Gbenga Akinnagbe To Star in Intiman Theatre's THE THIN PLACE, Runs 5/14-6/13

Intiman Theatre continues its 2010 Season with The Thin Place, a commissioned world premiere written by Sonya Schneider and conceived and directed by Intiman Associate Producer Andrew Russell. The ‘play with one actor' stars Gbenga Akinnagbe, a star of HBO's The Wire, as Isaac, a young man struggling to make sense of his shattered faith, and the 10 people (all based on real Seattleites) that he encounters on his journey. Performances will begin at Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer Street at Seattle Center, on Friday, May 14 and continue through Sunday, June 13. The opening night performance is Friday, May 21 at 8 pm. Please see the Fact Sheet at the end of this release for the schedule.

Tickets are available from www.intiman.org or 206.269.1900. Single ticket prices range from $25 to $50 for Wednesday-Sunday performances. All adult tickets on Tuesday nights are $25. Discounts are available for groups and members of the military, and patrons age 25 and under can purchase tickets to any performance for $10. Pending availability, patrons can purchase pay-what-you-can, standing room, standby and rush tickets for every production. The pay-what-you-can performance for The Thin Place is Wednesday, May 19 at 7:30 pm. Tickets will go on sale that day at noon and may now be purchased over the phone as well as in person; patrons can pay by credit card with a $10 minimum per ticket.

Gbenga Akinnagbe, a Nigerian-American actor, is best known for his role as street assassin "Chris Partlow" on the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire. An accomplished stage actor, he began his theatre career nine years ago in Oedipus at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC. He was seen in The Public Theater's production of Henry V at the Delacorte Theater and works frequently with LAByrinth Theater Company, founded by Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Ortiz. His work with the group stemmed from his collaboration with Hoffman and Laura Linney in the Oscar-nominated independent feature The Savages, which was his debut film. An avid world-traveler, he became a freelance writer for the New York Times in 2009 after the newspaper published his first article on his trip through the Himalayas.

The Thin Place from Idea to Stage

The Thin Place was inspired by Dan Savage's podcast "Return to the Scene of the Crime," which was broadcast on This American Life in May 2009. In the episode, Savage talks about his complex relationship to the Catholicism of his youth and how, after the death of his mother, he found himself unexpectedly drawn back to the faith he had rejected. Listening to the podcast, incoming Artistic Director Kate Whoriskey and her associate Andrew Russell, who joined Intiman's staff as Associate Producer this season, were inspired to create a new piece about religion. They decided to make the story both in and of Seattle, as a way to get to know their new home city and as an opportunity to look deeply at responses to God in a city that in some ways claims to be without religion.

In the fall of 2009, Intiman commissionEd KuOW radio journalist Marcie Sillman to interview more than a dozen people about points of crisis in their lives and how they came to question, confront and ultimately embrace their faith. Among the people who shared their stories are a Cambodian-born confinement survivor; a former Episcopal priest defrocked for having converted to Islam; a survivor of the shooting at the Jewish Federation; a Native American woman who returned to her tribe after a childhood in which she often "passed" as white; a committed atheist who grew up feeling like an outsider in his country and his church; a Buddhist who traveled to Thailand to become a monk; and a gay political activist who grew up in South Africa during apartheid and now believes equally in spiritual and social justice.

Midway through the interviews, Sonya Schneider joined the creative team, bringing a playwright's perspective to the story-gathering process. She then transformed the stories into a theatrical narrative focused around a single person-Isaac, the son of a Pentecostal minister. Doubting his father, his faith and his community and suffering from mysterious episodes, Isaac sets out on a journey to find faith-or accept God's absence. The strangers he encounters in unexpected places (characters crafted from the interviews) become his guides, with Akinnagbe portraying all the roles under Russell's direction.

The Thin Place is the 15th play to have its world premiere at Intiman since it was founded as "Seattle's Classic Theatre" in 1972 and only the third by a local playwright, following R.N. Sandburg's adaptation of Frankenstein in 1989 and Catherine by Louisa Rose in 1992.

The creative team includes scenic and costume designer Etta Lilienthal, lighting designer Ben Zamora, sound designer Matt Starritt, vocal/dialect coach Judith Shahn, movement and choreography consultant Donald Byrd and dramaturg Marvin McAllister. The stage manager is Melissa Y. Hamasaki. For biographies of the company, please visit www.intiman.org.

"Spirited Discussions" and Other Opportuntities for Interactive Dialogue

A new website, www.thethinplace.com, has been launched to provide behind-the-scenes access to the project, including blog postings from Gbenga Akinnagbe and other members of the creative team. In addition, members of the public are invited to share their own stories of wrestling with faith, doubt and belief.

Ten Seattle artists (photographers, sculptors and painters) attended a reading of The Thin Place at the first rehearsal. Over the next four weeks, they will be creating a response to the play and its ideas in their own mediums; selected artwork will be exhibited in the Intiman lobby on opening night and during the run of the production.

Intiman will host facilitated post-play conversations called "A Spirited Discussion" following every performance of The Thin Place after opening night. The bar will stay open during the discussions; the drink specials for this production are the Shaken Rainier and The Sound, inspired by the local elements of the play and featuring locally made Dry Soda as mixers.

Art & Audience Events

Date Night for Parents • Saturday, June 5 | 6 pm Reception | 8 pm Performance
Intiman, Kids Co. and Seattle Children's Theatre combine forces to provide the entire family with a night out. Accredited by the National After School Association, Kids Co. is conveniently located at John Hay Elementary School in Upper Queen Anne. For pricing and additional information, patrons should contact Kathleen Maki at kathleenm@intiman.org or 206.204.3325.

Wine Wednesday • Wednesday, June 9 | 6:30 pm Reception | $10 add-on fee
The popular wine-tasting series returns for the second year, presented by Maryhill Winery with catered hors d'oeuvres from Ten Mercer.

'Round Six Happy Hour • Friday, June 11 | 6 pm Reception | Free with Ticket
Intiman hosts a free ‘happy hour' with complimentary hors d'oeuvres, drinks from Hale's Ales and live music.

Sign-Interpreted Performance • Saturday, June 12 at 8 pm
Coordinated by Paul Bert with reserved seating for the Deaf and hearing-impaired community.

Need more Seattle Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Spring season, discounts & more...