818 South 2nd Street •
Minneapolis, MN 55415 •
Box Office: 612.377.2224
December 13, 2007
Press Release #1226
For more information call:
Melodie Bahan 612.225.6140
melodieb@guthrietheater.org
Lee Henderson 612.225.6142
leeh@guthrietheater.org
STEREOTYPING, IDENTITY POLITICS AND FAMILY EXAMINED IN GUTHRIE PRODUCTION OF WASSERSTEIN'S THIRD
Preview performances begin February 16; Opening February 22;
Playing through March 30
(Minneapolis/St. Paul) The Guthrie today announced that veteran Twin Cities actor Sally Wingert will lead the cast of Third, Wendy Wasserstein's candid and uncompromising portrait of a woman entering the third part of her life. Casey Stangl will direct the production, the first Wasserstein work ever produced by the Guthrie. Third begins previews February 16 and runs through March 30 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. Tickets are priced from $24 to $69 and are on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE and online at http://www.guthrietheater.org/.
A timely and funny play, Third tells the story of college professor Laurie Jameson, whose seemingly well-ordered life as a wife, mother and daughter is thrown into disarray when she accuses a student, an outwardly stereotypical jock nicknamed ‘Third' (BFA graduate Tony Clarno), of plagiarism. In challenging the student, she is forced to question her aggressively feminist ideology, standards and family relationships, bringing the play's central theme - the danger of becoming that very thing you have been battling against - full circle. Defined by its dazzlingly smart dialogue, crackling wit, intelligence and wryness, the play is true evidence of what made Wasserstein one of the most prominent female playwrights of the last 20 years.
"My thinking has become as staid as the point of view I fought to overrule. And in some eerie way, it makes me feel invisible." - Laurie Jameson, Third
Following her unexpected death in 2006, Wasserstein was described as "a chronicler of women's identity crises" by The New York Times. "Her heroines - intelligent and successful but also riddled with self-doubt - sought enduring love a little ambivalently," her obituary read, "but they did not always find it, and their hard-earned sense of self-worth was often shadowed by the frustrating knowledge that American women's lives continued to be measured by their success at capturing the right man."
Although appreciative of the critical acclaim for her comedic streak, she described her work as "a political act," wherein sassy dialogue and farcical situations mask deep, resonant truths about intelligent, independent women living in a world still ingrained with traditional roles and expectations. Her smart and often highly comical plays, which explore topics ranging from feminism to family to ethnicity to pop culture, include The Sisters Rosensweig, An American Daughter, Old Money and the 1989 Tony and Pulitzer prize-winning The Heidi Chronicles.
The cast of Third also includes Raye Birk as Jack Jameson (Laurie's aging father), Emily Gunyou Halaas as Emily (Laurie's daughter), and Angela Timberman as Nancy Gordon (Laurie's friend and academic colleague).
Stangl, former Eye of the Storm Artistic Director, is no stranger to the Guthrie, having previously directed Pygmalion, Blue/Orange and Top Girls. She is joined by an artistic team of Guthrie favorites including John Arnone (Set Designer), David Kay Mickelsen (Costume Designer), Marcus Dilliard (Lighting Designer), C. Andrew Mayer (Sound Designer), Jo Holcomb (Dramaturg), Elisa Carlson (Voice and Speech Coach), Marcela Lorca (Movement), Martha Kulig (Stage Manager), Carin Bratlie (Assistant Director) and Jason Clusman (Assistant Stage Manager).
About the Guthrie
The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Guthrie is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Led by Director Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie opened their new three-theater home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in June 2006.
The Guthrie is located at 818 South 2nd Street (at Chicago Avenue), in downtown Minneapolis. To purchase tickets or season subscriptions call the Guthrie Box Office between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily at 612.377.2224 or toll-free 877.44.STAGE. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit http://www.guthrietheater.org/.
THIRD
BY WENDY WASSERSTEIN
DIRECTED BY CASEY STANGL
First preview: February 16, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: February 22, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Closing: March 30, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
Location:
Guthrie Theater
818 South 2nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
TICKETS:
Priced at $24.00 - $69.00
Guthrie Box Office: 612.377.2224
Greater Minnesota: TOLL FREE 877.44.STAGE
Box Office hours: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily
Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.guthrietheater.org/.
Performance Schedule:
Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 7:00 p.m.
Matinees on selected Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 p.m.
ASL Performances
Friday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Audio Described Performances
Saturday, March 8 at 1 p.m., sensory tour at 10:30 a.m.
Friday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-Play Discussion
Sunday, February 17 at 5 p.m.
Post-Play Discussions
Tuesday, February 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 2 at 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 8 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m.
Inside Look Workshops
Saturday, March 1 at 9:30 a.m.
Target Play Date
Saturday, March 26 at 1 p.m.
# # #