Photos courtesy of Mark Garvin Photography

Late night in Barcelona. An American woman leaves her own party with a tall, dark stranger – an older Spanish man. Is it a carefree one-night stand or an invitation to danger?

People’s Light & Theatre is extending the production of Barcelona through June 30th due to audience response and overwhelming ticket demand!

People’s Light & Theatre presents Bess Wohl’s Barcelona running May 29th through June 23rd, 2013 on the Steinbright Stage. Jackson Gay directs.

Late night in Barcelona. An American woman leaves her own party with a tall, dark stranger—an older Spanish man. Is it a carefree one-night stand or an invitation to danger? People’s Light debuts a sexy and scintillating world premiere that takes a funny and seductive look at the politics of who we pretend to be versus who we really are.

Barcelona is produced as part of a rolling world premiere agreement between People’s Light and The Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherds University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The play has also been optioned by Olympus Theatricals for a commercial production in London.

Bess Wohl, who earned her MFA in acting from the Yale School of Drama, has already garnered wide recognition for her writing. Her play, American Hero, will premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer.

Barcelona uses a potentially dangerous encounter between a young American woman and an older Spanish man to explore both personal and geopolitical prejudices. Bess began writing this play during the Iraq War and was very interested in how Americans are viewed abroad: from the loud tourist to the Hollywood symbol to the international invader. As Wohl states, “I hope this play explores this phenomenon—the American tourist—on both a personal and political level. What does it mean to impose one’s fantasies and values on another country, on another person? How can we see ‘the other’ clearly, without projecting?”

Ticket Information

Barcelona previews on Wednesday, May 29, and Thursday, May 30 at 7:30 pm and Friday, May 31 at 8 pm. The play opens on Saturday, June 1 and runs through Sunday, June 23. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists for a conversation about the production after the Thursday performances on June 6, 13 & 20.

People’s Light continues its program called Scoop on Sundays: History, Context, and Gossip, a lively discussion before every Sunday 7pm performance (June 2nd, 9th & 16th ). An artist will discuss the world of the play, how and why it was chosen, as well as how it was cast, designed, and rehearsed. The program begins at 5:30 in The Farmhouse Bistro. Cost of $15 includes light fare. Call the Box Office at 610.644.3500.

Single tickets: $25 – $45. For tickets, call the Box Office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x134 or email charles@peopleslight.org.

People’s Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit peopleslight.org.

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