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Merrimack Rep Announces 2009-2010 Season

LOWELL, MA: Merrimack Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Charles Towers is proud to announce the productions that will make up the company’s 31st Season of producing professional theatre for audiences in the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire. Holding true to Merrimack Rep’s dedication to developing and presenting new plays that address contemporary issues and reflect the community’s diverse heritage, Merrimack Rep is expanding its season to seven productions in 2009-2010, highlighted by two world premieres and three regional premieres.

Artistic Director Charles Towers, now entering his ninth season at Merrimack Rep, says “I’m thrilled that we are able to create and present such an eclectic and theatrical season during these tough economic times, and I’m proud of our board and staff for positioning us to be able to do so. I’m equally proud we are able to produce two world premieres and three regional premieres, underscoring what I’ve always said - Merrimack Rep produces vibrant contemporary theatre for a vibrant contemporary audience.”

Kicking off the season will be the world premiere of the internationally-renowned Flying Karamazov Brothers’ brand new vaudevillian romp, Flings & Eros, an evening guaranteed to be one that resounds with music, antic dance, emotion, hilarity, unexpected twists and, of course, world-class juggling. Commissioned by Merrimack Repertory Theatre, the second world premiere of the season will be a new comedy by audience favorite and Massachusetts native Richard Dresser (Rounding Third, Gun-Shy, Pursuit of Happiness, A View of the Harbor). Dresser’s brand new retirement comedy with a twist is the first play Towers has commissioned specifically for the MRT stage. Productions making their regional premiere are Heroes, written by Gerald Sibleyras and adapted by Academy Award-Winner Tom Stoppard; Black Pearl Sings!, a soul stirring quest for family and freedom by Frank Higgins featuring 20 classic American folk songs and spirituals; and The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead by Robert Hewett, a funny, poignant, and ultimately redemptive tour de force. Rounding out the season will be The Seafarer by Conor McPherson (The Weir), nominated for the 2008 Tony Award for Best Play, and Fabuloso by John Kolvenbach, a screwball comedy about living life to the fullest.

MERRIMACK REPERTORY THEATRE 2009-2010 SEASON

Flings & Eros by The Flying Karamazov Brothers
September 10 – October 4, 2009
World Premiere – Four men party at their own club of skills and muse of love – how it has marked them and brought them to this very moment. When those four men are the internationally renowned Flying Karamazov Brothers, the evening is guaranteed to be one that resounds with music, antic dance, emotion, hilarity, unexpected twists and, of course, world-class juggling.

“Words don't do justice to the Karamazov antics. See for yourself.” – The Boston Globe

The Seafarer by Conor McPherson
October 15 – November 8, 2009
From the writer of The Weir and nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Play, this hilarious and chilling tale of the sea, Ireland and redemption brings old friends together on Christmas Eve for an all night, liquor-soaked game of poker with damningly high stakes. Steeped in Irish myth, the play is both darkly funny and surprisingly uplifting.

“A midnight-black comedy, one that wrenches laughter out of the despair of frustrated men.” – The Wall Street Journal
“The finest dramatist of his generation." – London Telegraph

Heroes by Gerald Sibleyras, adapted by Tom Stoppard
November 19 – December 13, 2009
Regional Premiere – Henri, Gustave and Philippe survived World War I. Forty years later, as residents in a veterans’ home and armed only with what is left of their wits and a 200-pound stone dog, they battle old age, nagging war injuries, and a masochistic nun. A heartwarming tale of camaraderie and a moving portrait of the frustrations inherent in growing older.

“Theatrical hit, a boulevard comedy bull's-eye...achieves a seductive fusion of the comic, sad and absurd." – The Evening Standard

Fabuloso, A Play by John Kolvenbach
January 7 – January 31, 2010
Do you have a friend who is the life of the party? But what if that friend never left and the party never stopped? Teddy and Kate are living a quiet existence in their one-bedroom apartment, until Teddy’s long lost friend, Arthur, appears out of the blue, with his fiancée in tow. A screwball comedy of living life to the fullest. From the director of Trying, The Four of Us and Tranced.

“Clever and rather sweet.” – Boston Phoenix
“Fills the room with laughs.” – Barnstable Patriot

Black Pearl Sings! by Frank Higgins
February 11 – March 7, 2010
Regional Premiere – In the midst of the Great Depression, Susannah travels the country recording lost folk songs. She meets Pearl in a Texas prison and discovers a soulful voice and a wealth of African-American spirituals. Through song, these women overcome their differences and become friends, a bond that is pushed to the limit as each gets closer to achieving her goal.

“Black Pearl really does sing.” – Houston Chronicle
"Moving, funny and intellectually compelling.” – Houston Press

World Premiere Comedy by Richard Dresser
March 18 – April 11, 2010
World Premiere – Commissioned just for Merrimack Repertory Theatre, this new comedy is a retirement story with a twist. How does an aging fugitive mobster deal with forced retirement and the strains put on his relationship by constantly being on the run with his girlfriend? From the author of Rounding Third, Gun-Shy, The Pursuit of Happiness and A View of the Harbor.

“One of the best comic playwrights to emerge in the past decade.” – Arizona Republic

The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead by Robert Hewett
April 22 – May 16, 2010
Regional Premiere – One crime of passion. Many perspectives. A single gifted performer plays seven very different roles in this international hit. Suspecting her husband of cheating, Rhonda Russell takes matters into her own hands, altering the lives of everyone around her. A captivatingly brilliant and heartfelt tour de force about loss and ultimate redemption.

“Ingeniously written…a story that has the breath of real life.” – Citybeat Cincinnati

Don’t miss a single show! On sale now, MRT offers subscription packages to fit every lifestyle and budget. With season subscription packages ranging from $45-$307, all subscriptions offer deep discounts off the single ticket prices as well as exclusive subscriber-only benefits, including free parking, restaurant and theatre discounts, lost ticket insurance and free, unlimited exchanges. Individual ticket sales for the 2009-2010 Season begin August 10, 2009. For a season brochure or subscription information, call 978.654.4MRT (4678), or visit www.merrimackrep.org.  For MRT show times, tickets, season information, directions, or to request a brochure, please visit www.merrimackrep.org  or call the Box Office at 978.654.4MRT (4678).