Anna Ziegler's ACTUALLY Comes To The Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre

Award-winning American playwright Anna Ziegler's characters will come to life in the thought-provoking production of ACTUALLY in the Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre from March 21 through April 26, with opening night on March 26. This provocative new play finds its finger on the pulse of a generation that's grappling with the deep complexities of gender, race and consent and will inspire audiences to discuss these themes for days to come.

ACTUALLY follows two freshman students at Princeton University, Amber and Tom, who party heavily to cope with mounting pressures until one shared evening of flirting and drinking ends in a sexual encounter that may or may not have been consensual. Before either can fully grasp what actually happened, they're swept up in the nerve-rattling university judicial process that changes the course of both their lives.

Ziegler calls the backdrop of ACTUALLY "hugely important" yet also "beside the point." She writes in an author's note, "The play, to me, not only holds up a mirror to a certain moment in time... but also hopefully speaks to a larger and more timeless question about who we are as men and as women and what forces drive our actions."

ACTUALLY is directed by Cincinnati-based theatre director Bridget Leak, who has worked frequently with local theatres to stage productions that address the subject of sexual violence. The production also features Tyler Fauntleroy as Tom and Remy Zaken as Amber, both of whom are making their debut at the Playhouse.

"As a play about an allegation, Ziegler is not asking us who is right and who is wrong, but how both can be both right and wrong," says Leak. "It is a huge challenge to delicately find that balance and to constantly shift the power between these two actors. I want the audience to really grapple with who they sympathize with. I want them to reflect on their own biases and maybe shift their empathy. I think this 90-minute piece could inspire hours of conversation."

For more information on ACTUALLY, visit cincyplay.com.

CAST: Tyler Fauntleroy (Tom); Remy Zaken (Amber)

PRODUCTION: Anna Ziegler (Playwright); Bridget Leak (Director); Brian Sidney Bembridge (Set and Lighting Designer); Gordon DeVinney (Costume Designer); Kevin L. Alexander (Sound Designer); Stephanie Klapper, CSA (Casting Director); Andrea L. Shell (Stage Manager)

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248 for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf accessibility.

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