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Wednesday, February 08, 2012

The University of North Carolina Wilmington's Department of Theatre presents Six Degrees of Separation by award-winning playwright John Guare. Premiering at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Lincoln Center in May 1990, Six Degrees received the New Your Drama Critics Circle Award in 1991 and was nominated for Pulitzer, Tony and Drama Desk awards in 1991.

The production, directed by faculty member Ed Wagenseller, will run Feb. 23-26 and March 1-4 in the Mainstage Theatre of UNCW's Cultural Arts Building. Shows run at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, with a 2 p.m. matinee performance each Sunday.

Six Degrees of Separation explores the existential premise that everyone in the world is connected to everyone else in the world by a chain of no more than six acquaintances, that there are literally only six degrees of separation between all people.

The plot was inspired by the real-life story of David Hampton, a con man who convinced numerous people in the 1980s that he was the son of actor Sidney Poitier. In the play, a young black man named Paul shows up at the Manhattan home of art dealer Flan Kittredge and his wife Ouisa. Paul has a minor stab wound from an attempted mugging, and says he's a friend of their children at Harvard University. The Kittredges are trying to sell a painting by Paul Cézanne and now have this wounded stranger in their home. Circumstances eventually reveal that Paul is not who he says he is, but who is he really?

"In 1991, while living and working in northern New Jersey, I was fortunate enough to see this play on Broadway," said director Wagenseller. "I was transfixed by the production and have wanted to produce or direct it since. With its ensemble cast of 17 and brisk and relevant story line, it seemed an obvious choice for a university production. We are also fortunate to have several African-American male theatre majors this year who are all capable of playing the lead role of Paul."

Wagenseller noted that this production will bring a more theatrical and contemporary approach that engages the audience in ways traditional productions do not. It will feature set design by guest designer Randy Ward, professor of scenic and lighting design and director of the graduate design program at Virginia Tech University. Ward has a long list of international design credits.

"It's thought provoking, brilliantly written and features an amazingly talented cast," he said. "Audiences will like the pace, the humor and the message that in this great world of ours, we are all connected in some way or another."

Student cast members for Six Degrees of Separation include senior theatre major Tre Cotton as Paul, senior theatre major Jacob Jackson as Flan and junior theatre major Kelly Mis as Ouisa.

Individual show tickets for 2011-12 performances are $12 general public, $10 UNCW employee/alumni or senior citizens, and $5 students. Patrons may also purchase a Season Punch Card, which provides four tickets in any combination for one or multiple performances, with the added benefit of advance ticket purchase for all shows. A punch card holder may use four tickets for one performance, two tickets each for two performances, or as a single ticket for four performances. Punch card prices are $40 general public and $30 UNCW employee/alumni.

Six Degrees tickets are available now at the Kenan Auditorium Box Office at 910.962.3500. The Cultural Arts Building Box Office is open one hour prior to performances for day-of-show ticket purchase and will-call pickup. For group rates or special accommodations, call 910.962.2061 or email theatre@uncw.edu.

Other upcoming 2011-12 Department of Theater Productions:
Margo Veil by Len Jenkin
Directed by Paul Castagno
April 19-22, 26-29
Mainstage Theatre

More information is available online at www.uncw.edu/thr

Media contact: Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu

Media are welcome to attend production rehearsals and take video or still photos, or do a live preview. Rehearsal schedule available by request.