Lia Chang: Broadway Legend André De Shields to Headline at the Alliance Theatre

André de Shields headlines David Mamet’s A Life in the Theater at the Alliance in Altanta. © Lia Chang

Enter the exclusive backstage world of the theatre and experience the mix of inspiration and frustration found in the lives of two actors in David Mamet’s A Life in the Theatre.

Well-known New York stage icon André De Shields shines in the role of Robert, an older, more experienced actor facing the arrival of a dangerous new talent in this blistering and darkly comic tale. Directed by renowned director and playwright Robert O’Hara (Metamorphosis), the play asks the question: How far would you go to make your career? Previews begin Oct. 28, 2009 on the Alliance Stage in Atlanta. Opening night is Nov. 4, 2009.

André de Shields © Lia Chang

In A Life in the Theatre, each night during a single season, two actors transform from drama to farce and their relationship from one of friend to enemy on stage and off. This emotionally charged play is guaranteed to keep audiences breathless as it moves from wickedly funny to tragically sublime as the two men’s relationship runs its course.

Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award®-nominated actor André De Shields has garnered considerable critical acclaim during the past four decades for his show-stopping performances in the original Broadway productions of The Full Monty, Play On!, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and The Wiz (in which he originated the role). Joining André De Shields is Ariel Shafir, who returns to the Alliance after his award-winning performance in the Alliance’s hit comedy The Underpants.

Ariel Shafir

The production features Clint Ramos, set and costume designer; the Alliance Theatre’s Pete Shinn, lighting designer; and the Alliance Theatre’s Clay Benning, sound designer.

Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Oct. 28 – Nov. 15 on the Alliance Stage. No performance at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. The matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 1 begins at 3:30 p.m. The Sunday, Nov. 8 show at 2:30 p.m. will be Audio Described.
Tickets are $20 – $45 and are available at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office by calling 404.733.5000 or online at www.alliancetheatre.org. Discount rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 404.733.4690. Discount rates are also available for members of the military, seniors and students. The Alliance Theatre is located at the Woodruff Arts Center, corner of Peachtree and 15th Street, in Midtown Atlanta.

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and a multimedia journalist. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. As a photographer and videographer, Lia is frequently tapped to collaborate with artists, organizations and companies in building their brand and establishing their documentary photo archive. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden.

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