PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS ITS FIRST PRODUCTION OF THE NEW YEAR, MARY STUART
The epic power struggle between two of history’s greatest monarchs, both female, kicks off the new year, January 10 – 25.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT— Mary Stuart, the drama depicting the intertwined lives of England’s Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots opens at PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC) on JANUARY 10, 2020 and runs through JANUARY 25, 2020. Tickets for this production can be purchased by calling 801-581-6961 or visiting pioneertheatre.org.
Playwrights JEAN STOCK GOLDSTONE and JOHN REICH’S adapt the dynamic conflict of the two matriarchs in their reworking of Friedrich Schiller’s classic German script, Maria Stuart.
“The story of these two powerful women, from a time where women were not typically found in positions of leadership, is a compelling one,” said PTC Artistic Director Karen Azenberg discussing her reasons for selecting this particular adaptation. “I always seek to offer an historical play in our season. Including the gripping drama about the battle of these two women was an easy decision because there are current religious and political themes in this story that will resonate with our audiences even today.”
The fated cousins and leaders, Elizabeth I of England and Mary of Scotland are portrayed by ANNE BATES and ERIKA LA VONN respectively. BATES has appeared in Paul Sorvino’s King Lear, as well as in the films Stella and The Collective. Off-Broadway, she has starred in Dan Cody’s Yacht, The Effect, and is a founding member of F.A.B. WOMEN theatre group. LA VONN appeared on Broadway in The Lion King as Nala, and received the 2019 Drammy Award for Best Actor for her role in Portland Playhouse’s production of Fences.
COLLEEN BAUM plays Hannah Kennedy, Mary’s companion. She returns to PTC after /i/, Oliver!, Much Ado About Nothing, Our Town and more, as well as several productions with Salt Lake Acting Company, Plan-B Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival. JOE DE BEVC is Sir Drue Drury, an associate of Paulet, was last seen in PTC’s The Odd Couple, and has also been seen on television “Touched by an Angel” (CBS) and “Cover Me” (USA Network.)
ERIC HOFFMANN appears as Sir Amias Paulet, Mary’s guardian. New to PTC, Hoffmann has been in the 50th Anniversary World Tour of West Side Story, as well as on television’s “Law and Order.” As George Talbot, Earl Shrewsbury, Lord Privy Seal, is BILL KUX has appeared on Broadway in The Trip to Bountiful, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man and Ain’t Broadway Grand. His film and television credits include Die Hard with a Vengeance, “Bull,” “Broad City,” “Gotham,” and “Law and Order,” among others.
Sir William Davison, Secretary of State, is played by FENTON LI in his PTC debut. He has been on television in “Blacklist,” “Awkafina is Nora from Queens,” as well as Off-Broadway productions of Death in the Boulder, A Dream of Red Pavilions, and June is the Last Fall. ROBERT MAMMANA plays Robert Dudle, the Earl of Leicester and Master of Horse. He was on Broadway in Les Misérables, as well as the national tours of Show Boat, Les Misérables, and The Sound of Music. He has appeared on television in “The Office,” (as Sweeney Todd), “NCIS,” “CSI,” “The Good Wife,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” and many other credits.
ALLEN MC CULLOUGH plays Sir Andrew Melvil and Count L’Aubespine. He has appeared on TV’s “Blacklist,” “Divorce,” “Blindspot,” “Sweetbitter,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and others. Sir Edward Mortimer will be played by JAMEN NANTHAKUMAR, who returns to PTC after last season’s Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. His credits include Diana (pre-Broadway World Premiere at La Jolla Playhouse) and Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan at Playwrights Horizons.
Portraying William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, Lord High Treasurer is ROBERT SCOTT SMITH who returns to PTC, after Two Henrys and The Crucible. He is an Assistant Professor in the University of Utah’s Department of Theatre.
Additional cast members include SPENCER MC CABE HUNSICKER, HARRISON J. LIND, and BENJAMIN YOUNG.
SHELLEY BUTLER directs this production, after premiering Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 at South Coast Repertory and the Japanese premiere of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
The creative team includes scenic designer SARA RYUNG CLEMENT, who has designed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Guthrie Theater, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, and others. Costume design is by BRENDA VAN DER WIEL, who serves as the head of the Performing Arts Design Program for the University of Utah, as well as has designed for several Pioneer Theatre Company productions, including last season’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. DAVID NEVILLE will design lighting. He has previously worked on King Charles III at PTC, and has worked for various regional theatres, and also designs for Off-Broadway, national, and international tours.
Sound design is by JOHN BALLINGER, who is also composing the score. Most recently he has scored the film 3 Days With Dad, which stars Brian Dennehy, JK Simmons, and Tom Arnold. WARREN HOLZ will design hair. Dialect coach SARAH SHIPPOBOTHAM has worked on many PTC productions, including last season’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and the current production, The Play That Goes Wrong. ALEXANDRA HARBOLD is dramaturg for the production.
PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC): Now celebrating its 58th season, the award-winning PTC is Utah’s Premiere Professional Theatre and a leading arts organization of the West. Led by Artistic Director Karen Azenberg and Managing Director Christopher Massimine, PTC promotes community-building and education through presenting world-class productions; developing new socially resonant and universal work; hosting talks, lectures, and workshops that engage a versatile and inclusive demographic, while celebrating diversity in culture and society; and serving as the connecting bridge between art and scholarship as an affiliate of the University of Utah.
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MEDIA PHOTOS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD: High-resolution color photos of this production will be available for media use on the PTC website beginning Friday, January 3, 2020 after 3 p.m.
Go directly to http://www.pioneertheatre.org/press-room/media-photos/ to view.
INTERVIEWS: Interviews with the cast and artistic staff are available. Call 801-581-7222 to arrange.
WHO:
Pioneer Theatre Company
WHAT:
MARY STUART
Book by John Stock Goldstone and John Reich
WHEN:
January 10-25, 2020
TIMES:
Monday – Thursday, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Pioneer Theatre Company (PTC) is located in the
Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City
PRICES:
$31 – $47 in advance; $5 more when purchased on day of show
MORE INFO:
Box Office: 801-581-6961
Open 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Mon. – Fri.
CAST:
ANNE BATES*……………..Elizabeth of England
COLLEEN BAUM*………..Hannah Kennedy, Mary’s companion
JOE DE BEVC*……………..Sir Drue Drury, an associate of Paulet
ERIC HOFFMANN*……….Sir Amias Paulet, Mary’s guardian
SPENCER MC CABE HUNSICKER……..Ensemble/O’Kelly
BILL KUX*…………………….George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord Privy Seal
ERIKA LA VONN*…………..Mary of Scotland
FENTON LI*…………………..Sir William Davison, Secretary of State
HARRISON J. LIND………….Ensemble/Page
ROBERT MAMMANA*……..Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Master of Horse
ALLEN MC CULLOUGH*…..Sir Andrew Melvil/Count L’Aubespine
JAMEN NANTHAKUMAR*…Sir Edward Mortimer
ROBERT SCOTT SMITH*…..William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, Lord High Treasurer
BENJAMIN YOUNG…………..Ensemble/Guard
IRELAND NICHOLS and MORGAN WERDER are understudies for Mary of Scotland and Elizabeth of England, respectively.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)
CREATIVE:
SHELLEY BUTLER…………………Director
SARA RYUNG CLEMENT……….Scenic Design
BRENDA VAN DER WIEL……….Costume Design
DAVID NEVILLE……………………Lighting Design
JOHN BALLINGER………………..Composer/Sound Design
WARREN HOLZ……………………Hair Design
SARAH SHIPPOBOTHAM………Dialect Coach
ALEXANDRA HARBOLD………..Dramaturg
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