WAKEFIELD – A coin flip turns up heads 90 times in a row. This probability-defying act joyously starts off Tom Stoppard’s modern classic Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, playing at The Contemporary Theater Company April 27 – May 19.

Life on the sidelines as minor characters in the most famous play in English-speaking history. What do you do while waiting for Hamlet to come around? Rosencrantz and Gildenstern consider life, fate, and what it all might mean as they stumble through their misadventures.

“When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are alone, they have these wildly different personalities that make them the perfect best friends,” says stage manager Maggie Cady. “But when Hamlet shows up, no one can tell the two a part, constantly mixing up their names. It’s a fascinating dynamic that develops over the course of the show.”

One part Hamlet, one part Waiting for Godot, Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead made a splash when it premiered in 1967 and has been a staple of modern theater since. This dark comedy takes two minor characters from Hamlet and turns the spotlight on them. They find themselves considering what life means when you can’t remember past this morning. Do we have free will? Is our end fated? Why are we here?

The show is comedic, thoughtful, poignant, and sometimes downright strange, leading to an exciting and satisfying night for audiences.

Tickets for performances and more information about the company are available online at www.contemporarytheatercompany.com or by calling 401-218-0282.

Previews: Apr 27-28 at 7 pm
Performances: May 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 at 7 pm

For Immediate Release:  March 12, 2018

Epic Theatre Company Brings
“The Healing” to Contemporary Theatre Company

                Epic Theatre Company continues its commitment to bringing theater all over the state with its production of Samuel D. Hunter’s The Healing which will be traveling to The Contemporary Theatre Company in Wakefield for a limited run in April.

                “We have a very special relationship with the CTC,” says Epic Artistic Director Kevin Broccoli, “We’re always looking for projects we can bring down to Wakefield, because it’s such a wonderful community for creating and sharing art.  As soon as I read Samuel D. Hunter’s incredible play, I knew it would be the perfect project to bring to our Rhode Theater Alliance colleagues at the Contemporary Theatre Company.”

                The Healing is the story of a group of friends who attended a Christian camp as children that sought to “cure” them of their various physical and mental illnesses by way of religion.  Years later, when one of their group passes away, the friends reunite only to find that what they suffered in their youth has a greater impact on them than they could possibly imagine.

                “Samuel D. Hunter is one of the best playwrights working in America today,” says Broccoli, “He’s also very prolific with a style that rings out in all of his work.  Hunter is tackling questions that affect all Americans, with themes and ideas that a lot of playwrights are scared to approach.  This is our first production of one of his plays, but it certainly won’t be the last.”

                Ryan Stevenson makes his Epic directorial debut with The Healing with a stellar cast that includes Epic alumni Andrew Conley (Animal Farm, House Arrest), Merynn Flynn (Alice in Wonderland), Stephanie Traversa (Pride and Prejudice, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Jill D. Jones (These Ruthless Bitches, An Italian Wife), Adam Preston (Marshall), and featuring Lauren Wilford and Julia Egan in their Epic debuts.

The Healing will be performed at the Contemporary Theatre Company located at 327 Main Street, Wakefield RI on April 5th, April 6th, 7th, 8th, 12th, 13th, 14th.  Tickets are General Admission $25, Students $15, Thursdays Pay-What-You-Can at the Door ($18 in advance), and $18 for Seniors for the Sundayperformance.

           *Epic Theatre Company seeks to bring provocative contemporary work to Rhode Island as well as new perspectives on classical theater. We strive to continue the tradition of "event" theater, where each production has built-in excitement both for the audiences and the artists involved.

          **Epic is a proud member of the Rhode Island Theater Alliance (RITA) and is the Resident Theater Company at the Artists Exchange in Cranston, RI.

THE HEALING

By Samuel D. Hunter

Directed by Ryan Stevenson

Featuring

Andrew Conley

Julia Egan

Merynn Flynn

Jill D. Jones

Adam Preston

Stephanie Traversa

Lauren Wilford

Epic Artistic Director:  Kevin Broccoli

Epic Executive Director:  Hannah Lum

Epic General Manager:  Megan Ruggiero

Epic Operations Manager:  Kerry Giorgi

Contemporary Theatre Company Artistic Director:  Christopher Simpson

Contemporary Theatre Company General Manager:  Maggie Cady

Young Audiences Consultant:  Angelique Dina

Marketing and Development:  Ashley Arnold

Poster Design:  Javi Montenegro

Performances

Thursday, April 5th @ 7pm

Friday, April 6th @ 7pm

Saturday, April 7th @ 7pm

Sunday, April 8th @ 2pm

Thursday, April 12th @ 7pm

Friday, April 13th @ 7pm

Saturday, April 14th @ 7pm

Tickets

General Admission $25

Students $15

Thursdays are Pay-What-You-Can at the Door

$18 in Advance

Seniors are $18 on the Sunday Matinee

Tickets can be purchased on the Contemporary Theater Company’s website by going to https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=tctc