New Village Arts Presents AH, WILDERNESS!, 8/6 - 28

New Village Arts kicks-off season 11: The Ensemble Project with Eugene O'Neill's romantic comedy Ah, Wilderness!  Directed by San Diego favorite Amanda Sitton, Ah, Wilderness! is O'Neill's only comedy and captures his vision of an idyllic childhood in turn-of-the-last-century Connecticut.

New Village Arts returns to an idyllic age of Americana in Eugene O'Neill's unabashedly romantic and sweetly funny Ah, Wilderness! As the Connecticut-based Miller clan plans their traditional Fourth of July festivities, their dreamy-eyed middle child Richard is wrestling with cultural conventions, political uncertainty, the power of literature, and the exquisite pain of love. The memories of family life were never so delicately portrayed as in O'Neill's only comedy, his coming-of-age love letter to a simpler time.

Ah, Wilderness! centers around the character of Richard Miller, going on 17 and walking that fine line between child and adult. Portraying Richard will be new Ensemble member Kyle Lucy, who has previously appeared at New Village Arts in Death of a Salesman (Bernard), Waving Goodbye (Boggy), Into The Woods (Steward) and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Schmendiman). Heading up the Miller household will be New Village Arts co-founder and Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner and Founding Ensemble Member Manny Fernandes. The cast includes eight other Ensemble members, including the two apprentices to the Ensemble, Jonah Gercke and Roma Watkins. All members of The Ensemble Projectare involved with Ah, Wilderness!, making it a perfect kick-off for Season 11.

Ticket prices range from $27 to $32 for all performances, with the exception of three pay-what-you-can previews on August 3, 4 and 5 at 8 p.m. Showtimes are Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. (no 3 p.m. show on opening night, August 6).

The theatre is located in Carlsbad Village, 2787 State Street in Carlsbad. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.NewVillageArts.org, or call (760) 433-3245.