BLACKBIRD, DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE Set For City Theatre 09/10 Lineup

City Theatre announces the line-up of plays for its 09/10 season, as well as two all-new special presentations. The eight plays run the theatrical gamut from hilarious comedy to taut thriller, and include two world premieres, an award-winning international hit, and the return of the crowd-pleasing 'Sister.' The six season shows are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Jeffrey Hatcher, Blackbird by David Harrower (Olivier Award), The Clockmaker by Stephen Massicotte (U.S. premiere), When January Feels Like Summer by Cori Thomas (world premiere), Shooting Star by Steven Dietz, and The Blonde, the Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead by Robert Hewett. The two special presentations are A Kodachrome Christmas by Pat Hazell (world premiere) and 'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3 by Maripat Donovan.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Jeffrey Hatcher. A brutal, mysterious figure has begun to haunt the streets of London, committing murder under cloak of darkness, while respected Dr. Henry Jekyll displays increasingly erratic behavior. Jekyll's friends confront the monstrous Hyde, but only Hyde's beautiful mistress may hold the solution. City favorite Jeffrey Hatcher revives this Victorian tale that the San Francisco Chronicle calls "a smart, tense and suspenseful new take on Stevenson's look at the evil that lurks in the hearts of men."

Blackbird by David Harrower. Fifteen years ago, Una and Ray had a scandalous affair. They haven't set eyes on each other since. When she tracks him down and forces him to face the shattering consequences of their relationship, the encounter is gripping, surprising, and utterly unforgettable. Blackbird won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play of 2007 (beating out Frost/Nixon and Tom Stoppards Rock 'n' Roll). The NY Post says, "This haunting, powerful, incendiary work is the sort of daring theater far too absent from our stages these days."

The Clockmaker by Stephen Massicotte. When Frieda brings Heinrich her husband's beloved cuckoo clock to be repaired, they embark on a madcap race against time to solve a mysterious puzzle. Part comic love story, part murder mystery, The Clockmaker was called "charming" and "a delightful shock" by Canada's Globe and Mail. City Theatre presents the U.S. premiere of the newest play by the author of last season's hit, Mary's Wedding.

When January Feels Like Summer by Cori Thomas. Homeboys become heroes, a gallant garbage man rescues a shopkeeper in distress, Irfan transforms into Indira with the swipe of a lipstick, and unexpected love heats up the new year in this culture-colliding comic whirlwind. A hit at both
Momentum 08 and Sundance, When January Feels Like Summer now receives its world premiere at City Theatre.

Shooting Star by Steven Dietz. Elena and Reed were full of peace, love, and homemade soup in the 70s when their relationship bloomed in college, but then they split up and the decades moved on. Now, twenty-five years later, they find themselves in an accidental reunion at a snowed-in airport. She's still the idealistic hippy, but he's gone corporate. Stuck for the night, they unearth past secrets and rekindle their passion, reaching for a second chance, if it hasn't slipped away. The Austin American Statesmen says Shooting Star "elevates ordinary conversation to a kind of music with precise rhythms and exquisitely timed phrases."

The Blonde, the Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead by Robert Hewett. Everyone has a story about the day Rhonda, a desperate housewife, went berserk at the mall in a raging crime of passion. One actress transforms onstage into all the characters as each new voice reveals more twists to this comic tour-de-force of love, mistaken identity, and revenge. A runaway hit in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and now across the U.S.

A Kodachrome Christmas by Pat Hazell. Earlene Hoople takes us on a fond trip through the holidays of yesteryear on her local cable access show. Remember cranberry sauce with ridges, waking up at 4 am to open presents, and Dad trying to find that one burned-out bulb? Audience members can submit embarrassing family photos to be shown "on the air" and one lucky attendee will get to help Earlene bake some very special Christmas cookies! Boomer humorist Pat Hazell, whose signature wit celebrates Americana and pop culture, put Pittsburgh audiences in stitches with his delightfully nostalgic The Wonder Bread Years. Now Hazell points his unique lens at Christmas past.

'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3 by Maripat Donovan brings 'Sister' back in an all new installment of the hilarious Catechism series that is a crowd favorite in Pittsburgh. In 'Til Death Do Us Part, 'Sister' turns her attention to wedded bliss, providing much needed
counseling to partnered audience members through her own wacky version of The Newlywed Game. 'Sister'commented on the show, "You think you have marital woes, try being the bride of Christ for 30-some years." Classroom participation is a must, so whether you're married or still living in sin, come and experience Catholicism's feistiest couples counselor beginning May 27, 2009.

Season Performance Calendar
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Jeffrey Hatcher (Mainstage)
October 17 - November 8, 2009
Blackbird by David Harrower (Hamburg Studio)
November 7 - December 13, 2009
The Clockmaker by Stephen Massicotte (Mainstage)
January 23 - February 14, 2010
When January Feels Like Summer by Cori Thomas (Mainstage)
March 20 - April 11, 2010
Shooting Star by Steven Dietz (Hamburg Studio)
April 10 - May 16, 2010
The Blonde, the Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead by Robert Hewett
(Mainstage)
May 8 - May 30, 2010
Special Presentations Performance Calendar
'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3 by Maripat Donovan (Hamburg
Studio)
May 27 - July 5, 2009
A Kodachrome Christmas by Pat Hazell (Mainstage)
December 5 - 27, 2009