[NEohioPAL]Cleveland Public Theatre presents Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge

[Dan Kilbane]

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Dan Kilbane, Publicist
216/631-2727 ext. 203
dkilbane at cptonline.org <mailto:dkilbane at cptonline.org>
October 30, 2003
CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE GOES ON A BINGE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

A delicious holiday romp!

CLEVELAND, OH - Executive Director James Levin and Artistic Director Randy
Rollison are proud to present the second American production of Christopher
Durang’s new comedy, Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge, November 28 -
December 20, 2003, in CPT’s Gordon Square Theatre.  Durang’s award-winning
history with biting stage comedy continues, and the holiday classics are not
safe.

Obie Award winner Durang takes on some of the holiday season’s sacred cows.
Gladys Cratchit has had it.  There are 21 foundlings in the basement and
that whiney Tiny Tim just won’t shut up.  One day she flips, takes to drink
and tries to throw herself off a bridge.  Sound familiar?  Meanwhile,
Ebenezzer Scrooge gets a visit from the Ghost of Christmases Past, Present,
and Future, and a life lesson is not far around the corner.  However, it
seems something is wrong with the Ghost’s abilities to do her job, and she
and Scrooge go on a humorous ride that lets several classic holiday tales
have it.  Although this semi-musical is based on A Christmas Carol, it
quickly spins out of control, colliding with It’s a Wonderful Life and The
Gift of the Magi.

Christopher Durang is a playwright whose plays include A History of the
American Film (Tony nomination), Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For
You (Obie award), Beyond Therapy, Baby with the Bathwater, The Marriage of
Bette and Boo (Obie award), Laughing Wild, Durang/Durang, and Betty’s Summer
Vacation (1999 Obie award).  He’s acted in his own plays, in movies, and
performed in the Sondheim revue Putting It Together at the Manhattan Theatre
Club starring Julie Andrews.  In the early 80s he and Sigourney Weaver
performed in and co-wrote Das Lusitania Songspiel, a Brecht-Weill parody;
and with John Augustine and Sherry Anderson he has performed his crackpot
cabaret Chris Durang and Dawne various places, winning a Bistro Award.  Most
recent work: a musical Adrift in Macao, optioned for off-Bway; and a new
play, Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge at City Theatre in
Pittsburgh.  Since 1994 he and Marsha Norman have been co-chairs of the
Playwriting Program at the Juilliard School.  He’s a member of the
Dramatists Guild Council.

Artistic director Randy Rollison directs Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas
Binge.  Rollison joined CPT in 1998 as producing director, and in early 2002
became the organization’s artistic director.  Directing credits at CPT
include One Flea Spare by Naomi Wallace, Gross Indecency:  The Three Trials
of Oscar Wilde by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project, and
Bringing the Fisherman Home by Deb Margolin.  Acting credits at CPT include
critically acclaimed roles in Summer and Smoke, The Skin of Our Teeth, and
in the TITLEWave theatre co-production Wait!.  Prior to his work at CPT,
Obie Award winner Rollison was a co-founder of HERE.

This production is a reunion of sorts for Rollison and Durang.  While in
NYC, Rollison produced the premiere of Durang’s play Naomi in the Living
Room as part of the HOME Show Part 2:  The Living Room.  Rollison also
presented the first performances of Chris Durang and Dawne.

The cast of Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge features Meg
Chamberlain as Gladys Cratchit, Nina Domingue as the Ghost, and Michael D.
Sepesy as Scrooge.  The cast also includes Jeffery Steven Allen, Liz Conway,
Will Crosby, David Hansen, Dan Kilbane, Douglas A. Kusak, Dan McCarthy,
Michael Regnier, Kevin C. Ritter, Lori Sommerfelt, and Elizabeth R. Wood.

Along with Rollison, the creative team includes scenic design and properties
by Donald J. Morrison (CPT:  costume design, Der Kaiser Von Atlantis;
creation, direction, and design, The Battle For Christmas; and puppet
design, The Tale of the Emerald Bird); costume design by Jenniver Sparano
(Beck Center for the Arts:  Zombie Prom, The Rocky Horror Show, and Floyd
Collins); lighting design by Donald McCray (CPT:  Wait!, and CPT’s technical
coordinator); music direction by Michael K. Seevers, Jr. (CPT:  cast of
Hedwig and the Angry Inch); choreography by Hernando Cortez (artistic
director, Verb Ballets); stage management by Courtney Webb (CPT:  stage
management, Wait!); and directorial assistance by Jyana S. Gregory (TCG
Grant recipient, CPT associate artistic director, and director of our season
finale, Dojoji).

Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge was commissioned and originally
produced by City Theatre Company, Pittsburgh, PA.

The mission of Cleveland Public Theatre is to inspire, nurture, challenge,
amaze, educate, and empower artists and audiences, in order to make the
Cleveland public a more conscious and compassionate community.

Sponsors for Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge include Union Station
Video Café and The Free Times.

Cleveland Public Theatre and its artistic and education programs are funded
in part by public funding from The National Endowment for the Arts and the
Ohio Arts Council as well as by The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund
Foundation, The John P. Murphy Foundation, The Kulas Foundation, The Doris
Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Theatre
Communications Group, and many others.

“Christmas is grand, Christmas is great, drink lots of punch, put food on
your plate.  Here’s wishing you joy, here’s mud in your eye.  Here’s ice
cream and cake, and pudding and pie!”


Cleveland Public Theatre Fact Sheet
Production
Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge
written by Christopher Durang
original music composed by Michael Friedman

Artistic Staff
Director, Randy Rollison
Scenic Design and Properties, Donald J. Morrison
Lighting Design, Donald McCray
Costume Design, Jenniver Sparano
Music Director, Michael K. Seevers, Jr.
Choreographer, Hernando Cortez
Sound Designer, Bill Amato
Stage Manager, Courtney Webb
Assistant Director, Jyana S. Gregory

Cast
Mrs. Bob Cratchit:  Meg Chamberlain
Bob Cratchit:  David Hansen
Scrooge:  Michael D. Sepesy
Ghost:  Nina Domingue
Tiny Tim:  Dan Kilbane
Various roles:  Michael Regnier, Jeffery Allen, Doug Kusak
Elizabeth R. Wood, Liz Conway
Kevin Ritter, Dan McCarthy, William Crosby, Lori Sommerfelt

Performance Dates and Times
Opening 		Friday, November 28, 2003	8:00 p.m.
Closing			Saturday, December 20, 2003	8:00 p.m.
Run			November 28, 29, 30, December 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, and
20.
Times			Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
			Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Ticket Prices
Regular Admission Thursdays and Sundays $15; Fridays and Saturdays $18.
Students and Seniors Thursdays and Sundays $13; Fridays and Saturdays $15.