September 2, 2008

The stars will be glittering on Broad Street when Philadelphia Theatre Company opens its second season in its new home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, with the world premiere of Terrence McNally's Unusual Acts of Devotion starring Faith Prince and Richard Thomas. Directed by Leonard Foglia, the production also features James Colby, Viola Harris, and Ana Reeder.

Previews begin Wednesday, October 22 with opening night on Wednesday, October 29. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday through November 23. Tickets are $48-$59, with discounts for students, seniors and groups. Tickets are available by calling the PTC Box Office at 215-985-0420 or visiting www.PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. Philadelphia Theatre Company home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, is located at Broad and Lombard Streets.

On a summer evening, residents of a Greenwich Village walk-up gather on the roof to celebrate a wedding anniversary, only to confront some of the uncomfortable truths that inform their lives and relationships. Unusual Acts of Devotion looks at things done - and not done - all in the name of love.

PTC's relationship with Terrence McNally extends back twenty years, covering not only the world premiere productions of the Tony Award-winning Master Class and Some Men, but also the Philadelphia premieres of Love! Valour! Compassion!; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

Producing Artistic Director Sara Garonzik says, "It continues to be our great honor to assist Terrence in the development of his new work. I think audiences connect so deeply with his plays because his characters are so richly drawn with equal measures of unflinching honesty and compassion for what makes them - and us - human. It is no wonder that actors are so drawn to his plays and we cannot be more delighted with our ensemble cast for Unusual Acts of Devotion. We welcome back Richard Thomas with whom we worked several years ago in Citizen Tom Paine and welcome aboard the wonderful Faith Prince as well as Ana Reeder, James Colby and Viola Harris."

In explaining how he approached the theme of his new play, McNally said: "In Unusual Acts of Devotion, I wanted to imagine a party with one young couple celebrating an anniversary, an ill-matched couple trying to affect some sort of reconciliation, and an older woman who has observed it all. All these people have a rare opportunity to come together to love and be loved, to empathize, and to be understood. If there's one thing I hope that audiences take away from the play, it's how precious the time we spend together is and how we squander it so mightily."

Terrence McNally has received four Tony Awards - for Master Class and Love! Valour! Compassion!, which also won the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Play as well as the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play, and for Ragtime and Kiss of The Spiderwoman for Best Book of a Musical. His most recent work includes his play, Deuce and the book for The Visit. Other plays include Bad Habits, The Lisbon Traviata, Corpus Christi, and It's Only A Play. McNally also wrote the book for the musicals A Man of No Importance, which was produced at Lincoln Center, The Full Monty and the upcoming Catch Me if You Can with Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman.

Leonard Foglia, who recently directed Thurgood on Broadway, returns to PTC where he directed the world premiere of Terrence McNally's Master Class, later repeating his success on Broadway and London's West End. A frequent collaborator with McNally, he has also directed Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, By the Sea, The Stendhal Syndrome, and Dead Man Walking. Other Broadway credits include On Golden Pond and Wait Until Dark. His regional work has been seen at Mark Taper Forum, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Kennedy Center and Westport Playhouse. A popular opera director, he has worked at Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, Cincinnati Opera and Pittsburgh Opera.

James Colby has been featured in New York at Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizon, Primary Stages, The Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop. Regionally he has been a frequent guest at Hartford Stage, Cleveland Playhouse and Baltimore Center Stage. On television he has guest starred in Law & Order, Family Law, ER, and The Practice, and had a recurring role in The Profiler.

Viola Harris, a veteran stage and film actress, has starred at Alliance Theatre in Wit and York Theatre in Oh Boy! and in the touring productions of If We Are Women, On the Town, and Fiddler on the Roof. Her film credits include Sour Grapes, Deconstructing Harry, Slender Thread and Funny Girl. On television she has been seen in Third Watch, Law & Order, As the World Turns, and One Life To Life.

Faith Prince recently appeared on Broadway in A Catered Affair for which she garnered a Tony Award nomination. Prince is best known for her Tony–winning turn as the perennially unwed Miss Adelaide in the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls, for which she also won the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. She was nominated for two other Tonys for her portrayal of Ella Peterson in the revival of Bells Are Ringing (for which she again received an Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk nomination) and Jerome Robbin's Broadway (also coupled with a Drama Desk nomination). On Broadway she was also seen in the revivals of Noises Off and The King and I. On television, in addition to five seasons as a regular on Spin City, she can currently be seen in a recurring role in Showtime's series Huff as will as episodes of House and Monk.

Ana Reeder, the Obie Award-winner for Small Tragedy at Playwrights Horizons, has recently appeared on Broadway in Top Girls and in several productions at Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center Theater, and New York Shakespeare Festival. Regionally she has performed at Bay Street Theater, Huntington Theatre Company, Potomac Theater and New York Stage and Film. She was recently featured on film in No Country for Old Men, Diary of a City Priest and Acts of Worship, which won her a Spirit Award Best Debut Performance nomination.

Richard Thomas returns to PTC where he starred in the world premiere of Citizen Tom Paine and was part of the celebration gala that opened PTC's Suzanne Roberts Theatre last fall. Thomas began his career at age seven in the Broadway production of Sunrise at Campobello, but came to national recognition for his portrayal of John "John-Boy" Walton, Jr. in the beloved TV series The Waltons, a role he played for eight years and for which he won a Best Actor Emmy. His New York stage credits include The Public Theater's production of As You Like It, Democracy on Broadway, and the Primary Stages production of Terrence McNally's The Stendhal Syndrome. He recently completed the national tour of Twelve Angry Men.

Unusual Acts of Devotion brings back to PTC Lighting Designer Brian Nason (PTC's Birdy) and Sound Designer Ryan Rumery (PTC's Murderers) and introduces audiences to world renowned Set Designer Santo Loquasto (Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Café Crown and The Cherry Orchard and numerous films by Woody Allen), and Costume Designer Jess Goldstein (Tony Award for The Rivals, Tony nomination for Henry IV, and Drama Desk nominations for Enchanted April and Love! Valour! Compassion!).

Philadelphia Theatre Company is Philadelphia's only non-profit professional theater dedicated exclusively to producing world and regional premieres of works by contemporary American playwrights. Sara Garonzik has been the company's Producing Artistic Director since 1982, and in October 2007, Diane Claussen became its Managing Director. Philadelphia Theatre Company continues to experience ever-increasing national impact, having produced 34 world premieres of new American plays and musicals in its 32 seasons. Recent world premiere productions include: The Happiness Lecture by Bill Irwin; Nerds://A Musical Software Satire by Jordan Allen-Dutton, Erik Weiner, and Hal Goldberg; Some Men by Terrence McNally (later produced at the Second Stage); Adrift in Macao, a musical by Christopher Durang and Peter Melnick (produced at Primary Stages); Bruce Graham's According to Goldman; Jeffrey Hatcher's A Picasso (later produced at Manhattan Theatre Club); Daniel Stern's comedy Barbra's Wedding (moved to the Westside Arts Theatre in 2003); John Henry Redwood's No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs (later produced at Primary Stages); J.T. Rogers' White People; David Ives' Lives of the Saints; three-time Tony Award-winning Master Class by Terrence McNally, starring Zoe Caldwell; Bunny Bunny by Alan Zweibel (Lucille Lortel Award, 1997); and the American premiere of Birdy by Naomi Wallace, among others.

Philadelphia Theatre Company has received numerous "Best Theater Company" citations from media sources such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia Style Magazine, and Philadelphia City Paper. Since 1995, Philadelphia Theatre Company has received 134 nominations and 36 awards from Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards.

PTC now enters its second season in its new home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre designed by KieranTimberlake Associates LLP. This new state-of-the-art venue includes a 365-seat traditional proscenium auditorium designed to envelope both the actors and audience, a dramatic lobby and mezzanine level reception areas with an expansive view of the Avenue of the Arts, as well as superior patron amenities, box office facilities, and handicapped accessibility features.

For further information on Philadelphia Theatre Company and the upcoming 2008/2009 season at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, call 215-985-0420 or visit www.PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org.

PREVIEWS:
Wednesday-Saturday, October 22-25 at 8:00PM
Sunday, October 26 at 3:00PM
Tuesday, October 27 at 8:00PM

OPENING:
Wednesday, October 29 at 7:00PM

PERFORMANCES:
Tuesday - Saturday at 8:00PM
All Wednesday performances at 7:00PM
Wednesday matinee at 1:00PM on November 5, 12 and 19
Saturday matinee at 2:00PM on November 1, 15 and 22
Sunday matinee at 3:00PM on October 26, November 2, 9, 16, and 23

CLOSING PERFORMANCE:
Sunday, November 23 at 3:00PM

LOCATION:
Suzanne Roberts Theatre, home of Philadelphia Theatre Company
Broad and Lombard Streets on the Avenue of the Arts

TICKET PRICES:
Friday preview, Tuesday evenings, Wednesday and Saturday matinees: All seats $46
Saturday preview, Thursday and Friday evenings, Sunday matinees: All seats $52
Saturday Evenings: All seats $59
Student, Senior Citizen and Group Discounts available

PARKING/TRANSPORTATION:
Onsite parking is available at the Symphony House InterPark lot, as well as many other parking facilities on Broad Street. The theater is also accessible by taxi, SEPTA buses and trains, and the PATCO Highspeed line.

ACCESSIBILITY:
PTC provides large print, Braille and audio cassette programs upon request.
Open-captioned performance on Saturday, November 15 at 2:00PM
Audio described performance on Saturday, November 22 at 2:00PM

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:
PTC's Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad & Lombard Streets
Monday-Friday 10:00AM - 5:30 PM beginning September
215/985-0420 or toll free 866/985-0420 or online at www.PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org

SPECIAL EVENTS:
American Playwrights in Context: A Discussion with Terrence McNally - November 16
Meet-the-Artists Post-Show Discussions on October 31, November 1, 13, and 18
Pre-Show Wine Tasting on November 4 and 20 at 7:00 PM (FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY)
Night OUT! pre-show LGBTQ-friendly reception on Thursday, November 6 at 6:30 PM before 8pm performance.
NEXT post-performance reception for Young Patrons on Saturday, November 1

PLAYWRIGHT:
Terrence McNally

DIRECTOR:
Leonard Foglia

CAST:
Josie - Faith Prince
Chick - Richard Thomas
Leo - James Colby
Nadine - Ana Reeder
Mrs. Darnell - Viola Harris

DESIGNERS:
Set designer - Santo Loquasto
Costume designer - Jess Goldstein
Lighting designer - Brian Nason
Sound designer - Ryan Rumery

PRESS INFORMATION:
Deborah Fleischman
215/735-7356

TICKET INFORMATION:
215/985-0420 or 866/985-0420 or www.PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org

SYNOPSIS:
On a hot summer evening, residents of a Greenwich Village walk-up gather on the roof to celebrate Josie returning to town and the wedding anniversary of Leo and Nadine, only to confront some of the uncomfortable truths that inform their lives and relationships. Unusual Acts of Devotion looks at things done - and not done - all in the name of love.

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