Cleveland Playhouse Welcomes Fresh In A CHRISTMAS STORY 11/27-12/20

New actors in the roles of young Ralphie and adult Ralph lead the cast in the fifth and final production of A Christmas Story at The Cleveland Play House. The stage adaptation of this family-friendly holiday classic opens on the Bolton Theatre at The Cleveland Play House on Friday, November 27 and runs through Sunday, December 20, 2009. Tickets are available now at The Cleveland Play House box office by calling 216.795.7000 ext 4 or going online to www.clevelandplayhouse.com. A Christmas Story is presented in sponsorship with Continental Airlines and Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. The official media sponsor of A Christmas Story is WEWS TV5.

Cleveland Play House Associate Artistic Director Seth Gordon will take the helm for the fifth year in directing A Christmas Story. "A Christmas Story is wonderful family-oriented entertainment. It's based on the film, so of course it has all of the wonderful scenes you remember the most, but the big difference is that the film features a disembodied voice as narrator and the play has a living person as grownup Ralph who recalls all the events of the play. So while the film is about a young boy who desires a BB Gun for Christmas, our play is about a man who remembers when this happened. I think it makes the play a more meaningful experience, in addition to being great fun."

Of the 13-person cast (including two understudies), eight are newcomers to the production. Those returning to The Play House this year are Oliva Doria (Esther Jane), Charles Kartali (The Old Man), Joey Stefanko (Ralphie; he was Flick last season) and Elizabeth Ann Townsend (Mother).

ABOUT THE PLAY and PLAYWRIGHT

Humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the Midwest in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his seemingly impossible dream of getting a genuine Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. The stories in his book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash were later used as the basis for the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, filmed partially in Cleveland. In the year 2000, an authorized stage play adaptation was written by Philip Grecian, based on the motion picture written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark.

Christmas is a time of great expectations, especially through the eyes of a child. For Ralphie Parker, that great expectation is a genuine Red Ryder 200 Shot Carbine Action Air Rifle. No self-respecting cowboy would be without one. Unfortunately, his mom, teacher and even the Santa Claus toiling away at Higbee's Department Store share the same reaction to his Christmas wish: "You'll shoot your eye out!" Like the movie, the play is narrated by the adult Ralph Parker who weaves together tales from his family, school and a visit with Santa. All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family's temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys' experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring; Ralphie's father winning a "major award"; and much more. This classic holiday comedy is suitable for ages 5 and up.

A CHRISTMAS STORY Cast:

Christopher Burns (Ralph) appeared in the London production and United States tour of Stones in His Pockets. New York credits include Leduc in Incident at Vichy, Samuel Beckett Theatre; Stan in the world premiere of middlemen at Walkerspace; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (understudy), Longacre Theatre; A Question of Mercy, New York Theatre Workshop; and others including Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, Studio Tisch, Century Center, Homegrown Theatre, Abingdon Theatre Company, Melting Pot Theatre Company, and Common Ground. Extensive regional credits include Broadway at Duke University, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Dallas Theater Center, Intiman Theatre, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, and Westport Country Playhouse. Film and Television work includes the upcoming HBO movie You Don't Know Jack with Al Pacino, "Kings," "Rescue Me," "Law and Order," "Law and Order Special Victims Unit," "Guiding Light," and "All My Children." Mr. Burns holds a Master of Fine Arts, New York University.

OLIVIA CHAN (understudy) a fifth-grade student at Leighton Elementary School in Aurora, has from a very young age modeled and appeared in numerous print ads, commercials, and video works. She has studied piano and violin for five years and received multiple awards for her musical talents. Olivia additionally loves dancing and engages in competitive dance. This past summer she won first place overall and platinum in Nexstar National Competition. In her busy schedule Olivia also enjoys swimming, drawing, reading, and writing.

OLIVIA DORIA (Esther Jane) returns to The Cleveland Play House after playing Esther Jane in last season's Play House production of A Christmas Story; she previously portrayed Esther Jane in A Christmas Story for Magical Theatre Company in Barberton, Ohio. Olivia was one of the original children on Akron Public Broadcasting's "Ask Gilby Show." She enjoys both dramatic and musical performances having performed in The Prince and the Pauper, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, and Madeline and the Gypsies. At Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, where Olivia attends the seventh-grade, she is a winning playwright and directed the sixth-grade movie. She is a member of the Miller South Commedia dell' Arte Troupe and recently performed with the Troupe at the University of Akron. In addition, she is a National Junior Honor Student, on student council, and treasurer of the Junior Thespians.

CHRISTIAN FLAHERTY (Flick) Beginning with Near West Theatre's 2007 production of Beauty and The Beast in the role of Chip, Christian's experience has grown to include lead roles in The Who's Tommy as Tommy 10 and JoJo in Suessical, the Musical as well as ensemble roles in Finian's Rainbow and Once on This Island. For Near West's annual benefit he reprised his performances on The PlayhouseSquare stage and at the re-opening of the Capitol Theatre, the movie theater in Gordon Square. Doing community theater, video, radio, and film all over Cleveland led to a memorable and acclaimed performance in last season's co-production between Karamu House and Dobama Theatre of Caroline, or Change in which he played Tony Kushner's autobiographical character Noah Gelman. The role was a challenge due partly to an operatic style and blending of Klezmer, Gospel, and Doo-wop. This Ohio premiere leaves a noteworthy mark on his resume and is his favorite role to date.

KOLE SELZNICK HOFFMAN (Schwartz) is 12 years old and in the sixth grade at Hawken School. He enjoys being with friends, playing the saxophone, playing video games, acting (of course!), singing, and dancing; and playing football, basketball, and baseball. He performs at a local theater group called Stagecrafters and has been in many community production musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Peter Pan. He also takes voice and acting classes at Stagecrafters and Improv lessons with an acting group named Reel Movie Kids; he has performed in many short sketches that appear on the Reel Movie Kids' website. Kole lives in Moreland Hills, Ohio.

CHARLES KARTALI (The Old Man) makes his fifth appearance as The Old Man in A Christmas Story at The Cleveland Play House, where he portrayed the roles of Christopher Trumbo in Trumbo, Mitch Albom in Tuesdays with Morrie, and will perform in Bill W. and Dr. Bob in April and May of 2010. Mr. Kartali was a participant in The Play House's FusionFest from 2006 through 2009. He also recently appeared as Shmuel Berger in Pangs of the Messiah, Aaron Greenman in Cleveland Heights, and Eric Weiss in Brooklyn Boy; all produced by The Mandel Jewish Community Center. Other favorite Cleveland work includes The Price and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune at Ensemble Theatre; A Bright Room Called Day at Cleveland Public Theatre; The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? at Dobama Theatre; and Awake and Sing at the Halle Theatre. Film and television includes High Spirits and "Lost Subs."

COURTNEY ANNE NELSON (Helen) last appeared at The Cleveland Play House in the 2008-2009 world premiere production of Lee Blessing's Heaven's My Destination. She also participated in Play House FusionFest readings of Heaven's My Destination and Solomon's Blade. Recent credits include Fiddler on the Roof as Sprintze, The Beck Center for the Arts; Annie Get Your Gun as Nellie, Porthouse Theatre; Into the Woods as Little Red Riding Hood, Fairmount Performing Arts Conservatory; Jane Eyre as Young Jane, Kent State University; A Christmas Carol as Skate Girl and Tiny Tim (for two seasons), Great Lakes Theater Festival; Children of Eden as Young Abel, Weathervane Playhouse; Music Man as Gracie Shinn, Porthouse Theatre; and Honk as Beaky, Mercury Summer Stock. Courtney studies theater at The Beck Center for the Arts and studies Conchetti Ballet and Tap dance at Above the Barre. Other interests include piano, reading, and math. Courtney is 11 years old and in the sixth grade.

DANIEL SOVICH (Scut Farkas) recently performed at Aurora Community Theater as a member of the children's chorus in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He also played Shelby in There's a Monster in My Closet at Harmon Middle School. Daniel spent a week in New York City this past summer at the Broadway Artist Alliance performing arts school. In addition he studies voice and has danced at Keithe Williams Performing Arts Academy in Streetsboro, Ohio. His first love is musical theater; however, he also enjoys playing the piano and running in local footraces. Daniel is a seventh-grade student at Harmon Middle School in Aurora, Ohio.

JOEY STEFANKO (Ralphie) a fifth-grade student at Cuyahoga Heights Elementary School, returns to The Cleveland Play House for the third time after playing the roles of Randy and Flick respectively for the past two seasons of A Christmas Story. He has also appeared in Pippin at Cain Park; as well as Cassidy Theatre mainstage productions Assassins and Godspell and Cassidy Youth Theatre productions Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, Jack and the Beanstalk, Babes in Toyland, Alice in Wonderland, and summer drama camp show; plus Independence Community Theater main stage productions Nuncrackers and Flashback. He was a member of the 2005-2006 Radio Disney Pop Squad and a 2006 and 2009 PlayhouseSquare Rising Star Vocal Competition Semi-Finalist. He attended Destination Broadway, an intensive musical theater workshop in New York City; Fairmont Performing Arts Conservatory Professional Theater Workshop; and currently studies tap, voice, piano, viola, and saxophone.

MATTHEW TAYLOR (Randy) is a second grade student at Strausser Elementary School in Jackson Township, Ohio. He enthusiastically approaches anything that allows him to create, including cooking/baking, drawing, dancing, and making people laugh through his performances! At age six he auditioned for the Academy of Cinema and Television's Cleveland Satellite program. Since completing the year-long program, Matthew was accepted as a featured extra in Facing the Truth, a short film by Peter Fields. A Christmas Story is his first theater performance.

ELIZABETH ANN TOWNSEND (Mother) played the female roles in the staged reading of The Will to Art during The Cleveland Play House's FusionFest 2008 and is making her fifth appearance as Mother in The Play House's A Christmas Story this season. A favorite role was her recent portrayal of Gwendolyn Pigeon in The Odd Couple, Porthouse Theatre. Selected additional Cleveland area credits include the world premiere of Keith Reddin's Cleveland Heights: A Playwright's Diary, Mandel Jewish Community Center; Hay Fever, Great Lakes Theater Festival; Our Town and Peter Pan, Porthouse Theatre; Talley's Folley, Ensemble Theatre; The Exonerated, Dobama Theatre; and Agnes of God and Boy Gets Girl, The Beck Center for the Arts. Regional performances include world premieres of Leaving Iowa, Hope for Corky, and Completing Dahlia for Purple Rose Theatre Company. Film and television: "The Sopranos," "Law and Order," and Jeff Daniels' film Super Sucker. Ms. Townsend worked in New York City appearing in theater, television, and national network commercials.

THOMAS WEIL (male understudy) is presently a fourth grade student at Saint Ann's School in Cleveland Heights. He most recently was in the 2009 Beachwood Community Theater production of A Boy Called Pinocchio. Thomas moved to Cleveland from Bethesda, Maryland. He enjoys football, baseball, and reading.

A CHRISTMAS STORY Creative Team:

PHILIP GRECIAN (Adaptation) began his "show business" career at the age of four as a ventriloquist and a magician. He received his professional debut with Creede Colorado Repertory Theatre, and he continues to maintain a connection with that theatre as a playwright and a guest performer. He spent six seasons as artistic/managing director and resident playwright for a theatre company he founded at the age of 16, and, in 1976, he left the company to create a professional dinner theatre, serving as producer and artistic director. He then shifted his career to the film, video, and audio production industry. In 1994, he became founding director/playwright for I.H.S. Productions, Inc., which annually produces his stage adaptation of In His Steps, based on the Charles Sheldon novel. Other works include Dickens's A Christmas Carol, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Dragon of Nitt, Lion and the Lyre (translated and performed in Russia), Little Pills (based on Moliere's Imaginary Invalid), Toby Saves The Farm, and a translation of Mozart's The Magic Flute. Mr. Grecian has also adapted many novels and films into plays for staged radio dramatization, including Dracula!, Frankenstein, Twisted Tales of Poe, The Blood Countess, and It's a Wonderful Life.

SETH GORDON (Director) is associate artistic director of The Cleveland Play House, where he produces FusionFest, runs the Playwrights' Unit, and assists with season planning. Mr. Gordon directed Play House productions of Dinner with Friends, Proof, Forest City (world premiere), Vincent in Brixton, Tuesdays with Morrie, A Christmas Story, The Wind in the Willows (Play House Theater for Children series), RFK, Of Mice and Men, Ferdinand the Bull (Theater for Children series), The Chosen, Doubt, The Lady with All the Answers and Inherit the Wind. He served as associate producer of Primary Stages in New York City, where he produced and/or directed countless productions, workshops, and readings of new plays by America's leading playwrights. Here in Cleveland Mr. Gordon has directed for Dobama Theatre, The Beck Center for the Arts, and Cleveland Shakespeare Festival. He directed the Arabic premiere of Our Town at el-Hanager Theatre in Cairo, Egypt. Mr. Gordon has directed at many New York theaters, including Ensemble Studio Theatre and Theatre for the New City; and directed and lectured at various universities, including Case Western Reserve University. He received the Northern Ohio Live Award for Excellence in Theatre in 2004 and 2006.

The design team for A Christmas Story includes Michael Ganio (Scenic Designer), David Kay Mickelson (Costume Design), Richard Winkler (Lighting Designer) and James C. Swonger (Sound Design). The Cleveland Play House's Production Staff is responsible for the sets, costumes, lighting, props, furniture, scenic painting, sound, special effects and/or wigs used in this production.

TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket prices for A Christmas Story start at $44, with discounts available for select performances and for groups of 10 or more. Tickets for children 12 and under are half-price. The Cleveland Play House is located at 85th and Euclid Avenue, next door to the Cleveland Clinic near University Circle.

A Christmas Story is presented in sponsorship with Continental Airlines and Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. The official media sponsor of A Christmas Story is WEWS TV5.

Founded in 1915, The Cleveland Play House is the first permanently established professional theatre in the United States. More than 12 million people have attended over 1,300 productions at The Play House - including more than 130 American and/or World Premieres. Today, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Bloom and Managing Director Kevin Moore, The Cleveland Play House is an artist-driven theatre that serves the Greater Cleveland community by holding true to its mission: To produce plays of the highest professional standards that inspire, stimulate, and entertain our diverse audiences, to conduct training and educational programs that enhance the quality of life for those we serve and help to insure the future of theatre.

The Cleveland Play House is funded through the generosity of Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and The Ohio Arts Council helps to fund The Cleveland Play House with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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