A New Holiday Play
“The 4th Wise Man” Debuts at Studio Arena Theatre
 Just in time for the holidays comes a new play from the pen of acclaimed television writer and producer Tom Fontana and Studio Arena artistic director Kathleen Gaffney.
Studio Arena Theatre will present the world premiere of “The 4th Wise Man”, written by Kathleen Gaffney, Studio Arena Theatre’s artistic director and chief executive officer, and Tom Fontana, an accomplished television writer and producer. Based on a story inspired by the original Christmas story, the play is timed perfectly for the holiday season. “The 4th Wise Man” begins previews on Friday, November 24, 2006 and runs through Sunday, December 23, 2006.
In “The 4th Wise Man”, Artaban, a prominent magi, sells his fortune and sets off to find the Messiah, aided by his wise-cracking servant Orontes. He dreams of presenting his three precious gifts to Jesus, but is repeatedly delayed when he stops to use his gifts to help the needy along the way. Over the course of the play Artaban’s journey lasts 33 years, and he worries he will have nothing left to give when he meets the Lord, but learns he has always possessed the greatest gift of all.
The play is adapted from a teleplay written by Fontana that appeared as a television movie in 1985. Fontana’s production was based on a short story entitled “The Other Wise Man”, written in 1896 by Henry Van Dyke, an American author, educator and clergyman.
“The message is timeless,” said Fontana. “It is a parable about putting the needs of others ahead of ourselves, about learning to find God in unfamiliar faces and about the endurance of the human spirit.” Fontana and Gaffney, friends since their college days as classmates at Buffalo State College, worked together to create the play, which incorporates many unique elements.
For more information, visit www.studioarena.org
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