(Dublin, OH) — As the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s tragic sinking approaches, the Abbey Theater of Dublin invites audiences to relive the fateful voyage through “The Witch of November,” a powerful new play by Vidas Barzdukas. Performances take place Nov. 7, 8, 14 and 15 at 7 p.m.; Nov. 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and available at AbbeyTheaterofDublin.com.
Based on the mysterious sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, an American Great Lakes freighter that sank on Nov. 10, 1975, in Lake Superior during a severe storm, resulting in the deaths of all 29 crew members. The Witch of November follows Captain Ernest McSorley as he and his crew sail to their ultimate demise. In this World Premiere, Captain McSorley relives key moments of his life, observing the consequences of his career and what became of him and his wife’s life together.
“We are excited to bring this world premiere play to life on the Abbey Theater stage,” says the Abbey Theater of Dublin Supervisor Joe Bishara. “We are proud to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and honor the memory of those involved.”
The cast for “The Witch of November” is as follows:
Tom Holliday (Ernest McSorley)
Rusty Wummel (John “Jack” McCarthy)
Sean Taylor (Eugene “Red” O’Brien)
Todd Covert (Ransom “Ray” Cundy)
Josie Merkle (Nellie McSorley)
Dave Morgan (Jessie “Bernie” Cooper)
For more information about the Abbey Theater of Dublin, visit AbbeyTheaterofDublin.com and follow the Abbey Theater on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Joe Bishara (Director) – has worked on over 300 theatrical productions across the United States as an award-winning actor, director, educator and producer. He is the Theater Supervisor for the City of Dublin (Abbey Theater of Dublin), founder and Managing Director of New Albany Youth Theatre and the Creative Consultant for Evolution Theatre Company. Joe is a member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and an associate member of The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).
Vidas Barzdukas (Playwright) – Vidas Barzdukas is an award-winning writer and director whose films have been screened at numerous U.S. film festivals, featured on PBS stations and broadcast on television networks in Asia. In 2015, he earned accolades from The Columbus Dispatch for his “stirring and amusing” stage adaptation of Rafael Sabatini’s 1922 swashbuckling novel Captain Blood. His film, the black-and-white fantasy The New Mr. Phillips, won best narrative short at the Oregon Film Awards, and he also won the best screenwriting award for his short film Cold at the Cincinnati Winterfilm Film Competition. Barzdukas was nominated for best writer (drama) by the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) for his work on the science fiction series Aidan 5, which was nominated for a total of 19 IAWTV awards. He is a writer on the Emmy-winning Nite Owl Theatre Starring Fritz the Nite Owl, which is a long-running, late-night staple of Central Ohio’s film scene. In addition to theatre and film, Barzdukas works in educational publishing, where he writes a wide variety of textbooks and classroom materials for K-12 students. His educational publishing subjects include reading, language arts and history. Barzdukas’ passion for education also earned him a spot on the Emmy-winning children’s show Taylor’s Attic as its educational writing consultant. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild, Barzdukas lives in Ohio with his wife and two daughters.
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Media Contact:
Jackie Adler
Public Information Officer
614.605.0989 – Cell
614.410.4501 – Desk
jadler@dublin.oh.us
Newsroom: http://dublinohiousa.gov/newsroom/
