CARRIE Playwright Lawrence D. Cohen Set for Talkback at Beck Center, 3/7

The rave reviews and vivid photographs of Beck Center and Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre Program's production of CARRIE the musical captured the attention of its writer and composer. So much so, playwright Lawrence D. Cohen is traveling to Beck Center on Friday, March 7 to see it for himself. Mr. Cohen will also conduct a post-show talk to share his CARRIE experience. This production is in its final weekend. Show times are 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3:00 p.m. Sunday.

Lawrence D. Cohen and composer Michael Gore reached out to Director Victoria Bussert with a congratulatory note and accolades for her creativity in capturing some of the technical challenges the show presents. Cohen also penned the 1976 screenplay for the Stephen King adaption of Carrie, which was directed by Brian DePalma and starred Sissy Spacek in the title role.

CARRIE the musical is yet another haunting adaptation from the bestselling novel by Stephen King. It tells the gripping tale of misfit, Carrie White. At school, she is an outcast who is bullied by the popular crowd and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she's at the mercy of her loving but cruelly over-protective mother. "It's like nothing that has become before," raved Andrea Simakis of The Plain Dealer. "This one will give you nightmares and break your heart."

Directed by Victoria Bussert, director of Music Theatre at Baldwin Wallace University, CARRIE the musical features BW alumni Katherine DeBoer as Margaret White, an extremely religious and overprotective mother, and Jodi Dominick as Mrs. Gardner, a strict yet caring physical education teacher; as well as an ensemble of twenty talented actors from BW's nationally recognized Music Theatre Program. DeBoer and Dominick appear courtesy of the Actor's Equity Association.

Tickets are $29 for adults, $26 for seniors (65 and older), and $12 for students with a valid I.D. A $3 service fee per ticket will be applied at time of purchase. Group discounts are available. Purchase tickets online at beckcenter.org or call Customer Service at 216.521.2540 x10. Beck Center for the Arts is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

This production of CARRIE the musical is presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com and is sponsored by the residents of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, and the Ohio Arts Council.

Celebrating its 80th anniversary, Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions on two stages, arts education programming for all ages and abilities, including Creative Arts Therapies for individuals with special needs, outreach education, and free gallery exhibits featuring local, regional, and international artists.

Photo by Walter McBride