PRESS CONTACT: Peggy Kearns Dean
t: 571.216.5136 | e: ScenaMedia@gmail.com
Scena Theatre presents a haunting journey into the abyss—the US Premiere of SEA by Norway's Jon Fosse November 7 at the District of Columbia Arts Center
Washington, DC, October 10, 2019 — The Directors of Scena Theatre are pleased to open their 33rd Season in DC with the US Premiere of SEA by Norway’s acclaimed writer, Jon Fosse. This is a vital production for Scena and features a talented cast of company favorites from the past decade. SEA is directed by Scena’s Artistic Director Robert McNamara and translated by May-Brit Akerholt.
Press Night / Opening of Sea is Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 7:30 pm, at the District of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Members of the Press: please RSVP to ScenaMedia@gmail.com to reserve your seat, or request an alternate performance date if needed.
SEA is the harrowing story of a shipmaster who guides a bizarre band of travelers through a modern-day Hades. SEA is an episodic tale of lost love in the otherworld that unfolds as past relationships meet present realities. Together, the travelers face many daunting challenges on a quest for their ultimate salvation. Characters include a guitar player, a strange young couple and a peculiar older couple.
This fascinating play is written by Norway’s preeminent writer Jon Fosse, the most performed living writer in Europe. Fosse’s plays have been translated and performed in 40 languages worldwide, yet he is relatively unknown in the US. He is the 2010 winner of the International Ibsen Award, and he was awarded the prestigious French Order of Merit in 2007.
Director Robert McNamara is thrilled to stage SEA. “Fosse’s plays explore isolated characters with obsessive personalities. Many are desperately in search of an answer or personal salvation. European theatres routinely stage Fosse’s works, yet America and England haven’t caught on yet. So, Scena wants to give DC theatregoers a rare chance to see a brilliant play by one of the world’s preeminent dramatists.”
McNamara has 40 years of experience directing European dramas and is excited to bring this compelling drama to Washington. In January 2017, Scena produced the US Premiere of Fosse’s very first play, Someone is Going to Come, which garnered critical praise for performances by DC’s Nanna Ingvarsson, David Bryan Jackson and Joseph Carlson.
Sea is suitable for all ages. Run time: 85 minutes.
Previews
Friday, November 1 - Wednesday, November 6, 2019, 7:30 pm
Shows
Thursday, November 7 - Sunday, November 24, 2019; Wed - Sun at 7:30 pm | Matinees Sat Nov 16, 23 & Sun Nov 24 at 3:00 pm
Tickets
Prices
$15 - $35: Adults $35, DCAC Members $28, Students / Seniors / Under 30: $28
Group Rates
Contact ScenaMedia@gmail.com for a special rate.
Venue
District of Columbia Arts Center | 2438 18th St. NW, Washington, DC 20009
Press
Email: ScenaMedia@gmail.com or Call 571-216-5136
Photos
Click on Press, Left Sidebar
Actors
Buck O’Leary, Greg Ongao, Eamon Walsh, Sara Barker, Kim Curtis and Ellie Nicoll
Designers
Robert McNamara (Director), Michael C. Stepowany (Set Designer), Denise Rose (Sound Designer), Mei Chen (Costume Designer), Jonathan Alexander (Lighting Designer), Mavonte Johnson (Stage Manager), Anne Nottage (Literary Manager & Assistant Director), Gabriele Jakobi (Dramaturg & Resident Director)
Jon Fosse (b. 1959) is widely considered one of the most important writers of our time. Born in Strandebarm, western Norway, he lives in The Grotto in Oslo, in Hainburg, Austria, as well as in Frekhaug, Vestland. Fosse’s prolific career began in 1983 with his first novel Red, Black, and since then he has published numerous novels, stories, books of poetry, children’s books, and essay collections. His first play in 1993 was Someone Is Going to Come. Since then, he has written nearly 30 plays, including A Summer’s Day, Dream of Autumn, Death Variations, Sleep, and I Am the Wind. Since the mid-90s, his plays have had unparalleled success, having been performed more than 1,000 times, globally. Fosse continues to write novels, stories, and poetry of great quality. In 2015, he received the Nordic Council Literature Prize for his work Trilogy, consisting of Wakefulness, Olav’s Dreams, and Weariness. His earlier novels Melancholy I and II, Morning and Evening, and Aliss at the Fire also received critical acclaim. Fosse has been awarded numerous prizes both in Norway and abroad and is often been mentioned as a frontrunner for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
SCENA Theatre brings the best international theatre to Washington, DC and stimulates cultural exchange between theatre artists, locally and worldwide. Founded in 1987 under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert McNamara and Managing Director Amy Schmidt, SCENA produces an annual season of plays, seasonally staged readings, as well as a Workshop Series aimed at developing new works from around the globe. To learn more about our mission or past stage productions, please Click on the “About” link on the left menu.
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