1614 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009

MEDIA RELEASE
Contact:     Jonathan Willen, Associate Producer
                    202-772-1162 voice
                     jon@jonathangwillen.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2004

STEPHEN LANG PREMIERES
‘BEYOND GLORY’
IN WASHINGTON, DC

Washington, DC:     BEYOND GLORY, the riveting accounts of seven Medal of Honor recipients told by acclaimed actor Stephen Lang, will premiere in April 2004 at the Women In Military Service for America Memorial Theatre, in Arlington, Virginia. Adapted for the stage from Larry Smith’s book of the same title, this electric drama represents a vivid legacy of three wars in a stunning performance by a virtuoso actor of stage and film.

In a 75minute tour de force, enhanced by an ingenious interplay of sound and light created by award-winning designers, Lang enters into the personas of seven American soldiers and sailors, rendering first hand accounts of the actions which resulted in each of them receiving the nation's highest military accolade, the Medal of Honor.  Lang transports the audience to the smoldering tarmac of Kaneohe Bay 63 years ago, as John Finn mans a machine gun on the Day of Infamy. As the second world war unfolds, we hold the ridge at Colle Musatello with Daniel Inouye of the fabled 442nd, the most decorated unit in the history of the American Army, and witness with bitter pride the formation of the "Buffalo" Division with Vernon Baker.  In Korea, we relive Lew Millet's uphill bayonet charge near the 38th parallel. We slog through the Mekong mud with Nick Bacon, and brave the cries of the wounded in a Vietnamese rice paddy as medic Clarence Sasser strains to save their lives.  BEYOND GLORY gathers these men together in the present, as aged and scarred vets, to look back on the defining moments of their lives, and to examine with pride, pain and wonder the meaning of 'courage' and, ultimately, the meaning of 'humility.'  BEYOND GLORY is not simply a play, but a journey through pivotal moments of the American story, moments that resound with lasting meaning for both audiences old enough to remember, and those young enough to yearn for inspiration.

BEYOND GLORY is produced by Tribute Productions, a Washington-based non-profit theatre company that produced the Helen Hayes Award-winning Leaving the Summer Land in 2000. Designers Tony Cisek (set), Dan Covey (lighting) and Scott Burgess (sound), repeated winners of Helen Hayes and other awards for design excellence, create the spare and compelling contextual setting for this production. Original music is by Grammy Award winner Robert Kessler.

Performances, beginning April 2 through May 2, 2004, are Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. Matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday are at 2 p.m. A press opening is scheduled for April 14 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $30 and $35 and subject to 20% discount for active duty military personnel, seniors (60 and over) and groups of 10 or more. For ticket / group sales information, call the Tribute Box Office at (202) 772-1165 or visit us on our Web site, www.tributeproductions.org. Media interested in the April 14 press opening should call Jonathan Willen at (202) 772-1162.

The theatre at the Women In Military Service for America Memorial is located at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, accessible by METRO Blue Line, Arlington Cemetery Station. Parking is available on the street in front of the Women’s Memorial.

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