Maryland Ensemble Theatre Presents ELEEMOSYNARY Today

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) is proud to present Lee Blessing's award winning "Eleemosynary". "Eleemosynary" won the prestigious Los Angeles Drama Critics Award in 1997 for its penetrating study of three remarkable women. MET will present the play as part of its MET-X series. MET-X is programming, usually self-produced by Ensemble Members, created outside of MET's Mainstage season to expand the collective horizons of the Ensemble and its audience. "Eleemosynary" will play from today, July 11-12 and July 18-19 at 8pm at Maryland Ensemble Theatre located in the historic FSK Hotel at 31 W Patrick Street in downtown Frederick.

"Eleemosynary" focuses on the lives of a family of three brilliant women. Seventy-five year old Dorothea, her middle-aged daughter, Artie, and her sixteen-year-old granddaughter, Echo. Dorothea, an admitted New Age eccentric, has alienated Artie, not only from herself, but also from her own daughter Echo as well. During the course of the play, Echo tries to connect with her mother and bring them all together as a family. Blessing highlights the human need for connection and forgiveness, and illustrates the tensions that can stress a family to its breaking point.

MET Ensemble Member Tim Seltzer will direct the play. "I first saw the play many years ago in Hartford, CT and fell in love with the characters. It is such a beautiful script that no one can leave the theater unaffected," said Seltzer. Seltzer has previously directed "Reindeer Monologues" for MET and will direct "Twelfth Night" this fall. The cast will feature three very talented women that will be familiar to MET audiences from numerous previous productions. Karli Cole will play the young Echo, Lia Seltzerwill play her mother (Artie) and Allison Duvall will portray the family matriarch, Dorothea.

Playwright, Lee Blessing's best known for his award-winning "A Walk in the Woods", which was nominated for both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize. He is the author of more than twenty other plays including "Chesapeake", "Down The Road", and most recently "Courting Harry". "Eleemosynary" premiered in St. Paul, Minnesota in1985.

The production of "Eleemosynary" at MET will also benefit a worthy cause, "we are donating 100% of our proceeds from the show to Hayden's Heroes, so we hope everyone will come out to see a fantastic show and support a great cause that is very dear to our MET family," said Seltzer. Tim's wife and an actress in the show Lia Seltzer elaborated, "Tim and I have never heard of Histiocytosis, until now, when one of our MET family members is directly affected. Seeing the impact this disease has on the family, and countless families is devastating, and part of that, is the lack of research and understanding. Families suffer because they think that they are alone and don't have any resources to turn to help them understand and share their experiences. We hope to raise money to benefit this charity which was created to raise awareness to this horrible disease." To learn more about Hayden's Heroes please visit haydensheroesmd.org.

Tickets to "Eleemosynary" are $16.50 (includes all ticketing fees) and may be purchased by phone at (301) 694-4744, online at marylandensemble.org, or in person at the MET box office.