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lAIII ~ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 23, 1981 lliearer Contact: Ellen Lampert ...C ompany (212) 636-4123

Bro<* lyn Academy of Music 30 Lafayette Avenue TO DIRECT IBSEN'S THE WILD DUCK Brooklyn, N .Y . 11217 (212) 636-4163

David Jones Artistic Director NEW VERSION BY THOMAS BABE

Charles Dillingham Managing Director MICHAEL GROSS, FRANK MARADEN, JOAN PAPE IN LEADING ROLES

Stage and screen director Arthur Penn will direct Henrik Ibsen's THE WILD DUCK, the third production of the 1980-81 season of the BAM Theater Company. In a new version by playwright Thomas Babe, THE WILD DUCK joins the repertory Thursday, March 5* with performances through Sunday, April 5. Arthur Penn, one of the few American directors to work frequently in both theater and film, has been represented en Broadway by William Gibson's TWO FOR THE SEESAW with Henry Fonda and , and THE MIRACLE WORKER for which he won a Tony Award. Other Broadway

credits include 's TOYS IN THE ATTIC, fu~ EVENING WITH NICHOLS AND MAY, and SLY FOX. His films include THE MIRACLE WORKER for which Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke won Academy Awards, BONNIE AND CLYDE, ALICE'S RESTAURANT, LITTLE BIG MAN, and THE MISSOURI BREAKS with Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. Mr. Penn is Associate Director of the BAM Theater Company. Written in 1884, THE WILD DUCK still has the ring of truth as it exposes the destruction of a family, wreaked by the interference of a zealous friend. Although produced extensively in Scandinavia upon its publication, THE WILD DUCK did not receive its American premiere until 1918. Thomas Babe, whose plays include KID CHAMPION, REBEL WOMEN and A PRAYER FOR MY DAUGHTER, was invited by the BAM Theater Company to provide a new version of THE WILD DUCK, in keeping with the Company's desire to produce American texts of European classics. Babe worked from a literal translation by Erik J. Friis. MORE ...

*previews begin March 5/ press opening March 12/ review release date Friday, March 13 America's Oldest Performing Arts Center, est. 1859 2 TliearerBAm Company "" The leading actors in THE WILD DUCK include Michael Gross, recently seen at the Vivian Beaumont in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY and last season on Broadway with Richard Gere in BENT, in his BAM Theater Company debut as Gregers. Frank Maraden, a founding member of the BAM Theater Company who was seen this season as Flute in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and Worthy in RECRUITING OFFICER, will portray Hjalmar Ekdal. Joan Pape, who appeared last season in BARBARIANS and HE AND SHE, plays Hjalmar's wife, Gina. Other important roles are played by Sheila Allen as Mrs. Sorby, Gerry Bamman as Dr. Relling, Dominic Chianese as Old Ekdal, Sam Gray as Haakon Werle and Tenney Walsh as the thirteen year old Hedvig . The full cast alphabeticall y is as follows: Thin-Haired Gentleman Seth Allen Mrs. Sorby Sheila Allen A Guest C.B. Anderson Dr . Relling Gerry Bamman Old Ekdal Dominic Chianese Fat Gentleman Jerome Dempsey Haakon Werle Sam Gray A Guest Tracy Griswold Gregers Werle Michael Gross Molvik Ben Halley, Jr. Jensen James Harper Pettersen Richard Jamieson Hjalmar Ekdal Frank Maraden A Guest MichaelJohn McGann 2nd Waiter Bill McMullen Graberg Randle Hell 1st Waiter Keith Moore 3rd Guest Joe Morton A Guest Joan Pape A Guest Scott Richards Nearsighted Gentleman Robert Rutland A Guest Ted Sod Hedvig Ekdal Tenney Walsh

Tickets for The WILD DUCK, which will be performed in rotating repertory with A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, range from $5 - $14.50 . The BAM Theater Company season will continue through May 10 with

Brecht's ~~~GLE OF CITIES and Sophocles' OEDIPUS THE KING . For complete ticket information call BAM at (212) 636-4100. fl fl If If