In this powerful and provocative play about the true cost of living, two estranged brothers must try to make peace with their past when they meet to dispose of their late father's belongings. First produced on Broadway in 1968, The New York Times called The Price “one of the most engrossing and entertaining plays that Miller has ever written.” ICT’s production reunites Davis with ICT regulars Tony Abatemarco (Red, Trying) and David Nevell (God of Carnage); Davis directed the pair in ICT’s acclaimed production of Lee Blessing’s A Walk in the Woods. Also in the cast are Bo Foxworth (previously seen at ICT in The 39 Steps) and, new to ICT, Elyse Mirto.
When the Great Depression cost his family their fortune, Victor Franz (Nevell) gave up his dream of an education to support his father. Three decades later, Victor has returned to his childhood home to sell the remainder of his parents’ estate. His wife (Mirto), his estranged brother (Foxworth) and the wily furniture dealer hired to appraise their possessions (Abatemarco) all arrive with their own agendas, forcing Victor to confront a question, long-stifled, about the value of his sacrifice.
ICT previously presented an Equity-waiver production of The Price in 1995 as part of its tenth anniversary season. At the time, the company was operating out of a 99-seat space located on the campus of Long Beach City College. One year later, in 1996, ICT began producing full Equity productions at what is now known as the Beverly O’Neill Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.
“Miller’s masterpiece still resonates, and we felt it was time to revive it in our larger space for a larger audience,” says ICT artistic director caryn desai. “It’s a timeless, universal subject that will always remain relevant: What’s really important in life? We all get to that place when we’re forced to reevaluate feelings we’ve held in since childhood, to reexamine the ways we related to our families when we were younger.”
Miller noted in his autobiography, Timebends, that we are often “doomed to perpetuate our illusions because truth is too costly to face.”
Recognized by Long Beach as the City’s resident professional theater company, International City Theatre is the recipient of over 400 awards, including the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle’s prestigious Margaret Harford Award for “Sustained Excellence” and the LADCC’s 2016 Polly Warfield Award for an “Excellent Season.” In addition to its professional theater productions, ICT offers six community and educational outreach programs each year. The company’s commitment to the community also includes ongoing collaborations with Long Beach’s African American community and other minority organizations. Former Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe called ICT “a cultural treasure.” The company is the recent recipient of three 2019 Long Beach Press Telegram Reader's Choice Awards for “Best Nightspot/Entertainment” (third year in a row), “Best Performing Arts Venue” and “Best Kid's Camp.” Now in its 34th season, ICT has operated out of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center since 1996.
The Price runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., May 10 through May 26. Two preview performances take place on Wednesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 9, both at 8 p.m. Tickets are $47 on Thursdays and Fridays, and $49 on Saturdays and Sundays, except for May 10 (opening night) for which tickets are $55 and include a post show reception with the actors. Low-priced tickets to previews are $35.
International City Theatre is located in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center at 330 East Seaside Way in Long Beach, CA 90802. For reservations and information, call 562-436-4610 or go to InternationalCityTheatre.org.
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