ACCIDENTAL RAPTURE Plays 16th Street Theater, Beginning 1/12/12

Why wait until December 21, 2012? 16th Street starts its 2012 Season with the end of times. Eric Pfeffinger's ACCIDENTAL RAPTURE, a comedy about faith, friendship and the end of the world plays January 12 - February 18, 2012 at 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn, with a press opening of Thursday, January 19 at 7:30 PM. Directed by Kevin Christopher Fox. Accidental Rapture is the first offering in 16th Street's Season Five 2012: Love, Faith and the Unknown.

A lot has happened in the ten years since Amy, Paul and Richard were in grad school together. Amy and Paul got married and became academics; Richard also found a wife, a new job selling Christian merchandise, and a new life serving God. So Amy's not really looking forward to spending an awkward weekend at Richard's house. Will Richard's born-again wife object to Amy's feminism? Will Amy and Paul's daughter get brainwashed by their God-fearing hosts? And can Amy keep herself from cursing for forty-eight hours?

Of course things just get worse when the world ends.

Featuring Associate Artist Stephanie Diaz (just seen in Lookingglass' The Great Fire), along with Rob Fagin (seen in David Cromer's Our Town and Picnic), Niall McGinty, Erin Myers, Laura Shatkus and Catherine Stegemann (from Heddatron) as 12-year-old Greta. With designs by Associate Artists Barry Bennett (Sound - Jeff Nomination Hickorydickory), Kurt Sharp (Scenic) and Mac Vaughey (Lights) with Sarah Ross and Emily Waecker.

Accidental Rapture premiered in Chicago in 2003 with Visions and Voices Theatre Company. "Eric Pfeffinger's remarkable new play is a revelation in more ways than one. This is the most promising Chicago premiere by an unknown playwright since Rebecca Gilman's "The Glory of Living" at the Circle Theatre years ago," wrote Chris Jones in the Chicago Tribune.

"I have always been a big fan of Eric's writing and this seemed like the perfect time to bring Rapture to 16th Street," said Artistic Director Ann Filmer. "While we lived through two more failed rapture predictions in 2011 alone, we still have the end of the Mayan calendar to get past. Americans and capitalism both love fear, and our great cultural divide only seems to widen by the day. But Eric Pfeffinger keeps us laughing all the way to the end, while surprising us with questions of faith and belief."

TO PURCHASE TICKETS:

Online – www.16thstreettheater.org

By Phone – (708) 795-6704

In Person – at North Berwyn Park District, 1619 Wesley Ave., Berwyn

HOW MUCH:

General Admission: $18

Group Tickets $13 for 8+

Student Rush Tickets (available day of show only): $10