News Release

Photos: To download photos, see end of story.

Note: Media may cover a preview and talk by
the director Wednesday (Jan. 10); details below.

Hollywood meets rural Ireland
in comedy 'Stones in His Pockets'

CHAPEL HILL - When a Hollywood production team arrives in a small Irish village, a comical culture clash results.

That's the plot of "Stones In His Pockets," to be staged Jan. 17 through Feb. 11 by PlayMakers Repertory Company, the professional troupe in residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Company member John Feltch will direct PlayMakers' David Friedlander and guest actor David Alley in the comedy. Both will fill numerous roles in the two-person show by award-winning Irish playwright Marie Jones.

Show times will be 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays in the Paul Green Theatre, inside the Center for Dramatic Art on Country Club Road. Feltch will preview and answer questions about the production in a free public program at noon Wednesday (Jan. 10) in the theater.

Britain's Daily Mail called the play "An unalloyed source of joy, laughter, tears and delight." Many of the laughs result from the mishaps of two local film extras as they attempt to capitalize on their participation in Tinseltown's fantasy of Irish rural life.

Underlying Jones' wry wit are larger questions, including: Does life imitate art? Can cinema shape a society's image of itself? Can hope survive in the absence of social opportunity?

"Stones" won the 1999 Irish Times/ESB Irish Theatre Award for Best Production and was nominated for three Tony Awards. In 2000, Jones won a John Hewitt Award from the government of Northern Ireland for her contribution to culture, tradition and the arts, as well as and a Special Judges Award in the Belfast Arts Awards. In 2002, she was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on the Queen's Honour List, presented by Queen Elizabeth II.

"'Stones in His Pockets' is a clever, substantive comedy that really showcases the actors' craft, as the two players are called upon to portray a veritable village of engaging characters," said Joseph Haj, PlayMakers' producing artistic director. "I am confident that 'Stones' will prove to be a beautifully crafted and wonderfully acted production."

Feltch portrayed Charlotte von Mahlsdorf in PlayMakers' "I Am My Own Wife" in September, he was De Guiche in "Cyrano de Bergerac" and Diamond Louie in "The Front Page" last season. He has acted on Broadway and was a company member at the Alley Theatre in Texas for 11 seasons. He has taught at Rice University, the University of Houston and UNC.

Alley makes his PlayMakers debut in "Stones." Based in Knoxville, he teaches acting at the University of Tennessee and is a resident company member with the Clarence Brown Theatre, where he starred in Feltch's previous production of "Stones." His other credits there include "Born Yesterday," "Arsenic and Old Lace," "The Rainmaker" and "Glass Menagerie."

A Yale University graduate with a theater studies degree, Friedlander is pursuing a master's degree in fine arts in UNC's dramatic art department. He makes his third PlayMakers appearance in "Stones," after last season's "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Frozen." Previously, he worked at the Yale Cabaret and the First Stage Theater in Milwaukee, Wis.

The production team for "Stones" includes Marion Jones (costumes and sets), John Ambrosone (lighting) and Michèl Marrano (sound).

Tickets are $10 to $40. Other special events include free post-show discussions on Jan. 24 and 28 and an all-access performance for those with special needs on Feb. 6. Call (919) 962-PLAY (7529) for information or tickets. For more information, visit http://www.playmakersrep.org.

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Photo URLs: http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/event/playmakers/dfriedlander002.jpg
http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/event/playmakers/dalley001.jpg
Play poster: http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/event/playmakers/StonesinHisPocketsPlayMakersposter.jpg

Coverage note: Media representatives are welcome to cover the preview and talk by director John Feltch at noon Wednesday (Jan. 10) in the Center for Dramatic Art on Country Club Road. Reporters may ask questions during and after the session. Photography, videography, lights and flashes are not restricted. For additional assistance, call Pam O'Connor at (919) 621-1230.

PlayMakers contact: Pam O'Connor, (919) 621-1230, pamo@nc.rr.com
College of Arts and Sciences contact: Dee Reid, (919) 843-6339, deereid@unc.edu