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October 15, 2015Lewis Center for the Arts presents The SeagullChekhov’s classic tragicomedy shines anew in a female-focused productionPhoto caption: The cast in rehearsal for The Seagull, opening October 23 at the Lewis Center for the ArtsPhoto credit: Sam GravitteWhat: The Seagull by Anton ChekhovWho: Presented by Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater, directed by faculty member Mark Nelson and featuring Princeton seniors Cameron Platt as Arkadina and Anna Aronson as Nina.When: October 23, 28, 29 and 30 at 8 p.m., October 24 at 3pmWhere: Marie and Edward Matthews ’53 Acting Studio at 185 Nassau St. in PrincetonTickets: In advance of show dates -$12 general admission/$11 students and seniors; box office on days of performances -$17 general admission/$15 students and seniors (Princeton, NJ) The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater at Princeton University will present The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, directed by faculty member Mark Nelson and featuring seniors Cameron Platt as Arkadina and Anna Aronson as Nina, on October 23, 28, 29 and 30 at 8:00 p.m. and October 24 at 3:00 p.m. Performances will take place in the Marie and Edward Matthews ’53 Acting Studio located at 185 Nassau Street. A talk-back discussion with the director and cast will follow the October 24 performance.With ironic humor and piercing compassion,?Chekhov’s 1896 masterpiece explores the unquenchable human desire to live an exceptional life. At a lakeside estate in Russia, a famous actress gathers friends and family to watch her troubled son's new play. The night will change the lives of ten characters intoxicated by longing for the elusive twin visions of love and art. "I'm addicted to all of Chekhov's writing, so bracingly honest and so richly human," says director Mark Nelson, "but for young people dreaming of a life in the arts, this play has a special pull."?The production uses Paul Schmidt's accessible, American 1998 translation.?Nelson, an actor and director, is a faculty member in the Lewis Center’s Program in Theater. He has appeared frequently on and off-Broadway, and is set to star in the 2016 national tour of Cabaret. He has directed plays at Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter Theatre, George Street Playhouse, and Chautauqua Theatre Company, and directed the Lewis Center for the Arts’ 2010 fall show, The Good Person of Setzuan. A member of Princeton’s Class of 1977, Nelson recalls seeing a production of The Seagull at McCarter during his freshman year that influenced his decision to pursue acting.Anna Aronson, a senior in the Sociology Department, and Cameron Platt, a senior in the English Department also receiving a certificate in Medieval Studies, will appear in this production as part of their theses in the Program in Theater. Aronson and Platt are active members in Princeton’s theater community. Aronson, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, is a member of Princeton’s award-winning improv troupe Quipfire! and host of the undergraduate late night comedy talk-show All-Nighter. She has also performed in a number of Program in Theater productions and with the student theater groups Theatre Intime, Grind Arts, and Princeton Shakespeare Company. On their choice of The Seagull for their senior project, Aronson notes, “The play grapples with the problem of being an artist--a problem that matters deeply to us as we contemplate the role that art will play in our lives after graduation.” Platt, born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, is president of the Princeton University Players and won the 2015 George B. Wood Legacy Junior Prize in recognition of exceptional academic achievement during her junior year. In addition to her roles with the Program in Theater, she has performed with Princeton University Players, Princeton Shakespeare Company, Grind Arts, and Theatre Intime. She adds, “We wanted a show that would let us act in a naturalistic style, while also challenging us with the stakes of a heightened drama. The Seagull offers both, and it particularly resonates with us at this moment in our Princeton careers.”The two actresses purposely cast themselves in roles that offer a personal challenge. Aronson, who has typically been cast in comedic character parts, will play the romantic, young actress Nina. “The role requires me to access a new kind of vulnerability,” explains Aronson. Platt, often cast in ingénue roles, takes on the role of the aging diva Arkadina. “This character requires me to cultivate an outer strength that transcends any inner turmoil,” notes Platt. “Arkadina is a performer and a survivor, and we can understand her pain only if we first understand the ways she disguises and dismisses it.”The cast also features Charlie Baker ’17, Dylan Blau Edelstein ’16, Frank Africano ’16, Nadia Diamond ’17, Ross Barron ’17, Ryan Gedrich ’16, Stanley Mathabane ’17, and Tess Marchant ’16. Charlotte Sall ’16 will serve as stage manager with David Cruikshank ’17 and Sam Gravitte ’17 as assistant stage managers.Tickets for The Seagull are $12 general admission and $11 for students and seniors when purchased in advance, and $17 general admission and $15 for students and seniors purchased the day of performances at the box office. Tickets are available through the University’s new ticketing system, which offers greater flexibility for online ordering and print-at-home tickets. To purchase tickets online visit arts.princeton.edu/seagull, or call Princeton University Ticketing at 609.258.9220, or stop by the Frist Campus Center Ticket Office. Tickets will also be available at the door prior to performances. The Lewis Center’s Program in Theater annually presents a major, professionally produced play in the fall, as well as a number of student senior thesis productions throughout the year. This year’s fall production will be Zoyka’s Apartment, a tuneful, poignant and subversive farce?by the great Russian novelist and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov (The Master and Margarita), directed by Alexandru Mihail on November 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21. To learn more about this event, the Program in Theater, and the over 100 other activities presented at the Lewis Center visit arts.princeton.edu. ### ................
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