PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: October 26, 2009

PRESS CONTACT:  Dan Berube, 978.654.7595, berube@merrimackrep.org        

BOX OFFICE:  978.654.4MRT (4678)

WORLD WAR I VETS EMBARK ON

ONE FINAL MISSION IN

HEROES BY GERALD SIBLEYRAS,

ADAPTED BY TOM STOPPARD

Acclaimed Cast, Creative Team Includes Academy Award, Tony Award, Olivier Award, Obie Award and Drama Desk Winners

Press Opening November 22 at 7PM

Lowell, MA – Three aging World War I veterans plot to escape their nursing home for one final adventure in the regional premiere of the Olivier Award-winning comedy Heroes, by French playwright Gerald Sibleyras, adapted by Academy Award-winner Tom Stoppard at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, November 19 – December 13, 2009; stage direction by Carl Forsman. Performances begin Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 PM, with Opening Night on Sunday, November 22 at 7PM, running through December 13. Subscriptions and individual tickets are on sale now online at MerrimackRep.org or by calling 978.654.4MRT.

The all-Equity cast features 3 veteran actors of both the stage and screen. Tony Award-winner Ron Holgate (Gustave) and Jonathan Hogan (Philippe) reprise their roles from the Spring 2009 Keen Company production of Heroes. Ron Holgate won a Tony Award in 1969 for his portrayal of Richard Henry Lee in the Broadway production of 1776. He later reprised the role for the film version of 1776, and also appeared on Broadway in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 42nd Street, Lend Me a Tenor and Guys and Dolls. Tony-nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Jonathan Hogan has also made numerous appearances on Broadway, including The Homecoming, As Is and Fifth of July. Ken Tigar (Henri), a television regular with over 130 television and film credits, makes his debut on the Liberty Hall stage after appearing in Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s 2007 Off-Broadway production of Secret Order.

Set in 1959, Heroes tells the story of Henri, Gustave and Philippe, three World War I veterans who spend their days talking on the patio of the veteran’s home. Yearning for one final adventure, and armed with only their wits and a 200-pound stone dog for companionship, they battle old age, nagging war injuries, and a masochistic nun. It is a heartwarming tale of camaraderie and a moving portrait of the frustrations inherent in growing older.

“Theatrical hit, a boulevard comedy bull’s eye…achieves a seductive fusion of the comic, sad and absurd.” – The Evening Standard

With this production, Merrimack Rep builds on its relationship with Off-Broadway’s Obie and Drama Desk Award-winning Keen Company.  Artistic Director of Keen Company and Director of Heroes, Carl Forsman states, “I am thrilled to be remounting Keen Company's production of Heroes at Merrimack. Charles Towers is a great friend, and our experience doing The Breadwinner together a few years ago told me that he has built an excellent theatre with a group of patrons who appreciate quality and intelligence. I can't wait to share this little gem with them.”

Acclaimed playwright Gérald Sibleyras was born in 1961 in Paris.  His most notable work is the 2003 Le Vent des Peupliers, which has been translated and produced in countries worldwide including the United Kingdom, Germany, Uruguay and now the United States.  The play premiered at the Théâtre Montparnasse and received four Molières nominations including Meilleur Auteur (Best Author).  Tom Stoppard translated the play into English (Heroes) and it received its London debut at the Wyndham Theater under the direction of Thea Sharrock.  The production won the 2006 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.  Future translations and productions are planned for Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Finland and many others. 

Tom Stoppard is a world renowned author, playwright, translator and screenwriter. His first produced play was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1968. His subsequent plays include The Real Inspector Hound, After Magritte, Jumpers, Travesties, Night and Day, The Real Thing, Hapgood, Arcadia, Indian Ink, The Invention of Love, The Coast of Utopia and Rock ‘N’ Roll.  Stoppard directed and wrote the screenplay for the film of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, which won the Prix d’Or at the Venice Film Festival 1990 for Best Film. He also wrote the screenplay adaptation of Raymond Chandler's Poodle Springs for HBO and Shakespeare in Love for Universal, which won him an Academy Award for best original screenplay, a Golden Globe, and the Broadcast Film Critics and American Guild Awards for Best Screenplay 1998.

The production’s creative staff includes Carl Forsman (director), Theresa Squire (costume design), Beowulf Boritt (set design), and Josh Bradford (lighting design). Carl Forsman directed the New York premiere of Heroes at Keen Company, where he is the artistic director, and previously directed The Breadwinner at Merrimack Rep.  Obie Award-winning designer Beowulf Boritt makes his Merrimack Rep debut, and his work can currently be seen in New York in the Broadway production of Rock of Ages and off-Broadway in The Toxic Avenger. 

Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s 2009-2010 Season is sponsored by Lowell Cooperative Bank. Heroes is sponsored by Courier Corporation. Merrimack Repertory Theatre is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

CAST BIOS

RON HOLGATE (Gustave) Merrimack Repertory Theatre: debut.  Broadway: Milk and Honey, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 1776 (Tony Award), The Grand Tour (Tony nomination), 42nd Street, Lend Me a Tenor, Guys and Dolls, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate.  National Tours: Annie Get Your Gun, 42nd Street, Can Can, Lend Me a Tenor, Urinetown, Man of La Mancha.  International: Lend Me a Tenor, London. Film: 1776.  Television: Cabeza De Vaca, The Eagle Stirred, Gallantry, and several soap operas. Other: He has had leading roles in over 30 operas. 

KEN TIGAR (Henri) Merrimack Repertory Theatre: Secret Order (Off-Broadway, 59E59 Theaters). Off-Broadway: Thunder Rock, Rashomon, Gallows Humor, Equity Library Theatre. Regional:  Amadeus, New Harmony Theatre; Death of a Salesman, Majestic Theatre; Custody of the Eyes, Cleveland Play House. He has appeared across the country in his one-man show I Must Be Mr. Boswell about the biographer of Dr. Johnson. Film: Lethal Weapon II & III. Television: Barney Miller, Dallas, NCIS, Growing Pains, ER, Cheers, Night Court, LA Law, The X-Files, Law & Order and many more.  

JONATHAN HOGAN (Philippe) Merrimack Repertory Theatre: debut.  Broadway: Comedians, Otherwise Engaged, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Fifth of July, As Is (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations), Burn This, Taking Steps and The Homecoming.  Regional: He was a member of the celebrated Circle Rep for twenty-five years and worked extensively there and elsewhere Off- and Off-Off Broadway, most recently in the Keen Company’s production of Heroes.  Films: In Country, The House On Carroll Street.  Television: All versions of Law & Order, several Movies of the Week, As the World Turns, One Life to Live. Education: Mr. Hogan is a graduate of The Goodman Theatre and School of Drama.

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR HEROES: Pay What You Will Night – November 19 at 7:30PM.  Patrons may purchase tickets in cash at the Box Office between 4:30-7:30PM and name their ticket price.  Following the performance, there will also be a Director’s Dialogue, where the directors and designers field audience questions and describe how the play was staged.  Lowell Night – November 21 at 8PM. Lowell residents may purchase tickets for $10 at the box office from 5-8PM. Proper ID required.  Opening Night – November 22 at 7PM. Audience members are invited to join Merrimack Rep’s staff and cast after the show in raising a glass of champagne to celebrate the opening of the production.  Cookie Matinee – November 25 at 2PM. Patrons enjoy complimentary cookies and coffee in the lobby before the show, courtesy of Brew’d Awakening Coffeehaus.  Post Show Forum – November 24, December 3 and December 10 at 7:30PM.  Audiences can stay after the performance to learn the inside scoop and chat with the actors.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Don’t miss a single show!  On sale now, Merrimack Rep offers subscription packages to fit every lifestyle and budget.  With season subscription packages ranging from $45-$307, all subscriptions offer deep discounts off the single ticket prices as well as exclusive subscriber-only benefits, including free parking, restaurant and theatre discounts, lost ticket insurance and free, unlimited exchanges.  For a season brochure or subscription information, call 978.654.4MRT (4678) or visit www.MerrimackRep.org.

TICKETS: Single Tickets $26-$56; Student/Senior/Group discounts are available.  Tickets can be purchased at MRT’s Online Box Office at www.merrimackrep.org, or in person at 50 E. Merrimack St., Lowell, or by calling 978.654.4678.  Groups of 6 or more save 25% off single ticket prices, and can call 978.654.7595 for more information.

For more information, bios, interviews, or photos, please contact Dan Berube at 978.654.7595 or berube@merrimackrep.org.

For MRT show times, tickets, season information, directions, or to request a brochure, please visit www.merrimackrep.org or call the Box Office at 978.654.4MRT (4678).

Merrimack Repertory Theatre is located in beautiful historic downtown Lowell at Liberty Hall, the Company’s 308-seat theatre, 50 E. Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852 (adjacent to Lowell Memorial Auditorium).  Each season, Merrimack Rep presents an eclectic mix of contemporary productions, engaging the best available actors, designers and directors in the country.  Founded in 1979, Merrimack Rep’s mission is “To advance the cause of human understanding by creating theatrical productions at the highest level of artistic excellence and making them affordable to the broadest possible community.”  Its unique artistic vision is shaped by a passion for excellence and a profound commitment to its community.  Merrimack Rep strives to enhance the community’s quality of life while contributing to its economic strength, measuring success by the depth of the Company’s artistic and social contribution to the region.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre's 2009-2010 Season
Flings & Eros by The Flying Karamazov Brothers, September 10 – October 4, 2009; The Seafarer by Conor McPherson, October 15 – November 8, 2009; Heroes by Gerald Sibleyras, adapted by Tom Stoppard, November 19 – December 13, 2009; Fabuloso, A Play by John Kolvenbach, January 7 – January 31, 2010; Black Pearl Sings! by Frank Higgins, February 11 – March 7, 2010; The Last Days of Mickey & Jean by Richard Dresser, March 18 – April 11, 2010; The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead by Robert Hewett, April 22 – May 16, 2010.

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