For Immediate Release: January 2, 2006
Media Contact: Deborah Fleischman, for Philadelphia Theatre Company, 215.735.7356

Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the Philadelphia premiere of After Ashley by Gina Gionfriddo February 3-March 5 at 1714 Delancey Street. Directed by Pam MacKinnon, the ensemble features Russ Anderson, Tony Braithwaite, Tracee Chimo, Jonathan Partington, Jennifer Rohn, and Peter Stadlen.

Previews begin Friday, February 3 with opening night on Wednesday, February 8. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday until March 5. Tickets are $31 to $49, with discounts for students, seniors and groups. Tickets are available by calling the PTC Box Office at 215-985-0420 or visiting www.phillytheatreco.com.

After Ashley was commissioned by Philadelphia Theatre Company and premiered at the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville where it was an immediate hit. The play was subsequently produced at The Vineyard Theatre in New York where it received Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel nominations. It is currently being translated into German and Polish.

After Ashley is the blisteringly funny, yet compassionate tale of seventeen-year-old Justin's attempt to deal with a family tragedy that is turned into a media firestorm. As Justin longs to escape from the public eye while his father pushes him closer to it, the unpredictable events that follow explore pop culture, media exploitation and the yearnings of the human heart.

Gina Gionfriddo (Playwright) has written U.S. Drag, which was produced at Connecticut Repertory Company and New York's Clubbed Thumb, and Guinevere, which was produced at the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference. Currently, she is a writer for Law and Order: Criminal Intent. In addition to her PTC commission, she has received a playwriting commission from Playwrights Horizons and developmental support form Denver Center Theatre Company, Trinity Repertory Company, ACT, Primary Stages Company, Basic Grammar and Chicago Films. She has held residencies at Yaddo, The MacDowell Colony, and Hedgebrook.

Pam MacKinnon (Director) returns to PTC where she directed the critically-acclaimed production of Edward Albee's The Play About the Baby. Her recent production of Bach at Leipzig by Itamar Moses ran at New York Theatre Workshop. She will soon direct David Mamet's Romance at The Goodman Theatre. She has also directed the world premieres of Edward Albee's Peter and Jerry at Hartford Stage, Father Joy by Sheri Wilner at CATF and 3F, 4F by Victor Lodato at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco. She works frequently with Clubbed Thumb, Inc. where she is an Affiliated Artist, at New York Stage and Film and the O'Neill Playwrights' Conference on new play development.

Russ Anderson (Alden) has been seen on Broadway in A Thousand Clowns and at The Globe Theatre in All My Sons, at Coconut Grove Playhouse in Dinner With Friends and The Alley Theatre in Closer. He has also appeared at Yale Repertory Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, the National Shakespeare Company and in staged readings at Lincoln Center Theatre and Public Theatre. Television audiences may recognize him from his recurring roles in The Guiding Light and Rescue Me on FX.

Tony Braithwaite (David) appeared most recently in Double Down for 1812 Productions, Good Evening at Act II Playhouse, and Grease at Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center. Tony won the 2005 Barrymore for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for playing Boyd in The Big Bang, both at Act II Playhouse and at The Kimmel Center. For the past 11 years, Tony has taught at his alma mater, St. Joseph's Prep, where he currently serves as Fine Arts Chairman.

Tracee Chimo (Julie) has performed off-Broadway at the Blue Heron Arts Center in Beyond Reason and will soon appear in 8 by Tenn at the Riverside Theatre in London. She has also appeared at Provincetown Playhouse, ART/NY, EAT Festival, WOW Cafe Theatre, Speakeasy Stage Company, and Pioneer Valley Theatre. She received the "Best Actress in a Leading Role" Award from the Massachusetts Drama Guild.

Jonathan Partington (Roderick) makes his PTC debut with the production. He has appeared in The Odyssey and Design for Living at The Goodman Theatre, The Road to the USO and Love's Labor's Lost at Milwaukee Rep, and several productions at Cleveland Play House. He has also been seen on television in Law & Order and As The World Turns.

Jennifer Rohn (Ashley) returns to PTC where she appeared in The Woods, Dinner with Friends, and How I Learned to Drive, which earned her a Barrymore Award nomination. She has since appeared on Broadway in The Crucible and The Kentucky Cycle, and Off-Broadway at The Public Theatre in Love's Fire and Caucasian Chalk Circle. Regionally she has performed at Madison Repertory Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, Cleveland Play House, and Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Peter Stadlen (Justin) is a third-generation actor whose grandfather, Alan Swift, performed in PTC's 1989 production of Glengarry Glen Ross. Stadlen has appeared in Birdy at The Women's Project, The Mystery Plays at Yale Rep and Second Stage, and The Diary of Anne Frank at Round House. He can be heard on radio in Craig Lucas' The President's Big Day and in the upcoming film The Baxter.

After Ashley brings together the creative team of Kris Stone (set design), Murell Horton (costume design), John Ambrosone (lighting design) and Jorge Cousineau (sound design). Kris Stone returns to Philadelphia where she designed sets for The Underpants at Arden Theatre Company, having also worked at Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Long Wharf Theatre and Alliance Theatre. Murell Horton, who designed costumes for PTC's A Question of Mercy and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, has received two Helen Hayes Awards for his work at The Shakespeare Theatre. John Ambrosone has designed lights for the Broadway production of David Mamet's The Old Neighborhood, the Off-Broadway production of Nocturne at New York Theatre Workshop, and the North American tour of The King Stag. Jorge Cousineau, winner of the 2004 F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, has designed shows at Wilma Theatre, InterAct Theatre Company, 1812 Productions, Theatre Exile and Arden Theatre Company.

Philadelphia Theatre Company is Philadelphia's only non-profit professional theater dedicated exclusively to producing regional and world premieres of works by contemporary American playwrights. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director, Sara Garonzik, PTC has had ever-increasing national impact having produced over 30 world premieres of new American plays. Recent world premiere productions include: Adrift in Macao by Christopher Durang and Peter Melnick; Bruce Graham's According to Goldman; Jeffrey Hatcher's A Picasso; Daniel Stern's comedy Barbra's Wedding; John Henry Redwood's No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs; J.T. Roger's White People; David Ives' Lives of the Saints; three-time Tony Award-winning Master Class by Terrence McNally; Bunny Bunny by Alan Zweibel; and the American premiere of Birdy by Naomi Wallace. A Picasso received its New York premiere at the Manhattan Theatre Club in April 2005. Philadelphia Theatre Company was chosen Best Theatre Company 2003 by Philadelphia Magazine, Theater Company of the Year by Philadelphia Weekly (2005) and Best Theater Company in the 2005 City Paper Reader's Choice Awards. Since 1995, PTC has received 99 nominations and 30 awards from Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards, most recently for most recently for Take Me Out (Outstanding Overall Production of a Play, and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play [Kraig Swartz as Mason]), Elegies: A Song Cycle (Outstanding Music Direction [Kimberly Grigsby], and Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical), The Story (Outstanding Direction of a Play [Maria Mileaf]), and Trumbo (Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play [Bill Irwin]).

Philadelphia Theatre Company recently embarked on a groundbreaking Capital Campaign in support of building its new home, the Suzanne Roberts Theater, scheduled to open in Fall, 2007. The company has been in residence at the historic Plays & Players Theater since 1982.

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