SAN DIEGO PREMIERE: THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX

Contact:
Cara Hanhurst, Connectivity Manager
619-220-6830 x 105
Press@Diversionary.org
October 14th, 2016 : For Immediate Release

SAN DIEGO PREMIERE:

 

WHAT: Diversionary announces the second show in its 31st season, The San Diego Premiere of THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX.

WHO: Executive Artistic Director Matt M. Morrow will direct the piece by Bathsheba Doran. The play stars Rachael Van Wormer, John Wells III, Mike Sears*, and Marci Anne Wuebben.*

WHEN: November 25th – December 24th.  Performances run Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Approximately 2 hours long with one intermission.

TICKETS: Currently available exclusively to package holders. Packages start at $65 – more information can be found at www.diversionary.org/subscribe. Single tickets go on sale to the public approximately one month before performances and range from $15-$45. Discounts are available to Groups, Students, Educators, Seniors and Military.  To be notified of ticket sales, please sign up for the Diversionary Theatre Email List: https://www.diversionary.org/mailinglist/

San Diego, CA

“A drama with a funny bone.”

That’s how the LA Times categorized Bathsheba “Bash” Doran’s 2015 play about the journey of a makeshift family, THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX. As a part of Diversionary Theatre’s 31st Season, this San Diego Premiere was cited in The New York Times Top Ten List of 2015.

The play premiered in New York City under the Direction of Sam Gold, with a cast that included Diane Lane and Tony Shaloub. Diversionary’s production has nabbed the talents of Mike Sears (BIRDS OF A FEATHER, PARLOUR SONG), Rachael VanWormer (REGRETS ONLY, BIRDS OF A FEATHER),  and Marci Anne Wuebben in her Diversionary debut (Desiree in Cygnet’s A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC) are all San Diego favorites, while John Wells III hails from Los Angeles to make his San Diego debut.

Bash Doran is known for her funny, poignant and sophisticated writing style. She earned accolades while working as a staff writer on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.  Her work plays with the idea of changing relationships and sexuality. Her play KIN travels through generations of a family, and THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX takes an exploratory journey of its own.  Set “on the outskirts of major cities in the American South,” MYSTERY delves into the tumbling world of Charlotte (Rachael VanWormer) and Jonny (John Wells III) who are confronting the mysteries of their bodies, friendship, and desires.  Best friends since childhood, they come to see each other in a different light, and find themselves in a newly complicated relationship they are unable to extricate themselves from. Charlotte’s parents (played by Marci Anne Wuebben and Mike Sears) face their own shifting perceptions of love and happiness. Traversing years, intertwining relationships, and unexpected outcomes, THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX is provocative Southern Gothic romantic comedy that peeks behind the curtain of sexuality and race to illuminate the secrets of the heart and the fabric of a family.

Executive Artistic Director Matt M. Morrow will direct his third show at Diversionary; previously he directed AMAZONS AND THEIR MEN and NOW OR LATER.  Says Morrow, “I’m thrilled to dive into Doran’s evocative and potent writing! THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX is not only incredibly sexy and charming, it deals in big truths we all face in our relationship with ourselves and the ones we love. It’s a deeply moving story of a family’s journey to survive the years intact. There truly is something for everyone is this lovely, smart play.”

More information can be found at www.diversionary.org/mysteryofloveandsex

Approximately 2 hours long with one intermission. Suggested for Audiences of 16 and up due to adult situations, language, and nudity

For interviews and photos, please contact Cara Hanhurst, Connectivity Manager, and 619-220-6830×105 or by emailing Press@diversionary.org

*Actors Appear Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association

ABOUT BATHSHEBA DORAN

Bathsheba Doran’s play THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX received its world premiere at Lincoln Center this spring under the direction of Sam Gold, starring Diane Lane and Tony Shalhoub. Her critically acclaimed play KIN received its world premiere in spring 2011 at Playwrights Horizons, directed by Sam Gold. Her play PARENTS’ EVENING premiered at The Flea Theater, directed by Jim Simpson; and her play BEN AND THE MAGIC PAINTBRUSH premiered in spring 2010 at South Coast Repertory Theater. She is a 2009 recipient of the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award and three Lecomte du Nouy Lincoln Center playwriting awards. She is also a Cherry Lane Mentor Project Fellow and a Susan Smith Blackburn Award finalist. Bash is currently developing the limited series CODES OF CONDUCT with Steve McQueen for HBO. She also served as a writer/producer for the second season of Showtime’s hit series MASTERS OF SEX, and she was recently a story editor on SMASH for NBC. Bash wrote on season two of the acclaimed Martin Scorsese/HBO series BOARDWALK EMPIRE (for which her episode received a WGA nomination). Bash Doran is also developing a series for Channel 4 called JERUSALEM. Bash’s first play FEMININE WASH was produced at the Edinburgh Fringe festival while she was a student at Cambridge University, from which she holds a BA and an MA. She then went on to Oxford University, where she received an MA before working as a television comedy writer with the BBC. Bash moved to the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship in 2000, received her M.F.A from Columbia University and went on to become a playwriting fellow of The Juilliard School. She is currently under commission from Lincoln Center Theater, Atlantic Theater and Playwrights Horizons in New York City. Her work is available from Samuel French and Playscripts Inc. She lives in New York City.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

Low Cost Previews…………………………………………November 25th-December 2nd

Opening Night……………………………………………..Saturday, December 3rd at 8pm
Pre-and post-show festivities – celebrate with the cast and company.

Industry Night……………………………………Monday, December 12th at 7pm
Theatre Professionals enjoy a special discount to our only Monday evening performance!

Director’s Happy Hour……………………………Thursday, December 8thth at 6pm (7pm show)
Join Director Matt Morrow in Fritz’s Lounge for hosted hors d’oeuvres and a chance to chat before the show! Pre Show reception at 6pm, performance at 7pm.

Designer Spotlight………………………………….Thursday, December 15th at 6pm (7pm show)
Join us in Fritz’s Lounge before the show to meet the Design Team, see a display of the concepts used in producing the show and hear the influences and process involved. Hosted hors d’oeuvres round out a fun pre-show experience! The party starts at 6pm before the 7pm performance.

Parent’s Night Out……………………….Friday, December 16th at 6pm (8pm show) Enjoy a special discount on dinner at our Events Partner Parkhouse Eatery before attending THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX, Diversionary’s Holiday gift for adults.  Your kids will be delivered to you at the end of  the show (Approximately 10pm). Childcare available for ages 4-12. For more information or to make reservations please contact Matt Harding or Cara Hanhurst at 619-220-478-6942.

Next Act………………………………………………Thursday, December 22nd at 6pm (7pm show)
Next Act is your opportunity to mix and mingle with the stars of the upcoming shows in our Kron Repertory: 2.5 MINUTE RIDE and WELL! They’ll be available to answer questions about the production, and you’ll benefit from complimentary appetizers! Join us starting at 6pm before the 7pm show.

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