FINN IN THE UNDERWORLD written by Jordan Harrison directed by Les Waters October 6–November 6, 2005 Thrust Stage WORLD PREMIERE running time: 85 minutes, no intermission “Riveting, at times astonishing! Strikingly depicted characters…played with raw, riveting intensity…Brilliantly staged…[Director Les] Waters, who bowled over audiences with the inventive riches of his staging of Sarah Ruhl’s haunting Eurydice a year ago, surpasses even that effort in making every design element an active part of the ghostly tale…The entire audience is holding its collective breath!”—San Francisco Chronicle “Deliciously creepy! A time-bending little thriller…The thin line between fantasy and reality, fact and imagination, and even life and death, dissolves almost completely as the story unfolds along a winding path of slyly planned confusion…Diabolically designed to let your mind play tricks on itself.”—Contra Costa Times “For some, the scariest parts of Finn will be the sex scenes between Guterman and Birney. There’s no nudity, but there’s some boundary pushing. For those less easily shocked, the pleasures of Finn come from its truly creepy tone, much of which comes from [Jordan] Harrison’s mash-up of sex, death, ghosts and mortal insecurity.”—Oakland Tribune “Shines a flashlight in the dark and reveals all kinds of monsters…Lorri Holt is riveting…Clifton Guterman shines as the cocky Finn…Reed Birney has a genius for the mysterious, showing us only enough of Carver’s true self to fill the stage with ominous portents.”—San Jose Mercury News “Its outstanding cast of four provides an evening of theatrical chills and thrills. The suspense immediately builds in this 90-minute one-act mystery aided by stinging sound and lighting effects, flashbacks, and a cleverly devised set that changes the configuration of the rooms.”—KGO 810am Radio OBIE Award-winning director Les Waters, who staged last season’s soulful Eurydice and magnificent Yellowman, brings us the world premiere of a scintillating new play from one of America’s most gifted young writers. The mystery begins when Gwen and Rhoda must clean out their dead father’s house. Little remains, other than the grandfather clock, until they literally bring the house’s ghosts to life. That’s when Gwen’s son, Finn, encounters Carver, a neighbor who holds the key to the family’s secrets. Playwright Jordan Harrison’s sparse, poignant writing is in perfect harmony with this haunting tale of heredity. As they pack up the house and unpack its secrets, his characters discover that the memories we never talk about grow larger…and the rooms we create to keep our families safe are the very places we must avoid. Finn in the Underworld is intended for mature audiences only. This play contains graphic sexual behavior and language.