Washington Theatre Presents Conor McPherson's Drama

From a major voice in Irish drama comes this moving modern ghost story that has garnered rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. A recently bereaved widower seeks help from a therapist when he begins seeing his wife's spirit. His fascinating story forces his therapist, a former priest, to confront some personal ghosts of his own.

"As close to perfection as contemporary playwriting gets." - The New York Times

Gorgeous and haunting, Conor McPherson's drama uses richly drawn characters and powerful storytelling to weave a tale of love, loss and faith. For this Washington premiere, the play's first major production since its Broadway run, director Joy Zinoman has assembled an outstanding cast of national talent, featuring Donald Carrier (Ian), Edward Gero (John), Chris Genebach (Laurence) and Laoisa Sexton (Neasa). The production will receive a sparkling kick-off at a celebration hosted by the Embassy of Ireland. Shining City runs November 7 through December 16, 2007.

McPherson is no stranger to the world of ghost stories. "The most powerful stories for me are the supernatural ones," he has said. "I don't know if it's my work or Irish work, but rather than the horizontal of 'Here we are on Earth and how do we deal with each other?', my plays tend to be vertical: 'Where do I come from and what…is going to happen?'" In McPherson's latest play, The Seafarer, the Devil shows up on Christmas Eve for a game of cards. His early one-man play St. Nicholas tells the story of a theatre critic who falls prey to a group of vampires. His best-known work, The Weir, is composed of a series of monologues, as the customers in a country pub tell each other ghost stories to pass a chilly evening. Shining City brings together McPherson's skill at storytelling with his penchant for otherworldly tales.

As John unravels to his therapist, Ian, the story of his marriage and the ghost that now haunts him, both characters must confront those things they would rather forget: their mortality, their isolation, and the looming question of what–if anything–awaits them on the other side.

To bring this haunting story to the stage, director Joy Zinoman has united The Studio Theatre's resident designers: Russell Metheny (Scenic), Helen Huang (Costumes), Michael Giannitti (Lights) and Gil Thompson (Sound). Each of them has been a designer at The Studio Theatre for over ten years, and Russell Metheny has been with the theatre from its very inception. Says Founding Artistic Director Joy Zinoman, "Having resident artists like Russell, Helen, Michael and Gil associated with The Studio Theatre is an incredible asset. Their work epitomizes our high standards of design and production, and it is truly a pleasure to have all four working together on Shining City."

Metheny's set is detailed and specific, but also highly evocative of worlds beyond its walls. Visible through the windows and open areas of the set are powerful images of church steeples and stairwells–the world of Dublin, the "shining city" just outside the walls. Helen Huang's costumes also make that world a reality, capturing in clothing the social roles and economic status of the play's four characters. Both Huang's costumes and Michael Giannitti's lighting illustrate the passage of time, and Giannitti works closely with sound designer Gil Thompson to capture the play's haunting mood.

This production of Shining City is underwritten by Marvin F. Weissberg & Judith Morris, with additional underwriting from an anonymous donor and support from Culture Ireland. -- www.studiotheatre.org