"Atwater, Fixin' to Die" at California Stage

From California Stage:

California Stage will open its 2009-2010 Season with "Atwater: Fixin' to Die" by Robert Myers. This acclaimed one-man play explores the strategems, cynicism and passion brought to politics by Lee Atwater, self-styled master of negative campaigning and the fun-lovin' Dixie dude equally at home in the world of delta blues and "dirty tricks" political strategists.

Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater (1951- 1991) was an American political consultant and strategist to the Republican Party. He was an advisor of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

George H. W. Bush's main political advisor was no stranger to controversy. From his early days learning the ropes from Strom Thurmond, to introducing Reagan to the power of MTV, to his successful direction of G.W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign, Atwater was simultaneously reviled and revered -- depending on whether he was on your side. “Atwater..” is a one-man tour de force about an immensely clever, wickedly funny, and ruthless kingmaker – from a blues-loving frat boy to brain cancer victim confronting a lifetime of Machiavellian tactics, best remembered for turning black convict Willie Horton into a national symbol of the fear of crime.

Director Vada Russell says “Myers’ masterful play presents Eric Baldwin with the great challenge to portray Lee Atwater, who was to the first President Bush what Karl Rove was to the second — his unprincipled and most audacious hatchet man.”

The New York Times says of the playwright: "In spinning the spinmeister, Mr. Myers may show his hand, but he does so winningly… This monodrama is the American body politic itself."

The California Stage production of “Atwater…” is an artistic collaboration with Resurrection Theatre. "Atwater: Fixin' to Die” plays October 9 to November 8 in The Three Penny Playhouse, 1725 25th Street in Midtown Sacramento. Seating is limited. The theater is accessible. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets: $20 general; $15 students, seniors, and SARTA-League members. For reservations or information about group prices, contact California Stage at 916-451-5822. See also WWW.CALSTAGE.ORG