Vincent Kartheiser, most famous for his role as Pete Campbell in TV hit Mad Men, will star in the San Jose Repertory production of “The Death of the Novel,” a new play by Jonathan Marc Feldman.
After wrapping up Season 5 of Mad Men on AMC, Kartheiser is focusing on his lead role in the play as Sebastian, a young and brilliant novelist who is coping with a great personal loss in the aftermath of September 11, 2011.
This is a change of pace for Kartheiser, who plays crafty, ambitious ad guy Campbell on Mad Men. In “The Death of a Novel,” Sebastian achieves extreme success with a novel written about the events of 9/11, but struggles to keep his faith in the world and himself.
Sebastian has stopped writing and hasn’t left his Manhattan apartment in two years when a mysterious and beautiful stranger intrudes, revealing her own intriguing stories. Sebastian questions if she is yet another fan of his work or something else entirely. This play explores what it takes to survive in a dangerous and unpredictable world and how to find the strength to create again.
The opening production for the 2012-13 season, directed by San Jose Repertory Artistic Director Rick Lombardo, will run Aug. 30 to Sept. 23.
Kartheiser discusses the role here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6j8n-mRaAI&feature=youtu.be