Vincent Kartheiser Stars in San Jose Rep's THE DEATH OF THE NOVEL, Beg. Tonight, 8/30

On hiatus from the AMC smash hit Mad Men, Vincent Kartheiser comes to the Bay Area to lead a vibrant cast in San Jose Rep's world premiere of the Jonathan Marc Feldman drama The Death of the Novel, directed by Rick Lombardo.The cast also includes Vaishnavi Sharma (Sheba), PatRick Jones, Zarah Mahler and Amy Pietz. Pietz is well-known to TV audiences for her roles in The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Burn Notice, Nip/Tuck, The Closer and Private Practice.

The Death of the Novel, which launches San Jose Rep's 2012-2013 season, is a gripping drama about daring to create art in our unpredictable and dangerous world. The Death of the Novel tells the story of a brilliant young novelist Sebastian Justice (Kartheiser) who claims to be "the most well-adjusted, depressed agoraphobic in Manhattan." While he rants about everything from global warming to tennis, his publisher-ordered psychologist (a "writer's-block whisperer") played by Pietz tries to get to the bottom of his grief.

But when a stunning and mysterious Saudi woman (Sharma) intrudes into his self-contained world his emotional descent takes a sudden turn, for the raving beauty may not be the person she says she is. Will this stranger be the one to help him find his way back, and at what cost? Identities blur in this enthralling and evocative story that takes a look at the modern world through the eyes of a brilliant and tragically wounded artist.

Vincent Kartheiser, who has enthralled television audiences across the world with iconic series roles such as Connor in "Angel" and Peter Campbell in the AMC hit, "Mad Men," brings intensity and passion to this enigmatic role. He is impressed with the quality of the writing of the role, and by playwright Feldman's continuing work on the play throughout the rehearsal process.

The playwright, Jonathan Marc Feldman, had in mind both Vincent Kartheiser and San Jose Rep as he wrote The Death of the Novel. "It's a perfect place to do the play. And Rick Lombardo has such deep perceptions about the play that I know he really understands it in a very profound way. I feel very lucky that we found each other," Feldman said.

Feldman was the writer for the film "Swing Kids" with Christian Bale and Kenneth Branagh, and a writer and the executive music producer on the TV mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon."

The play will run from tonight, August 30 through September 23. Press Opening Night is September 5, 2012, 7:30 pm.

CAST

Vincent Kartheiser (Sebastian)

Known to audiences worldwide as spitfire advertising executive Pete Campbell on Matt Weiner's Golden Globe, Emmy, and SAG Award-winning drama series Mad Men, Vincent

Kartheiser has actually been acting since a teen. Starting with Untamed Heart alongside Marisa Tomei, Kartheiser accumulated an impressive number of credits during his youth including Little Big League, Ironwill, Indian in the Cupboard and Alaska. He has since appeared in Another Day in Paradise with James Woods and Melanie Griffith, Crime and Punishment in Suburbia, and most recently, the sci-fi thriller In Time, which reunited him with his Alpha Dogs co-star Justin Timberlake. During his Mad Men hiatus, Kartheiser filmed the indie Beach Pillows. Kartheiser previously starred on Joss Whedon's Angel and has guest-starred in numerous other series including ER, BBC America's Money and The Cleveland Show. He also lent his voice to the big screen's Rango. A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Kartheiser was named after Vincent Van Gogh and grew up surrounded by his works.

Amy Pietz (Perry)

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