Young Professionals Event at Westport Country Playhouse Set for 5/17

Westport Country Playhouse will launch "InteraCT: Playhouse Young Professionals," where patrons under 40 can network, socialize and attend a performance, beginning on Thursday, May 17, and continuing on selected evenings throughout the 2012 season.

The evening will feature a pre-show party at 6:30 p.m., complete with light appetizers, a beer tasting courtesy of Beaver Beer, music and door prizes, followed by a performance at 8 p.m. of the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical, "Into the Woods," the multiple Tony Award-winning musical that takes the audience to a beguiling place inspired by the Grimm fairy tales. The production is directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, and co-produced with Baltimore's CENTERSTAGE.

"I am thrilled to be launching InteraCT with our 2012 Season," said Jen McCool, Playhouse community engagement coordinator. "We want to provide an opportunity for local young professionals to socialize and network while fostering a deeper connection to our community through The Playhouse."

Upcoming "InteraCT: Playhouse Young Professionals" evenings are scheduled for Thursday, June 28, in conjunction with a performance of "The Year of Magical Thinking," based on the National Book Award Winner by Joan Didion, directed by Nicholas Martin and featuring Maureen Anderman; Thursday, August 2 for Molière's "Tartuffe," a funny and wise farce, translated by Richard Wilbur, directed by David Kennedy; Thursday, September 13 for the world premiere of "Harbor," a comedy about a dysfunctional, loving family, by Chad Beguelin, directed by Mark Lamos; and Friday, October 19 for "A Raisin in the Sun," the timeless classic about a black family in 1950s Southside Chicago and their quest for a piece of the American Dream, by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Phylicia Rashad.

Single tickets for "InteraCT: Playhouse Young Professionals" are $35 each. Twitter followers can join the conversation about "Into the Woods" by using hashtag #CSWCPWOODS. The production runs May 1 – 26.

"Into the Woods" Corporate Partners are BNY Mellon and Northwest Mutual-Bender Financial Group; Production Sponsors are Barbara and John Samuelson and Helen Lee Henderson; Production Partners are Sandra and Neil DeFeo.

For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to The Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse) or get an insider's peek on The Playhouse Blog (www.theplayhouseblog.org).