FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2012
Press Contact: Marilyn Langbehn
510.809.3290
510.910.3129 cell
CALIFORNIA SHAKESPEARE THEATER CONTINUESITS 39th SEASON WITH
NOËL COWARD’S BLITHE SPIRIT, DIRECTED BY MARK RUCKER, AUGUST 8–SEPTEMBER 2
A.C.T. core company member René Augesen
makes her Cal Shakes debut as Ruth
All Performances at the Beautifully Renovated Bruns Amphitheater
Tickets on Sale Now; Call 510.548.9666 or Visit calshakes.org
Berkeley, CA –California Shakespeare Theater continues its 2012 season with Noël Coward’sBlithe Spirit, directed by A.C.T. Associate Artistic Director and Cal Shakes Associate Artist Mark Rucker, from August 8 through September 2.
The production features A.C.T. core company member and 2011 Ten Chimneys Foundation Lunt-Fontanne Fellow René Augesen as Ruth Condomine. A.C.T. core member Anthony Fusco appears as her husband, the writer Charles Condomine; Mr. Fusco was last seen at Cal Shakes in 2011’s critically-acclaimed Candida. Other members of the company include Cal Shakes Associate Artist Domenique Lozano as Madame Arcati, A.C.T. MFA graduate Jessica Kitchens as Charles’ ghostly first wife, Elvira; Kevin Rolston (MTC’s A Steady Rain, A.C.T.’s Once in a Lifetime and ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore) as Dr. Bradman; A.C.T. Conservatory Director Melissa Smith (Berkeley Rep’s Continental Divide, A.C.T.’s Celebration) as Mrs. Bradman; and A.C.T. MFA student Rebekah Brockman as Edith. Ms. Augesen, Ms. Kitchens, Mr. Rolston, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Brockman are all making their Cal Shakes debuts with this production.
Successful novelist Charles Condomine wants to learn about the occult for an upcoming book and gets more than he bargained for when he arranges for a visiting “happy medium,” Madame Arcati, to hold a séance at his house. The eccentric Arcati inadvertently summons the ghost of Charles's late first wife, Elvira. Elvira’s sudden reappearance creates mayhem between Charles and his second wife, Ruth, as Elvira makes continued and increasingly desperate efforts to disrupt their marriage. Personalities clash, Ruth is accidentally killed, "passes over", and joins Elvira so the two "blithe spirits" may haunt the hapless Charles forever.
The design team responsible for creating the classic middle-class English country estate where the play takes place are set designer Annie Smart, whose previous designs for Cal Shakes include Candida, Man and Superman, and John Steinbeck’s The Pastures of Heaven, and numerous productions around the US and UK; costume designerKatherine Roth, who created the stylish fashions for Cal Shakes’ Private Lives, The Importance of Being Earnest and As You Like It, as well as the Broadway and touring productions of Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly With me; lighting designerYork Kennedy, whose lights have graced such Cal Shakes’ productions asSpunk, Candida,Uncle Vanya,The Pastures of Heaven, andMrs. Warren’s Profession; and sound designerWill McCandless,creator of soundscapes for numerous Bay Area productions including Cal Shakes’Candida.
Mark Rucker (Director, Associate Artist) is the Associate Artistic Director of American Conservatory Theater. His Cal Shakes credits include Private Lives (2009), Twelfth Night (2008), Richard III (2007), andRomeo and Juliet (2001). Other Bay Area credits include The Beard of Avon by Amy Freed and The Rainmaker at A.C.T., Culture Clash's The Birds at Berkeley Rep, and Luminescence Dating by Carey Perloff at Magic Theatre/A.C.T. Other theaters include Yale Rep (eight productions), La Jolla Playhouse, Arena Stage, Indiana Rep, Taper Too, Intiman Playhouse, Old Globe, Syracuse Stage, Asolo Rep, and Ford's Theater. Mark is an Associate Artist at South Coast Repertory Theater, where he staged over 20 productions including world premieres by Richard Greenberg, John Glore, Culture Clash, Annie Weisman, and Christopher Shinn. His feature film debut Die Mommie Die! won a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Mark is a graduate of UCLA and the Yale School of Drama.
Single tickets forBlithe Spiritrange from $35 to $71, with discounts available for seniors, students, persons age 30 and under, and groups. Prices, dates, titles, and artists are subject to change. For information or to charge tickets by phone with VISA, MasterCard, or American Express, call the Cal Shakes Box Office at 510.548.9666. Additional information and online ticketing are available at
California Shakespeare Theater’s 2012 season is supported in part by the generosity of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation and The Shubert Foundation, Inc. Corporate partners supporting this production include BART, City National Bank, Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, McRoskey Mattress Company, Meyer Sound, Peet's Coffee & Tea, andSan FranciscoMagazine.
Photos are available from Cal Shakes in ouronline press room.
ABOUT CAL SHAKES
Founded in 1974, now under the leadership of Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone and Managing Director Susie Falk, Cal Shakes is anaward-winning regional theater, acclaimed as “one of the most beautiful outdoor performing spaces in America” by theWall Street Journal.The recently renovated, architecturally stunning grounds surrounding the classic Bruns Amphitheater, are nestled in the Siesta Valley of the East Bay Hills between Berkeley and Orinda on a protected watershed. Thegrounds open two hours before curtainfor picnicking in the lush eucalyptus and oak groves; the on-site café in the new, environmentally-sustainable Sharon Simpson Center offersgourmet meals on-site, or patrons may bring their own to enjoy. The Theater offersfree shuttle service from the Orinda BARTstation, beginning ninety minutes before the performance, and plentifulfree parking onsite. Picnicking audiences enjoy stunning works ofCalifornia sculptureand can listen to enlighteningpre-show talksby our resident dramaturgs before every performance. For more information on the entirety of Cal Shakes work on stage, in schools and in communities, go to
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ATTENTION CALENDAR EDITORS
WHATCalifornia Shakespeare Theater’s production ofBlithe Spirit
WHOWritten by Noel Coward
Directed by Mark Rucker
Designed by Annie Smart (sets), Katherine Roth (costumes), York Kennedy (lights), Will McCandless (sound designer), and Lynne Soffer* (dialect coach), with Corrie Bennett* (stage manager).
Featuring René Augesen* (Ruth Condomine), Anthony Fusco* (Charles Condomine), Jessica Kitchens*(Elvira Condomine), Domenique Lozano* (Madame Arcati), Kevin Rolston*(Dr. Bradman), Melissa Smith* (Mrs. Bradman), and Rebekah Brockman (Edith)
*Member of Actor’s Equity
WHEN August 8 through September 2, 2012
Previews August 8, 9, and 10 at 8pm
Press Opening August 11 at 8pm
Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30pm
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm
Saturday Matinee, September 1 at 2pm
Sundays at 4pm
Grounds open two hours prior to showtime for picnicking.
WHERE Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way.
(formerly 100 Gateway Blvd), Orinda, CA 94563
(just off Highway 24 at the California Shakespeare Theater Way/Wilder Rd. exit, one mile east of the Caldecott Tunnel.)
Complimentary shuttle from Orinda BART beginning 90 minutes prior to curtain.
Complimentary parking onsite.
TICKETS Single tickets range from $35 to $71, with discounts available for seniors, students, persons age 30 and under, and groups. Prices subject to change.
All tickets are available through the California Shakespeare Theater Box Office,
701 Heinz Avenue, Berkeley CA, 510.548.9666, or online at
GROUPS Groups of 10 or more save $10 off the adult single ticket price; complimentary ticket available for groups of 15+. For more information, call 510.809.3290.
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SPECIAL EVENTS FOR BLITHE SPIRIT
Inside Scoop, Monday, July 23, 7pm, Orinda Library, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA
Audiences are invited to meet and converse with the director, actors and designers to learn about directorial points of view, actors’ methods, and design ideas for the upcoming production. Complimentary sweet treats and Peet’s coffee is served. This event is free and open to the public.
Grove Talks, 45 minutes before each performance
Led by resident Grove Talks speakers, these free, informal 20-minute talks are held on site 45 minutes before each and every performance, offering invaluable insight into the play and the production.
Tastings, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, beginning at 6pm
Taste the best of the Bay Area’s wine, beer, coffee, sweets, and savories for free on Tuesdays and Wednesdays before the performance.
Meet the Artists, Sunday,August 12 and August 26, following the 4pm performance
Audience members enjoy an opportunity to engage in a lively discussion about the production with cast members following select 4pm matinee performances.
Cal Shakers,Friday, August 17, 6:30pm event, 8pm performance
Pre-show cocktail and dinner party for the 20-40 crowd; tickets cover admission to both the party and the evening’s performance. Call 510.809.3290 for tickets and more info.
Teen Night, Thursday, August 16, 6pm event, 7:30pm performance; Friday, August 24, 6:30pm event, 8pm performance.
A special event just for teens ages 13–18.Come hang out in the Upper Grove; we’ll provide the pizza and soda, a special backstage tour, and a pre-show engagement with one of our teaching artists before the show. Call 510.809.3290 for tickets and more info.
InSight Matinee, Sunday, August 19, following the 4pm matinee
Explore the world of the play through an informal dialogue with the production’s dramaturg following select 4pm performances.
INFO: 510.548.9666, calshakes.org, .