The Rogers Center for the Arts has hosted such renowned playwrights as Pulitzer Prize recipients Paula Vogel and John Patrick Shanley in recent years but Lang is likely to be the first recognizable on-screen face for many theater-goers.
“So we do have a history of bringing nationally known artists to the campus but this is the first Hollywood name,” said the Rev. Richard Piatt, OSA, associate professor of practice in theater and director of the Rogers Center. “This is the first face recognition.”
That recognition, on top of raising the Rogers Center’s already strong reputation as an entertainment venue, is also expected to bring in a wider audience to the theater. Advance ticket sales have been strong.
Lang may be best known for his turn as the character Col. Miles Quaritch in “Avatar,” but has also starred in many other movies, including “Tombstone” as Ike Clanton in 1993, “Gods and Generals” with Robert Duvall and Jeff Daniels in 2003, and “The Men Who Stare at Goats” with George Clooney in 2009. His television credits date to 1981 when he appeared in the made-for-TV movie “We’re Fighting Back.” He’s also appeared on the small screen for “The Fugitive,” “Law and Order” and the mini-series “The Bronx is Burning.”
Lang has been touring with “Beyond Glory” between filming movies since 2007.
Merrimack College is an appropriate stop for the show since the school was founded for veterans returning from World War II, Piatt agreed.
“This performance is a perfect fit for Merrimack,” he said. “We are thrilled to be able to host Mr. Lang and this powerful production with the college and local communities.”
Tickets are available either online at merrimack.edu/rogers or by telephone at (978) 837-5355
