*Aurora Community Theatre * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 6, 2017 Contact: Christine Patronik-Holder 330-562-1818 *BUS STOP* Blizzard Sets the Stage for Drama, Comedy & Romance AURORA, OHIO ----NE Ohioans know a thing or two about blizzards. They know when to leave the highway and find a warm, safe place to weather the storm. They know, too, that during refuge from blinding whiteouts, strangers can become friends, but friends can also turn a bit strange. It’s that kind of emergency, where locals meld with travelers stranded during a winter gale in Kansas, that sets the stage for William Inge’s celebrated play *BUS STOP, *opening 8 p.m. Jan. 27 continuing Fridays and Saturdays through Feb. 18 at Aurora Community Theatre, 115 E. Pioneer Trail. *Craig Joseph* directs the ensemble cast in what the *New York Times* calls "… comedy that never strays from the truth." *BUS STOP *tells the story of four passengers and their driver who retreat to a roadside restaurant during impassable road conditions. *Catie Hewitt* plays Cherie, a slightly seedy nightclub singer; *Justin Edenhofer* is Bo Decker, a belligerent cowboy ranch owner; *Scott Stachiw* is Bo’s mentor and ranch hand Virgil Blessing; *Tom Stephan* is Dr. Gerald Lyman, an alcoholic, pompous old professor; and *Vincent Sarowatz* plays their harried bus driver, Carl. *Tari Lyn Bergoine* performs the role of the wary café owner, Grace Hoyland, and *Ren Harris* plays her dewy-eyed waitress Elma Duckworth. *Jerry Schaber* takes on the role of the tough-as-nails Sheriff Will Masters. “Inge dramatized the melancholy, the humor and the unconscious gallantry of commonplace characters.”— *NY Times* *BUS STOP *opened on Broadway in March 1955 at the peak of playwright Inge’s legacy which also includes *Come Back, Little Sheba; Picnic*, and *The Dark at the Top of the Stairs.* Overseeing details behind-the-scenes for *BUS STOP *are:* Renee Anthony Dee*, producer, *Olivia Wimberly*, stage manager, and *Ann Nyenhuis*, technical director. *Micah Harvey* designed the set, *Inda Blatch-Geib* the costumes, *Maggie Hamilton* the sound, and *Deborah Malcom* the lighting. *Cassandra West* and* Kevin Kuczmarski *serve as artistic associates. *Marc C. Howard* is liaison to the ACT Board of Trustees. *CPH Communications* managed box office and marketing. *BUS STOP *is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service Inc. Tickets at $16 for adults, $11 for youth 18 and under, are available online, including seat selection, at www.auroracommmunitytheatre.com, or call the box office at 330-562-1818. Group discounts are available by calling the box office. Opening night tickets include a complimentary after-show gala and the opportunity to meet cast and crew. Aurora Community Theatre’s Regular Season continues in 2017 with *BRIDGADOON* Apr 28-May 20. ACT’s benefit show, David Ives’s *ONE ACTS*, will be performed March 3-11. The summer musical is *GREASE* June 30-July 15. Aurora Community Theatre is located at 115 E. Pioneer Trail, near the intersection of SR 43 and 306, at the gazebo, in the center of Aurora. ACT extends appreciation to The Denise G. & Norman E. Wells, Jr. Family Foundation for their generous underwriting of the Wells Main Stage. *ACT, celebrating 57 successful seasons in 2016-17, annually presents three Regular Season shows, a summer stock production, benefit show, plus two children’s summer workshops, reaching an annual audience of nearly 7,000. ACT showcases the region’s top actors, musicians, costume and set designers, construction, lighting, sound and backstage crews -- all of whom generously donate their time and talent.* ###