[NEohioPAL] Jeopardy! Champ in HANDLE WITH CARE at Actors' Summit

[Neil Thackaberry]

*National Celebrity in*

*HANDLE WITH CARE*

*At Actors' Summit*



Arthur Chu, the controversial Jeopardy! contestant who recently became
number three on the list of all time money winners, is a member of the cast
of *HANDLE WITH CARE*, the new romantic comedy that is receiving its
regional premiere at Actors' Summit.  The play just finished its New York
premiere run Off-Broadway.  Chu became a magnet for both praise and
criticism because of his unusual aggressive style of play.



*HANDLE WITH CARE* is Chu's second play with the professional company
having played British physicist Frances Crick in *PHOTOGRAPH 51* earlier
this season.  "We cast Arthur long before we knew he was going to be a
contestant on Jeopardy," said Neil Thackaberry, director of *PHOTOGRAPH 51*.
Constance Thackaberry is directing Chu in *HANDLE WITH CARE.*  "I wanted
Arthur because he's a wonderful comedic actor.  It's great to be working
with really intelligent actors," she said.  Chu won just under $300,000
over 11 shows.



 The show will have a preview performance on March 27 with the official
opening on Friday night, March 28.  *HANDLE WITH CARE* is currently
scheduled for a 12 performance run, closing on April 13.  Performances are
given Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 8:00 P.M. and Sundays at 2
PM, and take place at Greystone Hall, in downtown Akron.  The show is
appropriate for all ages.  A free dessert reception with the cast follows
the opening night performance on Friday, March 28.



*The Play: *



*HANDLE WITH CARE* was named a Critics' Pick by The New York Times calling
it "A hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy".



A young Israeli woman reluctantly travels with her Bubbie (grandmother) to
the United States.  Bubbie seems to be on a quest but she won't tell anyone
about it.  On Christmas Eve, a crisis arises when a package being sent back
to Israel goes missing.  The normal challenge of dealing with the shipping
company driver is compounded by the fact that he is trying to make himself
understood (using rural southern English) to someone who only speaks
Hebrew.  The delivery driver calls on his only Jewish friend to translate
for him and quickly learns that not all Jews speak Hebrew.  "But I thought
you all had to learn that stuff at like Sunday school before your Hare
Krishna."  The Jewish young man says "I crammed like five months of Hebrew
school into one weekend -- when I was twelve.  So unless she starts quoting
my Haftorah, we've got nothing to talk about."  Even so the barriers to
communication melt when he and the granddaughter develop a romantic
attachment.



*The Language Challenge*

"We're very fortunate to have recruited a wonderful language coach, Oudi
Singer," said Constance Thackaberry, director of the production.  Mr.
Singer was born and raised in Israel.  "He is passionate about teaching
Hebrew and currently teaches or has taught at Temple Beth Shalom in Hudson;
Agnon in Beachwood; the Lippman School in Akron; Beth-El Akron; and Kol
Chadash, Solon."

"I am also lucky to have cast Natalie Kern, an actress with both a terrific
work ethic and a great ear for language" commented director Constance
Thackaberry.

*The Director:     *



Constance Thackaberry is directing her 10th production for Actors' Summit.
At Actors' Summit, she has directed the world premiere of Eric Coble's play *A
Girl's Guide to *Coffee (the first play in the "Alexandra trilogy," whose
third play is the current Broadway offering, *The Velocity of
Autumn*), *Motherhood
Out Loud*, *Becky's New Car*, *A Christmas Carol*, *Last Train to Nibroc*, *Big
Boys*, *Nixon's Nixon* and *Rounding Third*, restaged *Clarence Darrow for
the Defense* and assistant directed *Tremont*, *Macbeth*, and *Musical of
Musicals, The Musical!*  Connie is an alum of the Lincoln Center Directors
Lab.



*Tickets:*

Tickets for *HANDLE WITH CARE* are on sale now through the box office at
330-374-7568 and online at www.actorssummit.org.  Preview tickets (March
27) are $20.  Tickets for all other performances: $33 for adults, $28 for
seniors over 65; and $10 for all full time students under 30.



*The Theater:*



The theater is located on the sixth floor of historic Greystone Hall in
downtown Akron. The facility features barrier free access, free parking,
and full bar service.



More information is available at the Actors' Summit website:
www.actorssummit.org.
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