Courthouse Theater Company

JUNE 18, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEST KINGSTON, RI - The Courthouse Theater Co. will open its 2007 Mainstage Season with Thornton Wilder's classic farce "The Matchmaker" on Friday, July 6 at the Courthouse Center for the Arts in West Kingston. Featuring a wide variety of local and regional talent, the show follows wealthy businessman Horace Vandergelder (Maxwell Mathews) as he is brought to find the perfect woman to share his life and warm his frigid heart.

"It's a classic middle of the century play by one of the greatest American playwrights of all time," Company Director Christopher J. Simpson said. "It combines a hint of Wilder's groundbreaking theatrical innovation with the lighthearted situation comedy typical of the era."

"The Matchmaker" had 486 performances on Broadway before closing in 1957. In 1958, it inspired a film version by the same name and six years later served as the basis for the Tony award-winning musical "Hello Dolly!" The Courthouse version will feature many familiar local actors, including Michael Boyce, Justin Kandler, Lily Mathews and Corey Sickinger, all of whom will be performing in their third consecutive season with the company. Audience members will also be treated to a variety of new faces, including Meghan Rose Donnelly of South Kingstown and Genevieve Kang of British Colombia , Canada .

"'The Matchmaker' will be my sixth role with the company," Kandler said. "I admit Malachi Stack's character is a challenge for someone as honest and trustworthy as myself but I have an inkling that it's the challenge that keeps me coming back to perform."

Continuing its rapid growth, the company is once again partnering with local businesses. Following the two Saturday evening performances, audience members will have a chance to meet Simpson and the rest of the company at D.B.'s Pizza in Quo Vadis Plaza across from the Wakefield Post Office. Audience members can redeem their ticket stub anytime before Sept. 1, 2007 and receive a free small cheese pizza.

"Local businesses, churches, civic groups and social clubs such as the Courthouse Theater Company play such a key role in keeping the fabric, or unique identity, of a community alive." D.B.'s Pizza owner Chace Loomis said. "If you don't support locals you're in danger of just becoming another cookie-cutter town."

The nonprofit company is also pleased to recognize the generous support of Bruce and Linda Barrett from Kingston who are co-sponsors of the production.

"We're happy to support the company because we feel strongly about live theater in South County that features local actors and actresses," Linda Barrett said. "We're confident this season will be even more successful than last season that saw sell-out crowds."

"The Matchmaker" will run two consecutive weekends: Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 8 at 2 p.m. Also Thursday, July 12 and Friday, July 13 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, July 14 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. The air-conditioned Courthouse Center for the Arts, at 3481 Kingstown Road (Route 108), is about 1.5 miles from the University of Rhode Island .

Tickets are $14 for general admission, $12 for Courthouse Center for the Arts members with ID and $10 for students with ID. They may be purchased at the door or reserved online at www.courthousetheater.com.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

  Christopher J. Simpson, a Princeton University undergraduate and lifelong South Kingstown , R.I. resident, founded the Courthouse Theater Company in 2005. With a cast and crew composed of mostly college-age students from South County, the company was incorporated as a nonprofit in May 2006 with Simpson as its president and artistic director. Last summer the company produced David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Proof" and Kaufman and Hart's classic "You Can't Take It With You" as well as a 24-Hour Play Festival, all to much local acclaim. More information is available at www.courthousetheater.com

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