San Jose Rep Presents Theresa Rebeck's THE UNDERSTUDY, 5/10-6/3

Up next at San Jose Rep is the west coast premiere of Theresa Rebeck's The Understudy. The show runs from May 10 – June 3, and is directed by Amy Glazer.

The creative team includes Annie Smart (Set Design), Fumiko Bielefeldt (Costume Design), Dan Meeker (Lighting Design), Steve Schoenbeck (Sound Design), Laxmi Kumaran (Stage Manager) and Stephanie Scliemann (Assistant Stage Manager).

The cast features Gabriel Marin (Harry), Craig Marker (Jake) and Jessica Wortham (Roxanne).

The star he's working with doesn't get the play; the stage manager just happens to be his ex-fiancée; and the set technician seems to be high-just another day in the life of an understudy. This laugh-out-loud look at the battle for stage credibility between a typecast action movie star and a "real" actor with a very large chip on his shoulder will give you insight into the complicated relationships that form in the stressful and emotional world backstage. Pulitzer Prize nominee Theresa Rebeck ('Bad Dates'), one of the most produced female playwrights in America and the creator and producer of the NBC hit Smash, returns to the San Jose Rep stage with this latest Off-Broadway hit.

The show plays at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, between South 2nd & 3rd Streets. Previews run May 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15. Tickets range from $29.00-$74.00 For ticket and other information, call 408.367.7255 or go online at www.sjrep.com.

Show related events include an "Insight Night," which goes behind the scenes in how San Jose Rep builds a production, May 7, 7-8 pm. "Pay What You Will Night" is an extensive community outreach program that supports the company's mission of accessibility and affordability of every member of the community and is Thursday, May 10, 2012, 8:00 p.m. "Afters!" takes place in the lobby after Opening Night. It is the San Jose Rep's opening night post-show celebration that allows patrons the chance to experience the thrill of opening night with the cast, artistic staff, and fellow theatre-goers. In "Post Show Discussions," join the cast and artistic staff in a presentation/panel discussion about the artistic process behind The Understudy. "Creative Playshops" are held during each Saturday matinee for kids ages 6 to 12 in the San Jose Rep's upstairs Studio Theatre. Led by San Jose Rep professionals, these Playshops explore their imagination through interactive theatre activities related to the themes of the play. Just drop the kids off before the show, enjoy the performance, and pick them up afterward. They happen Saturdays, May 19, 26, and June 2, 2012 during matinee shows. Finally, "ASL-Interpretation" offers an accessible performance and post-show discussion for Deaf and hearing-impaired patrons Saturday June 2 at 3 p.m.