(CHESTER, Mass.) – J.T. Rogers’ haunting mystery “Madagascar” opens the 25th anniversary season at Chester Theatre Company, running Wednesday, June 25, through Sunday, July 6, 2014, at the Chester Town Hall. The production stars Debra Jo Rupp and Kim Stauffer.

Madagascar tells the story of three Americans who find themselves alone, in the same hotel room overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome at three different periods in time. June (played by Stauffer), a young woman who works as a tour guide of the city’s ancient ruins; Lilian (played by Rupp), her wealthy and elegant jet-setting mother; and Nathan, a rumpled university economist and the best friend of Lilian’s famous, deceased husband. As they each tell their individual tale, their relationships to each other, the meaning of this room and why they have been called to it is revealed. Their stories weave back and forth in time — each contradicting, clarifying, deepening what the others say — as they attempt to discover the truth: why did the young man disappear? What responsibility do they bear for his vanishing?

“At the heart of this play is the fascinating idea that we are all mysteries, foreign and exotic countries, to each other,” said Byam Stevens, CTC’s Artistic Director. “No matter how much time you spend with someone, that person is, on some level, unknowable. That unknowablity, the capacity to surprise us, is both the greatest joy and the deepest sorrow. J.T. Rogers builds a rich, heartfelt drama around this truth that everyone of us experiences every day.”

Madagascar will be directed by former CTC Associate Artistic Director James Warwick (The Retreat From Moscow, Duet for One, Skylight). Warwick returns to Western Massachusetts after heading the Los Angeles Campus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

In addition to their work at CTC, area audiences will recognize Debra Jo Rupp and Kim Stauffer from their recent hit shows – Rupp in Dr. Ruth, All the Way at Barrington Stage Company and Stauffer in Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight at WAM Theatre.

Tickets are available on CTC’s website: Chester Theatre Company, or by phone at 1­800­595­4TIX. To receive a brochure, contact the CTC office at 413­354­7770. CTC performances take place at Chester’s Historic Town Hall, 15 Middlefield Road, Chester, MA. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00pm, with matinees Thursdays and Sundays at 2:00pm. There will be no performance on July 4th. Tickets are $30 for weekday performances (Wed­Fri), $35 for weekend (Sat & Sun). Student, Chester Resident, and Saturday Night Rush tickets available; group rates for 10 or more are also available. For further information visit CTC’s website at: Chester Theatre Company.

Chester Theatre Company, a professional theatre company located in the foothills of the Berkshires, produces 4 plays each summer, performed by top­flight actors, directors and designers from across the country. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Byam Stevens, CTC has earned a reputation for producing the best in contemporary theatre — ­­ 17 CTC productions have gone on to Off Broadway, regional, national, and international engagements in the last 17 years.