Marion Bridge Opens March 28

Iowa City - "What do you get when an actress, a nun and a soap opera addict walk into a childhood home? The clever drama Marion Bridge by Daniel MacIvor takes us into the lives of three sisters, each one unique from the others. The three women’s paths are forced to cross as they care for their ailing mother in their childhood home in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. During their stay, emotions are piqued and secrets are revealed. Directed by Sean Christopher Lewis.

Tickets: Adults, $25-30; Youth/Student Rush, $15. Riverside Theatre is located at 213 N. Gilbert Street, Iowa City, Iowa. Shows run Thursday – Sunday, March 28 – April 13, 2014. More information at riversidetheatre.org, or 319-338-7672.

About the Play
The script takes its name from a town that the story’s MacKeigan family visited while the girls were children. Marion Bridge is a small, attractive riverside community in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia named for the bridge that crosses the Mira River.

Memory and family are themes central to the story as we learn the innermost feelings and secrets of the three sisters. Agnes is an actress living in Toronto who is struggling to get a good part and battling an increasing alcohol problem. Theresa is a nun who lives and farms in New Brunswick, and Louise, the youngest daughter, has submerged herself in a popular daytime television show, blurring reality in her own mind. They come together to care for their ailing mother who has lost the ability to speak. The audience doesn’t get to meet her, but she communicates with the girls through a code written on Post-it-Notes.

Director Sean Christopher Lewis says of the show, “A beautiful and funny story of the hope families find in the ashes. If you've lost someone and continued to love it's a show for you... if the long cold winter made you feel longingly for warmth of any kind- it's a play worth seeing."

Playwright Daniel MacIvor was born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1962. He is a stalwart of the Canadian theatre scene, having written and directed numerous award-winning productions including See Bob Run, Wild Abandon and A Beautiful View. His play Marion Bridge received its off-Broadway premiere in New York in October of 2005.

The Cast and Crew of Riverside Theatre’s Production
Riverside Theatre’s cast of Marion Bridge features Lisa Margolin, Jennifer Fawcett (Ah, Wilderness, Two Gentlemen of Verona) and Heather Michele Lawler (All My Sons).

Director Sean Christopher Lewis most recently directed Venus in Fur at Riverside Theatre. His credits include Ensemble Studio Theatre in NYC, Adirondack Theatre Festival and the Centre X Centre International Theatre Festival. He recently returned from Spain where he directed a new play at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona.

Marion Bridge is tailored to the Riverside Theatre stage by professional designers Courtney Schmitz (Scenic and Lighting Designer), Sarah Pipho (Costume Designer) and Brianna Atwood (Sound Designer).

Marion Bridge PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Show dates:
Fri/Sat/Sun March 28 - 30
Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun April 3 - 6
Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun April 10 - 13

All Thurs-Sat shows, 7:30PM; Sunday shows at 2:00PM"


Source: Riverside Theatre Press Release