'Becky's New Car' by Steven Dietz Opening at ACT

A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) debuts the world premiere comedy 'Becky's New Car' by local treasure Steven Dietz, commissioned as a part of ACT's New Works for the American Stage in honor of Benita Staadecker.  The show opens October 23, 2008 at the ACT Theatre, 700 Union Street, Seattle WA 98101. Tickets are $10/$15 (for students/people 25 and under) to $55, with a Pay-What-You-Will showing on October 19 at 7:30 p.m. and October 30 at 2:00 p.m. Call (206) 292-7676 or (253) 839-4204 (for group sales) or visit www.acttheatre.org for tickets and information.

The ninth of Dietz's plays to be produced by ACT, the playful and painful, wacky and wistful 'Becky's New Car' maps out a road trip that lets the audience ride shotgun in a way most plays don't dare. Fortyish Becky Foster (Kimberly King ) has a decent job at an auto dealership, a solid husband named Joe (Charles Leggett) and a freeloading psych-major son named Chris (Benjamin Harris) living in her basement. Her life is...okay, if not sublime, but she can't help having the nagging suspicion that she's missed out on something. Then, at the end of a long day at work when everyone else has gone home, a delightfully daft millionaire named Walter Flood (Michael Winters) shows up looking for the perfect gift for his employees. Walter, a recent widower, falls hard for Becky at first sight, and when he jumps to the conclusion that Becky too has lost her spouse, the moment when she might correct the misunderstanding slips by and Becky finds she doesn't really mind.

Before Becky knows it, Walter is inviting her to exclusive parties at his island estate, introducing her to his discontented daughter Kenni (Anna-Lisa Carlson) and wooing her to be the new Mrs. Flood. Without really planning to, Becky has the chance to test drive another kind of existence - if she can just keep Walter in the dark about the one she already has, and Joe in ignorance about the one she's trying out!

"This is a delightful, life-affirming comic play about the road not often taken and the soul of a woman pulled in two directions, romantically and socially. And will either road lead to happiness?" said ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie. "I think it is one of Steven Dietz's best and most delicious plays. It is an honor to work on this world premiere."

Additional presentations in conjunction with 'Becky's New Car' include The "Awesome" Cycle by popular theatrical band "Awesome" (October 24-November 15, Fridays 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays 8:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.) produced by The Central Heating Lab at ACT, as well as pre- and post-show discussions.

The cast of 'Becky's New Car' includes Kimberly King, Charles Leggett, Benjamin Harris, Michael Winters, Anna-Lisa Carlson, R. Hamilton Wright, and Suzanne Bouchard.  The production team consists of director Kurt Beattie, costume designer Catherine Hunt, scenic designer William Bloodgood, lighting designer Rick Paulsen, sound designer Eric Chappelle, assistant lighting designer Ben Zamora, stage manager Jeffrey K. Hanson, and assistant stage manager Nora Menkin. 

Performance Schedule:

Fri., October 17, 8:00 p.m. - Preview

Sat., October 18, 8:00 p.m. - Preview

Sun., October 19, 7:30 p.m. - Preview (Pay-What-You-Will)

Tues., October 21, 7:30 p.m. - Preview (Behind the Scenes)

Wed., October 22, 7:30 p.m. - Preview

Thurs., October 23, 7:30 p.m. - OPENING

Fri., October 24, 8:00 p.m. (Beer Tasting and The "Awesome" Cycle)

Sat., October 25, 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. (The "Awesome" Cycle)

Sun., October 26, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m..

Tues., October 28, 7:30 p.m.

Wed., October 29, 7:30 p.m.

Thurs., October 30, 2:00 p.m. (Pay-What-You-Will) and 7:30 p.m.

Fri., October 31, 8:00 p.m. (ACTivation Celebration and The "Awesome" Cycle)

Sat., November 1, 8:00 p.m. (The "Awesome" Cycle)

Sun., November 2, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tues., November 4, 7:30 p.m.

Wed., November 5, 7:30 p.m.

Thurs., November 6, 7:30 p.m.

Fri., November 7, 8:00 p.m. (InterACT and The "Awesome" Cycle)

Sat., November 8, 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. (The "Awesome" Cycle)

Sun., November 9, 2:00 p.m.

Tues., November 11, 7:30 p.m.

Wed., November 12, 7:30 p.m.

Thurs., November 13, 7:30 p.m.

Fri., November 14, 8:00 p.m. (The "Awesome" Cycle)

Sat., November 15, 8:00 p.m. (The "Awesome" Cycle)

Sun., November 16, 2:00 p.m.

Before the Tuesday, October 21 preview of each Mainstage production, Artistic Director Kurt Beattie and members of ACT's artistic team give audiences a the heads-up and the lowdown on what it takes to make that night's magic. Made possible by KING FM with delicious bites provided by Cater Seattle.

On October 24 at 6:30 p.m. there will be a beer tasting at ACT.  Who says beer and theatre don't mix? Before the show, audiences can sample delicious brews, along with carefully paired snacks. This event takes place the first Friday of each production's run courtesy of Beverage Bistro of Redmond. Sponsored by Seattle Weekly.

On October 31, rejoice in the magic on stage while celebrating the magic created by favorite local non-profit organizations at the ACTivation Celebration. A portion of single ticket sales (10%) from the second Friday show of each Mainstage production will be donated to one of Seattle's hard-working non-profit groups. Following the performance that evening, complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be served alongside live music!

Make a night of it on Friday, November 7! Bring friends (or cozy up to some new ones) to the most collectively connected night of theater in town for InterACT: Young Professional Program. Audiences mix and mingle at ACT before the third Friday performance of each Mainstage production with complimentary cocktails and scrumptious snacks, then enjoy the performance and stick around for additional post-play entertainment. Sponsored by Red Diamond Wine.

Steven Dietz is one of America's most widely-produced and published contemporary playwrights. Since 1983, his 20-plus plays have been seen at over 100 regional theatres in the United States, as well as Off-Broadway. International productions have been seen in England, Japan, Germany, France, Australia, Sweden, Austria, Russia, Slovenia, Argentina, Peru, Singapore and South Africa. His work has been translated into seven languages.

Dietz is a two-time winner of the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award, for 'Fiction' (produced Off-Broadway by the Roundabout Theatre Company) and 'Still Life with Iris.' He received the PEN USA West Award in Drama for 'Lonely Planet'; the 2007 Edgar Award for Drama from the Mystery Writer's of America for his widely-produced 'Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure' (adapted from William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle); and the 1995 Yomuiri Shimbun Award (the Japanese "Tony") for his adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel 'Silence.' Other widely produced plays include 'Inventing Van Gogh,' 'God's Country,' 'Private Eyes,' 'The Nina Variations,' 'Trust,' 'Rocket Man,' 'Halcyon Days,' 'Ten November,' 'Foolin' Around with Infinity' and 'More Fun Than Bowling.' Other award-winning stage adaptations include 'Force of Nature' (from Goethe), 'Over the Moon' (from P.G. Wodehouse), 'The Rememberer' (from Joyce Simmons Cheeka), 'Paragon Springs' (from Ibsen), 'Dracula' (from Bram Stoker), and, with Allison Gregory, 'Go, Dog. Go!' (from P.D. Eastman).

Dietz's work as a director has been seen at many of America's leading regional theatres. He has directed premiere productions of new plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre (Chicago), ACT- A Contemporary Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh), Westside Arts (Off-Broadway) and the Sundance Institute, among many others. He was a resident director for 10 years at the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis, where he also served as Artistic Director of Midwest PlayLabs.

In addition to 'Becky's New Car,' recent work includes the Pulitzer-nominated 'Last of the Boys' (Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago); the acclaimed adaptation of Dan Gutman's baseball novel, 'Honus and Me'; and two additional newly-commissioned plays that will be developed/produced in the coming year: 'City of Ghosts,' (McCarter Theatre, Princeton) and 'Near Aberdeen' (Steppenwolf, Chicago). Dietz is also currently at work on new plays commissioned by the Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis) and the Denver Center Theatre Company.

Through this innovative play-commissioning program, ACT brings patrons and playwrights together to provide the future of American theatre. New Works for the American Stage began in 2005 with the commissioning of nationally renowned Steven Dietz. Two additional commissions also are currently in the works by Art and Eva Wahl (2006) and Paul and Paula Butzi (2007).

For the past 43 seasons, ACT's mission has been to present a broad spectrum of the very best of contemporary theatre that speaks to audiences of all backgrounds. A significant part of ACT's mandate is to commission new works and to foster the development of those works in a supportive and inspiring workplace. Through The Central Heating Lab, ACT seeks to heat things up and create a conversation with its season that reaches for a deeper impact.

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