PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY
PRESENTS
The Heiress
By Ruth and Augustus Goetz, suggested by the Henry James novel
Washington Square
Pioneer Theatre Company presents the romantic drama The
Heiress, running March 14 through March 29, 2008. An
adaptation of the classic Henry James novel Washington
Square, The Heiress enjoyed a successful run on
Broadway, 1947 – 1950, and was the basis for the 1949 Academy
Award-winning film of the same name starring Olivia de
Havilland. More recently, the play was revived at Lincoln
Center in 1995, and starred Cherry Jones.
Catherine Sloper, gentle and painfully shy, lives quietly with
her widowed father in New York City’s wealthy Washington
Square in 1850. When handsome, dashing but penniless Morris
Townsend begins to court her, does he truly understand
Catherine's passionate and beautiful spirit? Is this
Catherine's last chance for love, or is Townsend, as her
father suspects, merely a calculating fortune hunter? It’s the
19th Century’s version of dating trials and
tribulations – with an overbearing father and meddling aunt
thrown in for good measure.
Catherine Sloper is played by AEA member Effie Johnson.
Johnson appeared on Broadway in Julius Caesar
with Denzel Washington and understudied Cherry Jones in A
Moon for the Misbegotten with Gabriel Byrne. She received
a Drammy Award at Portland Center Stage for her portrayal of
Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Her film credits
include Delivery (for which she received an Acting
Award from the First Run Film Festival), Next, Please,
and Enter Dogmaville.
Dr. Austin Sloper, Catherine’s father, is portrayed by Equity
actor Thomas Carson. Carson’s New York credits
include Major Barbara and The Importance of Being
Earnest for Irish Repertory Theatre, Samuel Beckett’s
All That Fall, Alive by Night for UBU Repertory,
War on The Third Floor at Perry St. Theatre, The Broken
Pitcher, Breakfast Conversations in Miami, and
The Tempest with Theatre for a New Audience. He returns to
PTC after appearing there several years ago in As You Like
It.
Catherine’s handsome suitor Morris Townsend is played by AEA
actor Alex Podulke. Podulke’s New York credits
include Flesh and the Desert at Theatre Row,
Romeo and Juliet in Central Park, and Cyrano de
Bergerac at the Metropolitan Opera with Placido Domingo.
His regional credits include Titus Andronicus at The
Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., Pride and
Prejudice at Portland Center Stage, and six seasons at the
Guthrie Theatre. He returns to the Simmons Pioneer Memorial
Theatre’s stage after appearing in Enchanted April.
Catherine’s Aunt Lavinia Penniman is played by Equity actress
Libby George. George toured nationally with John
Houseman’s acting company for three years, and has been seen
on various New York stages, most recently in Dorothy Parker’s
Ladies of the Corridor. She returns to PTC after
appearing in several shows here, including Joyful Noise,
Richard III, An Ideal Husband, and last
season’s Pride and Prejudice, in which she played Mrs.
Bennet.
Playing Morris Townsend’s devoted sister Mrs. Montgomery is
AEA actress Colleen Baum. Baum was seen in last
season’s You Can’t Take It With You and Lost in
Yonkers at PTC. She has also been seen at local companies
such as SLAC in SexSting, Rabbit Hole, The Water Project,
and others, and Plan-B Theatre
Company in Animal Farm,
War of the Worlds and The
Laramie Project.
Rounding out the cast as members of the Slopers’ family and
household are AEA actors Cecelia Riddett as Aunt
Elizabeth Almond, Anne Bowles as Catherine’s cousin
Marian, happily engaged to Arthur Townsend, who is played by
Thomas Marcus. Cheryl Gaysunas plays Maria, the
housekeeper. Riddett
was last seen in New York as Mrs. Pratt in The Return of
the Prodigal at the Mint Theater; Bowles
appeared on Broadway in Inherit the Wind as Mrs.
Loomis/US-Rachel Brown. Marcus was last seen on the PTC
stage as Cobweb in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and
Gaysunas appeared on
Broadway in La Bête,
The Moliere Comedies, and as Mabel in An Ideal Husband
directed by Sir Peter Hall.
Directing the production is John Going. On Broadway,
Going directed Tony Lo Bianco in Hizzoner! His
other New York credits include direction for Mart Crowley's
A Breeze from the Gulf. Internationally his work has been
seen in Moscow, Johannesburg, Vienna, Frankfurt, Toronto and
Winnipeg. Going, associate Artistic Director for the
Olney Theatre in Maryland, returns to PTC after directing
Evita, Hay Fever, and Fiddler on the Roof,
among others.
Scenic Design for The Heiress is by James
Wolk. Wolk’s NYC
designs include The President and Her Mistress,
Summer of the Swans at Theatreworks USA, Pagans at
the Abingdon Theatre, Boys' Life at Lincoln Center and
Three Sisters, both directed by William H. Macy. He has
been nominated for the Helen Hayes, Barrymore, and American
Theatre Wing Awards. Wolk returns to PTC after
designing such shows as Lost in Yonkers, The
Mousetrap, and A Streetcar Named Desire.
PTC Resident Costume Designer Carol Wells-Day designs
the costumes for this lavish period piece. Wells-Day
worked for the Utah Shakespearean Festival for 13 years as a
costume shop supervisor and designer. Her recent designs for
PTC include Doubt, Lost in Yonkers, and Pride
and Prejudice.
Lighting Design is by Dennis Parichy.
Sound design is by PTC
resident sound designer
Joe Payne.
Payne
is in his eighth season as Resident Sound Designer for Pioneer Theatre
Company. He has designed sound and/or composed music for more
than 100 productions in theatres throughout the country.
Hair and make-up designer
Amanda French,
PTC resident designer, has worked for theatres all over the
west. She is a contributing writer in the ninth edition of
Stage Makeup by Richard Corson and James Glavan and is a
featured artist in The Costume Technician’s Handbook by
Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covey.
###
MEDIA PHOTO SHOOT:
There will be a media photo shoot on Tuesday, March 4th,
2008. The shoot will be held at 12:30 P.M. in the
REHEARSAL HALL (Room 245, downstairs) of Simmons Pioneer
Memorial Theatre, 300 S. 1400 E., SLC. Please RSVP at (801)
581-7222. Please RSVP at (801) 581-7222.
TV
CAMERA FILMING:
Filming a short segment of the production during Preview or
Opening Night for press use can be arranged. Call (801)
581-6270.
INTERVIEWS:
Interviews with the cast and artistic staff are available.
Call (801) 581-7222.
PRESS
TOURS:
Tours of the set for the press are available. Call (801)
581-7222.
WHO: Pioneer Theatre Company
WHAT: The Heiress
WHEN: March 14 – March 29, 2008
TIMES: Mondays - Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday matinees, 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre
300 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City
PRICE: $21 - $39; Children are half price on
Mondays and Tuesdays
MORE INFO: Box
Office (801) 581-6961. The Box Office is open 10:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. Monday - Friday, and Saturdays when there are
performance.
www.pioneertheatre.org
CAST:
Colleen
Baum*............................................................
Mrs. Montgomery
Anne
Bowles*.............................................................
Marian Almond
Thomas
Carson*.........................................................
Dr. Austin Sloper
Cheryl Gaysunas*........................................................
Maria
Libby
George*............................................................
Mrs. Lavinia Penniman
Effie
Johnson*.............................................................
Catherine Sloper
Thomas
Marcus...........................................................
Arthur Townsend
Alex Podulke*.............................................................
Morris Townsend
Cecelia Riddett*..........................................................
Mrs. Elizabeth Almond
ARTISTIC TEAM:
Director.......................................................................
John Going
Set
Designer................................................................
James Wolk
Costume
Designer.......................................................
Carol Wells-Day
Lighting
Designer.........................................................
Dennis Parichy
Dialect
Coach..............................................................
Adrianne Moore
Sound
Designer...........................................................
Joe Payne
Wig and Make-up
Designer......................................... Amanda
French
|
