#1
Posted: 9/16/09 at 2:48pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Wilma Theater Opens 09-10 Season with Coming Home by Athol Fugard- directed by Blanka Zizka - October 14 - November 15, 2009
PHILADELPHIA The Wilma Theater opens its 2009-2010 Season with Coming Home, the latest work by internationally acclaimed playwright Athol Fugard the second most frequently produced playwright at the Wilma, following Tom Stoppard. The Wilma's production of Coming Home, directed by the Wilma's co-Artistic Director Blanka Zizka, is only the play's third production, after its premiere at New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre earlier this year.
In his latest play, Fugard, described as the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world by TIME Magazine, crafts a moving tale of a young South African woman?s never-ending hope for a better future. As a teenager, Veronica left her cherished grandfather's farm with aspirations of becoming a cabaret singer in Cape Town. Years later, she returns to her hometown with broken dreams, a painful secret, and the unflinching hope of building a new life for her young son.
Coming Home at the Wilma begins previews on October 14, opens on October 21 (press night), and closes on November 15, 2009. Tickets start at $36 and are available at the Wilma Box Office by calling (215) 546-7824, visiting 265 South Broad Street, or online at http://www.wilmatheater.org. Student tickets are available for $10, depending on date and time, made possible through a grant from PNC Arts Alive.
Cast & Production Team
The Wilma's cast includes Lou Ferguson as Oupa Jonkers. Ferguson also portrayed Oupa in the world premiere of Coming Home and last appeared at the Wilma in Playland. His numerous credits include TV, film, regional theater, and Broadway credits such as Seven Guitars, Two Trains Running, and Playboy of the West Indies. Veronica Jonkers is played by Patrice Johnson, whose Broadway credits include The Crucible and Racing Demon; regional credits include the role of Desdemona, opposite Patrick Stewart, in Shakespeare Theatre Company's Othello; in addition to several Off-Broadway, film and TV credits, including Without a Trace, The Guardian, and ER. Johnson is also the writer, director and producer of three independent feature films Kingcounty, Ny's Dirty Laundry, and Hill and Gully. Alfred Witbooi is played by Nyambi Nyambi, who has appeared on Broadway in Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Lincoln Center Theater and Off-Broadway with Classic Stage Company, Classical Theatre of Harlem, and Partial Comfort Productions, among others. Two young local actors will play the role of Veronica?s son, Mannetjie. 10-year-old Antonio J. Dandridge will portray Mannetjie at age 9, and 9-year-old Elijah Felder will portray Mannetjie at age 5.
The set and costumes are designed by Anne Patterson, with lighting design by Thom Weaver, sound design by Andrea Sotzing, and original music composed by South African musician Mogauwane Mahloele.
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PR Edited by PB Ent.
The Wilma Theater Opens 09-10 Season with Coming Home by Athol Fugard- directed by Blanka Zizka - October 14 - November 15, 2009
PHILADELPHIA The Wilma Theater opens its 2009-2010 Season with Coming Home, the latest work by internationally acclaimed playwright Athol Fugard the second most frequently produced playwright at the Wilma, following Tom Stoppard. The Wilma's production of Coming Home, directed by the Wilma's co-Artistic Director Blanka Zizka, is only the play's third production, after its premiere at New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre earlier this year.
In his latest play, Fugard, described as the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world by TIME Magazine, crafts a moving tale of a young South African woman?s never-ending hope for a better future. As a teenager, Veronica left her cherished grandfather's farm with aspirations of becoming a cabaret singer in Cape Town. Years later, she returns to her hometown with broken dreams, a painful secret, and the unflinching hope of building a new life for her young son.
Coming Home at the Wilma begins previews on October 14, opens on October 21 (press night), and closes on November 15, 2009. Tickets start at $36 and are available at the Wilma Box Office by calling (215) 546-7824, visiting 265 South Broad Street, or online at http://www.wilmatheater.org. Student tickets are available for $10, depending on date and time, made possible through a grant from PNC Arts Alive.
Cast & Production Team
The Wilma's cast includes Lou Ferguson as Oupa Jonkers. Ferguson also portrayed Oupa in the world premiere of Coming Home and last appeared at the Wilma in Playland. His numerous credits include TV, film, regional theater, and Broadway credits such as Seven Guitars, Two Trains Running, and Playboy of the West Indies. Veronica Jonkers is played by Patrice Johnson, whose Broadway credits include The Crucible and Racing Demon; regional credits include the role of Desdemona, opposite Patrick Stewart, in Shakespeare Theatre Company's Othello; in addition to several Off-Broadway, film and TV credits, including Without a Trace, The Guardian, and ER. Johnson is also the writer, director and producer of three independent feature films Kingcounty, Ny's Dirty Laundry, and Hill and Gully. Alfred Witbooi is played by Nyambi Nyambi, who has appeared on Broadway in Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Lincoln Center Theater and Off-Broadway with Classic Stage Company, Classical Theatre of Harlem, and Partial Comfort Productions, among others. Two young local actors will play the role of Veronica?s son, Mannetjie. 10-year-old Antonio J. Dandridge will portray Mannetjie at age 9, and 9-year-old Elijah Felder will portray Mannetjie at age 5.
The set and costumes are designed by Anne Patterson, with lighting design by Thom Weaver, sound design by Andrea Sotzing, and original music composed by South African musician Mogauwane Mahloele.
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PR Edited by PB Ent.
www.pbentertainmentinc.com
BWW regional writer "Philadelphia/South Jersey"
Updated On: 9/16/09 at 02:48 PM
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