MARLENE Opens Tonight at Sherman Playhouse

Tonight, May 30, The Sherman Playhouse will open its limited engagement run of MARLENE, Pam Gems' stunning theatrical depiction of screen legend and artiste Marlene Dietrich (Katherine Almquist of Sharon, CT). The curtain goes up at 8:00 p.m. on a two-week run.

Set in Paris in the 1970s during Marlene Dietrich's farewell concert tour, MARLENE takes the audience backstage, where they are given a glimpse of the everyday Dietrich. We see the woman who reinvented herself as an acclaimed chanteuse as she emerges as the ultimate professional, a perfectionist who is at times self-absorbed, generous, calculating, practical, and charming. We see the Hollywood creation who never forgot her roots, her homeland, and is haunted by the horrors of the Holocaust.

"I've always loved Marlene Dietrich. I've seen every movie she's every done," said Ms. Almquist. "It's a fact that Marlene was crippled by stage fright. We see that side of her here. We also see the 'everyday' Marlene, and then we see her switch to Marlene 'the persona' when she had an interview. In the end, she was always conscious of being Marlene and when she could no longer be Marlene she became a recluse. Still, she had a wonderful sense of humor, she was very practical, and she could definitely turn on the charm. She was truly a remarkable woman and it's my privilege to play her on stage in this beautifully stylized production at Sherman."

Besides Ms. Almquist, the production features two of the region's finest actresses: Jackie Decho-Holm (New Milford) as Vivian Hoffman, and Ellen Burnett (Sherman) as Mutti.

MARLENE is under the direction of Bill Hughes, with lighting design by Al Chiapetta, sound design by David White, and wig and costume design by Joseph Russo.

The play made its Broadway debut on April 11, 1999 at the Cort Theatre, and went on to garner two Tony Award nominations and a Drama Desk Award nomination as well.

MARLENE runs May 30,31, June 1 6,7,8. Curtain time is 8:00 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays, with 2:00 p.m. Sunday matinees on June 1 and 8. Tickets for all shows are $20 for general seating.

Students may see any performance for only $10 if they pay in cash only at the door and carry a valid student ID. Students may not make reservations in advance for a performance.

Reservations can be made online at WWW.SHERMANPLAYERS.ORG or by calling the box office at (860) 354-3622.

The Sherman Playhouse is a non-Equity theatre company located at 5 Route 39 North (next to the fire house) in Sherman, CT.