Live Theatre Workshop presents THE CHOSEN

 

From: angela horchem [mailto:publicity@livetheatreworkshop.org]
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 11:35 AM
Subject: Live Theatre Workshop presents THE CHOSEN

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Live Theatre Workshop proudly presents

 

THE CHOSEN

Adapted by Aaron Posner and Chiam Potok

from the novel by Chaim Potok

 

Directed by Annette Hillman

Featuring Bill Epstein, Cliff Madison, Noam Shahar, Rick Shipman, & Emilio Zweig

 

January 3 - February 9, 2013

Preview Performances: January 3 & 4 at 7:30 PM

Opening Night Performance: Saturday, January 5 at 7:30 PM

Performances: Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 PM

with Sunday Matinees at 3:00 PM

Special Saturday Matinee February 9 at 3:00 PM

 

Preview Tickets: $12 | Regular Tickets: $18 with discounts available

To make your reservation call (520) 327-4242

 

For more information go to www.livetheatreworkshop.org

LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP - 5317 E. Speedway | Tucson, AZ 85712

Located on the North side of Speedway between Rosemont and Craycroft

Produced by Special Arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

 

A standing-room-only hit wherever it has played, this award-winning adaptation from the award-winning novel is the story of two boys, two fathers, and two very different Jewish communities—"five blocks and a world apart"—in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, in the 1940s. Set against the backdrop of WW II, the revelation of the Holocaust, and the desperate struggle of Zionism, THE CHOSEN remains not essentially political or religious but deeply human.

"…moving…examines the freedom that comes with the passage 

from childhood to adulthood—intellectual freedom, religious freedom, 

America's promise of freedom."

-- Philadelphia Weekly

"Take me somewhere new; surprise me with familiarity; dig deep into character, ideology and the human heart. THE CHOSEN does…It's irresistible." 

-- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

 

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHTS

 

CHAIM POTOK (Novelist, Adaptor) - born Herman Harold Potok, was the son of Polish immigrants and was reared in an Orthodox Jewish home. He was born in February of 1929 in New York City. He attended Yeshiva University and graduated summa cum laude in English literature in 1950 before moving on to the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained a Conservative rabbi. Potok began his career as an author and novelist in 1967 with the publication of THE CHOSEN which won the Edward Lewis Wallant Prize and was nominated for the National Book Award. Critics praised the book for its vivid rendering of the closed Hasidic community, while many considered it to be an allegory about the survival of Judaism. Potok went on to publish many more acclaimend and award-winning novels before his death in 2002.

 

AARON POSNER (Adaptor) - Aaron is a Helen Hayes and Barrymore Award-winning playwright, director and teacher. His adaptations include Chaim Potok's THE CHOSEN and MY NAME IS ASHER LEV, Ken Kesey's SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION, Mark Twain's A MURDER, A MYSTERY & A MARRIAGE and many more. He is a founder and former Artistic Director of Philadelphia's Arden Theatre and has directed major regional theatres from coast to coast including the Folger Theatre, Seattle Rep, Alliance, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Arizona Theatre Company, Milwaukee Rep, California Shakespeare Theatre and many, many others. He was raised in Eugene, Oregon, but was born in Madison, Wisconsin.

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

 

Annette Hillman (Director) - received her BA in Theatre at California State University at Long Beach an MFA in Theatre from Purdue University and apprenticed at Actors Theater of Louisville. In Tucson, Annette has directed JEWTOPIA (Arizona MAC Nominee, Best Comedy) and GUTENBERG: THE MUSICAL! (Arizona MAC nominee, Best Director) for Arizona Onstage Productions, and VILNA’S GOT A GOYEM and BEAST ON THE MOON for Borderlands Theatre (Tucson Weekly ‘Best Of’ Winner).

 

Bill Epstein - is a Professor of English at the University of Arizona. He has played principal roles in mummers' plays, commedia dell'arte, musicals, comedies (notably, Simon's PLAZA SUITE, Shaw's MISALLIANCE, Hart’s LIGHT UP THE SKY, Rudnick’s I HATE HAMLET), and dramas (notably, Pinter's OLD TIMES, Sophocles' ANTIGONE, Chekhov’s THE FESTIVITIES, Levin’s DEATHTRAP, Gilroy's THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES, Russell's EDUCATING RITA, Mamet's OLEANNA and GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, Shakespeare's KING LEAR, Albee's WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF), as well as supporting roles in Shakespeare, Brecht, Chekhov, Christie, Fo, Genet, Giraudoux, Ruhl, Peter Shaffer, Shaw, Simon, Uhry, Wilde, Wilder, and others. Two of the plays he has acted in received the Arizona Daily Star's annual MAC Award for Best Comedy. This is his twelfth appearance with Live Theatre Workshop.

 

Cliff Madison - hails from Mesa, Arizona and grew up in Casa Grande before coming to Tucson to study theatre at Pima Community College. He was last seen on the mainstage at Live Theatre Workshop in FALLEN ANGELS, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, RECKLESS, THE DINNER PARTY, A THOUSAND CLOWNS, THE UNEXPECTED GUEST and THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, to name a few. Cliff also recently performed in the Winding Road Theater Ensemble production of TALLEY’S FOLLY and Borderlands’ 26 MILES. 

 

Noam Shahar - was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and moved to Tucson, Arizona in 2006.  Since he was a child, he loved performing skits for his family, and in more recent years has embraced in theater.  His main roles included the lead in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Tucson Hebrew Academy); the boy and jailer in MACHINAL (Arizona Theater Company’s Summer on Stage); Michael in THE DINING ROOM and currently as Thénardier in LES MISERABLES, (St. Gregory High School). He has been in drama class for the past three years with Ms. Bodden. Recently, he participated with his acting partner at the Arizona Thespian Conference. THE CHOSEN is his first professional acting gig.

 

Rick Shipman - has been acting for 14 years and recently moved to Tucson from Phoenix. Since coming to Tucson Rick has appeared in many local performances, most recently in LTW’s mainstage productions of FALLEN ANGELS, THE FOREIGNER, HALF & HALF, THE DINNER PARTY, DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER and A THOUSAND CLOWNS. He has also been seen in Tucson with Arizona Repetory Theatre in RUM AND COKE and CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, with The Rogue Theatre in THE GOAT and RED NOSES, as Greg in Studio Connections’ SYLVIA and as Tom in Beowulf Alley’s DINNER WITH FRIENDS.

 

Emilio Zweig - has performed with Etcetera at LTW in KIMBERLY AKIMBO (MAC Award Nomination, Best Comedy), THE BOOK OF LIZ and PSYCHO BEACH PARTY. A recent graduate of Tucson High Magnet School for the Performing Arts, Emilio has previously appeared with Winding Road Theater Ensemble (ARMOR), Borderlands Theatre (THE PASTORELA) and LTW’s mainstage production of DEATH AND THE MAIDEN. He also frequently works on stage and behind the scenes with All Together Theatre.

 

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