MWF: Live Theatre at Lunch: “God of Carnage”

Join us for the beloved festival tradition of incredible theatre over lunch in the Steddy Theatre with Tony Award-winning “God of Carnage” starring Tony-nominated actor, Sam Robards; celebrated actor and four-time True West Award-winner, Emma Messenger; actor, director, playwright, and theatre educator, Steven Cole Hughes; and actor, director, and theatre educator, Heather Hughes.Written by Yasmina Reza.

Winner of the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play, God of Carnage relates an evening in the lives of two couples, residents of a tony Brooklyn neighborhood, who meet to discuss a playground incident. Alan and Annette’s son hit Michael and Veronica’s son in the face with a stick, resulting in two broken teeth. The four of them agree to discuss the incident civilly, but, as the night wears on and drinks are imbibed, the polite veneer breaks down. The couples initially spar against each other, but the men gang up on the women and the spouses switch sides as the fighting continues. Reza’s play suggests that our civilized trappings do a poor job of hiding our venality and bile.

Food and drink available for purchase. Pay what you can, even if that’s nothing.

Sam Robards began his acting career in 1980 in an off-Broadway production of Album, and made his feature-film debut in director Paul Mazursky’s 1982 film Tempest. In 1985, Robards starred alongside Kevin Costner and future wife Suzy Amis in Fandango. Robards acted opposite his father in the 1988 film Bright Lights, Big City, which was their only collaboration before his death in 2000. Also in 1988, he was cast in the lead role of Kevin Keegan in the CBS drama TV 101 which was scheduled opposite Top 10 shows Roseanne and Matlock; the series was cancelled amidst a controversial abortion story line.

In 1990, he played the role of Chris Elliott’s friend, Larry, on the Fox sitcom Get a Life, but left after the first season. In 1994, Robards starred in two films: Robert Altman’s film Prêt-à-Porter, where he was a part of an ensemble that included his mother; and Alan Rudolph’s biographical film of Dorothy Parker, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, where he portrayed the first editor of The New Yorker, Harold Ross.

His film résumé also includes Casualties of War, Beautiful Girls, American Beauty, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Life as a House, The Other Side of the Tracks, and The Art of Getting By. Robards’s television credits include a recurring role on and appearances on Spin City, The West Wing, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Sex and the City, The Outer Limits, and Body of Proof. He had recurring roles on the series Gossip Girl (ended in 2012) and Treme (ended in 2013), and a regular role on Twisted (cancelled in 2014).

In the theatre, Robards was nominated for Broadway’s 2002 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for Arthur Miller’s The Man Who Had All the Luck. In July 2008, Robards took over the role of Richard Hannay in the New York City theatrical run of The 39 Steps.

Heather Hughes
Heather is an actor, director and teaching artist and currently holds the title of Artist-in-Residence at Western Colorado University.  As a teaching artist, Heather has worked with The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, The New Victory Theatre (NYC), ENACT (NYC), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Hospital (NYC), Disney (NYC), and The Lincoln Center (NYC).  As an actor, favorite roles include Persephone/Semele in Polaroid Stories (The Studio Theatre), Harper Pitt in Angels in America (The Little Theatre), Lizzie Borden in SICKS (Walker Space at SOHO Rep), and every male role in Off-Center at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts drag spectacular, DragOn.  Heather is never happier then when she’s able to dig into an important theatre piece with actors she loves, so tonight’s reading of The Cake feels like a dream project.  Heather wants to thank Brooke MacMillan and The Crested Butte Center for the Arts for always being so supportive, excited, and willing to bring live theatre to the Gunnison Valley.

Steven Cole Hughes
Steven is a Professor and the Director of Theatre at Western Colorado University. As an actor, he has worked at theatres all over the country including the The Gunnison Valley Theatre Festival, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Creede Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, Ensemble Studio Theatre in NYC, and has appeared on television in “Law & Order,” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” He has a BA in Theatre from Indiana University and an MFA in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory.