Park Square Theatre starts the new decade with a production of Tom Stoppard's ROCK ‘N' ROLL, his deeply personal story spanning two countries and three generations. Centering on rock music's role in the fall of communism, the play touches on a multitude of emotional themes where the music of revolution, protest and liberation "becomes a symbol of both personal and political freedom and its attendant but exhilarating dangers." ROCK 'N' ROLL opens Friday, January 22 (previews begin January 15) and runs through February 7.
Set largely during the years of the Soviet occupation and control of Czechoslovakia, where the British-educatEd Stoppard was born, ROCK 'N' ROLL follows the intertwined lives of Max (Peter Moore, in a rare dramatic lead), a Cambridge professor and idealistic Communist, and his student Jan (Dan Hopman), a Czechoslovak who leaves England for Prague in 1968 after Soviet tanks roll in.
"We haven't had Stoppard on our stage since we did ARCADIA in 1997," said Director Mary M. Finnerty. "This is a challenging piece, but we were attracted to the interesting time period, the very real, rounded-out characters, the rich language that Stoppard is known for, and the genuine intellectual buzz generated by this production."
Arguably one of Stoppard's finest plays, ROCK 'N' ROLL opened in London at The Royal Court Theatre in 2006. Park Square Theatre's production, with Sasha Andreev (The Piper/Stephen/Policeman), Virginia Burke (Candida), Chris Carlson (Milan/Waiter), Brent Doyle (Ferdinand), Bethany Ford (Gillian/Magda), Jane Froiland (Esme/Alice), Garry Geiken (Nigel/Interrogator), Jen Maren (Eleanor/Esme), Carolyn Pool (Lenka) and Anna Sundberg (Pupil), marks the region's premiere.
The artistic team includes Nayna Ramey (scenic), Mike Kittel (lighting), Katharine Ann Horowitz (sound), Elin Anderson (costumes), David Herman (wigs), Amber WR Miller (properties), Joseph Papke (text & vocal coach), Travis Dickinson (projection).
Previews of ROCK 'N' ROLL will be held Friday, January 15 through Thursday, January 21; the show opens Friday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m. Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with 2:00 p.m. matinees on Sundays through February 7. All performances are in the company's intimate theater in Saint Paul's historic Hamm Building, 20 W. Seventh Place. Tickets are $36 on Thursdays through Sundays (with opening night at $40). Group, senior, and speciAl Prices for those 30 and under are also offered. Tickets are available at 651-291-7005 or online www.parksquaretheatre.org.
