at 7:30PM; Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM; Sunday matinees at 2PM. (Please note there is no matinee on Sunday, March 15th .) SPECIAL: There will be 2 PM and 8 PM performances on Saturday, April 11th. All performances take place at the Barn Theatre, home of the Ross Valley Players - 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, CA 94957. Ticket prices are $25 for seniors 62+; $14 for children (under 18) and student with valid ID; $29 general admission. Preview night ticket prices are $10 for children and students; $15 general admission. Thursday night tickets prices are $14 for children and students with a high school or college ID, $23 for adults.

Audience members are invited to participate in "Talkback" with the director and actors after the matinee performance on Sundays, March 22 and 29. Buzz at the Barn, a pre-show cocktail hour with hors d'oeuvres and wine, will take place on Saturday, March 14 at 7PM.

To order tickets, call 415-456-9555, ext. 1 or visit www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

Now in its 85th year, Ross Valley Players, a non-profit arts organization, is the oldest continually operating community theater on the West Coast. Created in 1930 as a way to escape the hardships of the Depression, Ross Valley Players has introduced live theater to thousands of Marin residents over the years. Each year, RVP presents a regular season of six full productions, running a total of 30 weeks. RVP offers special events and short-term productions outside the regular season. Plays include recent Broadway material, popular plays, classic theater, and a selection of works by well-known playwrights from around the world. RVP features all genres: comedy, drama, mysteries, and musicals. Their Ross Alternative Works (RAW) program presents short run, minimal set productions of original scripts by Bay Area playwrights in two festivals each season.

Pictured: (Background) Ben Ortega as Michel; Shannon Veon Kase as Natalya; (foreground) Emily Ludlow as Vera; Zach Stewart as Alexsey. Photo by Robin Jackson.

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