A COMIC DRAMA FROM THE AUTHOR OF BILLY ELLIOT
The Pitmen Painters
By Lee Hall
Directed by Leslie Martinson
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
January 18—February 12, 2012
West Coast Premiere
From the writer of the mega-hit film and musical Billy Elliot comes another absorbing London/Broadway success! A funny play that asks big questions, it tells the rousing, true story of a hardscrabble group of 1930s miners who take up painting and become sensations of the British art world. Their exhilarating journey from pit to pinnacle overflows with spirit and laughter, as rich and intriguing as the art it unveils.
“Great heart and humor! A superb play.” The New Yorker
“BREATHTAKING… IRRESISTIBLE… MOVING… [Playwright Lee] Hall nails the all-consuming nature of the creative process, the seduction of losing yourself and all your troubles in pursuit of the work.”
The Mercury News
“ENTERTAINING… INSPIRED… The actors, some of the Bay Area’s FINEST, effortlessly evoke the time and social class setting”
San Francisco Chronicle
“FOUR STARS! SMASHING… The Pitmen Painters is exactly why I love live theater. It challenges and provokes …leaves a lasting impression”
Stark Insider
“HEARTFELT, honest… TOP-NOTCH ACTING by the entire ensemble… a story for our times”
BroadwayWorld.com
“It’s the SUPERB acting, Leslie Martinson’s lively direction and the highly polished production values that stand out”
San Francisco Examiner
“FUNNY, CHALLENGING, and remarkably POIGNANT.”
Huffington Post
“REMARKABLE… The direction by Leslie Martinson catches the spirit of the era perfectly.”
San Mateo Daily Journal
“TERRIFIC… MASTERFUL… [Playwright Lee] Hall can enjoy the gift TheatreWorks gave him”
Daily News
“INSPIRING… a noble theatrical undertaking”
Palo Alto Weekly
“This is thrilling theater. SPELLBINDING! This fantastic cast is UNIQUE and UNFORGETTABLE!”
For All Events
“SHARPLY directed… fine performances… It’s a tribute to these talented actors and artists that this production works so well.”
Aisle Say
