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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

THE (curious case of the) WATSON INTELLIGENCE

Portland, Maine - Dramatic Repertory Company (Keith Powell Beyland, Artistic Director) concludes its highly successful 2014-2015 season - A Year of the Woman Playwright - with the New England Premiere of THE (curious case of the) WATSON INTELLIGENCE by Madeleine George.

The show will run for 8 performances only, May 29 - June 7, 2015 at the Studio Theatre at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Avenue, Portland, Maine.

The production includes an incredible design team and an all DRC Alumni cast! Christopher Holt (Equivocation, Swimming in the Shallows) takes on "Watson," with Janice O'Rourke (CONTRACTions, Swimming in the Shallows) as "Eliza," and James Noel Hoban* (Gross Indecency) as "Merrick." The show is helmed by Keith Powell Beyland (Equivocation, A Bright New Boise).

* Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract

Assistants...we all need them, and we crave the company of those people and machines who can help us. Madeleine George's 2014 Pulitzer Prize-Finalist comedy follows just a few of those indispensable souls embodied by a single name: Watson.

Watson: trusty sidekick to Sherlock Holmes; loyal engineer who built Bell's first telephone; unstoppable super-computer that became reigning "Jeopardy!" champ; amiable techno-dweeb who, in the present day, is just looking for love. These four constant companions become one in this brilliantly phantasmagorical, witty, time-jumping, loving tribute (and cautionary tale) dedicated to the people - and machines - upon which we all depend.

“Marvelous and filled with marvels. In the Stoppardian world of 'The Watson

Intelligence,' Madeleine George’s human, dramatic play takes surprising turns.”
— New York Magazine

“A time-tripping fantasy finds tender humor in geniuses and their helpers.
[Madeleine George] juggles several deep themes with grace, wit and intellectual
verve.” — Time Out New York

Tickets for The Watson Intelligence range from $10 - $20 with Premium Tickets also available. Tickets are available now from Brown Paper Tickets --online at www.dramaticrep.org or by phone at 800-838-3006.

The Watson Intelligence will play will play May 29 & 30 at 7:30pm, May 31 at 2:00pm and then June 3 - 7 at 7:30pm at the Studio Theatre at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Avenue, Portland, Maine.

The Watson Intelligence cast & creative:

JAMES NOEL HOBAN*. (Merrick) James is very pleased to be back with DRC. He last had the pleasure of working with Keith in the title role of 2011's Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.

James recently finished shooting a principal role in the HBO pilot “The Devil You Know.” He is best
known to Maine audiences for his work with Theater at Monmouth, where he will be returning this
summer for his fifth season. Other regional acting credits include productions with Good Theater, The Public Theater, Portland Stage Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Penobscot Theater, American Renaissance Theater, and Mad Horse Theatre. His short film, Recruiting, appeared in over 75 film festivals worldwide. Education: SUNY Purchase / National Theatre of Great Britain.

CHRISTOPHER HOLT (Watson) is very happy to be working with DRC again, having recently appeared as Richard Burbage/Father Henry Garnet (and more) in Equivocation and as Bob in Swimming in the Shallows. He was also seen as Charlie in the critically-acclaimed AIRE production of Da. Chris is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, and has lived in Portland since the turn of the century.

JANICE O'ROURKE. (Eliza) Janice O'Rourke most recently appeared in DRC's Fringe Festival production of CONTRACTions where she played a cruel manager following strict HR policies. Other DRC appearances include Carla Carla in Swimming in the Shallows (yes, her character had two first names.) Janice has appeared at Portland Stage Company in Blithe Spirit, Comedy of Errors, Lend Me a Tenor, Iron Kisses, Out of Sterno and in numerous Little Festivals of the Unexpected. Other theater appearances include Actors Theatre of Louisville KY, Adobe Theater Company NYC, Ontological Theater NYC, Shenandoah Shakespeare international tour. You may recognize Janice from her 5 minutes of fame as the animal rights activist, Ivy Perlow, in the “Law & Order“ episode entitled “Whose Monkey Is It Anyway?” Large thanks to her family for giving her the space to tinker away at this art when she can.

The cast also includes assistants B Arthur Johnson as "Jeeves" and Johnny Speckman as "Cadbury."

* Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract

MADELEINE GEORGE (Playwright) Madeleine George's play The Most Massive Woman Wins
premiered as part of the Young Playwrights Festival at the Public Theater in 1994. Since then, her plays, including The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, Precious Little, and The Zero Hour, have been produced and developed by Playwrights Horizons, 13P, Clubbed Thumb, Soho Rep, New York Theatre Workshop, Manhattan Theatre Club, Berkeley Rep and Shotgun Players in Berkeley, City Theatre in Pittsburgh, About Face Theatre in Chicago, Two River Theater Company in New Jersey, and the O'Neill Playwrights Conference, among other places. She has received a MacDowell Fellowship, the Princess Grace Playwriting Award, and the Jane Chambers Award, as well as commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, and Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Seven Homeless Mammoths... was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award; The Zero Hour was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award; and Watson was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Madeleine is a resident playwright at New Dramatists, an alum of the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab and the Lark Playwrights' Workshop, and a founding member of the Obie-Awardwinning playwrights collective 13P (www.13p.org). She lives in Brooklyn.

KEITH POWELL BEYLAND (Director) recently directed the critically-acclaimed DRC productions
of Equivocation (co-directed, Theatrical Highlight of 2014 - Dig Portland), My Name Is Rachel Corrie, (Theatrical Highlight of 2014 - Dig Portland) A Bright New Boise (co-production with Fenix Theatre, Theatrical Highlight of 2013 - Portland Phoenix), Topdog/Underdog (Best Production - 2013 PEER Award, Theatrical Highlight of 2012 - Portland Phoenix), [title of show], Tigers Be Still, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, Life During Wartime and Blue/Orange. He spent the last two decades working on and off Broadway with respected organizations like Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Signature Theatre Company (NY), The New Group, Berkshire Theatre Festival and Irondale Ensemble Project. Keith studied with Athol Fugard, John Patrick Shanley, Paula Vogel, Maria Irene Fornes, Anne Hamburger, Carey Perloff and Venable Herndon, among others. He holds a degree with Honors from the Dramatic Writing Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

THE WATSON INTELLIGENCE creative team also includes MEG A. ANDERSON (Scenic Design), JOAN MATHER (Costume Design), STACEY KOLOSKI (Properties/Scenic Artist), MICHAELA WIRTH (Lighting & FX Design), JOE BOUCHER (Original Score), CHRIS FITZE (Sound Design), BRANDON JOHNSON (Stage Manager) and WHITNEY SMITH (Dramaturge).

A Year of the Woman Playwright – Despite women being the majority of the theatergoing population, plays written by women are woefully underrepresented in the usual theatre season. As a counterpoint to this, DRC has decided to present a season of plays exclusively written by women. It is DRC's intention to show that there are plenty of great plays, touching on a wide variety of topics, being created by women playwrights. In addition, there are many modern, and not so modern, classic plays by women available to be found and produced. Theatre can and should reflect all perspectives. The 2014/15 Season received generous support from The Maine Community Foundation /Maine Theatre Fund

FuturePatrons – Theatre-goers 25 and under can see DRC shows for FREE!! Theatre is habit forming, and DRC wants to be a catalyst. DRCs innovative program strives to help build the next generation of theatre-goers. FuturePatron tickets are available day-of only, and require government-issued photo ID as proof of age. Seating is first-come, first-served and subject to availability. The 2014/15 Season FuturePatrons program is underwritten, in part, by Allagash Brewing Company.

Dramatic Repertory Company aims to make a dramatic difference in the community. DRC continues to establish a burgeoning reputation for provocative and professional productions. DRC intends to produce new and overlooked works that otherwise may never be seen in Maine, as well as provide fresh perspectives on classic works.

Equivocation - Theatrical Highlight of 2014
My Name is Rachel Corrie - Theatrical Highlight of 2014
A Bright New Boise - Theatrical Highlight of 2013
Topdog/Underdog - Theatrical Highlight of 2012
- Megan Grumbling, Portland Phoenix

DRC - WINNER!
FIVE 2013 PEER AWARDS
including
BEST PRODUCTION - Topdog/Underdog
BEST ENSEMBLE - [title of show]
"This is what art is about. Making you think, react, respond.”
- Bill Cook, March 10, 2012
“A ‘MUST SEE’ evening of theatre! I guarantee you will not stop talking about this play
long after the lights go black.” - Broadwayworld.com, March 12, 2012
“GET THEE TO THE THEATER...A KICK-A** SHOW!”
- Portland Daily Sun, November 19, 2013
"DAZZLING...some of Portland's most arresting actors...BREATHTAKING!”
- Portland Phoenix, June 6, 2014
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