- Starring Genie and Gemini Award-winner Arsinée Khanjian, Maev Beaty and two-time Dora Award-winner Julian Richings and directed by David Storch -

Toronto - The Canadian Stage Company is proud to present the Canadian premiere of Palace of the End, the critically acclaimed new play by two-time Governor General's Award-winner Judith Thompson, at the Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street. Part of The Canadian Stage Company's 20^th anniversary line-up, previews begin January 14. The production officially opens January 17 and continues to February 23, 2008.

An earlier version of Palace of the End received critical and popular acclaim at the NoHo Arts Center in Los Angeles in June. According to the Los Angeles Times, the play "raises the bar...packs a mean punch...[and is] as quietly unforgettable as it is purposely rending."　　LA Weekly states "Judith Thompson paints a richly textured portrait...[she] defiantly scrapes to the marrow of opposing camps, offering a lament that is theological and tragic and contains a rare, eerie beauty."

Palace of the End is a searing triptych of monologues exposing the ugly truth behind the headlines of the current situation in Iraq. It provides three distinct perspectives on the reality of the war: that of a young American soldier imprisoned for her misconduct at a prison camp in Iraq; a British microbiologist and weapons inspector who exposes the false justifications for war; and an Iraqi mother whose life is destroyed first by Saddam Hussein's regime and then by the American invasion. Each account is a riveting indictment of one of the contemporary world's worst conflicts and also a celebration of the music of the human voice and the power of the human soul.

According to Thompson, "Each monologue is inspired by news stories or research on real events but the persona or character in each monologue has been created by me, and everything other than the real events springs from my imagination. The first monologue, titled My Pyramids, was inspired by the media circus around an American soldier convicted of the sexual torture of Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib prison. The second monologue, Harrowdown Hill, was inspired by well-publicized events surrounding the public life and death of British scientist David Kelly. The third monologue, Instruments of Yearning, was inspired by the true story of Nehrjas Al Saffarh, a member of the Communist party of Iraq, who was tortured by Saddam Hussein's secret police in the 1970s and died when her home was bombed by the Americans in the first Gulf War."

"I am extremely honoured to be working on Palace of the End," states Artistic Director David Storch, who directs the production. "Palace of the End marks Judith Thompson's first foray into global politics. A distinct theatrical voice, her plays are always disturbingly real. They shine a light on the dark underbelly of urban society and the redemptive power of the soul."

Directed by David Storch, Palace of the End features Genie and Gemini Award-winner Arsinée Khanjian in her Canadian Stage debut as an Iraqi mother, Maev Beaty as an American soldier and two-time Dora Award-winner Julian Richings as a British microbiologist and weapons inspector.

Mr. Storch has assembled an outstanding creative team which includes set and costume designer Teresa Przybylski, lighting designer Kimberly Purtell, composer/sound designer John Gzowski, stage manager Marinda De Beer and apprentice stage manager Isabelle Ly.

Internationally renowned, Judith Thompson is one of Canada's most prominent playwrights. Winner of two Governor General's Awards-the country's most prestigious literary prize (for White Biting Dog and The Other Side of the Dark)-and numerous other awards and nominations. Recently she was awarded the Canada Council's 2007 Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts and named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005. Since her professional debut with The Crackwalker (1980), she has gone on to write White Biting Dog (1984), I Am Yours (1987), The Other Side of the Dark (1990), Lion in the Streets (1991), Sled (1997), Perfect Pie (2000), Habitat (Produced by The Canadian Stage Company in 2001), Capture Me (2004) and Enoch Arden at the Hope Shelter (2005). She has written two feature films, Lost and Delirious, and Perfect Pie, and a number of radio plays. Thompson is also a theatre professor at the University of Guelph, a position she has held since 1993.

David Storch is the director of Palace of the End and The Canadian Stage Company's Artistic Director (as of July 2007). An award-winning, 20-year veteran of the stage, he is an acclaimed actor, director and teacher who has worked with companies across the country, including the Vancouver Playhouse where he was Artistic Associate (1997-1999). His affiliation with Canadian Stage spans 18 seasons. He began as assistant director to Peter Hinton on The Comedy of Errors in 1989. He was an Associate Artist with the Company from 2004-06 and Artistic Consultant for the 2007-08 season. For The Canadian Stage Company, he has acted in a number of productions, including Angels in America, The Lonesome West (Dora Award for Best Actor), Take　 Me Out and directed Sunday Father, The Beard of Avon, Twelfth Night, Omnium Gatherum, Take Me Out (with Morris Panych) and A Number. Palace of the End is the first play Mr. Storch directs as Artistic Director.

Arsinée Khanjian, who stars as an Iraqi mother, is an award-winning veteran of the stage and screen who has worked extensively with director Atom Egoyan. Film credits include Sabah, Calendar, Ararat (2002 Genie Award for Best Actress), The Sweet Hereafter, Exotica, and Adoration (due in theatres in 2008). Television credits include Foolish Heart (1999 Gemini Award for Best Actress), ReGenesis Season 2 (Global), and Slings and Arrows Seasons 1 and 3 (TMN). On stage, Ms. Khanjian has appeared in Home is My Road (Factory), Stella and Dancing at Lughnasa (Theatre de Bobigny, Paris), Beast on the Moon (Passe Muraille), Wedding Day at the Cromagnons (NAC/Theatre Passe Muraille) and Brother Andre's Heart (Crow's).

Recently named 2007's Best Emerging Female Actor by NOW Magazine, Maev Beaty stars as an American soldier in Palace of the End. Her stage credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream (Canadian Stage), Goblin Market (Belltower/Groundwater), The Russian Plays/USSR (HATCH, Absit Omen, Company Theatre Crisis) and Ritter, Dene, Voss (One Little Goat), among others. She will be appearing in a new, yet-to-be-titled play with Theatre Columbus at the Tarragon Theatre in May and reprising her role as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream in June.

The recipient of two Dora Mavor Moore Awards and four Dora nominations, Julian Richings stars as a British microbiologist and weapons inspector. This is his second experience working with Ms. Thompson, the first being Lion In The Streets (Tarragon). Stage credits include Spring Awakening, As You Like It, The Wars of the Roses (Canadian Stage) and most recently The Sheep and the Whale (Cahoots/Modern Times) and Noble Parasites (Passe Muraille). He is a Necessary Angel company member and has appeared in many of their productions including Coming Through Slaughter and Inexpressible Island. Film and TV credits include The Red Violin, My Life Without Me, The Claim (Genie nomination), Being Julia, X Men 3 and Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital. Upcoming features include The Timekeeper by Louis Belanger and Toronto Stories.

Nationally and internationally acclaimed, The Canadian Stage Company is Canada's largest not-for-profit, contemporary theatre company committed to presenting the best in Canadian and international drama, comedy and musical theatre. Located in Toronto, the Company has four distinctive performance venues: the Bluma Appel Theatre, The Berkeley Street Theatres (Upstairs and Downstairs), and the Dream in High Park. Canadian Stage is dedicated to attracting and developing the best artists and plays in Canada and promoting its Canadian productions in international markets. The Company is also committed to educating and developing audiences and to the promotion and training of artists through a variety of outreach programs. For more information, refer to canstage.com.

Palace of the End contains coarse language and disturbing subject matter. Not recommended for young audiences.

DETAILS

PREVIEWS: January 14-16, 2008

OPENS: January 17-February 23, 2008

SCHEDULE: Monday-Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.; matinees Wednesday 1:30 p.m. & Saturday 2 p.m.

LOCATION: Canadian Stage - Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street

TICKETS: Start from $20. Available in person at the Canadian Stage Customer Service Centres, 26 Berkeley St. or 27 Front St. E., by phone at Canadian Stage 416.368.3110 and Ticketmaster at 416.872.1111, and online at canstage.com

RUSH SEATS: May be purchased for any performance one hour prior to show time. Rush seats are subject to availability and

half the regular ticket price.

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN: For Monday-night performances only, pay-what-you-can tickets are subject to availability and must be purchased in person at the Canadian Stage Box Office beginning at 10 a.m. on the day of the performance.