Ensemble Theatre Company Presents
Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen
An Exquisite New Production of a Timeless Classic

Ensemble Theatre Company will continue its critically-acclaimed 2010-11 season with a fresh new production of the revered and courageous play Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen. At its heart a ghost story, this darkly comic scathing commentary on 19th century morality still reverberates with a contemporary audience, remaining one of Ibsen’s most-produced plays more than a century after it was written. Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Fox will direct. Ghosts begins performances on March 31 and plays through April 24. Opening night is Saturday, April 2, 2011.

On an isolated estate, Mrs. Alving, a wealthy, spirited woman has tried to protect her family and herself from the philandering of her now deceased husband.  Her son’s return to the family home unearths buried family secrets and unleashes powerful forces of destiny. Ghosts is a riveting, haunting tale of a woman caught in the binds of a highly moralistic society. Internationally acclaimed during his lifetime and one hundred years after his death, Ibsen remains amongst the most popularly studied and produced playwrights ever. He had written over 25 plays in his life time, including Peer Gynt, A Doll's House, An Enemy of the People, The Wild Duck and Hedda Gabler.

“I’m surprised by how much humor is in the play,” said Mr. Fox. “Ibsen has a reputation for being very dark and gloomy, but while Ghosts is a tragedy, it feels fresh and vital and thought-provoking. We are working with a marvelous translation that has blown the dust off the play. Our highly-creative design team is approaching the play with a modern eye, and we have a top-notch cast to bring it to life.”

Award-winning New York actor, Maureen Silliman, plays the formidable Mrs. Alving, the matriarch of the family. She has performed on and off-Broadway, in addition to some of the most prestigious regional theatres in the country, including Playwrights Horizons, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Denver Center, South Coast Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe, and the Kennedy Center. This is her third production with Mr. Fox, having worked with him on The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Beauty Queen of Leenane.

Mr. Manders, the self-absorbed and moralistic pastor, will be played by Gregory North. An accomplished performer, he has worked on and off- Broadway, in addition to touring nationally with Show Boat, Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera. His Broadway credits include Grand Hotel, The Secret Garden and Into the Woods, working with such luminaries as Cyd Charisse, Bernadette Peters and Tony Randall. Regional theatre credits include The Laguna Playhouse, Falcon Theatre and multiple shows at Jason Alexander’s Reprise Theatre Co. Television appearances include Law & Order, ER, Frasier, Judging Amy and Ally McBeal.  

Returning to Ensemble Theatre after last season’s Loot is Wyatt Fenner in the role of Oswald Alving, the prodigal son who pays the ultimate price for his father’s promiscuous behavior. Mr. Fenner has performed at A Noise Within, Ahmanson Theatre, South Coast Rep, West Coast Ensemble and in Washington DC at the Arena Stage and Ford Theatre. His television appearances include Bones and Veronica Mars.

Michael Rothhaar, who played the lead in Ensemble’s 2007 production of The Uneasy Chair, will play the besotted Dickensian ne’er-do-well, Engstrand. A professional actor and director since 1975, his work has encompassed Broadway, Off-Broadway, San Francisco and most recently Los Angeles, with appearances at the Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse and Pacific Resident Theatre. Mr. Rothhaar has appeared in numerous episodic television shows including, Family Law, Bones, Frasier, and NYPD Blue.

Having appeared in Ensemble’s production of 2008 production of Therese Raquin as a Santa Barbara City College student, Jessica Spaw, who went on to complete her degree in drama at University of California, Irvine, will play Regina, Mrs. Alving’s housekeeper and the object of Oswald’s affection.

Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara was founded in 1979 and is housed at the intimate Alhecama Theatre located in the historic Presidio District in downtown Santa Barbara at 914 Santa Barbara Street. Now celebrating its 31st anniversary season, under the leadership of Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Fox, ETC is Santa Barbara's longest running, award-winning professional resident theatre company. The final production of the 2010-11 is The Fantasticks, with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones (June 2 to June 26, 2011).

Performances for Ghosts run Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm, with a newly-added special Saturday 4:00 pm matinee performance on April 9, and a Sunday 7:00 pm evening performance on April 17, 2011. Single tickets for Ghosts range from $30.00 to $55.00. Discounts for seniors and students apply. Single tickets and group tickets are available through the Ensemble Theatre Box Office at (805) 965-5400 or online at www.ensembletheatre.com.

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Calendar Listing — STAGE

Production:
Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen

Dates:
Thursday, March 31, through Sunday, April 24, 2011
Opening Night Saturday, April 2, at 8:00 pm

Schedule:
Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm
and Sundays at 2:00 pm
Saturday 4:00 pm matinee performances on April 10, 2011
Sunday 7:00 pm evening performance on April 17, 2011

Producer:
Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) of Santa Barbara

Director:
Jonathan Fox, Executive Artistic Director

Where:
Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara
at the Alhecama Theatre
914 Santa Barbara Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Admission:
$30.00 – $50.00. Discounts are available to seniors, students and groups of 10 or more.
Students and Young Adults 26 and under are $20.00 per ticket.

Tickets:
For reservations and information call the Ensemble
Box Office at (805) 965-5400. VISA/MC.
Box office hours are: Performance days 1:00 pm. to curtain,
non-performance days 1:00 pm. to 5:00 pm. Group Sales: (805) 965-5400.

Short Discripton:
Ghosts is a darkly comic scathing commentary on 19th century morality that still reverberates with a contemporary audience, remaining one of Ibsen’s most-produced plays more than a century after it was written.

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