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Diversionary to present U.S. Premiere of "Happy Endings Are Extra" Diversionary Theatre will present the United States premiere of Happy Endings Are Extra, a startling new play by Ashraf Johaardien, as the fourth show of their 2006-2007 season. While the play is part of the mainstage season, it also kicks off Diversionary's new "Queer Theatre – Taking Center Stage" program, which is funded in part by The James Irvine Foundation. Johaardien, a South African playwright, has already established himself as an award-winning playwright, with four plays to his credit and his work has been produced in mainstream theatres and at festivals both locally and internationally. Thanks to the Irvine Foundation grant, he will be present at the opening in San Diego. The San Diego production will be directed by Rosina Reynolds. The cast features Michael Purvis, Claudio Raygoza and Anahid Shahrik. The design team includes Greg Stevens (sets), Maria Bane (lights), Shulamit Nelson (costumes), and Rachel LeVine (sound). Thomas McCreary will stage manage. Happy Endings Are Extra, a lyrical and sensual exploration of sexual identity, is set against the backdrop of Cape Town's unsleeping world of massage parlours, boys for rent and sex for cash. The play explores the relationship between Gabriel, a bisexual man, and Chantelle, his fiancée. Chantelle pretends to be unconcerned by Gabriel's sexual interests, but then he meets Chris, an underage rent-boy and falls in love with him. This mature, considered play deftly toys with its audience, allowing the viewer to be both compromised and affected by the desires and the sharp, confounding shifts in perspective and emotion that the play evokes. Ashraf Johaardien (ush-ruff joe-hard-deen) is an award-winning South African playwright. At the age of 32 he has five plays under his belt. He grew up in Cape Town but he now lives in Johannesburg where he is currently the General Manager of the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT). The play was performed this past May at the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. A review in The Irish Times stated "With just the flick of it's title, Ashraf Johaardien's oh-so-clever script funnels a Cape Town subculture of open relationships and rent-boys through the hideous fatalism of Greek Tragedy. Wittily crafted, breezily allusive and handsomely performed, the play is considerably less concerned with sexual orientation than in updating our universal fables of desire and deception." Diversionary Theatre was started in 1986. The mission of the theatre is to produce plays with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes that portray characters in their complexity and diversity both historically and contemporarily. The mission of "Queer Theatre – Taking Center Stage" is to champion the discovery, development and production of plays that explore, reveal and celebrate the lives of the LGBT community. Happy Endings Are Extra was one of 79 new plays submitted to Diversionary last year, and the only new play to have a mainstage production. Four other plays, both old and new, will have readings in January and February as part of this program. Happy Endings Are Extra will preview on Friday, January 19 and open on Saturday, January 20 and run through Sunday, February 11. Performance times are: Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm, Sunday at 2:00 and 7:00pm, and a Monday, February 5 performance at 7:30pm. Tickets are $29 for Friday and Saturday performances, and $27 for other nights, with a $4 discount for students/seniors 60+/military. Tickets for opening night are $39 and includes a post-show cast party. Sales to groups of 10 or more as well as single tickets are now on sale. For tickets or information, call the Diversionary box office at 619.220.0097 or log on to www.diversionary.org. The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture provides major support for Diversionary Theatre. CALENDAR LISTING: Happy Endings Are Extra CONTACT: Dan Kirsch, Executive Director ( dkirsch@diversionary.org) or Bret Young, Managing Director ( byoung@diversionary.org) 619.220.6830 Diversionary Theatre will present the United States premiere of Happy Endings Are Extra, a startling new play by Ashraf Johaardien, as the fourth show of their 2006-2007 season. While the play is part of the mainstage season, it also kicks off Diversionary's new "Queer Theatre – Taking Center Stage" program, which is funded in part by The James Irvine Foundation. A woman who loves a man who loves a rent boy. Happy Endings Are Extra, a lyrical and sensual exploration of sexual identity, is set against the backdrop of Cape Town's unsleeping world of massage parlours, boys for rent and sex for cash. The play explores the relationship between a bisexual man and his fiancée, who pretends to be unconcerned by his sexual interests until he meets an underage rent-boy and falls in love with him. WHAT: Happy Endings Are Extra By Ashraf Johaardien. Directed by Rosina Reynolds. Featuring Michael Purvis, Claudio Raygoza and Anahid Shahrik. WHEN: January 19-February 11, 2007 Preview: Friday, January 19 at 8:00pm Opening night Saturday, January 20 at 8:00pm Thursday at 7:30pm Friday and Saturday at 8pm Sunday at 2:00pm and 7:00pm Monday, February 5 at 7:30pm WHERE: Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92116 OTHER: Talkbacks will be held after the following performances: Sunday, January 21, 7pm – Meet the playwright. Friday, February 2, 8pm – A discussion about bisexuality. TICKETS: Friday and Saturday performances: $29; other performances $27. Student/senior 60+/military: $4 off. Student rush: $9 (with ID/starting one hour prior to curtain) Box Office: 619-220-0097 and on line at www.diversionary.org Group rates available.
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