Randall Duk Kim and Anne Occhiogrosso play tribute to actors

HACKETTSTOWN — Centenary Stage Company presents the world premiere of Randall Duk Kim and Anne Occhiogrosso starring in “Then Came Each Actor,” a celebration of and tribute to the legendary actors and actresses of the great classical stage tradition — Sarah Siddons, Henry Irving, Julia Marlowe, Edwin Booth, Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse, Paul Robeson, Morris Carnovsky and Phoebe Brand.

These actors' body of work and lives on and off the stage have inspired Kim and Occhiogrosso for more than four decades.

The two-character program combines performance of signature scenes with recollections and memoirs of these famous actors along with other memorable tales from their lives. The production will also feature more than 100 pieces of memorabilia from these performances and lives which Kim and Occhiogrosso have collected.

“To remember and revere actors such as these is to reflect upon our own standards of dedication and serves to inspire our work," said Kim.

The production has been designed by award-winning stage designer Bob Phillips. Performances begin Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 26 in the Edith Kutz Theater at the David and Carol Lackland Center at Centenary College.

For more than 40 years, Randall Duk Kim and Anne Occhiogrosso have devoted their lives to the classical theatre through acting, directing, teaching, commissioning new translations of classical works and developing a singular approach to classical text interpretation which combines, research, training and production. This life-long dedication to classical theatre led to their founding, in 1979, along with founding partner Charles J. Bright, now deceased, of American Players Theatre, Spring Green, WI, the only professional, outdoor classical rotating repertory theatre company in America at that time.

In order to give their Midwest audiences a taste of what they could expect, Kim and Occhiogrosso devised a solo show for Kim, “What Should Such Fellows as I Do?” which Occhiogrosso directed.

The 1979 production featured the theatre memorabilia collection which they had begun amassing in the mid-1970’s. Their memorabilia collection includes production photos, programs, letters and personal treasures which have provided the inspiration for their own work in the theater ever since.

“It is so rewarding to see the faces of young actors light up when then see these photos, letters, books and programs," Occhiogrosso said. "They seem to wonder who these actors were and what it must have been like to witness them perform. And in that very moment they understand that they are part of a very rich and important theatrical heritage. Their tales of individual triumphs and heartaches bring to light that what we feel today is really no different than what they felt. The stories are sometimes funny and sometimes sad but always a glimpse into the very special lives these actors lived.”

Tickets for Then Came Each Actor are $25 for adults on Matinees and Fridays with discounts for seniors, students and children under 12. Saturday evening performances are $27.50 for adults with discounts for seniors, students and children under 12. Thursday evening performances are $25 for all tickets with a special Family Night 2 for 1 rush ticket discount when purchased at the door two hours prior to performance time.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the box office at 908-979-0900. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. and is located in the David Carol Lackland Center at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown.