A Contemporary Theatre Premieres Lewis Black's ONE SLIGHT HITCH, 6/8-7/8

Comedian and commentator Lewis Black shows off his playwriting prowess with ACT – A Contemporary Theatre's production of the wedding day comedy One Slight Hitch. The play is the West Coast debut of a new work by Black, who is not only a Comedy Central regular and a contributor to the award winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but also a stand-up performer and studied playwright.

Life in suburban Cincinnati circa 1981 is good for Doc and Delia Coleman on the morning they plan to throw their eldest daughter the lavish wedding they never had, until her ex shows up and begins to wreak glorious havoc on the big day. A zany, door-slamming farce, One Slight Hitch delivers a riotous and strangely romantic ride through the deconstruction of one family's equilibrium.

"This is definitely a comedy for the summer season," says Artistic Director Kurt Beattie, "with so many of us rushing to and from weddings this time of year, it's nice to sit back and laugh about it from the outside instead. Lewis Black has been under the radar in theatre circles since his days at Yale Drama, but we're thrilled to show off his play with a great Seattle cast."

Director Joe Grifasi who directed the critically acclaimed run at Williamstown Theatre Festival will be at the helm with a fresh group of local actors. The cast includes rising star Kimberley Sustad, most recently seen at ACT in the award winning Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World and on television debuting in J.J. Abrams new drama Alcatraz on Fox. Seattle favorites R. Hamilton Wright and Marianne Owen pair up as the bride's hilarious parents. Kirsten Potter of Seattle Repertory Theatre's Or, plays the oft-inebriated older sister.

Cast (Alphabetical Order): Katherine Grant-Suttie P.B. Coleman, *Marianne Owen Delia Coleman, *Kirsten Potter Melanie Coleman, Kimberley Sustad Courtney Coleman, *Shawn Telford Ryan, *John Ulman Harper and *R. Hamilton Wright Doc Coleman

Creative Team: Joe Grifasi Director, Robert Dahlstrom Scenic Designer, Susan Hilferty Costume Designer, Cathy Hunt Costume Designer, Rick Paulsen Lighting Designer, Brendan Patrick Hogan Sound Designer, Ruth Eitemiller Production Assistant and *JR Welden Stage Manager

*Members of Actors' Equity Association

TICKETS: Now on sale: (206) 292-7676 or www.acttheatre.org. Members of Teen Tix: $5; Adults: Single tickets $37.50 - $55; Students: $15; People 25 & under: $20;Seniors: 25% off adult ticket price. Available to ACTPass holders. Pay-what-you-will: Every day, day of show (in person, starting at 1:00pm). Prices fluctuate based on demand. Artists subject to change.

FULL DATES AND SCHEDULE: Friday, June 8, 8:00pm (previews begin), Saturday, June 9, 8:00pm, Sunday, June 10, 7:30pm, Tuesday, June 12, 7:30pm (Behind the Scenes, 6:00pm), Wednesday, June 13, 7:30pm, Thursday, June 14, 7:30pm OPENING NIGHT, Friday, June 15, 8:00pm, Saturday, June 16, 2:00pm and 8:00pm, Sunday, June 17, 2:00pm and 7:00pm, Tuesday, June 19, 7:30pm (Post-show discussion), Wednesday, June 20, 7:30pm, Thursday, June 21, 2:00pm and 7:30pm, Friday, June 22, 8:00pm (Tastings event at 6:30pm), Saturday, June 23, 8:00pm, Sunday, June 24, 2:00pm and 7:00pm (Post-matinee discussion), Tuesday, June 26, 7:30pm, Wednesday, June 27, 7:30pm, Thursday, June 28, 7:30pm, Friday, June 29, 8:00pm, Saturday, June 30, 2:00pm and 8:00pm, Sunday, July 1, 2:00pm and 7:00pm (Post-matinee discussion), No shows July 3, and July 4, Thursday, July 5, 7:30pm, Friday, July 6, 8:00pm, Saturday, July 7, 2:00pm and 8:00pm and Sunday, July 8, 2:00pm - Closing Performance.

ACT presents An Evening with Lewis Black - May 16, 2012 at The Bullitt Cabaret

Join ACT for a fun-filled night with Lewis Black. Host Luke Burbank, from KIRO's The Ross & Burbank Show, and Mr. Black will discuss the finer points of creating a comedic career, politics, and the making of One Slight Hitch - the summer's hot ticket on ACT's Mainstage. A fundraiser for ACT Theatre. Seating is extremely limited to this exclusive engagement. $100 per ticket and includes drinks and light snacks.

ACT also presents BEHIND THE SCENES, Tuesday June 12 6:00pm, a pre-show behind the scenes chat, and POST PLAY DISCUSSIONS, June 19, June 24, July 1. Stick around and participate in a post-show discussion with the director and actors.

Located in the heart of downtown Seattle and serving a population of curious, open-minded, and brave audiences, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is the only theatre in Seattle dedicated to producing contemporary work with promising playwrights and local performing artists since 1965. A theatre of new ideas, ACT serves as a cultural engine that makes plays, dance, music, and film that touch us through its annual Mainstage play series and new works generated from the Young Playwrights Program, The Hansberry Project, the Central Heating Lab, and New Works for the American Stage commissioning program. Because contemporary life demands examination, ACT is driven to inspire and strengthen our diverse community through works that advance our understanding of human life. With more than 120,000 people who attend shows annually, ACT is an interactive community where artists and the public witness, contemplate, and engage in dialogue on today's thought-provoking issues, ideas and art, presented with intelligence, insight, and humor.

Photo credit: Clay McBride