Download The Matchmaker - Actors Co-op

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Nan McNamara
(323) 462-8460
[email protected]
“There comes a moment in everybody’s life when he must
decide whether he’ll live among human beings or not - a
fool among fools or a fool alone.” - Dolly Levi
Thornton Wilder’s Charming Farce,
THE MATCHMAKER
Opens May 10 at Actors Co-op
April 24, 2013 . . . Hollywood, CA . . . Actors Co-op concludes its 21st Anniversary season with
Thornton Wilder’s charming farce, THE MATCHMAKER. The production opens Friday, May
10 and performs through Sunday, June 16, 2013 in Actors Co-op’s David Schall Theatre.
Ms. Heather Chesley directs.
This witty, uproarious farce, complete with mistaken identities and hijinks galore, centers
on businessman and penny-pincher Horace Vandergelder and his pursuit of love with the
help of social hurricane and matchmaker extraordinaire, Mrs. Dolly Levi.
THE
MATCHMAKER was Thornton Wilder’s longest running Broadway play (486
performances) and was later adapted into the record-breaking musical HELLO, DOLLY!
The works of Mr. Wilder - a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer - explore the
connection between the commonplace and the cosmic dimensions of the human experience.
Director Heather Chesley believes the play is timeless. “THE MATCHMAKER is about making
the choice to connect with human beings. Wilder isn’t just looking at any old connection, but
specifically, he looks to emotional connection - love. I think the message is ageless. All of the
characters are seeking adventure. Wilder does not let them succeed alone, they must find their
match, to be excited for their futures together. The play reminds us that even if we are afraid,
even if life feels crazy and unbalanced, stepping toward love and healing will always bring out
the best in human nature.”
About the Playwright Born in 1897 in Madison, Wisconsin, and educated at Yale and Princeton,
Thornton Wilder was an accomplished novelist and playwright. THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS
REY, one of his seven novels, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and his next-to-last novel, THE
EIGHTH DAY received the National Book Award (1968). Two of his four major plays garnered
Pulitzer Prizes: OUR TOWN (1938) and THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH (1943). Mr. Wilder also
enjoyed enormous success with many other forms of the written and spoken word, among them
translation, acting, opera librettos, lecturing, teaching and film (his screenplay for Alfred
Hitchcock’s 1943 psycho-thriller, SHADOW OF A DOUBT remains a classic to this day). Letter
writing held a central place in Mr. Wilder’s life, and since his death, three volumes of his letters
have been published. Mr. Wilder’s many honors include the Gold Medal for Fiction from the
American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the National
Book Committee’s Medal for Literature. Mr. Wilder continues to be read and performed around
the world. OUR TOWN is performed at least once each day somewhere in this country or
abroad.
About the Director Ms. Heather Chesley directs THE MATCHMAKER. Ms. Chesley directed
last season’s critically-acclaimed production of THE LEARNED LADIES (Pick of the Week LA Weekly, Critic’s Pick - Backstage West). She also directed the Co-op Too! production of
TRAILS, presented as part of the Festival of New American Musicals. Her other credits include
co-directing COMPANY WE KEEP for the Minnesota Fringe Festival, as well as the west coast
premiere of Aline Brosh McKenna's, INSIDE LOIS.
She served as the Assistant Artistic
Director for The Hampstead Players Theater Company. Ms. Chesley has been Artistic
Chairperson of the Actors Co-op for four years where her responsibilities include overseeing
play selections. She produced the new musical MAKIN' HAY, as well as MERRILY WE ROLL
ALONG, both for Actors Co-op.
Additional members of the Award-winning creative team include Set Designer Stephen
Gifford (recipient of The Bob Z Award by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle), Costume
Designer Vicki Conrad (winner of the 2012 LA Weekly Award), Lighting Designer Lisa D. Katz,
Choreographer Julie Hall, Sound Designer Fritz Davis, Property Designer Nicholas Acciani and
Wig Designer Krys Fehervari. Lauren Goyer is the Stage Manager for THE MATCHMAKER.
THE MATCHMAKER is produced by David Scales.
In 2010, Mr. Scales produced the
critically-acclaimed production of WIT, which garnered several accolades from the Los Angeles
Drama Critics Circle, in addition to the LA WEEKLY Award for Revival Production of the Year.
In 2012, he produced the American Premiere of YOURS, ISABEL by Christy Hall.
From
2006-2008, David produced the annual theatrical benefit SNAPSHOTS, a collection of romantic
comedy one-act plays supporting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Three-Day Walk and
highlighting the talents of local artists. SNAPSHOTS has played throughout Los Angeles
(Odyssey Theater, National Comedy Theater, Pico Playhouse & the Stella Adler Theater) and, to
date, has raised over $35,000 for the cause. Additional producing credits include:
SERENADING LOUIE, BALM IN GILEAD, THE ART OF DINING, HAMLET, &
LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR. An award-winning actor, David recently played Jamie in
the Actors Co-op production of LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT.
The talented acting ensemble of THE MATCHMAKER includes Joe Barone, Lori Berg,
Katie Buderwitz, Dimitri Christy, Michael Dye, Jeff Fazakerley, Matthew Gilmore, Ellis Greer,
Brian Habicht, Robert Henry, Deborah Marlowe, Rory Patterson, Lauren Thompson and Coy
Benning Wentworth.
Schedule
Opening night of THE MATCHMAKER is Friday, May 10, 2013.
Regular
performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm. Additional Saturday
matinees are scheduled for May 18 and June 16 at 2:30 pm. THE MATCHMAKER closes
Sunday, June 15, 2013.
Tickets Regular admission $30, Seniors $25, Students $20. Group rates available (minimum of
6 people). For reservations call (323) 462-8460 ext. 300 or reserve online at www.ActorsCoop.org
About Actors Co-op Actors Co-op operates two 99-seat Equity-approved theatres on the campus
of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Actors Co-op began on January 9th, 1987, with a
dozen actors. Currently, its membership exceeds 50 professionals. Since the Crossley Theatre
opened its doors in April of 1989 and its second theatre, the David Schall Theatre (formerly
known as the Crossley Terrace Theatre) opened February of 1995, Actors Co-op has produced
over 80 main stage productions, over 35 Second Stage productions, staged readings of original
works, and has received 125 Drama-Logue Awards, 32 LA Weekly Award nominations (7 wins),
30 Theatre Ovation Award nominations (2 wins), 5 Backstage West Garland Awards and 19 Los
Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards nominations (5 wins).
In addition, Actors Co-op was
honored with the Margaret Harford Award for “Sustained Achievement” in smaller theatre from
the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle as well as the Charlie Award for “Excellence in the Arts”
by the Hollywood Arts Council.
Location
Actors Co-op is located at 1760 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, CA 90028, on the
campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, one block north of Hollywood Boulevard,
just off the Gower Street exit of the 101 Hollywood Freeway. Free, well-lit parking is available
on Carlos Street (½ block east of Gower). Entrance to the theaters is directly across the street
from the Carlos Street parking lot.
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