*PRESS RELEASE* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 4/19/16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contact: Andrew Rothman From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre 40 River Street Chagrin Falls, OH 44122 Phone: 440-247-8955 E-mail: cvlt@cvlt.org <mailto:cvlt@cvlt.org> Website: www.cvlt.org <http://www.cvlt.org/> PHOTOS available for download at www.CVLT.org/promo <http://www.CVLT.org/promo> Bette Davis returns to the stage in ME AND JEZEBEL at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre CHAGRIN FALLS, OH – Nobody likes to deal with a troublesome house guest who overstays their welcome, yet that's exactly what happened to playwright Elizabeth Fuller, who found herself unexpectedly hosting the legendary Bette Davis for a month in 1985. She turned the experience into a magazine story, a full-length book, and eventually the acclaimed comedy ME AND JEZEBEL. The play opens April 29 on Chagrin Valley Little Theatre's 65-seat River Street Playhouse stage, running Friday and Saturday nights at 8 PM through May 14. Tickets are $12. Elizabeth Fuller was born and raised in Cleveland Heights but moved to Connecticut early in her career as a writer (she has published ten books and is an Op-Ed contributor to the New York Times). As a Bette Davis fan since childhood, she was starstruck when a chance encounter with a mutual friend led to Davis' appearance as a dinner guest at her house. When the friend was called away on a family emergency the next day and a hotel workers strike in New York closed all of the alternatives, Bette Davis called Fuller and asked if she might stay for a couple of nights. A limo arrived the next morning, with Davis and eighteen pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage, kicking off a thirty-two day adventure, during which the foul-mouthed and irascible star dished on rival Joan Crawford, rode shotgun in the Fuller family's beat-up Toyota, signed autographs at McDonald's, lectured Fuller on her parenting skills, and set the living room drapes ablaze. The juxtaposition of the larger-than-life diva against the ordinary suburban world made for a harrowing month and a bold comedy that has pleased critics across the US and around the world. CVLT's production is directed by Laurel Bryant and stars Lisa Freebairn as Bette Davis and Talia Valline as Elizabeth Fuller. Both actresses have appeared on the intimate River Street stage under Ms. Bryant's direction in the past. Ms. Freebairn, who is a mid-20th century music and movie aficionado with a weekend show on WKHR 91.5 FM, made a similarly biographical appearance as an aging Judy Garland in 2014's "The Property Known As Garland." Elizabeth Fuller still has family in the area and plans to return to the area for the show's closing weekend. Tickets to ME AND JEZEBEL can be purchased online at CVLT.org, or by calling or visiting the CVLT Main Box Office at 40 River Street in historic Chagrin Falls - 440-247-8955. Box Office hours are 1-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The River Street Playhouse is located at 56 River Street, just west of the main building. The show contains strong language and is not recommended for children. CVLT is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and supported by the Ohio Arts Council. CVLT is a proud member of the American Association of Community Theatre and the Ohio Community Theatre Association. ###