Photo Flash: First Look at Kitchen Theatre's LONELY PLANET

Following the wildly successful world premiere of The House, which rang in the 24th season, Kitchen Theatre Company is pleased to offer Steven Dietz's powerful and moving Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet tells the story of two friends, Jody and Carl, who use their wit and sense of absurdity to negotiate the turbulent world at the height of the AIDS crisis. Lonely Planet is currently in previews, with an opening night set for tomorrow, October 18. The play runs until November 2. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Carl and Jody are close friends but very different from one another. Carl, a chameleon of a man, tells stories about his life, claiming variously to be an art restorer, a tabloid journalist, a plant waterer, or an auto glass replacer; he is a ball of energy exploding constantly. Jody, Carl's best friend, is the opposite. He has retreated from the upheaval outside, preferring to ponder the Greenland problem inside his map store. Each day, Carl charges into their intimate, fabricated world at full throttle, challenging Jody to keep up and play along until reality becomes unavoidably real.

Karl Gregory returns to Kitchen Theatre Company in the role of Carl. Gregory has picked up quite a fan base through his years with the Kitchen, and everyone is happy to have him back. Gregory last graced the Kitchen's stage last season in From White Plains. Lonely Planet will mark Gregory's 14th production with Kitchen Theatre Company, including such memorable productions as Gutenberg! The Musical!, Fully Committed, and The SantaLand Diaries. Nat DeWolf joins the Kitchen for the first time in the role of Jody. DeWolf performed on Broadway in Take Me Out (The Public Theater) and Betty's Summer Vacation (Playwrights Horizons). He also co- wrote and starred in the film Lisa Picard is Famous, featured in the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Leading the creative team as director is none other than Kitchen Theatre Company artistic director, Rachel Lampert (Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Opus, Broke-ology, Red Light Winter, The Mystery of Irma Vep, Mary's Wedding, Gutenberg! The Musical!, and many more). Tyler M. Perry returns as lighting designer (The House, Venus in Fur, Opus, What I Thought I Knew, and many others) and Kent Goetz as set designer (Heroes, Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune, Red Light Winter, Private Lives, Chesapeake, and others). Hunter Kaczorowski debuts at the Kitchen as costume designer and Scott O'Brien is sound designer. The Production Stage Manager is Jennifer Schilansky. Lonely Planet is underwritten by C.S.P. Management, and the media sponsor is Syracuse New Times.

Performances play the Kitchen Theatre Company 417 W. State/MLK, Jr. St. Ithaca, NY 14850. For tickets, call Kitchen Theatre Company's ticket line at 607-272-0570 (Monday-Friday 12- 6pm, Saturday-Sunday 12-4pm) or buy online at www.kitchentheatre.org. Previews: $27; Regular performances: $34 adult, $31 senior; Opening Night: $37 adult, $34 senior; Thursday Matinee: $24; Students (with ID): $28; Student Rush (available 30 minutes before the performance): $15.

Photo Credit: Dave Burbank