American Repertory Theater presents AJAX

For Immediate Release: January 14, 2011

Contact: Kati Mitchell 617-495-2668
kati_mitchell@harvard.edu

American Repertory Theater
presents
AJAX
by Sophocles
in a new translation by Charles Connaghan
directed by Sarah Benson
February 12 — March 13
Loeb Drama Center

WHAT: The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) continues its 2010/11 Season with Sophocles’s great war tragedy Ajax, in a new translation by Charles Connaghan, and directed by Sarah Benson. 

WHEN: February 12 - March 13, 2011
Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30pm
Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm
PRESS OPENING on Wednesday, February 16 at 7:00pm

WHERE: Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge

TICKETS: Begin at $25. Student rush $15.
Seniors $10 off regular ticket price.
Group Rates available.
Single tickets can be purchased on line at http://www.AmericanRepertoryTheater.org, by phone at 617-547-8300, or in person at the A.R.T. Box Office, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.  For more information on Memberships go to http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/membership

RATING: Recommended for mature 12-year olds and above.

RUNNING TIME:  Ninety minutes, no intermission.   

DETAILS:
A poignant examination of how war affects the mind of a solider, Sophocles’s tragedy speaks directly to our times.  Second only to Achilles in greatness and strength, the legendary Greek warrior Ajax struggles under the weight of psychological and physical injuries, trying to maintain his dignity, identity, and honor. Director Sarah Benson brings the voice of the community to this production, exploring the relationships between soldiers and civilians.

THE AJAX COMPANY:

The cast includes Remo Airaldi (Cabaret, Endgame, Romance, The Seagull, over sixty productions at A.R.T.) as Chorus Leader, Kaaron Briscoe (Polly X in Trojan Barbie at A.R.T.) as Athena, Nathan Darrow (Paternity, off Broadway; Much Ado about Nothing at Berkeley Rep; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Taking Sides at Actors’ Theatre of Louisville) as Teucer, Thomas Derrah (R. Buckminster Fuller, Cabaret, Endgame, 120 productions at A.R.T.) as Agamemnon, Brent Harris (Dido and Aeneas at the A.R.T., Scar in the national tour of The Lion King; leading roles in many of the top regional theaters in the country, including Present Laughter, Much Ado About Nothing, Dr. Faustus, The Royal Family at Oregon Shakespeare Festival) as Ajax, Ron Cephas Jones (The Tempest, As You Like It with The Bridge Project, member of The LAByrinth Project) as Odysseus, James Joseph O’Neil (Present Laughter on Broadway and Huntington Theatre; Look Back in Anger at CSC; King Lear at Baltimore Center Stage) as Menelaus, Linda Powell (Elena in Uncle Vanya at A.R.T.; On Golden Pond and Wilder, Wilder, Wilder on Broadway), as Tecmessa, and A.R.T. Institute actor Nick Crandall as the Messenger.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Director Sarah Benson has been the Artistic Director of Soho Rep since 2007. Her New York credits include the New York premiere of Sarah Kane’s Blasted at Soho Rep for which she received an OBIE award and Drama Desk nomination, and the New York premiere of Polly Stenham’s That Face at Manhattan Theater Club. She has also directed projects for the O’Neill Theater Center and New York Stage & Film. She co-curated the PRELUDE Festival at the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center for two seasons.
Ms. Benson moved to New York from London on a Fulbright Scholarship for Theater Direction and has made it her home.

The design team for the production includes Set and Costume Designer David Zinn (The Seagull, Olly’s Prison, Orpheus X at A.R.T. among others), Lighting Designer Justin Townsend (A.R.T.: The Blue Flower, Trojan Barbie, The Onion Cellar; Broadway: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson); Sound Designer Matt Tierney (Blasted, Orange, Hat & Grace at Soho Rep) and Video Design by Greg Emetaz (L’étoile at NY City Opera, NY Public Library, Opera Theatre of St. Louis).

ABOUT THE A.R.T.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is one of the country's most celebrated resident theaters and the winner of numerous awards including the Tony Award, the Pulitzer Prize and regional Elliot Norton and I.R.N.E. Awards. In 2002 the A.R.T. was the recipient of the National Theatre Conference's Outstanding Achievement Award, and in May of 2003 it was named one of the top three regional theaters in the country by Time magazine. 

Founded by Robert Brustein in 1980, the A.R.T. during its 30-year history has welcomed many major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes new American plays, bold reinterpretations of classical texts and provocative new music theater productions. The A.R.T. has performed throughout the U.S. and worldwide in 21 cities in 16 countries on 4 continents. It has presented over 200 productions, over half of which were premieres of new plays, translations and adaptations.
 
The A.R.T. is also a training ground for young artists. The Theater’s artistic staff teaches undergraduate classes in acting, directing, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, design and playwriting at Harvard University, and in 1987 the A.R.T. founded the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University in conjunction with the Moscow Art Theater School. The Institute provides world-class graduate level training in acting, dramaturgy and voice.

In 2009, the A.R.T. welcomed its new Artistic Director, Diane Paulus. Armed with the A.R.T.'s mission to expand the boundaries of theater, Paulus and her team have engaged thousands of new theatergoers at performances of Sleep No More, The Donkey Show, Gatz, Best of Both Worlds, Johnny Baseball and Cabaret as well as festivals like Emerging America. Critics and audiences have embraced the immersive environments that have become hallmarks of A.R.T. productions. The Theater has broadened its focus to include the audience's total experience, providing them with a sense of ownership in the theatrical event. Initiatives like the A.R.T.'s new club theater OBERON, which Paulus calls a "second stage for the 21st century", is an example of one initiative that has not only become an incubator for local artists but also has attracted national attention as a groundbreaking model for programming.   Through all of its work, the A.R.T. is committed to building a community of artists, designers, technicians, administrators and audience.

The Loeb Drama Center, located at 64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge, is accessible to persons with special needs and to those requiring wheelchair seating or first-floor restrooms. Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons can also reach the theater by calling the toll-free N.E. Telephone Relay Center at 1-800-439-2370.

Public transportation and discount parking are available nearby.

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CALENDAR AND RELATED EVENTS AT A GLANCE

(*) members of Actors Equity Association

WHERE: Loeb Drama Center, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

RATING: Recommended for 12 and older.

TICKETS: begin at $25. Tickets may be charged to American Express, Visa, or Master Card. Group rates are available
Box Office Phone and A.R.T. InfoLine: (617) 547-8300, tickets also available online at www.AmericanRepertoryTheater.org

RELATED EVENTS:
Theater of War?????

MEDIA INFORMATION:
Email Address: press@amrep.org
Production photos of AJAX will be available beginning February 14th at
http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/media-room/press-kits/ajax

File 

Ajax Release Final.pdf