Human Race Theatre Opens AVENUE Q, 6/6

Leave the kids at home and get ready for some ridiculous, riotous and downright raunchy puppet behavior as The Human Race Theatre Company presents Avenue Q, the 2004 triple Tony Award winner by Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty. Presented in collaboration with the puppet masters at The Zoot Theatre Company, it's laugh-out-loud musical mayhem that's not for the little ones or the faint of heart. A spot-on (and unauthorized) send up of Sesame Street complete with puppets, songs and short videos, Avenue Q aims its racy brand of humor to today's 20-, 30- and 40-somethings.Director/choreographer Joe Deer sums up the show, "Avenue Q is the answer to a delightfully simple question: What happens to the kids who were raised on Sesame Street when they grow up? Do those attitudes work in the 'real world'?"

Avenue Q follows Princeton, a fresh-faced college grad and recent New York City arrival, and all his wacky new neighbors living way, way, way out on Avenue Q. The life lessons come fast and funny as he learns that "It Sucks to Be Me," "The Internet Is for Porn" and "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist."

Deer and music director/conductor by Sean Michael Flowers, both Human Race Resident Artists, lead a cast of eight talented actors: Andrew Ian Adams as the "Third Hand", Michelle Liu Coughlin as "Christmas Eve", Annie Kalahurka as "Second Hand" and "Mrs. Thistletwat", James Oblak as "Princeton" and "Rod", Resident Artist Katie Pees as "Kate Monster" and "Lucy", Shawn Storms as "Gary Coleman", Brett Travis as "Nicky" and "Trekkie Monster", and Michael Thomas Walker as "Brian".

D. Tristan Cupp, Artistic Director for The Zoot Theatre Company, designed over two dozen puppets for The Human Race's production while scenic designer Dick Block was tasked with creating a New York City street scene reduced in scale for people and puppets alike to play on. Janet G. Powell serves as costume designer, Resident Artist John Rensel is the lighting designer and John S. Findley is the sound designer. Biographies on the cast and creative team can be found online at www.humanracetheatre.org.