Shakespeare Theatre in DC Launchs Natl. Tours of BLACK WATCH & GREAT GAME

Two powerful, international hit productions offering perspectives on the current Middle Eastern conflicts are making their way to the U.S. with the Shakespeare Theatre Company as their first stop. The Great Game: Afghanistan - an exploration of Afghan culture and history through 12
short plays in a three-part series - kicks off the American tour straight from London's Tricycle Theatre. This series will run from September 15-26, 2010 at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW). Coming to the U.S. from the National Theatre of Scotland is Black Watch by Gregory Burke, giving the audience a bird's eye view of what it is like to be a soldier in Iraq. Black Watch will run from January 25-February 6, 2011 at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW).

These limited engagements come on the heels of the hugely successful Phèdre starring Helen Mirren, which STC presented during the 2009-2010 Season. Patrons will be able to purchase tickets to The Great Game: Afghanistan and Black Watch as an addition to the 2010-2011 Season production schedule. STC's Managing Director Chris Jennings said, "We are thrilled to be building on the great success of our presentation of Phèdre last season. Some of the best international works end up bypassing the District. The Shakespeare Theatre Company hopes to provide a home for these important productions in Washington, D.C., on a regular basis."

Artistic Director Michael Kahn added, "These productions are some of the most exciting pieces of theatre to come out of the U.K. in the past several years. They deal with issues of importance to us here in the U.S. and are done in exceptional ways. The artistic quality of both productions is brilliant and we are pleased and honored to present them at the Shakespeare Theatre Company."

The Great Game: Afghanistan is supported by lead sponsor Tutor Perini Corporation and Perini Management Services, Inc, with major support from SRA International, Inc. The Great Game is presented in partnership with the British Council, the U.K.'s cultural relations organization. The British Council will be partnering with key U.S. organizations and the Shakespeare Theatre Company to present a series of public programs alongside the plays.

BLACK WATCH

Hurtling from a pool room in Scotland to an armored wagon in Iraq, Black Watch is based on interviews conducted by Gregory Burke with former soldiers who served in Iraq. Viewed through the eyes of those on the ground, Black Watch reveals what it means to be part of the legendary Scottish regiment, what it means to be part of the war on terror and what it means to make the
journey home again. John Tiffany's production from The National Theatre of Scotland makes powerful and inventive use of movement, music and song to create a visceral, complex and urgent piece of theatre.

Black Watch by Gregory Burke is directed by John Tiffany with assistance by Steven Hoggett (movement) and Davey Anderson (music). The design team includes Laura Hopkins (set), Jessica Brettle (costumes), Colin Grenfell (lights), Gareth Fry (sound) and Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer for Fifty Nine Production Ltd. (video).

The production is first returning to the U.K. by popular demand before embarking on an international tour. The production finished its 2008 world tour at St. Ann's Warehouse in New York and was hailed as the "#1 theatrical event of the year" by The New York Times, having previously played at venues and festivals in Australia, New Zealand, Glenrothes, Glasgow, London, Toronto, Virginia, Wales, Salford, Coventry and Dublin. In 2007 the production played to audiences in Los Angeles, New York, Pitlochry, Aberdeen, Dumfries, Dingwall, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The production premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2006 at the University of Edinburgh Drill Hall. The original creative team reunites to bring Black Watch back to the stage with an entirely new cast for the 2010-2011 tour.

THE GREAT GAME: AFGHANISTAN

The original reason for mounting The Great Game was to show audiences the history of Western involvement in Afghanistan from the early 19th century until the present day. The recent Obama policy review of the term "AfPak", the continuing ISAF operations in Helmand and throughout Afghanistan, and the mounting military and civilian casualty figures emphasize the relevance of
this. STC hopes that this trilogy will continue to stimulate the public's discussion and debate on what is currently the most important focus of U.K. and American foreign policy.

Called "an inspirational highlight of the year" by The Independent, The Great Game: Afghanistan is directed by the Tricycle's Artistic Director Nicolas Kent and Theatre Director Indhu Rubasingham, assisted by Rachel Grunwald. The Great Game: Afghanistan will present a new play by Lee Blessing,
alongside plays by writers Stephen Jeffreys, Ron Hutchinson, Amit Gupta, Joy Wilkinson, David Edgar, David Greig, Colin Teevan, Ben Ockrent, Abi Morgan, Richard Bean and Simon Stephens. The design team includes Pamela Howard and Miriam Nabarro (sets), James Farncombe (lights) and Tom Lishman (sound).

THE GREAT GAME PRODUCTION PARTNERS

The Shakespeare Theatre Company is pleased to acknowledge Tutor Perini Corporation and Perini Management Services, Inc, as a lead sponsor of The Great Game. As a leading civil and building construction company offering diversified general contracting and design/build services to private clients and public agencies throughout the world, Perini has an established reputation of executing large complex projects on time and within budget while adhering to strict quality control measures. Tutor Perini Corporation's clients include some of the most visionary developers and demanding public agencies in the world. Their building construction projects include many globally recognized
brands who are repeat clients, including Wynn, MGM Mirage, Donald J. Trump, Gaylord Hotels and the U.S. Postal Service. The civil construction clients for whom they have performed large complex transportation and heavy civil construction include CALTRANS, BART, Los Angeles World Airpor ts, New York MTA, New York DOT, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Highway Administration and the Federal Highway Administration.

Comprised of Perini Management Services Inc. (PMSI) and Black Construction, the Tutor Perini Management Services Group provides diversified construction and design-build services to the U.S. military and government agencies, surety companies and multi-national corporations. PMSI and Black are well known for their ability to plan and execute rapid response assignments and multi-year contracts through diversified construction and design-build abilities. Most recently, Tutor Perini Management Services Group has been selected by federal government agencies for significant projects in the United States, Iraq, Afghanistan and Guam.

STC would also like to recognize the generous support of SRA International, Inc, a company dedicated to solving complex problems of global significance for clients in national security, civil government and global health. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, SRA provides the expert knowledge, technical tools and innovative solutions that government agencies need to create a safe and secure world, improve performance, reduce costs and risks, introduce enterprise efficiencies, ensure the safety and efficiency of air traffic management and enhance human health. SRA supports a diverse range of community service initiatives through the SRA CARES (Community
Action, Responsibility, Education and Services) Committee in such areas as Education, Information Technology, Disaster Relief and U.S. Military assistance and aid, among others. For more than 30 years, SRA has built a business based on an ethic of Honesty and Service - making the world safer, heal thier and more resourceful and dedicated itself to a mission of excellence.

STC is extremely grateful to these companies for their commitment to our work, both on and off the stage, and for their ongoing service to our nation's defense and intelligence communities.

In addition, the theatre is pleased to partner with the British Council on this unique and exciting project. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international non-profit organization for cultural relations and education opportunities. The British Council builds engagement and trust for the U.K.
through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide. In the U.S., the British Council increases recognition of the variety of higher education opportunities available in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and facilitates institutional collaborations between the U.S. and U.K. Through transatlantic artistic partnerships, the British Council introduces Americans to high-quality, groundbreaking creative work from the U.K., and their climate change programs support a network of young leaders who are committed to tackling climate change globally and in their own communities. The British Council also develops initiatives that give a voice to the nex t
generation of leaders on both sides of the Atlantic, encouraging them to work together to explore solutions to current and future global issues. With offices in Washington, New York and Los Angeles, the British Council USA also builds global partnerships with U.S.-based institutions to support their work around the world. 

Ticket packages that include The Great Game: Afghanistan and Black Watch will be available for purchase on Wednesday, May 5. VIP seating will be available for current subscribers and donors. Single tickets to all performances will be available mid-summer. For ticket information on both The Great Game: Afghanistan and Black Watch, contact the Box Office at 202.547.1122

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