PHILADELPHIA, PA, December 9, 2008-How can collapsing companies, massive job losses and corporate malfeasance inspire captivating art? Ask the Rebecca Davis Dance Company, the groundbreaking company whose original interpretations of contemporary issues have captivated audiences with stories from ancient myths to corporate scandals.

In the world premiere of GREED: The Tale of Enron, choreographer and company founder Rebecca Davis brings life to the many facets of the $100 billion rise and fall of the American energy giant Enron, a corporate scandal that foreshadowed today's fiscal crisis. The performance comes to the Prince Music Theatre at 1412 Chestnut Street on Jan. 30-31, 2009.

GREED: The Tale of Enron follows the careers of Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling and other executives including the late Kenneth Lay, Andrew Fastow and Cliff Baxter. Set to edgy contemporary alternative rock, the performance explores the rivalries, ambitions, deceptions, and greed that powered Enron's meteoric ascent. Enron lobbyists ensured the deregulation, triggering years of sky-high mark-to-market “profits” and stock manipulations - until the world demanded the real balance sheet. The resulting turmoil paints a stunning contrast between the poignant scruples and bold avarice behind a debacle whose echoes grow louder in today's economy.

Photo Credit - Bruce Leaycraft

“I'm always looking for the important stories that can be elevated to new awareness through dance performance,” Rebecca Davis says. “Dance and the performing arts can be a powerful instigator for audiences to become more involved in real-life issues, and the lessons of the Enron story are so relevant to everyone's concerns right now.”

As founder and Artistic Director, Rebecca Davis knows firsthand the challenges facing businesses today. The Rebecca Davis Dance Company is a non-profit institution that provides pre-professional dance training and creates ensemble productions of dance-theater works. Now in its third full season, the company is as unique as its founder; Rebecca Davis is a rare professional dancer-choreographer who holds a business degree from the Fox Business School at Temple University and is a Fulbright scholar in ballet choreography in Russia.

GREED not only explores the psyche of the executives responsible for Enron's meltdown, but also speculates on how its fate may have been changed by female leadership - exploring questions of leadership style and loyalty, gender and greed, and more.

For her second full-scale production on the Prince Music Theatre's main stage, Rebecca Davis welcomes back dancers from last spring's DARFUR, including Kyle DuPree of New Jersey and Lauren Putty of Philadelphia. Joining the company for the first time is California native and Julliard graduate Troy Macklin as well as Michigan's Jillian Mitchell. Other new cast members include Cedric Greene, Allison Sale, Charles Russell, Vanessa Wood and Danielle Grimm. Also new is set designer Curtis Coyote. Lighting designer Joshua Shulman is designing his third show for the Company.

Photo Credit - Bruce Leaycraft

GREED: The Tale of Enron comes to the Prince Music Theatre, 1412 Chestnut St., on Friday, January 30th at 8 p.m. and Saturday, January 31st also at 8. Tickets are $25-$30 and are available through the Upstages Box Office now, with a special $20 price available for groups of five or more, or with a Dance Pass. For more information, call 215-569-9700, or visit online www.rebeccadavisdance.com.

THE CAST OF ENRON

The Creative Team
Choreography & Libretto: Rebecca Davis
Set Design & Construction: Curtis Coyote, Twisted Art LLC
Costume Design: Francine Baughman, Janet Connors
Lighting Design: Joshua Schulman
Sound Design: Nick Kourtides
Stage Management: Tim Martin
Graphic Design: Wfour Design

Rebecca Davis - Artistic Director & Choreographer
A Canadian native, Rebecca was classically trained in the Vaganova method of ballet while studying in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Krasnoyarsk. She received a degree in choreography from The Saint Petersburg Conservatory under the tutelage of Nikolai Boyarchikov. Rebecca graduated summa cum laude from Temple University's Fox School of Business and received a Fulbright scholarship to study in Russia. Last summer, she participated in a human rights delegation to Rwanda and has since enrolled in the American Military University's online Masters Degree Program in International Relations. She is a mentee of The Forum of Executive Women in Philadelphia and was a 2008 Leeway Arts & Change Grant recipient.

Neil Hartley - Radio Voiceover
Philadelphia based actor Neill Hartley has appeared with many regional theaters including Arden Theater, InterAct Theatre, and Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival. Neill is the artistic director for Acting Without Boundaries; a theater company that provides theatrical opportunities for physically disabled teens and young adults. He has also directed shows for Philadelphia Young Playwright's, University of the Arts, University of Pennsylvania, Arcadia University, Isis Productions, and Luna Theater. He is an assistant professor of voice and speech at University of the Arts.

Ken Lay

Jeff Skilling

Cliff Baxter

Andy Fastow

Baxter's Child

Baxter's Wife

Rebecca Carter

Rebecca Mark

Enron Employee

Enron Employee

Enron Employee

Radio Voiceover

Rehearsal Director

Understudy