ENCORE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS WORLD PREMIERE OF

"THE BONE MAN OF BENARES"

SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 30, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO (August 5, 2004) - Encore Theatre Company presents the World Premiere production of Terry Tarnoff's THE BONE MAN OF BENARES, a one-man show adapted from the memoir of the same name. This extraordinary autobiographical saga chronicles an eight-year journey taken by harmonica-playing Terry Tarnoff to Western Europe, Africa, India, Nepal, and Bali. In a time of change, unrest, and war, Tarnoff drops out of modern society and embarks on a Conradian journey into the heart of darkness with nothing but a wanderlust that uncovers treasures of the mind, body, and spirit along the way. Magic Theatre literary manager Mark Routhier will direct and Ron Campbell (R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER) stars. THE BONE MAN OF BENARES plays September 23 (press opening Monday, September 27, 8pm) through October 30, 2004 at The Thick House in San Francisco. For tickets ($20, $15 students), the public may call 415-821-4849 or visit www.encoretheatrecompany.org.

Playwright Terry Tarnoff is author of the book The Bone Man Of Benares, published by St. Martin's Press (June 2004) in the U.S.; by Allen & Unwin (January 2005) in Australia; by Bantam Books (February 2005) in the UK; by Ohta Shuppan Publishers (October 2005) in Japan; and by FBE Edizioni (2005) in Italy. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, he worked as a professional musician in Europe, Africa, and Asia. He played harmonica in blues bands in Amsterdam and Stockholm; with an African band in Mombasa, Kenya; and with a rock group in Goa, India. He also sang and played guitar as a solo act in Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. After eight years on the road, he returned to America and played lead guitar in several garage bands in San Francisco before turning to writing. He has written nine screenplays, four of which have been optioned in Hollywood, as well as numerous film treatments and short stories. His adaptation of The Bone Man Of Benares is his first foray into theater. He lives in San Francisco and is currently working on a novel.

Ron Campbell has received The London Fringe One-man Show of the Year Award, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, 4 Backstage West Garland Awards, 15 Dramalogue Awards and a 2002 Helen Hayes Award Nomination for his work in such theatres as the Mark Taper Forum (GHETTO, TEMPTATION, THE LESSON, RED CROSS and Beckett's EH JOE), The Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Mercury Theatre (Chicago), the Old Globe in San Diego, The Old Red Lion Theatre (London), The Metro Stage (Washington D.C.), The Intiman Theatre and the Edinburgh, Telluride, and Carmel Theatre Festivals. A founding member of The Actor's Gang and Artistic Associate of The Los Angeles Theatre Center, Mr. Campbell starred in the internationally acclaimed one-man show THE THOUSANDTH NIGHT with which he represented the United States in The International Teatronetto at the Habima Theatre in Israel. San Francisco audiences will remember him from the long-running one-man show R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER: THE HISTORY (AND MYSTERY) OF THE UNIVERSE. His most recent appearances include COMEDY OF ERRORS and HENRY IV at the California Shakespeare Festival. On television Ron has appeared on "Babylon 5, "Hypernauts," "Crusade," and many others. Mr. Campbell has appeared in several films including "The Witches of Eastwick," "Dead Bang," "Spy Hard," "Silhouette," and the independent films "Sinker" and "Farewell to Flander's Field."

Director Mark Routhier is presently the Literary Manager at the Magic Theatre. He founded and was Artistic Director of Mettle Theatre from 1989 to 1999, during which he produced, wrote, directed, designed, and/or acted in 25 productions in Aspen CO, Burlington, VT, Chicago, and San Francisco. His plays Scrap, Jam, Drunken Grownups, They Shall Inherit (formerly A Curious Christmas), and Someguy were produced by Mettle Theatre. Bay Area directing credits include Ionesco's Exit The King with American Citizens' Theatre, Someguy, Drunken Grownups,and Ellen McLaughlin's Iphigenia and Other Daughters with Mettle Theatre, Sam Shepard's Cowboy Mouth with Mostly Grounded Theatre Co., readings of Alice Tuan's Last of the Suns, and Talila Baron's Corpus Delicti for the Magic Theatre.

Founded in 1986, the Encore Theatre Company creates innovative, immediate, and passionate contemporary theatre in intimate settings, and shares a spirited dialogue with its theatre-loving patrons. Originally a showcase for experimental work by alumni and associates of American Conservatory Theater, Encore Theatre Company has claimed its own distinct identity within the Bay Area theatre community. Its sold-out run of I THINK I LIKE GIRLS was declared "bracingly honest, gently confrontational, ruefully funny, and deeply moving" by Robert Hurwitt of the San Francisco Chronicle. Its 2002 production of Adam Bock's FIVE FLIGHTS was extended four times, received the San Francisco Chronicle's highest rating. Encore subsequently produced FIVE FLIGHTS in New York, playing to sold-out houses. Encore Theatre Company produced the World Premiere productions of Adam Rapp's DREAMS OF THE SALTHORSE and Chaire Chafee's DARWIN'S FINCHES. Most recently, Encore Theatre produced the World Premiere of THURSDAY by Adam Bock, and will produce Bock's TYPOGRAPHER'S DREAM in January of 2005.