IT’S BAGHDAD BY THE BAY AT BERKELEY REP WITH 9 PARTS OF DESIRE The runaway off-Broadway hit about women in war-torn Iraq comes to Berkeley BERKELEY CA, DECEMBER 1, 2005Fact Sheet This January, it’s Baghdad by the Bay when Berkeley Repertory Theatre proudly presents 9 Parts of Desire, the runaway off-Broadway hit that played nine sold-out months in Manhattan. Over the last decade, Berkeley Rep’s intimate Thrust Stage has featured solo performers as diverse as Mike Daisey, Danny Hoch, Sarah Jones, Anthony Rapp, Tanya Shaffer and Anna Deavere Smith. Now Mozhan Marnò will tread the boards in Heather Raffo’s acclaimed one-woman show about women in war-torn Iraq. Directed by Joanna Settle, who also staged the play’s triumphant runs in New York and Los Angeles, 9 Parts of Desire begins previews on January 20, opens on January 25 and closes March 5, 2006. The Theatre welcomes Wells Fargo as an official sponsor of the 2005/06 Season, along with returning Season Sponsor BART. The executive producer for 9 Parts of Desire is the Strauch Kulhanjian Family, and the production sponsor is the Contra Costa Times. A portrait of the extraordinary—and ordinary—lives of a cross-section of Iraqi women, 9 Parts of Desire lifts the veil on women in the war zone. “The voices are a study in contrasts: vivid and subdued, sophisticated and naïve, seductive and standoffish. But they cohere to form a powerful collective portrait of suffering and endurance.” So begins the New York Times’ radiant review of this remarkable show, which was the paper’s pick of the week for 24 straight weeks. 9 Parts of Desire is a work so compassionate that it reveals our shared humanity in a way that CNN never can. “A triumph,” raves the New Yorker, “an example of how art can remake the world.” “The intimacy of Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage makes it the perfect place for this show, and Bay Area theatergoers are the ideal audience,” Settle asserts. “Bay Area audiences bring a depth of curiosity and an awareness of history and politics that ensure the play will be seen in its most intricate and passionate light. “In Mozhan, we have a striking new talent,” she continues. “When I saw her audition, I immediately said, ‘Don’t bother looking for anyone else, because it doesn’t get better than this.’ She’s a beautiful, sensitive, Iranian-American actress with a truly deep connection to the region and the roots of this show. I have no doubt her performance will shed new light on the script.” “To most of us, Iraq is a picture on a television screen,” says Tony Taccone, artistic director of Berkeley Rep. “Our contact with what’s going on is extremely limited; our sources of information and our access to that experience are short-circuited by time, distance and energy. This play brings us closer to the experience of real human beings affected by our country’s actions, and in doing so allows us to achieve some deeper sense of empathy. “We’re proud that Mozhan is bringing this show to Berkeley,” he continues. “The requirements of the role are extraordinary, particularly the emotional range and the facility with dialects necessary to play these nine different women. These are things we had to be very conscious of when we selected her, and I eagerly anticipate her performance.” 9 Parts of Desire was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and then moved to London, where The Independent hailed it as one of the city’s five best plays. Readings of the show were given in New York as part of The Public’s New Work Now festival before the Manhattan Ensemble Theater production opened in late 2004. After playing Berkeley, the play will travel to Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, DC, as well as Brazil, France and Turkey. The script will soon be published by Northwestern University Press and Dramatists Play Service. 9 Parts of Desire depicts nine female characters—all indelibly portrayed by Marnò—including a young girl who listens to both ‘N Sync and M-16s; an aging expatriate haunted by horrific tortures; a Bedouin who discovers her husband’s affair with their best friend; a grief-stricken mother whose family, in a terrible irony, died in a bomb shelter; a doctor who must treat her own husband when he loses his legs; and an American, glued to CNN for days, praying for information about her family. The play’s title refers to a famous Muslim quote from Imam Ali, founder of the Shia sect: “God created sexual desire in ten parts; then he gave nine parts to women and one to men.” According to the Wall Street Journal, 9 Parts of Desire “is persuasive precisely because it is beautiful. See it soon. See it tonight.” An Iranian American, Mozhan Marnò skillfully fills all nine roles when 9 Parts of Desire comes to Berkeley Rep. A native of Los Angeles and a recent graduate of the M.F.A. Acting program at the Yale School of Drama, she has performed at Yale Repertory Theatre and the Guthrie Theatre Lab. A few of her credits at Yale include Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Carol in Orpheus Descending, Phebe in As You Like It and Eleanor in King John. Marnò will appear in an upcoming CBS series entitled The Unit, which is being written and directed by David Mamett. “I’m excited to watch another actress take over the work, because I have always thought of it primarily as a play and not a performance piece defined by my characterizations,” Raffo remarks. “I know these women inside out, and I can’t wait to see Mozhan explore them in new ways.” Heather Raffo‘s father is from Iraq and her mother is American. 9 Parts of Desire was inspired by Raffo’s trip to the Saddam Art Center in Baghdad, where she saw billboard-sized portraits of Saddam Hussein and—in a back room—a painting of a nude woman clinging to a barren tree. In researching the artist of that nude, she collected the stories of Iraqi women that now make up the composite characters in this play. Raffo appeared in previous productions of the show and received a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Show, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League nominations for Outstanding Performance and two playwriting honors: a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Special Commendation and the Marian Seldes-Garson Kanin Fellowship. Raffo’s other recent acting credits include several off-Broadway productions, three national tours, the world premiere of The French Lieutenant’s Woman and Shakespearean plays under noted directors such as Nicholas Martin, Jack O’Brien, John Rando and Stephen Wadsworth at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre. She dedicates 9 Parts of Desire to the many members of her family still living in Baghdad today and to the Iraqi women who have shared their lives with her. Joanna Settle directed 9 Parts of Desire at Manhattan Ensemble Theater and is restaging the production this season for Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, the Geffen Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre. She also recently directed Slither by Carson Kreitzer and worked on Eric Ehn’s play, 16670 (Maximilian Mary Kolbe), for the Prelude ‘05 festival in New York. Settle has served as artistic director of Division 13 Productions since 1997. She has directed and/or adapted 15 of D13’s 17 projects, most notably Ionesco’s Macbett and Blood Line: The Oedipus/Antigone Story. Her freelance career also includes the short film “Night, Night” by Will Eno. Settle completed her graduate study at the Juilliard School and has directed and/or taught at Bard College, Classic Stage Company, Cornell University, HERE Arts Center, Juilliard and Williams College. In 2000–2002, she was honored with the Career Development Grant for Directors from the National Endowment for the Arts and Theatre Communications Group. The award-winning designers from the New York run of 9 Parts of Desire resume their roles for Berkeley Rep’s production. Antje Ellerman (scenic designer) designs for theatre, television and opera. She has received an NEA/TCG Career Development Grant and nominations for an Emmy Award and a 2005 Lucille Lortel Award. In addition to 9 Parts, her New York credits include The Cook, Drizzle, Sakharam Binder, Trust and When it’s Cocktail Time in Cuba. Kasia Walicka Maimone (costume designer) has an extensive list of credits that includes theatre, dance, opera and films such as 11’ 9” 01, Hysterical Blindness, Jesus’ Son, Little Manhattan, The Opportunists and Songcatcher. She has worked with many noted artists, including David Dorfman, Donald Byrd, Richard Foreman, Ang Lee, Twyla Tharp and Robert Woodruff. An artistic associate of D13, Peter West (lighting designer) has designed shows throughout North America, South America, Europe and Japan. In New York, his work has been seen at the American Can Factory, the Culture Project, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, New York Theatre Workshop and Primary Stages. His many regional credits include designs for the California Shakespeare Theatre and Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Obadiah Eaves (sound designer) won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Sound Design for his work on 9 Parts of Desire. He has designed sound and composed music for world premieres by Woody Allen, Jon Robin Baitz, David Mamet, Suzan-Lori Parks, Jose Rivera and Nicky Silver. His music can be heard in many films; on TV on the Discovery Channel, HBO Family Channel, the Learning Channel and Nickelodeon; and on CDs with his band, Big Hair. The stage manager for this production is Nicole Dickerson. There will be six special events during the Berkeley run of 9 Parts of Desire: • Target® Teen Night begins at 6:00 PM on Friday, January 20 and includes dinner, a preview performance and a behind-the-scenes discussion with a member of the artistic team. Tickets are $5 for members of Berkeley Rep’s Teen Council, $20 for all other teens. For more information, call 510.647.2978 or e-mail school@berkeleyrep.org. • Opening night festivities take place on Wednesday, January 25. • night/OUT, an event for the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community, takes place on Thursday, January 26 and features a post-play party with hors d’oeuvres, drinks and music mixed by cutting-edge Bay Area DJs. • Three post-play discussions moderated by theatre professionals follow the performances on Thursday, February 9; Tuesday, February 21; and Friday, February 24. Tickets for 9 Parts of Desire are priced from $30 to $59 and are on sale now. Discounted seats are available for groups of 15 or more, as well as half-price rush tickets for students and seniors. For every weekday performance, 20 half-price HotTix go on sale that day at noon at the Berkeley Rep box office (cash only). Berkeley Rep also offers half-price tickets for anyone under 30; this discount is subject to some restrictions, and valid identification is required. Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage and its box office are located at 2025 Addison Street, one block from Berkeley’s downtown BART station and close to AC Transit bus lines. The theatre is accessible to the handicapped, offering wheelchair seating and special services for those with hearing- or vision-impairment. For tickets or information, call 510.647.2949 or toll-free at 1.888.4BRTTix—or simply click berkeleyrep.org. ABOUT BERKELEY REP Founded in 1968, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre has established a national reputation for its ambitious programming and dynamic productions. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Tony Taccone and Managing Director Susan Medak, Berkeley Rep seeks to engage its audience in an ongoing dialogue of ideas. Through its bold choice of material and vivid style of production, Berkeley Rep reflects a commitment to diversity, excitement and quality. The company is especially well known for its presentations of important new dramatic voices and its fresh adaptations of seldom-seen classics. In 2001, Berkeley Rep opened The Roda Theatre, a 600-seat proscenium theatre that complements the 400-seat Thrust Stage, and the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, housed in the Nevo Education Center. The addition of these two buildings has transformed what was once a single stage into a vital and versatile performing arts complex. 9 PARTS OF DESIRE WHO written by Heather Raffo directed by Joanna Settle designers: Antje Ellerman (sets), Kasia Walicka Maimone (costumes), Peter West (lights) and Obadiah Eaves (sound) starring: Mozhan Marnò WHAT 9 Parts of Desire, a solo show about Iraq that lifts the veil on women in the war zone WHERE Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Thrust Stage / 2025 Addison Street at Shattuck / Downtown Berkeley WHEN Previews January 20–24, 2006 / performances January 25–March 5, 2006 • Tuesdays and Fridays, 8 PM • Wednesdays, 7 PM (except opening) • Thursdays, 2 PM and 8 PM • Saturdays, 2 PM and 8 PM • Sundays, 2 PM and 7 PM • No matinees during previews or on January 26, February 4, 9, 18 or 23 SPECIAL EVENTS • Target® Teen Night: Friday, January 20, 6 PM • Opening night: Wednesday, January 25, 8 PM • night/OUT (LGBT event): Thursday, January 26, 8 PM • Post-play discussions: Thursday, February 9; Tuesday, February 21; Friday, February 24 TICKET PRICES Preview Performances (Fri/Sat/Tue 8PM, Sun 7PM) $30.00 Tuesday and Thursday evenings 8PM $45.00 Wednesday evening 7PM $45.00 Thursday and Saturday matinees 2PM $45.00 Sunday matinee 2PM $48.00 Sunday evening 7PM $48.00 Friday evening 8PM $53.00 Opening Night (Wed 8PM) $59.00 Saturday evening 8PM $59.00 DISCOUNTS Half-price tickets available to those under 30 (some restrictions apply) 20 half-price HotTix go on sale at NOON Tuesday–Friday Student/Senior half-price RUSH tickets sold one-half hour before curtain Groups of 15+ contact 510.647.2918 or groups@berkeleyrep.org TICKET INFO 510.647.2949—toll-free 1.888.4BRTTix—www.berkeleyrep.org For photos, interviews, etc. contact: Terence Keane, Director of Public Relations 510.647.2917, tkeane@berkeleyrep.org BACK TO TOP