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Home , Anthony Ward, Caro Newling, Charlotte Parry, Dakin Matthews, Drama League Award, Josh Hamilton (actor)

Bank of An1erica presents THE BRJDGE PROJECT

Produced by BAM, & BY ANTON CIJEKIJOY A NEW VERSION OF TJ IE PLAY BY TOM STOPPJ\RD THE WINTER JS TALE BY WILLIAM SHAKE PEARE

Directed by Set design by Anthony Ward Costume design by Lighting design by Paul Pyant Sound design by Paul Arditti & wig design by Tom Watson

Music by Mark Bennett

Music direction by Dan Lipton Casting by Nancy Piccione and Choreography by Josh Prince

Co-commissioned b; and produced in association \\ith Athens & Epidaurus FestivaL 1 I IE EDGER Auckland (~Z) . Ruhrfestspicle Rccklinghausen. The Singapore Repertory Theatre. Teatro Espanol de Madrid

The Cherry Orchard BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St.) Jan 2-3,6-10, 13 , 14t, 15- 17,20- 24,27- 31, Feb 24- 27, Mar 1 and 7 at 7:30ptn Jan 4, 11, 18, 25, and Feb 1 at 3prn Feb 28 and Mar 8 at 2pm ·j·prcss opening

The Winter's Tale BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St.) Feb 10- 14, 18- 19, 20t, 2 1, 28, Mar 4 - 6 and 8 at 7:30pm Feb 15 and 22 at 3pm Feb 17* at 8pm Mar I and 7 at 2pm * J"he Bridge Project Benefit· f· or tickets. BAi-.1 Patron Sen ices at 718.636.4 182 ·j·pres~ opening I ic~cb : 30. $60. $90 718 636.4100 or Br\\1 org

1 I 6 Arti t Talk on The 1'Vinter 's Tale Lecture by Har ard Professor. Stephen Greenblatt Feb 15 at 1pm BAM cafe Tickets: $8, ($4 for Friends of BAM)

Artist Talk with The Bridge Project on The Cherry Orchard Moderated by University of Michigan Professor Enoch Brater Feb 25, post-show (free for same-day ticket holders)

Artist Talk with Sam Mendes on T!te Cherry Orchard Moderated by Francine Prose Feb 26 at 5:30pm Hillman Attic Studio $8, ($4 for Friends of BAM)

Artist Talk with The Bridge Project Company on The 1Vinter's Tale Moderated by Columbia Professor James Shapiro Mar 6, post-show (free for same-day ticket holders)

Updated Dec 19, 2008/Brooklyn, NY-Sam Mendes directs a transatlantic company of in a double-bill of classic works for The Bridge Project's inaugural 2009 season, which pairs a new version of The Cherry Orchard by Totn Stoppard with The Winter's Tale. A formidable transatlantic company and creative team will mount these two new productions for seven internationally renowned theaters. leads the British/ American cast, playing Lopakhin in The Cheny Orchard and Leontes in The rVinter 's Tale. He is joined by Sinead Cusack as Madame Ranevskaya and Paulina, Richard Easton as Firs and Old Shepherd, as Varya and Hermione, Josh as Yasha and Polixenes as Trofimov and Autolycus, and Paul Jesson as Gaev and Camilo.

The Bridge Project is a unique, multi-year series of co-productions frotn Brooklyn Acaden1y of Music (BAM), The Old Vic, and Neal Street Productions. Each year-fron1 2009-201 1-a single British/American company will perform a double-bill of classic works at BAM and at The Old Vic, and make several international visits. In year one, the plays will run at BAM from January- March 2009 then embark on an international tour, taking residencies at Singapore Repertory Theatre, in Auckland at The EDGE® Performing Arts Centre, in Madrid at Teatro Espafiol, and in at Ruhrfest~piele before arriving for a season of both plays in rep at The Old Vic fi·om May- August 2009. The 2009 dates will conclude at Epidaurus, Greece as par1 of the Athens & Epidaurus Festival.

The Bridge Project is presented by Bank of America and produced by Kevin Spacey for The Old Vic, Joseph V. Melillo and Karen Brooks Hopkins for BAM, and Sam Mendes and Caro New ling for Neal Street Productions. The project places the exchange of ideas, talent and creativity between and at the heart of the process. and results from Sam Mendes, Joseph V. Melillo and Kevin Spacey's shared desire to produce large-scale, classical theater for inten1ational audiences.

The full company comprises lead ing British and American actors: Simon Russell Beale, Selina Cadell, Morven Christie, Sinead Cusack, Rebecca Hall, Paul Jesson, Gary Powell, Jessica Pollert Smith, and Hannah Stokely are appearing with the permission of Actors Equity Association. Michael Braun, Richard Easton, Josh Hamilton Ethan Hawke, Aaron Krohn, Dakin Matthews, Mark Nelson, , and Tobias Segal are appearing with the permiss ion of UK Equity, incorporating Variety Artistes ' Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity. gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance on this production.

Commenting on the inaugural 2009 double-bill, director am Mendes says: "The idea behind The Bridge Project was born out of a simple desire: a wish for artists, collaborators, and audiences on both sides of to experience one another's work, tal ent, and artistry in the theatre. Having had the pleasure of working in both New York and London, I became aware of how little exchange actually exists between these two cities of great theatrical traditions. In 2002. for my tenth and final year as Artistic Director of the Don mar Warehouse in London, I allowed n1yself the lu'airy of directing Chekhov's Uncle 1' anya and hakespeare's T•re/fth ight in repertory. Those productions later took up residence in the Harve) Theater at BAM. This London C\v York double-billing sparked the convcr ations that would eventuall; lead us to The Bridge Project.

2 I 6 ··t along with my friend Kevin Spacey, Joe Melillo of BAM, and my long-time collaborator and producing partner Caro ewling, began to wonder what a production might be like if the barrier of an ocean and the separation of the theatrical communities could be erased. We started to see our transatlantic venture taking shape and having two homes: one in New York at BAM and one in London at the Old Vic where Kevin is the Artistic Director.

"So it is with the greatest delight that I find myself again here in this beautiful theater working simultaneously on Chekhov and Shakespeare, this time collaborating with the incomparable on his new version of The Cherry Orchard while also working on The ~Vint er 's Tale, one of Shakespeare's final plays- and all with an exceptionally talented transatlantic cast specially brought together for this inaugural year of The Bridge Project."

Kevin Spacey has been Artistic Director of The Old Vic since 2004, during which time he has produced a range of classic and contemporary plays and appeared on stage in five productions. He says: 'I couldn't be happier with such wonderful casting for the first year of this ambitious and thrilling venture with Sam and BAM. The Old Vic stage calls for great acting and great writing. With Tom Stoppard's new version of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard and Shakespeare's The If/inter's Tale played in rep by this magnificent cast, Old Vic audiences have a great deal to be excited about for 2009.

''The Bridge Project represents many of the things that are most exciting to n1e about theater, not least the bringing together of extraordinary talent to offer audiences new readings of classic work. It also celebrates theater as an international language and as a bridge between nations. I am delighted that Bank of America has shown its shared commitment to this vision by supporting us in bringing this work to audiences around the world."

Joseph V. Melillo Executive Producer of BAM since 1999, is responsible for the organization's artistic direction and for maintaining its reputation for programming excellence and artistic innovation. He says: "I am thrilled that we are embarking on the first year of this partnership with such a stellar cast and artistic team. We welcome back to BAM dear Rebecca Hall, and also Simon Russell Beale, a BAM favorite for his rernarkable work in San1 Mendes' productions of and Uncle Vanya. And, in addition to the exceedingly talented cast, I look forward with great anticipation to the long-overdue debut on our stages of Tom Stoppard's work, whose immense talent will be perfectly married with Chekhov's elegant, final play.

"The Bridge Project represents a new model of producing, one that is trans-national at its very roots and a partnership only possible with The Old Vic, a theater so like BAM in spirit and initiative. It is gratifying that The Bridge Project has attracted the attention of the finest theaters around the globe along with the invaluable support of Bank of Arnerica - without whose forward-thinking vision this project would not be possible."

Rena DeSisto, Global Arts & Culture executive of Bank of America, Presenting Sponsor of The Bridge Project, says: "As one of the largest supporters of arts and culture programming in the world, Bank of America is thrilled to be part of this unique opportunity that will surely attract new audiences to the theater on both sides of the Atlantic. Bank of America has been a proud and long-time sponsor of Brooklyn Academy of Music- including earlier Mendes­ directed works- and we look forward to building a similar partnership with Kevin Spacey and The Old Vic. We believe this new collaboration provides a unique way to reach our customers and communities in the United States and abroad.''

Tom Stoppard 's first stage play, Rosencrant: and Guildenstern Are Dead, was produced at The Old Vic in 1967 and it was that very same play which introduced him to New York audiences shortly thereafter, followed in London and New York by Jumpers, The Rea/Inspector Hound, Trm·e.s·ties, £ ,•ety Good Boy Deserves Favour, Dirty Linen, Night and Day, The Real Thing, Artist Descending a Staircase, Hapgood, , The Jn,·ention of Lo,·e, his trilogy The Coast o.l Utopia (which won seven ), and Rock 'n. Roll ('fony Award nomination for Best Pia)). His translations and adaptations include , Undiscovered Counlly, On the Ra::le, Rough Crossing, 1/enly nr, Heroes, and The House of Bernarda Alba. Film scripts as v.riter and co-writer include Shakespeare in Lm•e (\\hich won him Academ) and BAFTA a\\ards), Enigma, Bro:il, and Empire ofthe Sun. toppard directed his O\\ n screenplay of Rosencranr: and Guildenstern .rlre Dead. \\hich won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He is the recipient of four Ton) Awards. four Critics' Circle 1\\\ards, seven Evening. tandard A\\ards. and an Oli\ ier, Acadcm:, and BAF I A 1\\\arcl. ir Tom toppard \\as knighted

3 I 6 for ervices to the Arts in 1997 and in 2000 was bestowed with the Royal Order of Merit, the most prestigious British accolade of all for a \\ riter.

Sam Mende began his theater career as assistant director at the Chichester Festival Theatre and 'v\as the first artistic director of the Minerva in 1989. In 1992 Mendes founded the in London where he was the artistic director until 2002. While at the Donmar Warehouse he directed (Olivier and Evening Standard awards), Translations, , Glengany Glen Ross, The Glass f\,fenagerie (Olivier Award), Company (Olivier Award), Habeas Corpus, The Front Page, , To the Green Fields Beyond, and Uncle Vanya (Olivier and Evening Standard Awards) and Twelfth Night (Olivier and Evening Standard Awards), both at BAM in 2003. In the West End: The Chert)' Orchard (Critic's Circle Award), The Plough and the Stars, Kean London Assurance, and Oliver!, which ran for four years at the London Palladium. RSC: Troilus and Cress ida, The Alchemist, , Richard Ill. NT: The Sea, The Rise and Fall ofLittle Voice (Evening Standard Award), The Birthday Party, and (BAM, 1998). Broadway productions include (as producer) The Real Thing and Take Jvfe Out (Tony Awards), and Shrek the Musical. As director The Blue Room, G;psy, The f 'ertical Hour, and Cabaret (Tony Award). Film credits include American Beauty (Academy Award-Best Director and Best Picture, Golden Globe, DGA Award), Road to Perdition, Jarhead. Revolutionary Road, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and , is currently in theaters. His next film, entitled , opens in the U.S. next summer. He has been the recipient ofthe Director's Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in the theater. I le was made a Cornrnander of the British Empire in 2000.

Simon Russell Beale's work for the Donmar includes The Philanthropist (Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Best awards), Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night (also at BAM and both winning him Evening Standard, Critics' Circle and Olivier awards for Best Actor, an for Best Actor in Uncle Vanya, and nominations for both). His work for the National Theatre includes /'vlajor Barbara, l'vfuch A do About Nothing, The Alchemist, of Calileo. Jumpers (also West End and Broadway; Tony nomination for Best Actor), Humble Boy (also West End) the title role in (Evening Standard Best Actor Award and Critics Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance), (Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical), Othello, Rosencrant~ and Guildenstern Are Dead, and T'olpone (Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor). He has also appeared in The Tempest, , Richard ll!, Edward II, The Seagull (all for RSC), Monty Python's (West End and Broadway) and (Almeida). Television includes A Dance to the lvfusic of Time (RTS and BAFTA Best Actor awards) and Persuasion. Films include The Gathering, An Ideal Husband and Hamlet. Simon is an Associate of the National and Aln1eida theatres, an Associate Artist of the RSC, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for Services to the Arts in 2003.

Sinead Cusack has performed rnany leading roles for the RSC, including in Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, The lv!erchant of Venice, , !vleasurefor Afeasure, (also on Broadway; Tony Award nomination for Best Actress), and Cyrano de Bergerac (also on Broadway). Her other stage credits include Rock 'n' Roll (Royal Court, West End and Broadway· 2008 Tony Award nomination for Featured Actress), Our Lady of Sligo (National Theatre and Broadway; Evening Standard and London Critics' Circle awards for Best Actress), The Three Sisters, Faith Healer (Royal Court), The !vfercy Seat, The Tower (Almeida) and Lie of the Afind (Donmar). Her film credits include Stealing Beauty, Vfor Vendetta, Eastern Promises 1 Capture the Castle, and The Cement Garden. Her British television credits include North and South and A Room with a View.

Richard Easton most recently appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning production of Tom Stoppard's trilogy . He has appeared at in He my IT", The Invention ofLove (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Awards), and Obsen·e the Sons of Ulster A/arching Towards the Somme. His Broadway credits include The Rivals, , , The A1isanthrope, The Cheny Orchard Hamlet, Back to 1\fethuse/ah, The Countty H'{fe and School for Scandal (with and ). His UK stage work includes King Lear, Aluch Ado About Nothing, Oliver.', Lo1 e 's Labour's Lost, I lcllnlet, He my J' (all for the RSC), f-!amlet, As You Like It, !vluch A do About Nothing (all for 's Renaissance Theatre Company) and JVho's Afraid of J"irginia JVoolf?. His work in film includes HemJ' J", Dead Again, Finding Forester, and Re1·olutionary Road, and television includes , Encore! Encore.', L.A. Law, The Brothers, and .

Rebecca Hall is one of theater and film's most exciting young actors. Last year she had leading roles in 's I'icky Cristina Barcelona (for which she has received a Golden Globe Award nomination) and in the feature film adaptation of 's Frost/Nixon. That fo IIO\\ ed starring roles in The Prestige (nominated for Best Female Newcomer at The Empire Awards UK and Best Newcomer of the Year at The London Critics' Circle Film Awards) and Starter For Ten. On stage, IIall received acclaim for her performance as Rosalind in Peter Ilall's production of As You Like It at Theatre Royal Bath (followed by visits to 8/\M, and an Francisco), \\here she also appeared in Galileo 's Daughter, 1\lan And and Don Juan. Rebecca \\On the Ian Charleson A\\ ard for her West End debut as Vivie in 1\/rs Jl'arren 's Profession and was again nominated for the Ian Charlc on Award for As You Like ft. Television work includes Joe ·.v Palace

4 I 6 directed by Stephen PoliakofL Brendan Maher's /Vide Sargasso Sea. and The Camomile Lawn.

Josh Hamilton co-founded Malaparte Theatre Company with Ethan Hawke, with whom he acted in Tom Stoppards's trilogy The Coast of Utopia (Lincoln Center), (Drama Desk and awards nominations for Outstanding Featured Actor), and Things 11/e ~Vant (both for The New Group), and on film in Alive and Tonight at Noon. His stage work also includes Suburbia (Lincoln Center), This Is Our Youth (The New Group), A Joke, J11ild Dogs!, Sons & Fathers (Malaparte), The J'iolet Flour (Steppenwolf), Sexual Perversity in , Cider House Rules (Atlantic), and (Broadway). Film includes The Bourne ldenti()· and 1Yith Honors, and on television in Third IVatch, Absolute~v Fabulous. and Abby i\!y Love (Emmy Award for Best Actor).

Ethan Hawke has appeared on stage in The Coast of Utopia (Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play and Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance), Henry I V alongside Richard Easton, Buried Child (Steppenwolf), The Seagull (Broadway), and Hurlybur~v (The New Group; Drama League Award notnination for Distinguished Performance). He co-founded Malaparte Theatre Company, appearing in their productions of }Vi/d Dogs! (also directed), Sons & Fathers and A Joke. He directed The New Group's recent world pretniere of Things We Want, and the filn1s Chelsea fValls and Straight to One (also wrote). I lis film appearances include Alive, Great Expectations, Gattaca, Dead Poet's Society, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset (also co-wrote; Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay), Training Day (Acadetny Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor), Reality Bites, Before The De,·il Knows You're Dead, The Hottest State (also wrote & directed), Fast Food Nation, Lord ofiVar, Taking Lives, and Hamlet.

The Bridge Project marks Paul Jesson's fourth appearance at BAM. He played Sir Toby Belch in Sam Mendes' production of Twelfth Night and, with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the title role in Hemy VIII and a younger version of Camillo in The Winter's Tale. In Britain he has recently played Myron Berger in Awake and Sing! with , Shamrayer in The Seagull, and Willy Loman in . He received an Olivier Award for his performance in Larry Kramer's .

111 The Old Vic celebrated its 190 anniversary this year and in its rich history has been hotne to many legendary productions, directors and actors of our time including 's Hamlet, John Gielgud, , Tyrone Guthrie, , and Ian McKellen. The Old Vic is a not-for-profit producing theater without subsidy, led by Artistic Director Kevin Spacey and Chief Executive Sally Greene OBE, that strives to nurture young actors, writers directors, and producers and works with schools and the local community to bring theater to a wider audience.

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is America's oldest performing arts institution in continuous operation and is recognized internationally for innovative dance, music, and theater programming-including its renowned Next Wave Festival. BAM also features an acclaimed repertory film program, literary and visual art events, and extensive educational programs. The institution is led by President Karen Brooks Hopkins and Executive Producer Joseph V. Melillo.

Neal Street Production , Producer Caro Newling. Formed in 2003 by Sam Mendes, Caro Newling, and Pippa Harris to produce film and theater. Films: Stuart a Life Backwards, Starter for Ten, Things TVe Lost in the Fire, Jm·head, Revolutionmy Road. Broadway: Shrek the AJusical co-produced with Dreamworks Animation, The Vertical flour with and . British premieres: All About At/y Jv/other, The ffozmd of the Baskerrilles, Anna in the Tropics, Days of JVine and Roses, Fuddy A1eers. West End/Broadway transfers: Sundczv in the Park 1rith George (Menier Chocolate Factory) Alary Stuart (Domnar Warehouse). Forthcoming in West End, London: Three Days ofRain with Jmnes McAvoy. Mendes and Newling established and ran the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, London from 1992 to 2002 originating some 70 productions including on Broadway: The Blue Room, Electra. True JVest, and Tony Award winners Cabaret, The Real Thing, Take Ale Out.

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk­ management products and services. The con1pany provides unmatched convenience in the United tates, serving more than 59 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, nearly 18 ,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 25 million active users. Bank of America is the No. I overall mall Business Administration ( BA) lender in the United tates and the No. I BA lender to minority-owned mall busine se . 1 he company serves clients in more than 150 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 83 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Bank of America Corporation stock ( Y 'E: BAC) i a component or the DO\\ Jones Industrial A vcragc and is Iis ted on the Ne\\ York tock L:\change.

5 I 6 NEW YORK & LO DO PERFORMANCE IN 2009: BAM Harvey Theater Jan 2 Mar 8

The Old Vic, London May 22- Aug 15

I TERNATIONAL PERFORMANCES IN 2009: in gapore R epertory Thea tre, Singap or e Mar 26- 3 I The EDGE®, Auckland April 4- 12 Teatro Espafiol, M adrid April 18- 29 Recklinghausen, Germa ny May 3- 13 Athens & Epidaurus Festival, Greece Aug 2 1- 22

PRESS CONTACTS: The Old Vic Jo A ll an & Julia Hallawell jo@ publiceye.co.uk & j ul ia@ pu bliceye.co.uk /phone 44 I 20 7351 1555

BAM Sandy Sawotka ssawotka@ bam.org /phone 718 636 4129 ext 1

Neal Street Productions Kate Morley kate@ blueprintpr.co.uk /phone 44 1 7970 465648

Bank of America John Yiannacopoul os joh n . yiannacopoulos@bankofamerica . comlphone 212 819 5927

Bank of America UK Christiana Marran ChrisLiana . marrar.@bankofamerica . com I phone 44 1 20 7174 5401

~- BankofAmerica ~~

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