'Going To St Ives' at 59E59's Theater A

Primary Stages concludes its 20th Anniversary 2004-2005 Season in their new home, the state-of-the-art performance space 59E59 Theaters (located on 59th Street between Madison and Park Avenue), with the New York premiere of Lee Blessing's acclaimed drama Going To St. Ives, with Vivienne Benesch and L. Scott Caldwell. Directed by Maria Mileaf, Going To St. Ives previews from the 15 Mar 2005 and opens on the 29 Mar, and is scheduled to close on the 24 Apr 2005.

Lee Blessing makes his Primary Stages debut with Going To St. Ives, a tension-packed play that pits individual responsibility against the power of the state. The mother of a monstrous dictator in sub-Saharan Africa questions the very nature of her motherhood while on a medical visit to the UK. This visit triggers a profound moral dilemma and a chain reaction of events with great personal and political aftershocks.

Going To St. Ives has scenic design by Neil Patel, costume design by Anne Hould-Ward, lighting design by David Lander, and original music by Michael Roth.

Biographies:

Lee Blessing (Playwright) Broadway and London�s West End: 'A Walk In The Woods'. Off-Broadway: 'Thief River', 'Cobb', 'Chesapeake', 'Eleemosynary', and 'Down the Road � plus Fortinbras', 'Lake Street Extension', 'Two Rooms' and the world premiere of 'Patient A', all in the 1992-93 Signature Theatre season. Awards: The American Theater Critics Award, the L.A. Drama Critics Award, The Great American Play Award, The Humanitas Award and The George and Elisabeth Marton Award, among others. Author of over twenty plays and screenplays.

Maria Mileaf (Director) Recent credits include 'Sakharam Binder' for the Play Company at 59E59 and 'The Story' at Philadelphia Theatre Company. In 2003-04, Ms. Mileaf staged the American premieres of Oren Safdie�s 'Private Jokes, Public Places' at the Theater at Center for Architecture, and Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt's 'Monsieur Ibrahim And The Flowers Of The Koran' at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre for the Play Company. New York premieres include 'Kira Obolensky's 'Lobster Alice' at Playwrights Horizons, and Neena Beber's 'Hard Feelings' at the Women's Project' amongst others.

Vivienne Benesch (Dr. Cora Gage) Broadway credits include, the Roundabout Theatre Company's 'The Deep Blue Sea', and with Al Pacino and Estelle Parsons� company in their recent revival of 'Salome'. Off-Broadway, her many credits include work with such notable companies as the New York Shakespeare Festival, Lincoln Center Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Primary Stages, Theatre for a New Audience, Classic Stage Company, and the Underwood Theatre.

L. Scott Caldwell (May K�Name) started her career as a member of the Negro Ensemble Company. She made her Broadway debut in Sammy Art Williams� Tony-nominated play 'Home'. She won the Tony Award for her performance in August Wilson�s 'Joe Turner�s Come and Gone'. For Neil Simon�s 'Proposals' she won the Helen Hayes Award.