ROOTED Comes to Cincinnati Playhouse This February

A warm-hearted world-premiere comedy about people, plants and the idiosyncrasies of both opens in the Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre this February. ROOTED, commissioned by the Playhouse and presented with support from the Rosenthal Family, begins in previews Feb. 12 and runs through March 20. (Official opening night is Feb. 17.)

ROOTED is a follow-up to playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer's acclaimed Be Here Now production. It tells the story of the reclusive and eccentric Emery Harris - a botanist who has lived in a treehouse for more than a decade and records her amateur research on YouTube. Unaware that she's gained a large and devoted following due to her reclusive lifestyle, she learns that her YouTube subscribers elected her as their new-age messiah.

"Deborah Laufer returns to the Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre with a quick-witted comedy showcasing her signature balance of comedic dialogue and lovable characters," said Blake Robison, producing artistic director. "Audiences will relate to the entertaining story about living your truth, finding your people and being yourself."

The production features a highly innovative stage design by Se Hyun Oh that brings audiences into Emery's world of plants and botanical experiments. Her treehouse is full of plant life and greenery, built around a giant oak tree that stretches so high characters can only enter if they climb a ladder and enter through a hatch.

The story embodies feelings around isolation that are particularly resonant today," Laufer explained. "Emery has literally put herself up a tree to escape other humans. She's surrounded herself with plants to feel safe. The play is very alive with the longing for connection, the fear of connection and what it takes to truly make that connection." CAST
Tarah Flanagan (Emery Harris), Emily Kratter (Luanne), Tasha Lawrence (Hazel)

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. For patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled, dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.

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