THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE

"A Classic Tale of Law & Order Versus Intimidation & Violence in the Old West”

When Ransome Foster, a scholar from New York City, first came to the town of Twotrees he arrived bloody and beaten. Yet after a quick recovery and a promise to a young woman to help her learn to read, Foster begins to change the small town he starts to call home with love & education. 

This catches the attention of Liberty Valance, an outlaw who seeks to restore his view of” the norms of society” through terror & bloodshed.  Suddenly, Foster finds himself on a collision course with the experienced gunman forcing him to make a choice: to run or to stand up for what he believes in, to live or to fight for what is right…

Please join Onomatopoeia for this classic tale of good versus evil, of law & order versus intimidation & violence, of one man versus Liberty Valance.

 

Most people do not think of a theatrical production when they think of a “Western”, they think of film. Movies such as “The Searchers”, “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”, or even “Blazing Saddles”. For many the “Western” is a genre best known through the numerous films created in the golden age of Hollywood.

This is part of what makes Jethro Compton’s stage adaptation of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” so wonderful. The story of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” is probably best known from the 1962 film by John Ford, starring John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin and Vera Miles. The film is considered a timeless classic, but, like many films, it does not entirely follow the original story by Dorothy M. Johnson. Playwright Jethro Compton has smartly based his theatrical production on her original story, allowing him to put a fresh coat of paint on this classic fable, dealing with timeless issues such as racism, guns, and violence in America. This enables the theatrical production to truly become something special: a live action “Western” that honors the classic film, speaks to modern issues and touches upon universal themes, such as love and forgiveness.

Though the play is consummately American, it was given its world premiere at London’s Park Theatre in May of 2014. This was followed by its American premiere at the Rubicon Theatre in Los Angeles in March of 2016. Now The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company is proud to be presenting the New York City premiere of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” this July at the Gene Frankel Theatre.

 

July 8 - July 30

 

at

The Gene Frankel Theatre

 

 

Tickets

$25 – Regular

$15 – Student / Senior

 

Ticket Link

https://liberty-valance-otc.eventbrite.com

 

Note On Gun Safety For This Production

Out of an abundance of caution, The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company will not be using blank guns for this production of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance”. Instead, we will be using non-firing replica prop guns and sound effects for all gun fire.

 

Performance Schedule

July 8 (Fri.) @ 8:00 PM PRESS PERFORMANCE
July 9 (Sat.) @ 8:00 PM PRESS PERFORMANCE
July 10 (Sun.) @ 3:00 PM OPENING PERFORMANCE
 
July 14 (Thu.) @ 8:00 PM
July 15 (Fri.) @ 8:00 PM
July 16 (Sat.) @ 8:00 PM
July 17 (Sun.) @ 3:00 PM
 
July. 20 (Wed.) @ 8:00 PM
July 21 (Thu.) @ 8:00 PM
July 22 (Fri.) @ 8:00 PM
July 23 (Sat.) @ 8:00 PM
July 24 (Sun.) @ 5:00 PM

July 27 (Wed.) @ 8:00 PM
July 28 (Thu.) @ 8:00 PM
July 29 (Fri.) @ 8:00 PM
July 30 (Sat.) @ 8:00 PM CLOSING PERFORMANCE

 

Location

The Gene Frankel Theatre

24 Bond Street, New York, NY 10012

 

MTA

6 - (Bleeker)

F, B & D - (Broadway/Lafayette)

Cross Streets - Bond St. & Lafayette St. (Manhattan)

 

Production Website

http://www.theonomatopoeiatheatrecompany.com/the-man-who-shot-liberty-valance.html

Cast
Leighton Samuels* - RANSOME FOSTER

Stephanie Craven – HALLIE JACKSON

Samuel Shurtleff* - BERT BARRICUNE

Daniel Kornegay - JIM “THE REVEREND” MOSTEN

Derek Jack Chariton* - LIBERTY VALANCE

Scott Zimmerman*-MARSHALL JOHNSON / UNDERSTUDY FOR BERT BARRICUNE

Jeff Brackett - JAKE DOWITT / UNDERSTUDY FOR LIBERTY VALANCE

Chandler Robyn - MOURNERS, STUDENTS / UNDERSTUDY FOR HALLIE JACKSON

 

* Appearing Courtesy of Actors Equity Association. An Equity Approved Showcase

 

Crew

Thomas R. Gordon – DIRECTOR

Chandler Robyn – ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Elizabeth O’Keith – STAGE MANAGER & PROP MASTER

Susan Yanofsky - COSTUME DESIGNER

Nino Amari – SET DESIGNER

Reid Sullivan – LIGHTING DESIGNER

Julia Brunner – ANIMATION / PROJECTION

Jay Cruz – GRAPHIC DESIGN / SOCIAL MEDIA

Richard Kornberg - PRESS CONTACT

 

Poster Image

Original Art: "Cactus Flowers" by Anna Elizabeth
Graphic Design: Jay Cruz​

About the Company: The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company
Mission
The primary goal of The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company is to create theatre with sound. Any and all types of sound! Whether it is music, noise or anything else a production gives us to use, we aim to create theatre that must be heard to really be seen!

Our second goal is to use sound and technology to help push the boundaries of what live theatre can do. We aim to carry on the Off Off Broadway tradition of pushing boundaries and experimentation!

The third and most important goal of The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company is to create theatre that fights for a positive view of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and “the underdog”. We don’t want our audience to just talk about what they heard after one of our shows. We want them to think about how they can make a difference in the world! We hope that our stories and our words cause action in the real world!

Thomas R. Gordon
Artistic Director
The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company