is set around a largely forgotten moment in British history - the German occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II. A naked young man washes up on a Guernsey beach. Unnervingly handsome and fluent in both German and English, he has no recollection of who he is - patriot or nazi…innocent or madman.
explores the heart of memory, identity and imagination, as well as the lies people tell themselves and each other to make the darkness light again.
“Forthright and sharp-minded herself, Buffini has packed her plays with powerful women. So distinctively dark yet dazzlingly funny is Buffini's voice that her work found its way to the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.”
Maddy Costa, The Guardian
“As both a playwright and screenwriter Moira has demonstrated the originality and power of her voice, which engages both with the personal and with the political. As a respected female playwright younger writers and other female artists regard her as a role model within the industry. Known for her tenacity and commitment to principle of allowing female artists a strong voice in cultural landscape, fighting notions of pigeon-holing and demanding to be taken seriously at a human being first and as a woman second.”
Cultural Leadership Programme, 50 Women to Watch in the Arts
“Buffini is a startlingly original voice and an outstanding talent.”
What's On
“Buffini is a cherishably individual talent of whom I hope we'll be hearing much more.”
Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph
Playwright MOIRA BUFFINI is making her Atlantic and American stage debut. The 1997 world premiere production of her play Gabriel was awarded the UK’s prestigious London Weekend Television Plays on Stage Award and the Meyer Whitworth Award. Her play Dinner, commissioned by the National Theatre, was nominated for an Olivier Award® for Best New Comedy and was recently staged at The Bay Street Theatre.
Director DAVID ESBJORNSON returns to the Atlantic after staging Trumpery in the 2007-08 season. He staged the Tony Award® winning production of Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who is Silvia? and the New York premiere of Israel Horovitz's My Old Lady, Albee's The Play About the Baby and the Tony Award® nominated The Ride Down Mt. Morgan by Arthur Miller at the Public Theater and on Broadway.
Media
Photos by Doug Hamilton and Ari Mintz
Bios
MOIRA BUFFINI (Playwright). Theatre includes Dinner (2002), which was commissioned by the National Theatre, nominated for an Olivier Award® for Best New Comedy and has recently enjoyed a revival at the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbour, New York. Other theater credits include Loveplay (2001) for the Royal Shakespeare Company; Silence (1999), Birmingham Rep and Plymouth Theatre Royal, winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize; and Blavatsky’s Tower (Fringe). Jordan was co-written with Anna Reynolds and won Writers’ Guild Award for Best Fringe Play. Most recently Moira wrote Dying For It, a free adaptation of The Suicide by Nickolai Erdman, which premiered at the Almeida Theatre in Spring 2007. She also wrote A Vampire Story for the National Theatre's Connections 2007-2008 festival and a new play for the RSC. Moira has also written a screen adaptation of A Vampire Story for Number 9 Films and her screenplay Dibbuk Box is being developed for Ghost House and Mandate Pictures. She recently wrote an adaptation of Jane Eyre for BBC and Ruby Films for theatrical release. Her screen adaptation of Tamara Drewe for Ruby Films will begin shooting in September.
DAVID ESBJORNSON (Director) served as the Artistic Director of Seattle Repertory Theatre from 2005-2009 and Classic Stage Company from 1992-1999. He has directed premieres of plays by Edward Albee, John Belusso, Moira Buffini, Migdalia Cruz, Ariel Dorfman, Jeffrey Hatcher, Israel Horowitz, Kevin Kling, Larry Kramer, Tony Kushner, Romulus Linney, Patrick Marber, Ann-Marie McDonald, Ellen McLaughlin, Arthur Miller, Suzan-Lori Parks, Peter Parnel, Reynolds Price, Jose Rivera, Neil Simon, Aaron Sorkin, Kathleen Tolan, and Peter Ullian. Favorite revivals include: Hamlet (Theatre For A New Audience), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Summer and Smoke (Guthrie), Much Ado About Nothing (NYSF-Delacorte), The Normal Heart (Public), Twelfth Night and The Lady From Dubuque (Seattle Repertory), Mud and Drowning (Signature), A Few Good Men (Theatre Royal Haymarket-London), Endgame, The Maids, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, The Entertainer (Classic Stage Company) and Farmyard (New York Theatre Workshop.) Awards include: OBIE for Outstanding Direction—Hamlet and Therese Raquin, Lucille Lortel Award for Entertaining Mr. Sloane and CSC Body of Work, Drama Desk nominations for Endgame and Iphigenia and Other Daughters, Drama League Nominations for The Entertainer and The Play About the Baby, Friends of NY Theatre Best Director for The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, Quinn Martin Chair-U of California, San Diego.
PATRICIA CONOLLY ( Margaret Lake). Broadway appearances include Is He Dead?, Enchanted April, Judgment at Nuremberg, Waiting in the Wings, The Sound of Music, The Heiress, The Real Inspector Hound, A Small Family Business, The Circle, Blithe Spirit, and 4 years with the APA Phoenix Repertory Company at The Lyceum Theater; Lincoln Center Theater: The Coast of Utopia, A Streetcar Named Desire; Circle in the Square: The Importance of Being Earnest, Tartuffe; Roundabout: Hedda Gabler, Misalliance; Manhattan Theatre Club: Woman in Mind, House and Garden. West End: St. Joan of the Stockyards, Virginia; RSC: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Physicists, King Lear, The Beggar's Opera. Regionally, productions at the Old Globe, Hartford Stage, Mark Taper Forum, Shakespeare Festival Theatre (Stratford, Ontario), Guthrie Theater, Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theater Company, among others.
LISA EMERY (Jeanne Becquet). Broadway: The Women, Present Laughter, The Smell of the Kill, Jackie, Rumors, Burn This. Off Broadway: Distracted (Lortel Award nomination) at Roundabout, Mouth to Mouth, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Abigail's Party (Drama Desk and Lortel Award nominations), What The Butler Saw, and Curtains (ensemble Obie Award) all at The New Group. Lucy at EST, The Maddening Truth at The Keen Company, Iron at MTC (Obie Award, Lortel Nomination), Dinner With Friends, Far East at LCT, The Monogamist and Marvin's Room (Drama Desk nomination) at Playwrights Horizons, Talley and Sons and Dalton's Back at Circle Rep. Film: The Night Listener, People I Know, Roger Dodger, A Map of the World, Cold Souls. Television: “Law & Order” (including CI and SVU), “Third Watch,” “Sex and the City,”“Ed,” “The Fringe,” “Damages,” “Canterbury's Law,” and “Far East” and “The Women” on PBS's Stage to Screen.
ZACH GRENIER (Von Pfunz) is a proud member of the “That Guy” club, having graced over 30 films with indelible performances in roles major and minor. His film credits include David Fincher’s Zodiac and Fight Club, in which he played the pivotal role of Boss to Ed Norton’s Jack; Ang Lee’s Ride with the Devil, and Werner Herzog’s Rescue Dawn. While he’s developed a cult following from such independents as Liebestraum, A Shock to the System, and Chasing Sleep, he has also appeared in his fair share of major theatrical releases, including Tommy Boy, Twister, and Swordfish. On television, he has moved from one critically acclaimed series to the next. He played the Iago-like Carl Webb on the first day of 24 and was featured as Andy Cramed, the man who brought the plague to town, on David Milch’s late, lamented Deadwood. On Showtime’s production of Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor, directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Nathan Lane, he played a maniacally chain-smoking comedy writer. He also had the opportunity to star in two highly praised series, C16:FBI and Touching Evil, rising from FBI agent in the former to special unit squad captain in the latter. Zach’s roots are in theatre, and he has performed on stages from Maine to Alaska. He was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for his performance as Yvan in the Chicago production of Yasmina Reza’s Art at the Royal George Theatre. He was honored to play the title roles in Uncle Vanya and Tartuffe at Yale Rep, the latter a co-production with Princeton’s McCarter Theatre. In New York, he has appeared in productions ranging from the experimental plays of Richard Foreman and Mac Wellman to more naturalistic fare at the Circle Repertory Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Ensemble Studio Theatre, of which he is a member. At Circle Rep, he had the privilege of working with the great Julie Harris in The Fiery Furnace. He originated the role of Dr. Chapman in David Rabe’s A Question of Mercy at New York Theatre Workshop, a performance that earned him an Outstanding Artist honor from the Drama League. His performance as Dick Cheney in David Hare’s Stuff Happens at the New York Shakespeare Festival was recognized with Ensemble Awards by both the Drama League and the Drama Desk. Last year, on Broadway, he played Thomas Cromwell opposite Frank Langella’s Thomas More in the Roundabout Theatre Company production of A Man for All Seasons, and was nominated for a Tony award for his portrayal of Ludwig van Beethoven in Moisés Kaufman’s 33 Variations.
LEE AARON ROSEN (Gabriel). New York theatre: A Contemporary American’s Guide to a Successful Marriage (FringeNYC); Wet (Summer Play Festival), Frankenstein (La MaMa ETC). Regional credits include: All My Sons (Huntington Theatre, also directed by David Esbjornson); The Matchmaker (CenterStage); Mary’s Wedding (Westport Country Playhouse); The Member of the Wedding (Ford’s Theatre); The Game (Barrington Stage); Once in a Lifetime, Loot and G-d of Vengeance (Williamstown Theatre Festival). TV: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Guiding Light. Film: Company K, Saving Private Ryan. You can hear his voice in several Rockstar Games titles, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and The Warriors. He is also a volunteer at New York’s 52nd Street Project. He received his MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program.
SAMANTHA SOULE (Lilian Becquet). Broadway: The Philanthropist (Roundabout), Dinner At Eight (Lincoln Center Theater) Coram Boy (Imperial Theater) Off-Broadway: Killers and Other Family (Rattlestick), Monstrosity (13P), The Dining Room (Keen Company, Drama Desk Award), The Voysey Inheritance (Atlantic Theater Company), Valhalla (New York Theater Workshop), The Telling Trilogy, Three Sisters (Rising Phoenix Rep), Splitting Infinity, Mayhem (Summer Play Festival), White Chocolate (Culture Project), Silver Nitrate (Juggernaught Theater Company), Brothers And Sisters (Manhattan Theater Source), Daisy Mayme (The Pearl Theater) Regional Theater: Candida (Berkshire Theater Festival), The Evildoers (Yale Repertory Theater), Twelfth Night, An Enemy Of The People, The Tempest (Shakespeare Theater), A Body of Water (Old Globe- San Diego Theater Critics Circle Award), Lady Windermere’s Fan (Williamstown Theater Festival), David Copperfield (Westport County Playhouse), Da (Cape Playhouse), TV/Film: Revolutionary Road, The Callback, “Guiding Light”, “Contest Searchlight” , "Grand Theft Auto 4" Training/Affiliations: BFA from The Juilliard School, Artistic Associate of Rising Phoenix Repertory.
LIBBY WOODBRIDGE (Estelle Becquet). Off Broadway debut. Regional: “Young Esme/Alice” in Rock'n'Roll (Wilma Theater), “Bridget” in Moonlight (Studio Theatre of DC). She understudied the role of “Emily” in Third at Huntington Theatre Company. BFA: Boston University.
RICCARDO HERNANDEZ (Scenic Designer). Broadway: Tony Kushner’s Caroline, or Change (07 Olivier, 06 Evening Standard Awards Best Musical, London); Topdog/Underdog (02 Pulitzer); Elaine Stritch at Liberty; Noise/Funk; The Tempest; all directed by George C. Wolfe; Parade (Tony, Drama Desk Noms) Hal Prince director; Bells Are Ringing. Recent: Will Power’s Fetch Clay, Make Man (McCarter) Des McAnuff director;Philip Glass’ Appomattox (San Francisco Opera); Let Me Down Easy written & performed by Anna Deavere Smith (Second Stage); Lost Highway (London’s English National Opera/Young Vic) Best of Both Worlds (A.R.T) both directed by Diane Paulus; Ethan Cohen’s Offices and Almost an Evening Atlantic Theater, Neil Pepe director; The Seagul (A.R.T.) and Alice Vs Wonderland (Moscow MXAT) Janos Szasz director; Julius Caesar (A.R.T and Festival Automne Paris) Arthur Nauzyciel director; Oresteia CSC. Over twenty productions for Public Theater/Shakespeare Festival (Mother Courage, Stuff Happens, One Flea Spare, The America Play); Lincoln Center, BAM, NYTW, MTC. Over 200 hundred productions across the US: American Repertory Theater, Guthrie, Goodman, Taper, others. Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Houston Grand, L.A., FGO, Santa Fe, etc. International: London’s National Theater, Old Vic, Royal Court, Centre Dramatique Orleans France, Det Norske Teatret Oslo, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Upcoming: Il Postino (Los Angeles Opera, Chatelet Paris and Vienna, Ron Daniels director. Yale Schol of Drama.
MARTIN PAKLEDINAZ (Costume Designer). Atlantic Theater: What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling. Recent NY theater includes Lend Me A Tenor, Blithe Spirit, Gypsy, Is He Dead?, Grease, The Pirate Queen, The Trip to Bountiful, Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony), Wonderful Town, Kiss Me, Kate (Tony). Opera: Rodelinda (Met Opera) Tristan and Isolde & Adriana Mater (Paris Opera/Bastille), L'amour de Loin (Salzburg, Paris/Chatelet, among others). Dance: Mark Morris Dance Group, SF Ballet, Boston Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet. Awards include two Tonys, Drama Desk, Obie, Lortel, among others.
SCOTT ZIELINSKI (Lighting Designer). New York: Topdog/Underdog (Broadway), Classic Stage Company, Joesph Papp Public Theater, Lincoln Center Festival, Manhattan Theater Club, New York Theater Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theater, Theater for a New Audience, among others. International: Productions in Adelaide, Amsterdam, Berlin, Edinburgh, Fukuoka, Goteborg, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Linz, London, Luang Prabang, Lyon, Orleans, Oslo, Ottawa, Paris, Reykjavik, Rotterdam, Singapore, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Tokyo, Toronto, Vienna, Vilnius, and Zurich. Dance: American Dance Festival, Joyce Theater, Kennedy Center (all with Twyla Tharp), American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Centre National de la Danse, Houston Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, San Francisco Ballet. Opera: Arizona Opera, Brooklyn Academy of Music, English National Opera, Gotham Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Lithuanian National Opera, Minnesota Opera, Nederlandse Opera, New York City Opera, Opera Colorado, Pittsburgh Opera, San Francisco Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Toronto Opera. Upcoming: The White Snake for New Visions Festival (Hong Kong), Sydney Festival, Singapore Esplanade Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, and Edinburgh Festival, The Magic Flute for Canadian Opera Company (Toronto), and Achterbahn, a new Judith Weir opera for Bregenz Festival (Austria) and the Royal Opera House (London).
OBADIAH EAVES (Original Music and Sound Design). Obadiah's music and sound appeared on Broadway in Collected Stories, Accent On Youth, Come Back, Little Sheba, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, and Shining City. Previously at the Atlantic, he designed School and Keep Your Pantheon, Offices, Parlour Song, Trumpery, Birth and After Birth, Celebration and The Room, Romance, A Second Hand Memory, The Bald Soprano and The Lesson. Other recent work includes The Subject Was Roses (CTG), The Understudy (Roundabout), and The Night Watcher (Primary Stages). His work has been awarded Lortel, Viv, and BACC awards. TV: HBO, Nickelodeon, Discovery, TLC and Fisher-Price toys. His band, Big Hair, has released two CDs.
J . DAVID BRIMMER (Fight Consultant). Fight Master, SAFD. David haschoreographed some stuff (New York premieresof Blasted, Spring Awakening, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Blackbird, Bug and Killer Joe as well as the recent productionsof Speed the Plow, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Make Me and Stunning forLincoln Center), had the pleasure of playingat some wonderful venues (The PublicTheater, Metropolitan Opera, AtlanticTheater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Theatrefor a New Audience, The Guthrie, DallasTheater Center, Hartford Center Stage,Baltimore Center Stage, North Shore MusicTheatre), taught a few places (NYU/TischSchool of the Arts, RADA-Guest Instructor,Strasberg Institute, Yale), and had the privilegeof working with some great folks(Stella Adler, Joe Chaikin, Ken Russell,Franco Zeffirelli). “Walk cheerfully over theworld, answering that of God in everyone.”—G. Fox
TELSEY + COMPANY (Casting). Broadway/Tours: SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, Enron, Million Dollar Quartet, The Addams Family, All About Me, Race, Memphis, Next to Normal, Rock of Ages, South Pacific, In the Heights, Wicked, Legally Blonde, Peepshow in Vegas; Off-Broadway:MCC, Signature; Film: Sex and the City 1 & 2, Jonah Hex, Main Street, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, I Love You Phillip Morris, Rachel Getting Married, Dan in Real Life, Then She Found Me, Across the Universe, Ira & Abby, Rent, Pieces of April, Camp, The Grey Zone, Finding Forrester, The Bone Collector; TV: Ugly Betty (pilot), Whoopi, HBO’s Undefeated, commercials.
ALISON DeSANTIS (Production Stage Manager). Atlantic Theater Company: Sam Shepard's Ages of the Moon;Ethan Coen's Offices and Almost an Evening (also Bleecker Street); What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling (also New World Stages); Scarcity. Other NYC: Ruined, Our Leading Lady, Regrets Only (Manhattan Theatre Club); Arabian Night (Play Company); Sake with the Haiku Geisha (Gotham Stage Company). Regional: Three years at Geva Theatre Center. www.alisondesantis.com
LAUREN KURINSKAS (Assistant Stage Manager). Atlantic: Sam Shepard's Ages of the Moon; What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling (also New World Stages). McCarter Theatre Center: Take Flight Reading (Shire, Maltby & Weidman); She Stoops to Conquer; Twelfth Night; Argonautika; The Mad 7; Edward Albee's Me, Myself & I, Mrs. Packard (also Kennedy Center); August Wilson's Radio Golf (Prior to Broadway); Lookingglass Alice (also New Victory); A Christmas Carol; and The Birthday Party. Other credits include: The Chimes (Summer Play Festival, The Public) Alice in Wonderland (Symphony Space); Bad Jazz (The Play Company); Oscar and the Pink Lady, starring Rosemary Harris (The Old Globe); and The Elliott Smith Project (True Love Productions).
