Wolly Mammoth Theatre Announces A One Week Extension Of BARACK STARS, Ends 8/9

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is excited to announce a one week extension for the run of Barack Stars by Chicago's legendary comedy theatre troupe The Second City. Barack Stars, which includes some material from previous Second City political shows, as well as 60% new material written especially for this production, started performances on July 14 and will now run thru August 9, 2009. The performance schedule for the extension remains the same - Tuesday to Friday 8pm, Saturday 6pm & 9pm, and Sunday 2pm & 7pm. Tickets are all $40 at 202-393-3939 or www.woollymammoth.net. Woolly Mammoth is located at 641 D Street, NW (7th & D).

Chicago produced a president, and a string of corrupt governors, so who better to make fun of all of it than The Second City - celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In Barack Stars, Chicago's favorite son is given his satiric due, with an economy on the ropes and maybe just a touch of swine flu for good measure. Perfecting the art of comedy revue with sketches, songs and a little improvisation, The Second City storms the Capital City to tackle partisanship, the politics of race, a terrifyingly tiny Rahm Emanuel, and a host of other headline-grabbing personalities. Barack Stars is directed by Marc Warzecha with Musical Director Jesse Case. The cast includes Lilly Allison, Brooke Bagnall, Abby McEnany, Sam Richardson, Tim Sniffen, and Seth Weitberg.

During the production, First Lady Michelle Obama's wax likeness will be making a special appearance courtesy of a partnership with our Penn Quarter neighbor Madame Tussauds DC. Michelle's wax figure will be on display in the lobby for photos on July 14- 18, 23-25, 30, 31 and August 1 (9pm show only on Saturdays). http://www.madametussauds.com/washington/

Woolly Mammoth supports our community partner BOOKS FOR AMERICA to promote literacy in the DC area with a book drive during the run of Barack Stars. Woolly Mammoth is encouraging patrons to bring a donation to the theatre to help support the work of this organization. Please ensure all items are in excellent, almost AS NEW condition. What to donate:
• Children's books - both hardcover and softcover
• Hardcover/softcover books of all types, including fiction, art, cookbooks, history, foreign language (NO adult hardcover fiction)
• Encyclopedia Britannica sets from the year 2000 to the present
• Movies - DVD and VHS
• CDs - music, instructional, videogames
• Audiobooks on CD or cassette

(Not needed: Adult Hardcover fiction; Textbooks; Book Sale/Remainder Books; Yellowed/damaged books; Magazines; Outdated books (travel guides/books published before 2005; politics or current events published before 2008; items that look dated or just plain old).

BOOKS FOR AMERICA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, DC. Their mission is to promote literacy, life-long learning and understanding by distributing donated new and used books of all types and other forms of educational media to organizations serving disadvantaged communities and individuals.

http://www.booksforamerica.org/
Now in its 29th Season, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company continues to hold its place at theatre's leading edge. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Howard Shalwitz and Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann, Woolly Mammoth is acknowledged as "Washington's most daring theatre company" (The New York Times), as a regional and national leader in the development of new plays, and as one of the best known and most influentiAl Small theatres in America. Woolly Mammoth has gained this reputation by holding fast to its unique mission:

...to ignite an explosive engagement between theatre artists and the community by developing, producing and promoting new plays that explore The Edges of theatrical style and human experience, and by implementing new ways to use the artistry of theatre to serve the people of Greater Washington, DC.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is a member of the National New Play Network, Theatre Communications Group, The League of Washington Theatres, and The Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, and a participant in the A-ha! Program: Think it, Do it, funded by MetLife and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American theatre. The Theatre's programs are supported in part by The National Endowment for the Arts, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs Program/United States Commission of Fine Arts.