Baseball Comes Out in Greenberg's Tony Award-Winning Play
PITTSBURGH - Barebones productions challenges the limits of Pittsburgh theater in its 4th River presentation of Richard Greenberg's Tony Award-winning play, Take Me Out. Take Me Out opens at 8 pm, Friday, June 6, 2008, at Navarra, 131 Seventh Street, downtown Pittsburgh, as part of the 49th annual Three Rivers Arts Festival. Performances continue at 8 pm, Wednesdays - Sundays, June 7-22, 2008.
Take Me Out tells the story of Darren Lemming, the star center fielder of the world-champion New York Empires professional baseball team. Lemming is young, rich, famous, talented, handsome, and so convinced of his popularity that when he casually announces that he is gay, he assumes the news will be readily accepted by everyone. The play chronicles the fallout from Lemming's announcement as it spreads through the team, the media and the nation. Examining themes of democracy, racism, celebrity, sexuality and discrimination through the lens of sport, Take Me Out won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Play.
"Take Me Out creatively juxtaposes controversial ideas of sexual identity with the great American tradition of professional baseball," said Three Rivers Arts Festival Executive Director Elizabeth Reiss. "We are proud to collaborate with barebones productions to debut this play in Pittsburgh."
"Barebones has a history of producing Pittsburgh premiers of the most highly provocative, thought-provoking and edgy theater in Pittsburgh," says barebones Artistic Director Patrick Jordan. "We tackle plays with challenging content by some of the hottest young playwrights in the world - plays that might not otherwise be produced in this area. Our partnership with the Three Rivers Arts Festival has allowed us to mount this highly complicated play and reach new levels of production and promotion."
"Seeding and supporting 4th River Projects is the Festival's way of investing directly in innovative Pittsburgh arts organizations," said Reiss. "By collaborating on Take Me Out, barebones productions and Three Rivers Arts Festival have created a top-notch theater experience that extends the boundaries of both of our organizations."
The all-male cast of 11 features Christian Felix as Darren Lemming and also includes Bingo O'Malley, Tom Aulino, Tristan Farmer, Jeffrey Carpenter, Joshua Elijah Reese, Jose Rivas, Joseph "JJ" Jackson, Tony Bingham and Patrick Jordan.
Take Me Out is directed by New Kensington native David Whalen, a Point Park graduate. Whalen has worked extensively at South Coast Rep in California and Playmakers Rep in North Carolina, and last year played lead roles in several Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theater productions, earning the 2007 award for Theatrical Performer of the Year from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The artistic team also includes Lighting Designer Scott Nelson, Scene Designer Tony Ferrieri, Costume Designer Richard Parsakian, and Sound Designer Dave Bjornson.
Tickets for Take Me Out are $10. Tickets can be purchased at www.artsfestival.net, by visiting the Cultural District Box Office at Theater Square, or by calling 412.456.6666.
Take Me Out is supported by a Seed Award from the Sprout Fund, UPMC and Bossa Nova and Navarra event space.
Calendar Listing
4th River presents barebones productions in Take Me Out by Richard Greenberg. 8 pm, Wednesdays - Sundays, June 6 - 22, 2008. Navarra, 131 Seventh Street, Downtown Pittsburgh. $10. For tickets, visit www.artsfestival.net or call the Cultural District Box Office at 412.456.6666. 4th River is a program of the Three Rivers Arts Festival.
About barebones productions
Founded in 2003, barebones facilitates the growth of local theater artists by producing challenging, entertaining, thought-provoking plays and attracts new theater audiences by employing minimal production elements for maximum impact. Previous productions include Bug, The Grey Zone, Frozen, The Glory of Living, This is Our Your, Bash and most recently Cherry Smoke, which premiered at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
About the Three Rivers Arts Festival
The mission of the Three Rivers Arts Festival is to connect the community to the arts. The 49th annual Three Rivers Arts Festival runs from June 6-22, 2008. For more information, call the Festival at 412.281.8723 or visit our website www.artsfestival.net.
Download this press release
Take Me Out tells the story of Darren Lemming, the star center fielder of the world-champion New York Empires professional baseball team. Lemming is young, rich, famous, talented, handsome, and so convinced of his popularity that when he casually announces that he is gay, he assumes the news will be readily accepted by everyone. The play chronicles the fallout from Lemming's announcement as it spreads through the team, the media and the nation. Examining themes of democracy, racism, celebrity, sexuality and discrimination through the lens of sport, Take Me Out won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Play.
"Take Me Out creatively juxtaposes controversial ideas of sexual identity with the great American tradition of professional baseball," said Three Rivers Arts Festival Executive Director Elizabeth Reiss. "We are proud to collaborate with barebones productions to debut this play in Pittsburgh."
"Barebones has a history of producing Pittsburgh premiers of the most highly provocative, thought-provoking and edgy theater in Pittsburgh," says barebones Artistic Director Patrick Jordan. "We tackle plays with challenging content by some of the hottest young playwrights in the world - plays that might not otherwise be produced in this area. Our partnership with the Three Rivers Arts Festival has allowed us to mount this highly complicated play and reach new levels of production and promotion."
"Seeding and supporting 4th River Projects is the Festival's way of investing directly in innovative Pittsburgh arts organizations," said Reiss. "By collaborating on Take Me Out, barebones productions and Three Rivers Arts Festival have created a top-notch theater experience that extends the boundaries of both of our organizations."
The all-male cast of 11 features Christian Felix as Darren Lemming and also includes Bingo O'Malley, Tom Aulino, Tristan Farmer, Jeffrey Carpenter, Joshua Elijah Reese, Jose Rivas, Joseph "JJ" Jackson, Tony Bingham and Patrick Jordan.
Take Me Out is directed by New Kensington native David Whalen, a Point Park graduate. Whalen has worked extensively at South Coast Rep in California and Playmakers Rep in North Carolina, and last year played lead roles in several Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theater productions, earning the 2007 award for Theatrical Performer of the Year from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The artistic team also includes Lighting Designer Scott Nelson, Scene Designer Tony Ferrieri, Costume Designer Richard Parsakian, and Sound Designer Dave Bjornson.
Tickets for Take Me Out are $10. Tickets can be purchased at www.artsfestival.net, by visiting the Cultural District Box Office at Theater Square, or by calling 412.456.6666.
Take Me Out is supported by a Seed Award from the Sprout Fund, UPMC and Bossa Nova and Navarra event space.
Calendar Listing
4th River presents barebones productions in Take Me Out by Richard Greenberg. 8 pm, Wednesdays - Sundays, June 6 - 22, 2008. Navarra, 131 Seventh Street, Downtown Pittsburgh. $10. For tickets, visit www.artsfestival.net or call the Cultural District Box Office at 412.456.6666. 4th River is a program of the Three Rivers Arts Festival.
About barebones productions
Founded in 2003, barebones facilitates the growth of local theater artists by producing challenging, entertaining, thought-provoking plays and attracts new theater audiences by employing minimal production elements for maximum impact. Previous productions include Bug, The Grey Zone, Frozen, The Glory of Living, This is Our Your, Bash and most recently Cherry Smoke, which premiered at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
About the Three Rivers Arts Festival
The mission of the Three Rivers Arts Festival is to connect the community to the arts. The 49th annual Three Rivers Arts Festival runs from June 6-22, 2008. For more information, call the Festival at 412.281.8723 or visit our website www.artsfestival.net.
Download this press release
