For Immediate Release	Press Info.: James Breen (805) 965-5400 x103 jbreen@ensembletheatre.com www.ensembletheatre.com Box Office (805) 965-5400 January, 5, 2008

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Ensemble Theatre Company Presents
Thérèse Raquin by Emile Zola
A Classic Drama of Psychological Intrigue

Ensemble Theater Company of Santa Barbara (ETC) presents a haunting drama of murder, lust, and psychological terror: Thérèse Raquin by Emile Zola. Creating a scandal when it first appeared in 1867, this rarely produced play has now found new life in the critically-acclaimed contemporary adaptation by Nicholas Wright. A gripping psychological thriller, Thérèse Raquin, ETC's third production of the season, will open on Thursday, January 31 and play through February 24. Opening night is Saturday, February 2, 2008.

Thérèse Raquin was first written as a novel. Zola's debut brought the 27 year-old author notoriety and fame that followed him throughout his life. Adapted for the stage by Zola himself several years later, the play ushered in a new style of theatre that influenced Ibsen, Strindberg, and many others. As one scholar noted, the play is "not only an uninhibited portrayal of adultery, madness and ghostly revenge, but also a devastating exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence." The Guardian observed that the National Theatre's 2006 production of "Thérèse Raquin is as shocking as ever."

In a bleak apartment on the Passage du Pont-Neuf in Paris, Thérèse Raquin is trapped in a loveless marriage with her sickly husband Camille. While living under the constant eye of her mother-in-law, she begins a secret affair with her husband's best friend, Laurent. Consumed by passion and sexual desire, they are driven to an act of desperation, which hurls them into a world more haunting and oppressive than they had imagined.

"Thérèse Raquin is a milestone in theatre history, one of the first plays to challenge the conventions of the bourgeois theatre of the 19th century and to light up the stage with human conflict," states director Jonathan Fox, ETC's Executive Artistic Director, who helms this production. "I first read it 20 years ago and have wanted to direct it ever since. The play is intriguing on many levels, not least of which is the raw emotional hunger that permeates the story and the feverish psychological repercussions of the characters' actions. Theatre-goers have very few opportunities to see this classic, so I hope it will be of interest to Santa Barbara audiences. "

Ensemble Theatre Company is pleased to present an outstanding cast of professional actors for this production. Featured in the part of Thérèse Raquin is Lauren Lovett. A classically trained actor, she has worked at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare, Old Globe Theatre and NJ Shakespeare. On the west coast she has performed at such prestige companies as Berkeley Rep and La Jolla Playhouse. In the role of her husband, Camille, is Michael Matthys, who was seen by ETC audiences in The Underpants and As Bees In Honey Drown. He has performed at the award-winning A Noise Within, the Laguna Playhouse and the famed Guthrie Theatre. Television work includes Grey's Anatomy, Buffy and The Profiler. Jamison Jones will play Laurent, the best friend and paramour. Most recently he has performed at The Pasadena Playhouse and American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) as well as two European premieres in Edinburgh, Scotland. His recent television work includes 24, CSI: NY, N.C.I.S., Crossing Jordan, JAG and Alias.

Barbara Tarbuck will play the part of the watchful mother-in-law, Madame Raquin. Trained on a Fulbright Grant to London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, she has worked in London, New York and the West Coast. Her New York work includes performances at Lincoln Center, Broadway and Off-Broadway. Regional theatres throughout the United States include Williamstown, Geffen Theatre, Laguna Playhouse and South Coast Rep, where she received a Drama Critics Circle Award. Television guest star appearances include Journeyman, Cold Case, ER, CSI and ten years as Jax's Australian mother, Jane, on General Hospital. Paul Tigue will play Grivet. He last appeared at Ensemble Theatre Company last season as Gidger in The Violet Hour, for which he received an Independent Award. He has appeared in over 40 stage productions, including work at Yale Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Soho Rep and Stage West.

The creative team includes costume designer A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, scenic designer Harry Feiner, and lighting designer Kent Inasy.

The 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. ETC is Santa Barbara's longest running, most award winning professional resident theatre company, now in its 28th anniversary season under the stewardship of Executive Artistic Director, Jonathan Fox. The 2007-08 season will continue with The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien (March 27 to April 20, 2008) and, finishing out the season, a co-production with the Vienna English Theatre of Old Wicked Songs by Jon Marans (May 29 to June 22, 2008).

Performances run Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 and 7:00 pm. Ticket prices for Thérèse Raquin range from $25.00 to $40.00. ETC offers discounts to students, seniors and groups of 10 or more. Low cost previews are Thursday and Friday, January 31 and February 1. Subscriptions, single tickets and group tickets are available through the Ensemble Theatre Box Office at (805) 962-8606 or online at www.ensembletheatre.com.

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