For Immediate Release: January 3, 2007
Media Contact: Amy Watson Bish, Delaware Theatre Company, 302.594.1104 x244

Delaware Theatre Company's exciting 2006-2007 season continues with William Nicholson's comic drama The Retreat from Moscow. Nominated for the 2004 Tony® for Best Play, The Retreat From Moscow tells the story of a 30-year-old son navigating the emotions of his parents' separation after 33 years of marriage. Directed by DTC's Artistic Associate David Stradley, The Retreat from Moscow starts previews Wednesday, January 24; opens Saturday, January 27; and runs through Sunday, January 11. Tickets are $28-$48 and may be purchased by calling the DTC box office at 302.594.1100 or in person at 200 Water Street, Wilmington. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.delawaretheatre.org.

The Retreat from Moscow is the story of a family that unites for a separation. After 33 years of marriage, Edward decides to leave his wife, Alice, for another woman and for the life he feels passed by him. Their grown son, Jamie, arrives home for the weekend and is immediately caught in the middle of the upheaval. While Edward's departure is devastating, the family eventually grows closer, and discovers the love that has held them together through the years.

"It's not a documentary," writes William Nicholson, who, like Jamie, experienced his own parents' divorce as an adult, in the play's introduction. "I don't really know what happened inside their hearts and minds. But I know what's been going on inside my own heart and mind, so I know the characters of my play, Alice and Edward and Jamie, because they're all me. I'm trying to tell the truth about the pain of loving badly, because I too have loved badly."

In addition to The Retreat from Moscow, Nicholson's first play, Shadowlands, was Evening Standard Best Play of 1990, and went on to a Tony® nominated run on Broadway. He was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay of the film version, which was directed by Richard Attenborough and starred Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger. His other screenplays include Sarafina, Nell, First Knight, and Gladiator (as co-writer), for which he received a second Oscar nomination. His other stage plays include Map of the Heart and Katherine Howard, and his novels include The Wind Singer and The Society of Others.

"The Retreat from Moscow is one of the most personal pieces of theatre I have ever come across," says David Stradley, who directed last season's intimate drama Underneath the Lintel by Glen Berger. "Everyone who reads it or sees it seems to have a deeply felt reaction to it, usually because it hits home and reminds them of something very intimate from their own life."

The cast includes Christopher Kelly as Jamie, who recently appeared in the Drama Desk nominated Moby Dick at the Ohio Theatre; David McCann as Edward, who has appeared with numerous theatre companies across the US, Canada and the UK, including the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican, and whose adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol has had 16 production as of December 2006; and Carole Monferdini as Alice, whose extensive regional and Broadway credits include Tommy Tune's The Club at the Circle-in-the-Square, for which she won an OBIE Award for her performance.

The artistic team includes scenic designer Robert Jansen; costume designer Mattie Ullrich; lighting designer Shannon Zura; sound designer Fabian Obispo; dialect coach Deena Burke; and stage manager Sara Tantillo.

The Retreat from Moscow by William Nicholson runs January 24-February 11, 2007. Opening Night is Saturday, January 27. Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8PM (except 1/26); matinee performances are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2PM (except 1/24 and 1/27); and a special Friday Early Show on February 2 at 6:30PM. Tickets are $28-$48, depending on the performance day and time, with special discounts for students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more. DTC also offers its Bring a Teen program: every adult that purchases a regular ticket can receive one free ticket to bring a teenager (ages 13-19) to the performance. Bring a Teen tickets must be purchased in person at the box office (teenager must be present at time of purchase) one hour prior to the performance.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the DTC Box Office at (302) 594-1100 or visit our website: www.delawaretheatre.org.

Delaware Theatre Company's 2006-2007 season is sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. Media Sponsor for The Retreat from Moscow is WRTI. Artist housing provided by Pettinaro Relocation. Artist transportation provided by Amtrak. AAA Mid-Atlantic is the official Insurance Company and Travel Agency of DTC. Programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency committed to promoting and supporting the arts in Delaware. The Delaware Division of the Arts provides technical and financial assistance to artists and arts programs and serves as a clearinghouse for information on the arts.

Delaware Theatre Company, Delaware's premier professional theatre, is located at 200 Water Street, on Wilmington's exciting Riverfront. Delaware Theatre Company is a member of the League of Resident Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, the Arts Consortium of Delaware, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, and the Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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