WORLD PREMIERE OF PAUL MULLIN'S "THE SEQUENCE"
OPENS OCTOBER 11 AT BOSTON COURT
PASADENA, Calif., September 8, 2008 – The Theatre @ Boston Court presents the World Premiere of Paul Mullin's "The Sequence," opening October 11 on the Main Stage at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue.
Directed by John Langs, "The Sequence" follows the real life race between scientists Craig Venter and Francis Collins to sequence the human genome. Will the grand prize be the public good or private profit? And in the midst of the frenzied race to determine what makes a human being, how will three people - each in hot pursuit of scientific discovery and enduring fame - discover their own humanity? This unpredictably hilarious true story depicts the double-talk and double-cross in the pursuit of double-stranded DNA.
The script was originally commissioned by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and was read in 2005 at George Mason University under the auspices of the BioIT Coalition and with one of the central characters, Francis Collins, in attendance.
"The Sequence" cast includes Hugo Armstrong, Karri Krause and William Salyers. Armstrong has played in three shows at Boston Court, including an Ovation Award winning performance in "Bleedrail," as well as "Cold/Tender" and "Mother Courage." Krause is making her Boston Court debut after playing the lead in "The Laramie Project" at the Edinburg Festival in Scotland. Salyers has enjoyed a long collaboration with friend and playwright Mullin, originating the roles of Audie McCall in "Tuesday" at Seattle's Aha! Theater, Louis in "Louis Slotin Sonata" for Circle X Theater, and Barry in "An American Book of the Dead: the Game Show," again with Circle X. He also directed the world premiere of Mullin's play "The Good Ship Manhattan" for The Smaller Project.
Production staff includes Jonathan Levit, assistant director, Jaclyn Kalkhurst, stage manager, Raul Staggs, casting director, Gary Smoot, set and props designer, Dianne K. Graebner, costume designer, Jose Lopez, lighting designer, Robbin Broad, sound designer, and Jason Thompson, video and projections designer.
Mullin's plays have been produced across the U.S., exploring subjects ranging from personal nuclear catastrophe to the uncelebrated underbelly of American history. His play "Louis Slotin Sonata" won the LA Drama Critics Award and was read by invitation for scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Mullin's recent full-length play, "The Ten Thousand Things," won a Seattle City Artists development grant and premiered at Washington Ensemble Theatre in April.
This is Langs' first show with The Theatre @ Boston Court. For the past ten years Langs has worked with great theatre artists throughout the country on contemporary, classical and music theatre, including Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Co., Seattle's The Empty Space and The Washington Ensemble Theatre, The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Wisconsin's American Players Theatre, Circle X Theatre in Los Angeles. He has served as Artistic Director for The Full Contact Shakespeare Company of Sacramento, The Golden Mean Theater Company of Los Angeles, and Maui Onstage and is currently an Associate Artist at the Seattle Shakespeare Company. Langs' work as a director has been honored with awards from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Backstage West, and the Seattle Times.
"The Sequence" previews for six performances beginning October 2, opens October 11 and runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 9. Preview tickets are priced at $17 and regular performances at $32. Senior and student discounts are also available. Tickets can be purchased online at bostoncourt.org or by calling (626) 683-6883. Boston Court Performing Arts Center is located one block north of Colorado at the corner of Mentor Ave. and Boston Ct.
"The Sequence" is supported by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Founding Director Z. Clark Branson, and the generous contributions of The Theatre @ Boston Court patrons. Partial funding is generously provided by The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in Science & Technology Project.
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For reservations to Press Night, Saturday, October 11, 8 pm, contact: sandy@aldrichpr.com
CALENDAR
The Theatre @ Boston Court presents the World Premiere of "The Sequence," a comedy about the fierce competition to sequence the human genome. Previews Oct. 2–5, 9-10, opens Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. and runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 9 at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor, Pasadena. Tickets: $17 previews, $32 regular, available online at bostoncourt.org or the box office at 626-683-6883.