[NEohioPAL]Cleveland Public Theatre EXTENDS 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>
December 5, 2003
CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE EXTENDS MRS. BOB CRATCHIT’S WILD CHRISTMAS BINGE

A delicious holiday romp!

CLEVELAND, OH - Executive director James Levin and artistic director Randy
Rollison are proud to announce an extended run of the hit by Obie winner
Christopher Durang, Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge.  Cleveland
Public Theatre will add four performances:  Sunday, December 21 at 3:00
p.m.; Friday, December 26 at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, December 27 at 8:00 p.m.;
and Sunday, December 28 at 3:00 p.m.  Performances are in the Gordon Square
Theatre.

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.

“Audiences have responded very favorably to this production, and in these
tough economic times, we’ve been fortunate with good response from patrons.
So, why not extend the holiday, CPT-style?” says Rollison.

Critics agree that CPT’s production of Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas
Binge is a hit.  Cleveland Plain Dealer theatre critic Tony Brown calls the
show “"...hysterical....absolutely nothing predictable.…a renegade Christmas
Carol..."  Free Times theatre critic James Damico highlights the show’s
"...humor that ranges from schoolboy to smart-ass..."  Cool Cleveland
enjoyed the"...many laugh-out-loud moments..."

Due to schedule conflicts, three of the show’s actors are not available for
the extension.  Taking over from Michael D. Sepesy is director Randy
Rollison, who will play Ebeenezer Scrooge.  David Hansen leaves, to be
replaced by Denis M. Griesmer in the role of Bob Cratchit, and Liz Conway
will be replaced for two of the performances by Jill Levin, in several
roles.

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,
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 funding from Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Ohio
Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Nord Family Foundation, John
P. Murphy Foundation, Kulas Foundation, Theatre Communications Group, Doris
Duke Charitable Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Bruening
Foundation, Codrington Foundation, Giant Eagle Foundation, Thomas White
Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Lorain, Family Foundations of
Jewish Community Federation, Dolphin Trust, Saint Ann Foundation, Deaconess
Foundation, O’Neill Foundation, Stocker Foundation, Key Foundation, Nordson
Foundation, Wolf Foundation, Forest City, Alcoa, Third Federal, Huntington
National Bank, National City Bank, and other corporate and individual
contributors.

“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 (Denis M. Griesmer from 12/26-28)
Scrooge:  Michael D. Sepesy (Randy Rollison from 12/26-28)
Ghost:  Nina Domingue
Tiny Tim:  Dan Kilbane
Various roles:  Michael Regnier, Jeffery Allen, Doug Kusak
Elizabeth R. Wood, Liz Conway (Jill Levin replaces Conway for two
performances)
Kevin Ritter, Dan McCarthy, Lori Sommerfelt

Performance Dates and Times
Opening 		Friday, November 28, 2003	8:00 p.m.
Closing			Sunday, December 28, 2003	3:00 p.m.
Run	November 28, 29, 30, December 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20,
21, 26, 27, and 28.
Times			Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
			Sundays at 3:00 p.m.
Extension		Sunday, December 21, 2003	3:00 p.m.
			Friday, December 26, 2003	8:00 p.m.
			Saturday, December 27, 2003	8:00 p.m.
			Sunday, December 28, 2003	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.