My Name Is Asher Lev – September 11 to October 2, Segal Theatre LiveEvents September 4, 2016 2968 A co-production with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre My Name Is Asher Lev Chaim Potok’s beloved book is now an award-winning play featuring an all-star cast! By Aaron Posner Directed by Steven Schipper My Name Is Asher Lev tells the story of a young Hasidic man with a passion for painting that threatens to tear his family and community apart. The 2012 Outer Critics Circle Award winner for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play, Asher Lev makes its Montreal premiere on the Segal stage for three weeks only, September 11 through October 2, before heading to the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg. A Touching Story about Passion and Family Tradition, and Having to Sacrifice One for the Other For as long as he can remember, Asher Lev wanted to draw; needed to draw. Every surface was a canvas for his mystifying artistic talent. Unfortunately for Asher, his passion for making art conflicts with the beliefs of his traditionally religious family. When his gift threatens to divide his entire community, Asher must look deep within himself to decide if he is willing to give up his faith to fulfill his destiny. “Just as the book became an instant classic and a riveting page-turner,” said Lisa Rubin, Segal Centre Artistic and Executive Director, “the play will captivate audiences with its timeless themes and unforgettable performances.” Steven Schipper, Artistic Director of the renowned Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg, will be directing this production at the Segal Centre before it transfers to the Royal MTC. “I’m delighted to be back at the Segal Centre, and working on My Name Is Asher Lev, an artistic coming-of-age tale that will resonate with people of all cultures,” said Schipper. “It’s a perfect project for our two theatres to bring to Winnipeg and Montreal, where audiences embrace work that touches, challenges, and entertains, while asking important questions about how we may best live our lives.” Schipper was appointed to the Order of Canada and received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his contributions to Canadian theatre. The former Montrealer’s past contributions at the Segal Centre include The Mousetrap, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Over the River and Through the Woods, and Cabaret, which earned the Masque Award for Best Production. Featuring a star studded, all Canadian cast Making his Segal Centre debut, David Reale (seen in Hamlet, Suits, and Mean Girls) stars as Asher Lev, the young man searching for his true path. He will have the unique challenge of portraying Asher through his entire life as he grows from a small boy to a man. He will be joined by the incomparable and multi-talented Montreal icon Ellen David (her numerous credits include Brooklyn, Barney’s Version, and Mambo Italiano) and the gifted Alex Poch-Goldin (seen in Soulpepper’s production of The Dybbuk, Canadian Stage’s Angels in America, and RMTC’s Quills). Both originally from Montreal, the pair will each take on multiple roles as the men and women in Asher’s life. PREVIEWS Sunday, September 11 – 1:30 & 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 12 – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 13 – 8:00: p.m. Wednesday, September 14 – 8:00 p.m. OPENING NIGHT (By invitation only) Thursday, September 15 – 8:00 p.m. REGULAR RUN Mondays – 7:00 p.m. Tuesdays – Saturdays – 8:00 p.m. (closed Fridays) Sundays – 7:00 p.m. MATINÉES Wednesdays, September 21 & 28 – 1:00 p.m. Sundays, September 18 & 25 – 2:00 p.m. ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE: October 1, 2016 GO BEYOND THE STAGE! Discover the many fun and enriching SEGAL+ offerings around the production SUNDAY @ THE SEGAL An enriching pre-show lecture series Sunday, September 11 – 11:00 a.m. MONDAY NIGHT TALKBACKS A chance to interact with the creator and actors of the play after the curtain goes down Mondays, September 19 & 26 For tickets and information: www.segalcentre.org 514-739-7944 Segal Centre 5170 chemin de la Côte-Ste-Catherine, Montreal, H3W 1M7