By David Harrower
Directed by Joe Canuso

Theatre Exile's 12th season is in full swing with the Philadelphia premiere of Blackbird by David Harrower, the 2007 Olivier Award winner for best new play in London. Directed by producing artistic director Joe Canuso, the show runs February 5 - March 1 at Plays and Players Theatre. Blackbird is recommended for mature audiences because of strong language and sexual content.

Two lovers meet face-to-face for the first time in 15 years. They awkwardly retrace the steps of their affair, collectively remembering the details; the moment when they met, the events leading up to their parting. Typical in most every way of any other romance, except that she was 12 and he was 41. Ray and the prepubescent Una booked a room in a hotel to consummate their relationship with the intention of leaving together the next day, never to look back. He left to get some cigarettes and then they never saw each other again. Not through the six year jail sentence Ray served. Not through the years of public scorn and subjugation Una suffered. A chance picture in a trade magazine has lead Una back to Ray. But is it for answers, reconciliation or revenge?

Commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival, Blackbird premièred to astounded audiences and stunned critics in 2007. Its New York premiere garnered praise across the board, with the New York Times calling Blackbird "the most powerful drama of the season," and The New York Post hailing it as a "powerful, incendiary work ...the sort of daring theater far too absent from our stages these days." Fitting into Theatre Exile's mission to bring daring and provocative work to Philadelphia, Blackbird promises to be ninety minutes of the most haunting and powerful theatre this season.

CAST & DESIGNERS
Blackbird will feature long-time Theatre Exile friend Pearce Bunting and Exile newcomer Julianna Zinkel in what promises to be two of the season's most daring performances. Pearce Bunting currently stars in the Broadway hit Mamma Mia, after appearing in the national tour for two years. Pearce has also been a Philadelphia favorite. He was a member of the Barrymore Award's Outstanding Ensemble for Theatre Exile's Killer Joe, for which he was also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Pearce has also been nominated for his work at the Arden Theatre Company for Coyote on a Fence. He has been seen at The People's Light and Theatre Company as well as the Wilma Theater, for which he earned Philadelphia's first Barrymore Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in Road. Most recently Pearce starred in the 2008 Live Arts smash hit,Oedipus at FDR.

Julianna Zinkel is a company member at The People's Light and Theatre Company. She has performed in numerous productions there, including The Crucible, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Miser. She has also performed with the Wilma Theater in their productions of Wintertime and Big Love, as well as the Arden Theatre Company's Crime and Punishment, The Stinky Cheese Man and Go, Dog. Go!. She has also worked with Brat Productions, PlayPenn and InterAct Theatre Company.

Theatre Exile's resident designer, Matt Saunders, returns to design the set for Blackbird. Matt's design for Exile's Bug last season earned him a Barrymore Nomination. Matt has also designed Exile's Roosters, Mr. Marmalade, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Killer Joe amongst others. Matt's designs have been seen with New Paradise Laboratories, for whom he is a founding member, as well as at the Walnut Street Theatre, The Arden Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company and The Wilma Theater. Matt was the recipient for the 2007 F. Otto Hass Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist. Also returning to Exile is Chris Colucci. Chris has composed work for Exile's Roosters, Mr. Marmalade and Hearts & Soles. Chris has also designed for InterAct Theatre, The Lantern Theater Company, Azuka Theatre, EgoPo Productions, People's Light and Theatre Company, and 1812 Productions. Chris was a nominee for the 2008 F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist. He also won the Barrymore Award for Outstanding Sound Design for Suburban Love Songs. Paul Moffit returns as lighting designer, after designing Exile's productions of Mr. Marmalade, Roosters and Bug. Paul has also worked with 1812 Productions, Pig Iron Theatre Company and the 2008 Live Arts hit, Wandering Alice. Rachel Moffat joins Exile for the first time as costume and props designer. She has previously designed for Pig Iron Theatre Company.

DIRECTOR
Joe Canuso is the Producing Artistic Director and has directed many of Theatre Exile's shows including Mr. Marmalade, Red Light Winter, Full Figured/Loves to Dance, The Philly Fan, Last Call, Valparaiso, The Gin Game, Cryptome, Burkie, Amputation Nation, Big Blonde, Live at the Apollo Diner, The Frankenharry Plays, and Belmont Avenue Social Club. He was nominated by the Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Direction of a Play for Killer Joe and was part of the Barrymore Award winning ensemble of Glengarry Glen Ross. He has also appeared as an actor in Theatre Exile productions of the dreamer examines his pillow, Parking, Rocketman, Princess Ivona and Bug.

PLAYWRIGHT
David Harrower is quickly becoming one of Scotland's most successful playwrights. Blackbird, one of his most recent plays, was comissioned for the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival in 2005. According to Harrower, Blackbird is "a love story about two people who have been through a life-changing event together." Harrower's play redefines the power struggle between desire and innocence, and the consequences that lie in the aftermath. One of the most poignant and raw plays written in the past decade; Blackbird pushes through our preconceptions of predators and victims to find the human need that lies beneath.

FACT SHEET
What: Blackbird by David Harrower

Where: Plays and Players Theatre
1714 Delancey Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Who:

Director: Joe Canuso

Assistant Director: Meghann Williams

Set Designer: Matt Saunders

Costume/Props Designer: Rachel Moffat

Lighting Designer: Paul Moffitt

Composer/Sound Designer: Christopher Colucci

Production Manager: Sarah Chandler

Technical Director: Doug Smullens

Stage Management: Jamie Simons

Cast:

Ray: Pearce Bunting*

Una: Julianna Zinkel*

(*member Actor's Equity Association)

When:

February 5 - March 1, 2009

Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8pm

Sundays at 3pm

First preview: Thursday, February, 5, 2009

Opens: Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Closes: Sunday, March 1, 2009

TICKET INFO:
Call 215-218.4022 or on the web at www.theatreexile.org.
Ticket prices are $15-$30, Opening Night is $40. Call for specific prices and dates.Season subscriptions and student tickets are available. Substantial savings are offered for groups of 10 or more, please call for details.

PLEASE NOTE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES HAVE MOVED AND HAS A NEW TELEPHONE NUMBER.

THEATRE EXILE ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Theatre Exile has proven to be a place where local artists can take their biggest risks. We match challenging scripts with Philadelphia's top talent, continually bringing immediate and dangerous performances to our audiences. Theatre Exile approaches our craft with a no-nonsense, no-holds-barred approach to acting. The stories that Exile brings to our audiences demand that our actors live in a moment of truth, despite the peril and the violence that such honesty demands. Armed with our bare-knuckled acting style, Exile attacks these stories, digging deeper into our desires, promising to deliver our most dangerous and exhilarating season yet.