Download Berkshire Theatre Group presents the thrilling mystery, The Cat and

Press Contacts:
Rebecca Brighenti, (413) 448-8084 x11
[email protected]
www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org
Christina Riley, (413) 448-8084 x15
[email protected]
www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org
For Immediate Release, Please: Friday, July 29, 2013
Berkshire Theatre Group Presents a Cutting-Edge Production of the Classic Mystery Thriller, The Cat
and the Canary
Stockbridge, MA – Berkshire Theatre Group presents the thrilling mystery, The Cat and the
Canary at The Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge opening on August 3 at 8pm. Previews begin August 1
at 8pm and closes on August 24 at 8pm.
Tickets to The Cat and the Canary are $45, all preview tickets are $35. Tickets may be purchased in
person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield; at the Fitzpatrick Main Stage Ticket
Office at 83 East Main Street, Stockbridge; by calling (413) 997-4444 or online
at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change.
This thrilling and cutting edge production of the classic mystery, The Cat and the Canary, is led by
Yale School of Drama directing student Ethan Heard. The cast, which features eight Yale School of
Drama acting students and returning Brandeis acting student and BTG alumnus, Jonathan Young,
will take the audience on an immersive journey to the haunted mansion of Cyrus West filled with
frightening and fun surprises around every corner. An homage to classic mysteries and horror films in
look and feel, The Cat and the Canary will introduce audiences to the best in up and coming theatrical
talent, while providing suspense and entertainment galore.
"People should expect thrills and chills,” says Director Ethan Heard. "This is a suspenseful, funny,
murder mystery, full of outrageous characters and unexpected twists. For our production, we
transform the Unicorn Theatre into Glencliff Manor, and welcome audience members as guests of
Cyrus Canby West.”
As the clock strikes midnight, the relatives of Cyrus West assemble at his mansion to read his will
twenty years after his death. In an unexpected twist of fate, young Annabelle is named heir to Cyrus'
large fortune, under one condition: that she is deemed legally sane. When the group finds out that a
lunatic has escaped from the nearby asylum, inexplicable things begin to happen and Annabelle
begins to fear for her sanity and for her life. A suspenseful and delightful "who-dunnit,” this
mystery will transform the entire Unicorn Theatre and have audiences on the edge of their seats and
begging for more.
This play comes to life not only on the stage but in the audience, theatre lobby, and BTF campus.
Audience members are also invited to "Secrets of Glencliff” Backstage Tours after Saturday matinees
to delve into the mysteries of Glencliff Manor, take pictures with the cast, and perhaps discover
mordacious and haunting surprises from the West family history.
"I love directing this play because it mixes terror and comedy, convention and surprise,” says Director
Ethan Heard. "The actors, designers, and I have to find just the right composition of elements.
Rehearsals are full of experimentation and laughter. We try all sorts of wild ideas, but in the end, we
have to craft an extremely precise score of events."
The cast includes Willa Fitzgerald as Cicily Young, Chris Geary as Roger Crosby, Ashton Heyl as
Annabelle West, Matthew McCollum as Harry Blythe, Tom Pecinka as Paul Jones, Will Turner as
Hendricks, Ariana Venturi as Mrs. Underwood, Sophie von Haselberg as Susan Sillsby and Jonathan
A. Young as Charlie Wilder.
Artistic Staff Bios:
Ethan Heard (Director) Ethan Heard received an MFA from Yale School of Drama, where he
directed Sunday in the Park with George, Julius Caesar, Lottie in the Late
Afternoon, Rodeo, and Eligible Receivers. He was Artistic Director of Yale Cabaret, where he
directed Pierrot Lunaire, All This Noise, Basement Hades, and Trannequin! a new musical, which he
co-wrote. As Co-Founder of Umbrella Hat Productions, Ethan presented the inaugural Santa Fe
Theatre Festival and directed Proof andIphigenia and Other Daughters. Other directing includes The
Gay Ivy (Dixon Place),Ardo Ardo and L'Orfeo (Yale Baroque Opera Project), Pullman WA and in a
word(Williamstown Workshop), and Episcus & Edendus (Lively Productions). He has assisted
directors Nicholas Martin, Mark Brokaw, and Thomas Kail. This fall he will direct L'incoronazione di
Poppea at Princeton University. www.ethanheard.com
Cast Bios:
Willa Fitzgerald (Cicily Young) graduated from Yale College in May and is so excited to be making
her debut at the Berkshire Theatre Group. At Yale School of Drama, she performed in The Twins
Would Like to Say as Jenny and Shadow Twin, Blueberry Toast as Jill, and Tall Skinny Cruel Cruel
Boys as Tash. She has performed downtown in New York in Cow Play as Julie and The Private
Sector as Suzannah. Additionally, she has travelled and studied with The Wooster Group.
Chris Geary (Roger Crosby) is a second year MFA candidate at Yale School of Drama. He has been
seen in the Carlotta Festival production of Sagittarius Ponderosa and the Yale Cabaret production
of The Small Things. Other credits include Losing Tom Pecinka (Here Arts), Elephant in the
Room (NY Fringe Festival). Christopher received his BA in Theatre Performance from Fordham
College at Lincoln Center where he performed in Hamlet, Kate Crackernuts, Tales of the Lost
Formicans, Mrs. Packard, Pericles and many other shows. Chris is a graduate of the Walnut Hill
School of the Performing Arts and has also studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic
Arts.
Ashton Heyl (Annabelle West) is a rising third-year MFA candidate at Yale School of Drama, where
her credits include Lottie in the Late Afternoon, Sunday in the Park with George, Iphigenia Among the
Stars, and Fen. She has appeared Off-Broadway in Belles (Theatre Row), and her regional credits
include After the Revolution, Golden Gate, and The Egg-Layers with the Fellowship Company
(Williamstown Theatre Festival); 1776 and Twelfth Night (Texas Shakespeare Festival); A
Midsummer Night's Dream with the LIVE! Company (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); and The
Winter's Tale (Yale Repertory, u/s). BFA: Carnegie Mellon. Member and co-founder of
OldSoundRoom theatre ensemble.
Matthew McCollum (Harry Blythe) is an MFA candidate at Yale School of Drama about to enter his
third year, where his credits include King Richard 2, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Sunday in the Park
with George, Vieux Carré, and Fen. Other recent credits include God's Fool (59E59, Edinburgh
Fringe Festival); Trouble Tales for Boys and Girls, The Morpheus Quartet (Williamstown Theatre
Festival); The Yiddish King Lear (Yale Cabaret); Three Sisters, and The Winter's Tale (Yale
Repertory Theatre, understudy). Television and film credits include Judging Amy, Threshold,
and Heart Says it All. Matthew was born and raised in Los Angeles, and received his BA from Yale
University.
Tom Pecinka (Paul) New York: The Germ Project (New Georges) Losing Tom Pecinka (HERE
Arts) Exquisite Corpse (Clubbed Thumb) There Will Be Snacks andThe Watermelon Wars (Incubator
Arts Project), Dar and Matey's Christmas Spectacularghhh (Vampire Cowboys), Richard 3 (NYC
Fringe 2010) and The Martian Chronicles (Fordham Alumni Company). Regional: As You Like
It(Shakespeare on the Sound). Tom is a graduate of the Fordham Theatre Program and is currently
enrolled in the MFA Acting program at the Yale School of Drama.
Will Turner (Hendricks) is an actor based in New York and a graduate of Yale University. Select NY
credits: Thomas Bradshaw's Job, A.R. Gurney's Heresy, Jeff M. Jones's A Letter to Omdurman,
and These Seven Sicknesses. He sings and plays banjo in The Lobbyists, a folk rock band.
Ariana Venturi (Mammy) is excited to be a part of BTF this summer. Regional credits include: In a
Year with 13 Moons (Yale Repertory Theatre, dir. Robert Woodruff),Michael von Siebenburg Melts
Through the Floorboards (Actor's Theatre Louisville). New York: Dance Dance Revolution (Les Freres
Corbusier, dir. Alex Timbers), the title role in Vendetta Chrome (Clubbed Thumb), as well
as Recess (dir. Kip Fagan) and Classic Kitchen Timer (written and directed by Adam Rapp) both at
The Flea Theatre. Ari is a member of Shelby Company and has toured the US with their original
productions of Sousepaw: A Baseball Story, Font of Knowledge, and the sketch comedy
show Ephemerama. Ari has a BA in English from Vassar College and is a current MFA candidate at
the Yale School of Drama.
Sophie Von Haselburg (Susan) Sophie is a rising third year at the Yale School of Drama, where she
has been seen in Sunday in the Park with George (directed by the wonderful Ethan Heard!), Vieux
Carre, and Two Gentlemen of Verona, among others. Her Yale Cabaret work includes The Fatal
Eggs and Ermyntrude in Ermyntrude & Esmaralda. She is also a co-founder of the new theater
company oldsoundroom, which just finished their inaugural production. In her spare time, Sophie can
be found exploring the many swimming holes of Massachusetts, and perusing the New York Times in
an effort to catch up on all the current events she has missed while at Yale.
Jonathan A. Young (Charlie) Jonathan, a current MFA in Acting Candidate at Brandeis University
(2014), was most recently seen at BTG as Jacob Marley and Old Joe in A Christmas Carol. Theatre:
Katurian in The Pillowman (Brandeis Theatre Co), Henry Higgins in Pygmalion (NY Theatre Alliance),
Burt Jefferson in The Man Who Came to Dinner (Candlelight Pavilion, Los Angeles), and the dead
Joshua Zweig in The Life and Death of Joshua Zweig (Looking Glass Theatre NYC, winner of the
2009 Winter Forum Award for Best Actor). National Tours: National Theatre for Children and
American Family Theatre. TV: 30 Rock (NBC Studios) and The Onion Sports Network (Comedy
Central). When not on stage, Jonathan is a personal trainer and spinning instructor, and is the
founder and president of a non-profit youth-basketball organization in California, Foothill Hoops.
The Cat and the Canary
by John Willard
directed by Ethan Heard
With scenic design by Reid Thompson, costume design by David Murin, lighting design by Shawn E.
Boyle and sound design by Steve Brush.
Performance Dates
Thursday, August 1 at 8pm (Preview)
Friday, August 2 at 8pm (Preview)
Saturday, August 3 at 8pm (Opening/Press Night)
Monday, August 5 at 8pm
Tuesday, August 6 at 8pm
Wednesday, August 7 at 7pm
Thursday, August 8 at 8pm
Friday, August 9 at 8pm
Saturday, August 10 at 2pm
Saturday, August 10 at 8pm
Monday, August 12 at 8pm
Tuesday, August 13 at 8pm
Wednesday, August 14 at 7pm
Thursday, August 15 at 8pm
Friday, August 16 at 8pm
Saturday, August 17 at 2pm
Saturday, August 17 at 8pm
Monday, August 19 at 8pm
Tuesday, August 20 at 8pm
Wednesday, August 21 at 7pm
Thursday, August 22 at 8pm
Friday, August 23 at 8pm
Saturday, August 24 at 2pm
Saturday, August 24 at 8pm
The Cat and the Canary is sponsored by Laurin Publishing, Crowne Plaza, Nelson E. Furlano, CPA
and Christine A. Arace, CPA, Stuart M. Fischman Esq. and Balance Rock.
For more information about this performance, please visit our website at
www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.
About Berkshire Theatre Group
The Colonial Theatre, founded in 1903, and Berkshire Theatre Festival, founded in 1928, are two of
the oldest cultural organizations in the Berkshires. Having united in November of 2010 under the
leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, these two institutions are providing the
Berkshires and beyond with the finest in live theatre, music, dance and the visual arts on five stages
in Stockbridge, MA and Pittsfield, MA. The Fitzpatrick Main Stage (400 seats), cataloged by the
National Register of Historic Places, was originally designed and built by Stanford White as the
Stockbridge Casino in 1888. The intimate Unicorn Theatre (122 seats) is a home for emerging artists
and new theatrical ideas. The Colonial in Pittsfield (780 seats) re-opened in August of 2006, following
a $21 million restoration, and boasts pristine acoustics, classic gilded age architecture and state-ofthe-art technical systems. BTG also performs at the outdoor Neil Ellenoff stage, located on the
grounds of BTF in Stockbridge, and at The Garage, a music venue located in the lobby of The
Colonial. BTG serves over 100,000 patrons per year and reaches over 17,000 students through its
educational and outreach programs. For more information on BTG call (413) 448-8084. To purchase
tickets, call (413) 997-4444 or go online towww.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org.
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