TIME STANDS STILL Opens at Florida Repertory Theatre Tonight

Florida Repertory Theatre has announced the opening of Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still, a stirring, recent Broadway hit. Time Stands Still plays tonight, Jan 25 - Feb 16, with two nearly sold out preview performances on Jan 23 and 24, in the renovated ArtStage Studio Theatre.

"Time Stands Still is an exciting drama that was just on Broadway last year," said Producing Artistic Director Robert Cacioppo. "I compare it to the film 'Hurt Locker;' when people are involved in war, no matter how horrific the experience, they can sometimes become addicted to it. This show is about how this addiction affects the characters' relationships and how memories of war permeate their lives."

The play centers on Sarah and James, a photographer and a journalist, respectively, who have been together for years and share a life documenting the realities of war. But when circumstances compel them to return home from covering the war in Iraq, the adventurous couple confronts the reality of leading a more conventional life.

One of the most prolific contemporary American Playwrights, Donald Margulies has produced some of the most insightful works of the last decade. He won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for drama for Dinner with Friends (produced at Florida Rep in 2002) and was a finalist for both Sight Unseen and Collected Stories. Time Stands Still was nominated for two Tony Awards: Best Play and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play (Laura Linney). Dinner with Friends was made into an Emmy Award-nominated film for HBO, and, currently, Margulies is adapting the novel Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides into an HBO miniseries.

Time Stands Still features an all-star cast including Florida Rep ensemble members WilLiam McNulty, recently seen as Mark Rothko in last season's acclaimed production of Red, and Greg Longenhagen, last seen in 2010's August: Osage County. The show also features Tyler Layton, stage and television actress, who has spent more than 20 years performing at theatre companies across the country, including the Oregon, Utah and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals. Ms. Layton moved to Fort Myers nearly four years ago when she was hired as Acting Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. Florida Rep favorite and Education Staff Associate, Claire K. Guy, returns to the stage after appearing in last season's It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

Florida Rep Associate Artistic Director and Ensemble Member since 2002, Chris Clavelli (Lend Me a Tenor; The Santaland Diaries) directs the production and is joined by an expert creative team including set designer and Florida Rep's Assistant Technical Director, Drew LaMott (Schoolhouse Rock, Live!); lighting designer, Kate Smith (Black Tie); resident costume designer, Roberta Malcolm (The Little Foxes); sound designer, Tim Cobb (Camping with Henry and Tom) and production stage manager, Janine Wochna (Talley's Folly).

"It is our mission to offer a wide variety of work each season," added Cacioppo. "Just a few weeks after closing a playful satire, The Santaland Diaries, we present this powerful, gripping drama in the same flexible ArtStage Studio Theatre. Don't miss this very poignant play by one of today's greatest American writers."

Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still plays tonight, Jan. 25 - Feb. 16, with two nearly sold out preview performances on Jan. 23 and 24. Regular performances are Tues. - Sat. at 8pm, with matinees on Wed., Sun., and selected Saturdays at 2pm, plus a 7pm twilight performance on Sun., Jan. 27.

Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale through the box office at 239-332-4488 and online at floridarep.org. Subscribe now for the best seats and biggest savings. Single tickets are priced at $40 and $25 for discounted previews.

Florida Repertory Theatre is located on Bay St. between Jackson & Hendry Streets with ample free parking in the Fort Myers River District.