PAGE TO STAGE: FREE TALKBACK WITH RITA MORENO AT BERKELEY REP WHO: Local theatre lovers in conversation with Rita Moreno WHAT: Page to Stage, a series of conversations with eminent theatre artists WHERE: Berkeley Repertory Theatre / Thrust Stage / 2025 Addison Street at Shattuck / Downtown Berkeley WHEN: Monday, May 22 / 7 PM HOW MUCH: Free! INFO: 510.647.2949 or www.berkeleyrep.org BERKELEY CA, APRIL 13, 2006 Berkeley Repertory Theatre proudly invites theatre lovers to a free event with a legendary performer: on Monday, May 22, Rita Moreno will be the guest of honor at Page to Stage on Berkeley Rep’s intimate Thrust Stage. Ms. Moreno will discuss her long and illustrious career—from her Broadway debut at age 13 in Skydrift with Eli Wallach through her unforgettable performance in the film for West Side Story all the way to her current starring role in Berkeley Rep’s production of The Glass Menagerie. Following a conversation with a prominent moderator, Ms. Moreno will take questions from the audience. Every year, hundreds of people enjoy Page to Stage, a series of free discussions with eminent theatre artists hosted by Berkeley Rep and sponsored by Cody’s Books and Peet’s Coffee and Tea. Three times each season, Page to Stage offers audiences insight into the plays and playwrights produced at Berkeley Rep. Past programs have featured theatre luminaries such as Donald Margulies, Tony Kushner, Terrence McNally and Salman Rushdie. Each talk starts at 7:00 PM; doors open at 6:45 PM for general-admission seating. No tickets are necessary for these free events, but seating is limited. At every event, Cody’s sells relevant books in the lobby, donating 20% of its commission on those sales to Berkeley Rep; Peet’s offers a free coffee tasting for the audience before and after each lecture. Donors who have given $500 or more to Berkeley Rep enjoy an exclusive post-talk reception with each guest. For more information, call 510.647.2949 or click berkeleyrep.org. Rita Moreno is one of a select group of performers to have won all four of the most prestigious show business awards: the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony and the Grammy. Having appeared in more than 40 feature films—most notably Carnal Knowledge, The Four Seasons and The King and I—she was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1995. In 2004, during her celebrated run as Maria Callas in Berkeley Rep’s Master Class, Ms. Moreno was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a civilian in commemoration of a lifetime of meritorious service. Following her acclaimed performance in Master Class, Ms. Moreno returns to Berkeley Rep in another incredible role: Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. Tennessee Williams’ autobiographical masterpiece about Amanda and her fractured family is brought to the stage by the Theatre’s associate artistic director, Les Waters, who gave audiences a lush and lyrical look at Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer in 2003. In this tale of endurance and forgiveness, a young man is torn between obligation to his family and the need to lead a life of his own. Williams called this his “memory play,” and its expressionistic beauty illuminates the subjective nature of memory… For Amanda, it serves as a refuge; for her son, it’s a prison he will never escape. Don’t miss Rita Moreno in The Glass Menagerie, playing on Berkeley Rep’s intimate Thrust Stage through May 31. For tickets, call 510.647.2949 or 1.888.4BRTTix (toll-free)–or simply click berkeleyrep.org. For photos, interviews, etc. contact: Terence Keane, Director of Public Relations 510.647.2917, tkeane@berkeleyrep.org BACK TO TOP