Trinity Rep is staging the world premiere of Artistic Director Curt Columbus' original gay love story, Paris by Night. Columbus wrote the book and lyrics with music by Andre Pluess and Amy Warren.

		An unconventional love story is at the heart of this jazzy new play with music, set in 1960's Paris. American expatriate Sam (Joe Wilson, Jr.) is nursing a broken heart in Montmartre. Certain that he's left romance behind, he meets a young soldier (James Royce Edwards) who is brimming with life and confidence. As Sam’s romance unfolds, beautiful chanteuse Marie (Rachael Warren) is searching for her own soulmate in brash American soldier Frank (Mauro Hantman). Basking in the the romance of the City of Light, the magic of Paris inspires Sam and Marie to follow their hearts. "I’ve always loved movie musicals from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s," explains Columbus, "Paris by Night celebrates that image of Paris - not the real city, but more the one of our collective, Hollywood-fed imagination." The show features "a cool jazz score" according to Columbus and although the play has at its center a gay, interracial love story, he says that it follows a more traditional musical structure of "boy meets boy, boy loses boy - will boy get boy back?" The cast of the play features Trinity Rep resident acting company members Stephen Berenson, Janice Duclos, Mauro Hantman, Stephen Thorne, Rachael Warren and Joe Wilson, Jr. Joining the company are guest artists James Royce Edwards, Timothy John Smith and Erin Tchoukaleff, along with Brown/Trinity Rep consortium actors Lynette Freeman-Maiga, Charise Greene, Michael Propster, Jude Sandy, and Adam Suritz. The production team includes Tony award-winning set designer Eugene Lee, resident costume designer William Lane, lighting designer Deb Sullivan, and sound designer Peter Sasha Hurowitz. Musical direction is by Michael Rice with musicians Thomas Brinkley and Mike Sartini.

The creative team was able to workshop the play with the resident acting company in Providence "We were excited to hear the Trinity Rep actors and the personalities they brought to their characters already," says composer Amy Warren. "When I heard Joe Wilson singing his songs, it opened up the possibilities and harmony and the way that the songs serve the story."

"This is why it’s great to work with a resident company," adds Columbus, "their personalities inflect what's going on stage."

Curt Columbus joined Trinity Rep as artistic director in January 2006, and directed Cherry Orchard and A Christmas Carol in the 2006-07 Season. Prior to joining Trinity Rep, Columbus was the associate artistic director of Steppenwolf Theater Company, from 2000 to 2005, where his translations of Cherry Orchard and Uncle Vanya were presented in the Upstairs Theatre. His adaptation of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment was awarded a Joseph Jefferson Award for best new adaptation and is published by Dramatists’ Play Service. Columbus’ new translations of Anton Chekhov’s plays have been published by Ivan R. Dee, including a volume of translations called Chekhov: The Four Major Plays. He also was honored with a 2006 Joseph Jefferson Citation for New Adaptation for his translation of Three Sisters. Columbus is also Chair of the Brown University/Trinity Repertory Consortium

Composer Amy Warren is an actress, singer and songwriter currently performing in the Off-Broadway hit Adding Machine, a Musical in the role of Daisy. She and Andre Pluess have collaborated on original music for Curt Columbus's Sis3ters, and PULP, for which they received the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Original Music. She has written music and released a CD with the rock band Tallulah and appears on several Aluminum Group releases including Pedals, Pelo, Happyness, and the forthcoming Little Happyness. She sings with Cooler by the Lake and Amalea Tshilds. Recent stage credits: When the Messenger is Hot at 59 E.59th Street, PULP at About Face Theatre, Rabbit Hole at the Goodman Theatre and Adding Machine, A Musical at the Next Theatre. She also appeared in Inherit the Wind at Northlight Theatre, Heartbreak House and Trojan Women at The Goodman. At Steppenwolf she appeared in Mother Courage and Her Children, Ten% of Molly Snyder, The House of Lily, The Weir, Whispering City, and The Glass Menagerie. She originated the role of Francis in Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play at The Piven Theatre and has worked with Curious Theatre Branch and Theatre OObleck as well.

Andre Pluess' (composer) compositions have received nominations for Drama Critics Circle awards for music and sound,and have contributed to the 2004 Tony Award-winning play I Am My Own Wife. Pluess credits include performances at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Odyssey Theatres in Los Angeles and Metamorphoses. In collaboration with Ben Sussman, he has received six Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations, an L.A. Ovation Award and Drama Critics Circle Award and a Lortel nomination for composition and sound design.

Birgitta Victorson's (director) credits include co-directing and choreographing Fatty Arbuckle’s Spectacular Musical Review (Second City Theatricals, Chicago) and Tattoo Girl (Cobalt Ensemble, Chicago). Other directing work includes The Book of Liz (Roadworks, Chicago), and Iggy Woo by Alice Tuan (Brown/Trinity Summer Playwrights Rep). She has also directed new works by playwrights Molly Rice, Cory Hinkle, Andy Bragen and Enrique Urueta. Choreographer credits include The Ghost’s Bargain (Two River Theater), Among the Thugs (Goodman Theatre), The Encyclopedia of the Dead (Miloco Theatre, Prague, CZ) and Stupid Kids (Roadworks) for which she received a Joseph Jefferson Nomination for Best Choreography. At Trinity Rep, she was choreographer for Cherry Orchard and assistant director to Curt Columbus for A Christmas Carol in 2006. Birgitta is a graduate of Northwestern University and received her MFA in Directing from the Brown/Trinity Consortium.

Birgitta Victorson is the Director & Choreographer,Musical Director is Michael Rice, Fight Choreographer & Boxing Coordinator is Greg Webster, Set Design is by Eugene Lee, Lighting Design is by Deb Sullivan, Costume Design is by William Lane, Sound Design is by Peter Sasha Hurowitz, and Stage Manager is Lori Lundquist.

The cast includes Trinity Rep resident acting company members Stephen Berenson, Janice Duclos, Mauro Hantman, Stephen Thorne, Rachael Warren and Joe Wilson, Jr.. Guest artists include James Royce Edwards, Timothy John Smith and Erin Tchoukaleff and include Brown/Trinity Rep consortium actors Lynette Freeman-Maiga, Charise Greene, Michael Propster, Jude Sandy, and Adam Suritz.

Regular ticket prices for Trinity Rep’s 44th Season are $20-60. Thanks to the support of Ocean State Job Lot, Trinity Rep continues to offer a limited number of $20 tickets on sale for each performance. For information on group rates (parties of 10 or more) contact Denise Giblin at (401) 453-9223. Discounted and rush tickets are also available, call box office for details.

Regular performances start at 7:00 pm on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and at 8:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays with selected Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 2pm. Talkbacks will be held after every performance of Paris by Night. Audiences are invited to share their response to the play’s production and themes for approximately twenty minutes. Visit their website at www.trinityrep.com to view a full performance calendar. This production is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. Trinity Rep’s 44th season is sponsored by NBC 10, with supporting sponsors Cox Media, Rhode Island Monthly, RIPTA, and RISCA. - -

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