33 VARIATIONS Set for DM Playhouse's Play Reading Series, 10/6

The Des Moines Community Playhouse play reading series presents Moisés Kaufman's "33 Variations," 7:00 PM, Monday, Oct. 6. The evening is free; beverages will be available for purchase.

"33 Variations" follows Katherine Brandt, a Beethoven scholar, as she obsessively attempts to solve the genius' greatest mystery, the motivation behind Beethoven's "Diabelli Variations," a series of 33 variations on an ordinary waltz by a composer he felt was beneath him, all while her own life rumbles around her. In a journey that spans 200 years, "33 Variations" is a sublime waltz between past and present, fact and speculation, art and life, mother and daughter.

"33 Variations" is directed by Elsa Klein with music direction by Meredith Toebben. The cast includes Sean Bates, Darca Boom, Mary Bricker, Claire Guderjahn, Hannah Schnucker, Joe Smith, and Jodi Stanfield.

The Playhouse play reading series is held one night each month on the stage in the theatre's upper lobby. Actors read from scripts; there are no costumes or scenery pieces. The goal of the play reading series is to offer audiences and volunteers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with upcoming productions, as well as offer insight into new scripts and possible titles to be mounted in the future.

Upcoming titles in the 2014-15 Play Reading Series Season include "Detroit" by Lisa D'Amour, Nov. 3; "The Mother With the Hat" by Stephen Adly Guirgis, Dec. 1; and "Love and Information" by Caryl Churchill, Jan. 5, 2015.

The Playhouse is Iowa's oldest and largest producing theatre. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

For more information about the Playhouse and the script reading series, contact the Playhouse ticket office at 515-277-6261.