Asolo Rep Proudly Presents
HEARTS
January 22 -April 11, 2009
Willy Holtzman's Pultizer Prize nominated play;
Winner of the Arthur Miller Award for Dramatic Writing and
Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play
Hearts, author Willy Holtzman's award-winning play inspired by his father's experiences as a
Jewish-American soldier in World War II and subsequent struggles to cope with them, opens on January 22, 2010 and runs through April 11, 2010, on Asolo Rep's mainstage in the Mertz Theatre.
This blunt-spoken, comedic drama is directed by Greg Leaming; with set and costume design by Judy Gailen, lighting design by James Sale, sound design by Matthew Parker, wig & hair design by Michelle Hart, dance by Jimmy Hoskins, voice coaching Patricia Delorey, and stage management by MarIan Wallace.
Hearts moves back and forth between the closing days of World War II and infantryman Donald Waldman's (played by Douglas Jones) postwar pursuit of the American Dream. He has a wife, a family, a small business and three wise-cracking, card-playing friends (Michael Joseph Mitchell, James Clarke, and Peter Mendez) who would walk through fire for him. He also has an eating compulsion, chronic insomnia, and bouts of depression that eventually land him on a psychiatric ward. Rather than surrender to the trauma of the past, Donald finds the courage to search back through memory to liberation day at Buchenwald and the tragic secret that has nearly
devoured him. From the foxholes of Europe to the frontiers of cyberspace, Hearts looks at the invisible wounds of America's "Greatest Generation" with humanity and surprising humor. The cast is rounded out by Sarah Gavitt, Kirstin Franklin, Alexandra Guyker and Kevin Stanfa.
Asolo Rep's production of Hearts draws on the experience and knowledge of four local military veterans who will work with the actors and creative team during the rehearsal process.
Len Gumley, Flight Officer WWII, USAAF (stateside) Glider Pilot, 1st Trooper Carrier Command
Lt/Col USAF (ret).
Dennis Plews, SPC 1st class, Vietnam (combat), 196th Combat Infantry Brigade & 82nd Artillery Division.
Jacob Pollack, PFC WWII Combat Infantry, Europe 10th Mountain Division, Italy.
Harry M. Stimmel, S/Sgt., WWII New Guinea (combat medic), Korea 1st Infantry Division, Pusan &
Inchon.
Willy Holtzman's plays include: Hearts (Long Wharf Theatre, Northlight Theatre, ALLIANCE THEATRE,
People's Light and Theatre, nominated for 2003 Pultizer Prize, Arthur Miller Award for Dramatic Writing, Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play, Best New Plays), Sabina (Primary Stages, Portland Stage Company, Gradiva Award Nominee), Bovver Boys (Primary Stages, Cleveland Play House, Berkshire Theatre Festival), The Closer, (GeVa Theatre, Nebraska Rep, Davie Award) Inside Out, (New Federal Theatre, Portland Stage Company, Nebraska Rep), Blanco, (Goodspeed), San Antonio Sunset (New York, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Bombay; Best Short Plays of 1989). For film and television: Edge of America (directed by Chris Eyre, Sundance 2004), Blood Brothers (HBO, Cine Golden Eagle, WGA Nomination), The Aaron Henry Story (HBO, Emmy Nomination), Mad Dogs and Englishmen (Two Drivers Films), The Plagiarist (Cornucopia Films). Willy received the HBO Award at the National Playwrights Conference. He taught as a visiting artist at Bronx Regional High School in the South Bronx, 1987-89, and was Resident Playwright at Juilliard, 1990-92. He has worked with the 52d Street Project in New York's Hell's Kitchen and on the Navajo Reservation. He is a former member of New Dramatists and now serves on its Board of Directors.
