For Immediate Release: October 20, 2005
Media Contact: Whitney Estrin, Theatre Exile, 215.922.4462

Theatre Exile will present the Philadelphia Premiere of Richard Dresser’s Rounding Third directed by Matt Pfeiffer and starring local favorites Peter Pryor and David Ingram at the Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut Street, from November 10th-December 4th, 2005.

Rounding Third by Richard Dresser enjoyed regional productions in Chicago, Laguna Beach and the Old Globe in San Diego before it appeared off-Broadway at the John Houseman Theatre in 2003. The play introduces us to Don and Michael: two little league coaches — one a veteran, the other a new recruit — and their markedly different personal circumstances and philosophies about the game. Don (played by Pryor) is the seasoned coaching veteran whose son is the star pitcher. For Don, winning is everything. Winning is the only way to have fun in Baseball. Michael (played by Ingram) is a very different sort of coach, who signed up to be Don’s assistant in an attempt to have an activity with his son. Michael believes that the job of a coach is to shield kids from the pressures of competition while teaching them the enjoyment of group recreation. Needless to say, these two coaches develop a hysterical and interesting relationship which in turn explores the questions; “how does the American male define his role in Society?” and, “how should we raise our children in a world that is intensely competitive?” There will be a post-show discussion on Wednesday, November 30th with Sam Donnellon from the Philadelphia Daily News who covered this year’s Little League World Series. The talk back will allow the audience to hear from both Donnellon and the actors about their experiences with this production and with Little League in general.

Now in its ninth Season, Theatre Exile is a non-profit theatre company dedicated to providing a creative environment in which Philadelphia artists can grow and experiment. We produce risky and challenging plays that contain a sense of true “Philadelphia spirit” which is to say, plays that capture an innate human sensibility that focuses on family, work and our indomitable drive. We are constantly striving to reach out to new theatre audiences throughout the community by presenting both new works as well as established plays.

Richard Dresser (Playwright) wrote Gun-Shy and Below the Belt, both of which debuted in the Humana Festival at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville before moving off-Broadway. Other plays include Wonderful World, Something in the Air, The Down Side, Alone at the Beach and Better Days. Dresser has twice attended the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and is a former member of New Dramatists. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

David Ingram (Michael) has worked as an actor and a director in the greater Philadelphia area for 16 years. As an actor he has performed at theatres such as People’s Light & Theatre Co., the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival and Interact Theatre Company. Mr. Ingram is a professor of theatre at Temple University.

Matt Pfeiffer (Director) works as an actor and a director in Philadelphia. Recent directing credits include Popsicle Departures 1989 & Fever (Brat Productions) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Taming of the Shrew (PA Shakespeare Festival’s WillPower tour). Mr. Pfeiffer has worked on several productions with Theatre Exile, most recently as the Assistant Director for last Season’s smash hit, THE PHILLY FAN. An avid sports enthusiast, Mr. Pfeiffer has wanted to direct ROUNDING THIRD for some time now and is excited to be able to collaborate again with Theatre Exile.

Peter Pryor (Don) Is the Co-Founder and Producing Artistic Director of 1812 Productions. As an actor he has worked with the Wilma, the Arden, Philadelphia Theatre Co., People’s Light & Theatre Co., The New Freedom Theatre, Cape May Stage and many others. Directed by Matt Pfeiffer, Mr. Pryor recently starred in Brat Production’s one-man show Fever by Wallace Shawn. He is a three time nominee for the F. Otto Haas Emerging Artist Award and he was the winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play for his performance in Road at the Wilma. He has worked in both film and Television and has starred in seven independent films including the locally shot film cellar, co-produced by Theatre Exile and Reconstruction Pictures.

Performance Summary for ROUNDING THIRD:
Show Title: Rounding Third
Author: Richard Dresser
Director: Matt Pfeiffer
Actors: Peter Pryor and David Ingram
Designers: Jorge Cousineau, John Hoey and Rosemarie McKelvey
Dates: November 10th to December 4th, 2005
Events: Post-Show discussion with Daily News Sports writer Sam Donnellon on Wednesday, November 30th.
Where: The Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St. Philadelphia, PA
Tickets: $15 to $35
Box Office: 215-922-4462, www.theatreexile.org

Photos available upon request

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