The Denison University Theatre season continues with a production of "James Joyce's The Dead" written by Richard Nelson. Adapted from a short story inDubliners, "James Joyce's The Dead" is an intimate musical portrayal of a Yuletide party hosted by Gabriel Conroy's music-loving aunts. At the party, where three generations gather each year for a feast, a guest's song awakens a memory for Conroy's wife and revives a long-buried passion. The music is composed by Shaun Davey, one of Ireland's most acclaimed composers, "James Joyce's The Dead" won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical Book.

The production opens at 8 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 14) and continues with performances on Saturday (Feb. 15) and Tuesday through Saturday (Feb. 18-22) in Ace Morgan Theatre. Denison Instructor Mark Evans Bryan directs the production.

Tickets for "James Joyce's The Dead" are $10 general admission, $5 for senior citizens and $4 for students of all ages. Call the Theatre Box Office at (740) 587-6527 to reserve tickets and for more information.

Originally starring Christopher Walken as Gabriel Conroy, "James Joyce's The Dead" opened off-Broadway in 1999 to mixed reviews and popular success. The play went on to have successful runs on Broadway and later in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

Joyce is known as one of the most radical innovators of 20th century writing.Dubliners, his first book, is a series of short, interrelated stories which deal with the lives of ordinary people, whose actions are invested with a symbolic profundity. In this story, along with his other stories inDubliners, Joyce explores what would become central themes in his work: youth, adolescence, adulthood and maturity, and how identity is affected by these different stages in life.

Appearing in Denison's production are seniors Emily Horabik (Chardon) as Aunt Kate Morkan, Jesse Corn (Gates Mills) as Gabriel Conroy, Tiana Gabriel (Cleveland Heights) as Mrs. Malins and Melinda Hughes (Westlake) as Molly Ivors; juniors Mark Soloff (Pittsburgh, Pa.) as Freddy Malins and Daniel Burleson (Watertown, Wis.) as Bartell D'Arcy; sophomores Brittany Klintworth (Park City, Utah) as Aunt Julia Morkan, Megan Long (Chapmanville, W. Va.) as Gretta Conroy, David McDonald (Cincinnati) as Mr. Browne, Maggie Reid (Coral Gables, Fla.) as Lily; and first year students Caitlin McCown (Beloit, Wis.) as Mary Jane Morkan, Benjamin Rorrer (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) as Michael, Cara Kalnow (Chicago, Ill.) as Rita and Rachel Solomon (Le Roy, N.Y.) as Young Julia Morkan. Seniors Jessica Pitcairn (Cincinnati) and Kelly Little (Huntington Woods, Mich.) are the costume designer and stage manager, respectively, and junior Sarah Lentz (Evansville, Ind.) is the assistant director.

Other Denison faculty involved in the production include Affiliated Studio Instructor Kevin Wines as music director and Associate Professor Peter Pauze as scenic and lighting designer.

Accompanying the production are senior Meghan Coil (Cincinnati), violin, first year student Michael Sato (Carmel Ind.), cello, and sophomore Laura Reuther (Worthington), flute, sophomore Drew Lichtenberg (Pelham, Mass.), guitar, and first year student Abbey Valvano (Tunkhannock, Pa.), synthesizer. Wines will serve as conductor and pianist for the orchestra.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575