North Coast Repertory theatre shines the spotlight First Lady Eleanor in captivating West Coast premier
By Mark St. Germain and Drirected by David Ellenstein
Solana Beach, CA – While sitting on a park bench in Washington, D. C., contemplating the death of her husband, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt candidly reveals the many facets of her storied life in a riveting West Coast premiere at North Coast Repertory Theatre. Award-winning actor Kandis Chappell deftly illuminates the witty, feisty, vulnerable woman who was considered the heart of FDR’s presidency. Exploring both the public and private persona of this remarkable woman, Mark St. Germain (Dancing Lessons, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Freud’s Last Session) captures the essence of the woman who left an indelible mark on American history. For those who love honest, pull-no-punches drama, this is one you cannot miss. A West Coast premiere.
David Ellenstein directs Kandis Chappell* in ELEANOR. Christopher M. Williams is the Assistant Director. The design team includes Marty Burnett (Resident Scenic Designer), Matthew Novotny (Lighting), Elisa Benzoni (Costume Design), Aaron Rumley (Sound & Projection Design), and Peter Herman (Hair & Wigs). Cindy Rumley* is the Stage Manager.
WHAT: NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE presents ELEANOR –Written by Mark St. Germain & Directed by David Ellenstein
CAST: Kandis Chappell*
SCHEDULE: Previews start June 7, 2023
- Opens: June 10, 2023 – Closes: July 2, 2023
- Wed. @ 7pm, Thurs-Sat @ 8PM; Sat & Sun @ 2PM, Sun @ 7pm
- Fri (June 9) @ 2pm – Wed. (June 28) @ 2pm
PRICES:
- Previews $54.00
- Week Nights & Sat. Matinees $60.00
- Sat. Nights & Sunday Matinees $65.00
- Sunday Nights $57.00
DISCOUNTS: Seniors, Students, Military & Educators $3.00 off admission. Rush tickets available for $25. Sold 15 minutes prior to showtime.
North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, CA 92075
MARK ST. GERMAIN (Playwright) has written the plays Freud’s Last Session (Off Broadway Alliance Award), Camping with Henry and Tom (Outer Critics Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award), Forgiving Typhoid Mary, (Time Magazine’s “Year’s Ten Best”), and Becoming Dr. Ruth, the story of Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Other plays include Eleanor, Best of Enemies, Relativity, and Out of Gas on Lover’s Leap. His latest play, premiering in the summer of 2023 at the Barrington Stage Company, is The Happiest Man On Earth, The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor. Mark co-wrote the screenplay for Carroll Ballard’s Warner Brothers film, “Duma.” He directed and co-produced the documentary, “My Dog, An Unconditional Love Story,” featuring Richard Gere, Glenn Close, and Billy Collins among others. His film adaptation of “Freud’s Last Session” will be released by Sony Entertainment in early 2024. He has written the award-winning children’s book, “Three Cups,” “Walking Evil,” a humorous memoir, and “The Mirror Man,” a thriller. Mark is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Writer’s Guild East, and an Associate Artist at the Barrington Stage Company. The Barrington Stage Company named their second stage, “The St. Germain Stage.”
DAVID ELLENSTEIN (Director) Born into a theatrical family, David is an actor, director, producer, and playwright. Before joining North Coast Rep in 2003 as Artistic Director, he served in that position for the Los Angeles Repertory Company and the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company (AJTC). He is a veteran of over 300 theatrical productions at theatres from San Diego to Maine, and from Alaska to Miami and most places in between. David has won numerous theatre awards, including the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award for “2018 Director of the Year.” David has also appeared in dozens of film and television roles, as well as having been guest faculty for numerous universities including California State University Northridge, Cal Arts, and Shakespeare workshops privately. He is the interim Artistic Director of Laguna Playhouse.
KANDIS CHAPPELL* (Eleanor Roosevelt) is delighted to return to North Coast Rep, where she was previously seen in Collected Stories, King O’ The Moon, The Lion in Winter, and The Illusion. Kandis is an Associate Artist of the Old Globe where she has appeared in more than 30 productions including The Merchant of Venice, Private Lives, The Winter’s Tale, and Pygmalion. She has worked extensively at South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa in such productions as The Crucible, Woman in Mind, Shadowlands, and A Streetcar Named Desire, and has also appeared on Broadway, at Lincoln Center, and at theaters across the US.
About the North Coast Repertory Theatre under the artistic leadership of David Ellenstein since 2003, is a professional Equity theatre, currently celebrating its 41st Season. North Coast Rep has received critical acclaim from media and audiences alike, and has evolved into one of the area’s leading performing arts organizations. North Coast Rep prides itself on employing the majority of its actors from Actors’ Equity Association for its high quality, award‐winning productions, and staging works by established and emerging playwrights. Throughout its history, North Coast Rep has created a platform where artist and audience thrive through the intimacy of live theatre, recognizing the power of theatre to challenge complacency, revitalize the imagination, nurture the unexpected and embrace the variety and diversity in our lives.
