PRESS RELEASE
October 10, 2011
Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
2 South Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
John Ellis, Managing Director
Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
Office Ph#: (828) 257-4512
E-Mail: jellis@dwtheatre.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Who:
L.A. Theatre Works, Susan Albert Loewenberg, Producing
Director, presents Norman Corwin’s The Rivalry
Cast includes:
Robert Parsons as Abraham Lincoln (“Nash Bridges”); Josh
Clark as Stephen Douglas (“Heroes,” “Star Trek Voyager,”
“E.R.,” “L.A. Law”); and directed by Shannon Cochran (“Star
Trek,” “Law and Order,” “The Office,” “Desperate Housewives”)
When:
Wednesday & Thursday, November 16 & 17 • 8:00 p.m.
Pre-show discussion at 7:00 p.m. in The Forum at Pack Place prior
to the performances.
Where:
Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
Ticket Prices:
Regular: $35; Student: $30;
Student Rush Day-of-Show $10
Info/Tickets:
Box Office (828)257-4530
Web: www.dwtheatre.com
Artist’s Website:
www.latw.org
For Interviews:
Lucy Pollak • lucy@lucypr.com  818-887-1499
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For Calendar Listings: L.A. Theatre Works, Susan Albert Loewenberg Producing
Director, presents The Rivalry, Norman Corwin’s riveting depiction of the Abraham
Lincoln-Stephen Douglas debates. Mainstage Theatre Series, Diana Wortham Theatre at
Pack Place. 8:00 p.m., Wednesday & Thursday, November 16 & 17, 2011. Regular $35;
Student $30; Student Rush day-of-the-show $10 (with valid I.D.) Tickets/Info: (828)2574530 or online at www.dwtheatre.com.
“L.A. Theatre Works is a national theatrical treasure…” –The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Consistently superb work.” – Los Angeles Times
ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND STEPHEN DOUGLAS FACE OFF IN L.A. THEATRE
WORKS’ THE RIVALRY, NOVEMBER 16 & 17 AT 8:00PM AT DIANA WORTHAM
THEATRE AT PACK PLACE
Nationally renowned theater company L.A. Theatre Works returns to Asheville with The
Rivalry, at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, November 16 & 17 at Diana
Wortham Theatre at Pack Place in downtown Asheville. Just in time for the 2012 election
season, L.A. Theatre Works is back with Norman Corwin’s acclaimed depiction of the
Lincoln-Douglas debates of the 1858 Illinois Senate race – a riveting time in America’s
history as the country steamrolled towards an enormous and costly civil war and
struggled with issues of slavery, race, freedom, equality, states’ rights, and America’s
future. The November 1, 1858 issue of the Chicago Daily Democrat accurately predicted:
“These speeches of Lincoln will be recognized for a long time to come … and our
children will read them and appreciate the great truths which they so forcibly inculcate,
with an even higher appreciation of their work than their fathers possessed while listening
to them.”
“What is so heartbreakingly different from today’s political scene is how principled they
both were, putting the nation before their own hopes,” notes L.A. Theatre Works
Producing Artistic Director Susan Loewenberg. Taken directly from the transcripts, The
Rivalry recreates the face off between Abraham Lincoln, rising Illinois legislator and
abolitionist candidate of the newly formed Republican Party, and Senator Stephen A.
Douglas, the Democratic incumbent and champion of states’ rights. The series of seven
debates that took place in seven Congressional districts over one hundred and fifty years
ago were conducted in a fever of partisanship as the nation listened.
Although Douglas was re-elected Senator for Illinois, Lincoln and Douglas’s epic clash
of ideas and oratory brought Lincoln into the national consciousness, and forged a future
President – and a nation. Without access to television, bloggers, and podcasts, the debates
were witnessed live by thousands along with written reports transported by railroad and
telegraph across the country. The press vilified or glorified the opponents, depending on
whose side they took. This local race quickly became the focus of a divided country,
whose future was on the line. The Rivalry is a stunning testament to the willingness of
Lincoln and Douglas to put aside their differences and “reach across the aisle” for the
good of the country – a painful yet eloquent reminder of what is missing in today’s
partisan politics. Remarking on the governing philosophy of his political role model,
President Barak Obama observed, “Whatever personal feelings there were, the issue was
how can we get this country through this time of crisis.”
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The L.A. Theatre Works performances of The Rivalry feature seasoned actors from
television, screen, and theatre*: Josh Clark (guest starring roles on TV’s “Heroes”
(recurring), “Star Trek Voyager,” “L.A. Law,” “Numb3rs,” “E.R.,” “24;” and in movies
Big, Ragtime, and Little Nikita); Robert Parsons (appearances in TV’s “Nash Bridges”
and several stage performance credits worldwide including New York, Washington D.C.,
and Sydney,); and Rebecca Mozo (TV credits include “Cold Case,” “Medium,” and “The
Young and the Restless”). Greensboro, NC native Shannon Cochran (TV credits include
“Numb3rs,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Office,” and “Without a Trace”) directs the superb
cast.
Pre-show discussion: To enhance patrons' understanding and enjoyment of L.A. Theatre
Works' Asheville performances, pre-show discussions led by Melissa Estes Blair,
Professor in the Department of History and Political Science at Warren Wilson College,
are held in The Forum at Pack Place at 7:00pm each evening prior to the performances.
Professor Blair will discuss the debates both in terms of the coming of the Civil War and
how they changed the way politics were covered. She will include special insight about
how Lincoln positioned himself with regard to African-Americans in the debate. Free for
ticket holders.
In addition to the evening performance, The Rivalry performances are also part of the
Mainstage Young Audiences Series at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday,
November 16 & 17, 2011. Performances in the Young Audiences Series are open to
school groups, homeschoolers, community groups, and families. The performances of
The Rivalry are recommended for students in grades 6 and up. To obtain more
information or to make reservations, contact Rae Geoffrey, Associate Director, at (828)
210-9837, or e-mail at rae@dwtheatre.com.
L.A. Theatre Works’ Asheville performances of The Rivalry are made possible by
Performance Sponsors Ed & Vicki Jenest and Jerry & Bill McAninch; and by Mainstage
Theatre Series Sponsors Carol & Bob Deutsch, Drs. Lee & Mario DiCesare, Henry
LaBrun, and the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation; with additional support from Media
Sponsors 880AM The Revolution and News Radio 570 WWNC.
The Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place is located in the heart of the Pack Square
Cultural Arts District in downtown Asheville, within walking distance of many shops and
restaurants. The intimate theatre seats just over 500 and boasts exceptional acoustics and
sightlines, making it the premier performance space in all of Western North Carolina.
The Mainstage Series is supported by a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, a
state agency. The 2011/2012 Mainstage Season Sponsors are Asheville Citizen-Times,
Asheville Renaissance Hotel, Creative Energy, Laurey’s Catering and Gourmet-to-go,
Blue Moon Water, and the North Carolina Arts Council.
To obtain more information about L.A. Theatre Works in The Rivalry at Diana Wortham
Theatre or to purchase tickets (Regular $35; Students $30), call the theatre’s box office at
(828)257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com. Student Rush tickets ($10 for students with
valid I.D.) are sold the day of the show, based on availability.
* Note: Cast is subject to change.
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