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MAGIC THEATRE PRESENTS
BILL PULLMAN ’S EXPEDITION 6

World Premiere Theatre Event Runs
September 8 – October 7, 2007

Features Special Educational Exhibition

“Our Space History”

24 July 2007 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA: – Magic Theatre launches its 2007-08 Season of New Plays with the world premiere theatre event Expedition 6 created and directed by acclaimed actor, director, producer Bill Pullman. This imaginative docudrama explores the personal and political life-and-death crisis of two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut stranded in space after the Columbia Shuttle disaster. Pullman uses a company of eight actors, movement, live music, and low-flying trapezes in this stylized new work based on writings by astronauts, NASA reports, and other primary source materials. The production is presented in association with the Chabot Space & Science Center and performs September 8 – October 7, 2007 at Magic’s Northside Theatre (Bldg D, Fort Mason Center , San Francisco , CA at Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St .). Tickets are $20-$45 and will be available at (415) 441-8822 or www.magictheatre.org on August 1, 2007 . In association with the production, “Our Space History,” an educational exhibit of space-flown items from The W Foundation’s world-famous collection, will be on display on the first floor of Magic’s Fort Mason Center home September 14-16, 2007 .

“This production is a brilliant hybrid,” says Artistic Director Chris Smith. “Part docudrama, part modern dance, part trapeze performance, Bill has envisioned an ambitious and imaginative new work. He's an inspiring, creative artist and it's great to have him here at the Magic.”

"To achieve authenticity in the theatre can be humbling task,“ says creator and director Bill Pullman. “I'm intrigued to use authentic texts for Expedition 6 to channel the flood of voices heard around national events like the loss of the Columbia , the invasion

into Iraq , and the rescue of stranded astronauts. And I am also inspired by actors evolving their own authenticity as they channel the physical and mental contortions of our tricky, authenticity-starved times. The purest, rawest, least-smoked-and-mirrored evidence of that kind of work can be found in the theatre."

The production team for Expedition 6 features set and lighting designer Kate Boyd (The Long Christmas Ride Home), costume designer Callie Floor (Hopper Collection), and sound designer Sara Huddleston. The team also includes three original members from the developmental workshop of Expedition 6 at Denver Theatre Center’s National Theatre Conservatory: trapeze choreographer Robert Davidson, who is the Director of Movement at NTC, Gary Grundel, who will compose the original music to be performed live during the production, and creative consultant Jennifer Rincon McCray, who is the Co-Chair of Acting at NTC. Cast members include local actors and Magic veterans Nora El Samahy, Arwen Anderson, and Sally Clawson, as well as recent graduates of the NTC MFA program, who took part in the developmental workshop: John Behlmann, Karl Hanover, Rob Robinson, Brent Rose, and Justin Walvoord.

Bill Pullman received a BA from the State University College at Oneonta, and an MFA in Theater Directing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst . He has taught directing in the Theater Department at Montana State University in Bozeman . His TV directing credits include the anthology TV series Night Visions, and the TNT movie The Virginian (Wrangler Award/Best Picture, 2000). His theatre acting work includes the Broadway world premiere of Edward Albee’s The Goat (Drama Desk nomination), as well as productions of new plays by Beth Henley (with Holly Hunter) and Thomas Babe (with Tom Waits). He was recently nominated for the Helen Hayes award for his work in the Kennedy Center production of The Subject Was Roses. He has had a celebrated career as a movie actor appearing over 50 films. Bill has been an "Ambassador" for the MS Society since 1998, serves on the board of Cornerstone Theater Company (using theater collaborations to engage the issues of underserved communities), and has helped facilitate health programs in his hometown of Hornell, New York where his father practiced medicine.

Founded in 1967, Magic Theatre Magic Theatre is one of the most prominent theatres in the nation solely dedicated to development and production of new plays. Magic Theatre plays and playwrights have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer Prizes, Kennedy Center Award, NAACP Image Award, Obie Awards, Pen-West Awards, Bay Critics Circle Awards and Los Angeles Drama-Logue Awards. The list of playwrights whose works have premiered at the Magic reads like a “Who’s Who of American Theatre”: David Mamet, Sam Shepard, Paula Vogel, Nilo Cruz, Charles Mee, Anne Bogart and Rebecca Gilman. In addition to its production calendar, Magic Theatre is also instrumental in the development of works in the Bay Area and beyond, with its Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Initiative (now in its second three-year cycle, the program is developing and commissioning over 25 new works), Magic/Z Space New Works Initiative (also in its second three-year program, a consortium of fourteen Bay Area theatres commissioning, developing and producing 18 new plays), Martha Heasley Cox Raw Play Series, New Voices West Workshop Productions, education programs Young California Writers Project and Launch Pad amongst others. For more information, visit the Magic Theatre website at www.magictheatre.org.

This imaginative docudrama explores the personal and political life-and-death crisis of two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut stranded in space after the Columbia Shuttle disaster. Pullman uses a company of eight actors, movement, live music, and multiple low-flying trapezes in this stylized new work based on writings by astronauts, NASA reports, and other primary source materials.

(Wednesday – Saturday at 8pm ; Sundays at 2:30pm and 7pm )
(No 2:30pm performance on Sunday, October 7)

(Bldg D, Fort Mason Center , San Francisco , CA at Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St .)

Wednesday performances: Sliding scale tickets ($5-$25) available a half hour prior to performance. (as available)

Tickets go on sale August 1. Six-play subscriptions and six-ticket passes for the 2007-08 Season are available now.

Images for the show are available in the press photo section of the PRESS ROOM of Magic Theatre’s website at www.magictheatre.org.


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	MAGIC THEATRE PRESENTS BILL PULLMAN ’S EXPEDITION 6 World Premiere Theatre Event Runs September 8 – October 7, 2007 Features Special Educational Exhibition “Our Space History” 24 July 2007 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA: – Magic Theatre launches its 2007-08 Season of New Plays with the world premiere theatre event *Expedition 6* created and directed by acclaimed actor, director, producer Bill Pullman. This imaginative docudrama explores the personal and political life-and-death crisis of two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut stranded in space after the Columbia Shuttle disaster. Pullman uses a company of eight actors, movement, live music, and low-flying trapezes in this stylized new work based on writings by astronauts, NASA reports, and other primary source materials. The production is presented in association with the Chabot Space & Science Center and performs September 8 – October 7, 2007 at Magic’s Northside Theatre (Bldg D, Fort Mason Center , San Francisco , CA at Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St .). Tickets are $20-$45 and will be available at (415) 441-8822 or www.magictheatre.org on August 1, 2007 . In association with the production, “Our Space History,” an educational exhibit of space-flown items from The W Foundation’s world-famous collection, will be on display on the first floor of Magic’s Fort Mason Center home September 14-16, 2007 . “This production is a brilliant hybrid,” says Artistic Director Chris Smith. “Part docudrama, part modern dance, part trapeze performance, Bill has envisioned an ambitious and imaginative new work. He's an inspiring, creative artist and it's great to have him here at the Magic.” "To achieve authenticity in the theatre can be humbling task,“ says creator and director Bill Pullman. “I'm intrigued to use authentic texts for Expedition 6 to channel the flood of voices heard around national events like the loss of the Columbia , the invasion into Iraq , and the rescue of stranded astronauts. And I am also inspired by actors evolving their own authenticity as they channel the physical and mental contortions of our tricky, authenticity-starved times. The purest, rawest, least-smoked-and-mirrored evidence of that kind of work can be found in the theatre." The production team for Expedition 6 features set and lighting designer Kate Boyd (The Long Christmas Ride Home), costume designer Callie Floor (Hopper Collection), and sound designer Sara Huddleston. The team also includes three original members from the developmental workshop of Expedition 6 at Denver Theatre Center’s National Theatre Conservatory: trapeze choreographer Robert Davidson, who is the Director of Movement at NTC, Gary Grundel, who will compose the original music to be performed live during the production, and creative consultant Jennifer Rincon McCray, who is the Co-Chair of Acting at NTC. Cast members include local actors and Magic veterans Nora El Samahy, Arwen Anderson, and Sally Clawson, as well as recent graduates of the NTC MFA program, who took part in the developmental workshop: John Behlmann, Karl Hanover, Rob Robinson, Brent Rose, and Justin Walvoord. Bill Pullman received a BA from the State University College at Oneonta, and an MFA in Theater Directing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst . He has taught directing in the Theater Department at Montana State University in Bozeman . His TV directing credits include the anthology TV series Night Visions, and the TNT movie The Virginian (Wrangler Award/Best Picture, 2000). His theatre acting work includes the Broadway world premiere of Edward Albee’s The Goat (Drama Desk nomination), as well as productions of new plays by Beth Henley (with Holly Hunter) and Thomas Babe (with Tom Waits). He was recently nominated for the Helen Hayes award for his work in the Kennedy Center production of The Subject Was Roses. He has had a celebrated career as a movie actor appearing over 50 films. Bill has been an "Ambassador" for the MS Society since 1998, serves on the board of Cornerstone Theater Company (using theater collaborations to engage the issues of underserved communities), and has helped facilitate health programs in his hometown of Hornell, New York where his father practiced medicine. Founded in 1967, Magic Theatre Magic Theatre is one of the most prominent theatres in the nation solely dedicated to development and production of new plays. Magic Theatre plays and playwrights have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer Prizes, Kennedy Center Award, NAACP Image Award, Obie Awards, Pen-West Awards, Bay Critics Circle Awards and Los Angeles Drama-Logue Awards. The list of playwrights whose works have premiered at the Magic reads like a “Who’s Who of American Theatre”: David Mamet, Sam Shepard, Paula Vogel, Nilo Cruz, Charles Mee, Anne Bogart and Rebecca Gilman. In addition to its production calendar, Magic Theatre is also instrumental in the development of works in the Bay Area and beyond, with its Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Initiative (now in its second three-year cycle, the program is developing and commissioning over 25 new works), Magic/Z Space New Works Initiative (also in its second three-year program, a consortium of fourteen Bay Area theatres commissioning, developing and producing 18 new plays), Martha Heasley Cox Raw Play Series, New Voices West Workshop Productions, education programs Young California Writers Project and Launch Pad amongst others. For more information, visit the Magic Theatre website at www.magictheatre.org. CALENDAR EDITORS: EXPEDITION 6 a world premiere theatre event created and directed by BILL PULLMAN This imaginative docudrama explores the personal and political life-and-death crisis of two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut stranded in space after the Columbia Shuttle disaster. Pullman uses a company of eight actors, movement, live music, and multiple low-flying trapezes in this stylized new work based on writings by astronauts, NASA reports, and other primary source materials. Previews: Saturday, September 8 at 8pm Sunday, September 9 at 2:30pm Wednesday, September 12 – Friday, September 14 at 8pm Opens: Saturday, September 15 at 8pm Runs: through October 7 (Wednesday – Saturday at 8pm ; Sundays at 2:30pm and 7pm ) (No 2:30pm performance on Sunday, October 7) Location: Magic Theatre (Bldg D, Fort Mason Center , San Francisco , CA at Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St .) Pricing: $20-$45 (senior, student, educator, and group discounts available) Wednesday performances: Sliding scale tickets ($5-$25) available a half hour prior to performance. (as available) Tickets: (415) 441-8822 or www.magictheatre.org. Tickets go on sale August 1. Six-play subscriptions and six-ticket passes for the 2007-08 Season are available now. PHOTO EDITORS: Images for the show are available in the press photo section of the PRESS ROOM of Magic Theatre’s website at www.magictheatre.org.