Arden’s five-play mainstage season includes two Pulitzer Prize winners

Arden Theatre Company is proud to announce its 2009/2010 mainstage season:

The History Boys
By Alan Bennett Directed by Terrence J. Nolen
September 24 – November 1, 2009
On the F. Otto Haas Stage
Opening night: Wednesday, September 30 at 7pm
Winner of a Tony Award and Olivier Award, Bennett’s international comedy chronicles the final year of eight clever young history students at a British boarding school in pursuit of sex, sport and admission into Oxford or Cambridge. Two teachers become rivals for the hearts and minds of the boys in this hilarious and provocative new play.

Rabbit Hole
by David Lindsay-Abaire
Directed by James J. Christy
October 22 – December 20, 2009
On the Arcadia Stage
Opening night: Wednesday, October 28 at 7pm
As improbably funny as it is heartbreaking, this story of a family in crisis won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Becca and Howie had the perfect life - a great marriage, a beautiful house and a lovely son. But after a tragic accident, the couple faces the challenges of surviving great loss and making a life with the family that remains. Director James J. Christy and Philadelphia actress Grace Gonglewski return to bring this modern masterpiece to life.

Blue Door
By Tanya Barfield
Directed by Walter Dallas
January 14 – March 21, 2010
On the Arcadia Stage
Opening night: Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm
Director Walter Dallas returns to the Arden after helming the notable production The Piano Lesson at the Arden during the 2007/2008 season. Johnnie Hobbs Jr. stars as Lewis, a successful mathematics professor whose wife has just left him. So begins his sleepless night where a series of ancestors visit him and reveal the hardships and victories of their lives. Lyrical, funny and poignant, Lewis’ journey is a thought-provoking window into the soul of one African American man grappling at the intersection of his own identity and his cultural history. Recommended for 9th grade and older.

Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Matt Pfeiffer
February 25 – April 4, 2010
On the F. Otto Haas Stage
Opening night: Wednesday, March 3 at 7pm
Remember what it feels like to love with abandon and surrender to raw elation? We give you an unadulterated Romeo and Juliet. Come experience Shakespeare’s masterpiece, without pretense or gimmick, and tap into the heart of this timeless love story. Recommended for 8th grade and older.

Sunday in the Park with George
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Directed by Terrence J. Nolen
May 27 – July 4, 2010
On the F. Otto Haas Stage
Opening night: Wednesday, June 2 at 7pm
Sondheim’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical was inspired by Georges Seurat’s stunning masterpiece, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Brimming with beauty and light, Sunday in the Park celebrates the power of creation. Jeffrey Coon (Seurat) and Kristine Fraelich (Dot) star in this passionate production featuring Sondheim’s full orchestrations. Recommended for 9th grade and older.

“Our 2009/2010 season includes a great variety of stories as we return to the work of the two most produced writers in the Arden's history -- William Shakespeare and Stephen Sondheim -- and welcome three extraordinary new storytellers to our stages -- Alan Bennett, David Lindsay-Abaire and Tanya Barfield,” said Arden’s producing artistic director Terrence J. Nolen. “I am thrilled that we are sharing such a wide range of stories and theatrical styles with our audiences -- some of the most exciting new writing for the theatre of the past few years, the greatest love story of all time, and a radiant musical filled with 'color and light.'”

Season Subscriptions are now available. Subscribers enjoy significant savings on tickets, the first choice of seats, and a convenient ticket exchange policy. Five-show and three-show subscriptions range in price from $75 - $200 depending on the performance date chosen. To purchase subscriptions, please call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122 or visit www.ardentheatre.org. Single tickets go on sale September 1, 2009. Arden Children’s Theatre will present two productions during the 2009/2010 season which will be announced later this summer and are designed for families with children ages five and older.

Arden Theatre Company is located at 40 North 2nd Street in the heart of Old City, Philadelphia.

Our mission is to tell great stories by great storytellers.
We produce five mainstage and two children’s theatre productions each season and offer theatre classes for kids in Kindergarten through 12th grade through Arden Drama School.

Reviewing members of the press are invited to all opening nights and may reserve tickets through Beth Yeagle at byeagle@ardentheatre.org.