Cincinnati Playhouse Presents THE UNDERSTUDY 9/18-10/17

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will open its Thompson Shelterhouse 2010 - 2011 season with Cincinnati native Theresa Rebeck's THE UNDERSTUDY. This bitingly witty and entertaining look behind the scenes of the acting world begins previews on September 18 and continues through October 17.

The understudy gets no respect. The stressed-out stage manager wants him fired. The part he wants is being played by a second-tier action movie star (paid only $2.3 million per picture!) trying to be a "real actor." Their madcap rehearsal exposes all that's brilliant and ridiculous about what really goes on backstage.

Theresa Rebeck's plays have been produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally and internationally and include BAD DATES, MAURITIUS, THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTION, VIEW OF THE DOME, THE FAMILY OF MANN, LOOSE KNIT and SPIKE HEELS as well as OMNIUM GATHERUM, which premiered as part of the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She is also well known for her writing for television, including shows such as HARRIET THE SPY, DREAM ON, BROOKLYN BRIDGE and NYPD BLUE, for which she received WGA, Edgar and Peabody Awards. She is also the author of two novels: Three Girls and Their Brother, which won the prestigious ALA Alex Award in 2008; and Twelve Rooms With A View, which was published this spring.

The cast for THE UNDERSTUDY includes R. Ward Duffy (Othello) as Jake; Kelly Hutchinson (The Last Night of Ballyhoo) as Roxanne; and David Christopher Wells as Harry.

THE UNDERSTUDY is directed by Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Michael Evan Haney. According to Haney, "The Understudy is a wickedly funny look at the clash between the art and business of theatre.

"Although this play is about the theatre and specifically about an understudy rehearsal, I believe it is universal... It is entertainment in the best sense of the word. It makes us laugh and think and feel at the same time."

Other members of the production team include Kevin Rigdon (Set/Lighting Designer), Gordon DeVinney (Costume Designer) and Chuck Hatcher (Sound Designer). The Stage Manager is Andrea L. Shell.

Prices for THE UNDERSTUDY range from $25-$67, depending on day and seat location. New this year, $25 preview performances have been added for the Shelterhouse Theatre (side B) at 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 18; 7 p.m. Sunday, September 19; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 21; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 22. In addition, $30 tickets on weekdays and $35 on weekends are also available in side B. The official opening night is Thursday, September 23 at 8 p.m.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets to THE UNDERSTUDY are on sale now. For more information, call The Playhouse box office at 513/421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800/582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513/345-2248 for TDD accessibility.

The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair access are available.

The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to the Fine Arts Fund.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund The Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.