PLAYWRIGHTS LOCAL PRESENTS A WORLD PREMIERE “THIS IS NOT ABOUT MY DEAD DOG” WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY AMY SCHWABAUER New one-person show portrays the tragicomic coming of age of the local playwright/performer. Directed by Dale Heinen, the production runs January 13 through 28 at Creative Space at Waterloo Arts. Find tickets and other info at: http://playwrightslocal.org/thisisnot/ “This is NOT About My Dead Dog” combines reflections on love, sex, and alcohol with loud-out-loud stories from an awkward girlhood. Tackling German shepherds, boyfriends, and other attachments, playwright/performer Amy Schwabauer takes the audience through her journey from lonely child to young partier to (relatively) well-adjusted adult. This comedic one-woman show is part pain journal and part offbeat rumination on aquatic life. It is heartbreaking, but always bracingly honest and funny. “This is NOT About My Dead Dog” was developed in Playwrights Local’s inaugural Play Lab new-work incubator in 2016, with initial dramaturgy by Arwen Mitchell and production dramaturgy by Dale Heinen. “We’re looking to spotlight new local talent, and Amy Schwabauer fits the bill on multiple fronts,” says David Todd, Artistic Director of Playwrights Local. “This play is a brave look at her own life, one that digs deep and challenges Amy as a writer and performer. In addition to all of her comic charms, Amy has found another gear for being moving and profound with this show. We’re happy to produce such an engaging new dramatist.” Amy Schwabauer’s writing credits include “Fluff Pup” (2015 Cleveland Playwrights Festival), “The Bird Behind the Curtain” (Cleveland State University), and “The Accounts of the Warren County Fair as Observed by a Young Astronaut.” As a performer, she has recently appeared in Positive Reinforcements (Theater Ninjas), Snake Oil (Ohio City Theatre Project), and Left in Ink (Cleveland Public Theatre). Director Dale Heinen has been recognized by the Jeff Awards in Chicago and has received the Arches Award for Directors in Glasgow. She has directed thirty professional productions in additional cities such as London and New York, and has developed new plays at Soho Theatre (London), Silk Road Rising (Chicago), Cleveland Public Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists. The stage manager for “This is NOT About My Dead Dog” is Nicola Patton, and the production manager is Francesca Mamlin. The creative team consists of lighting designer Stephanie Kahn, set designer Elaine Hullihen, and sound designer James Kosmatka. The assistant director is Nora DeMilta. “This is NOT About My Dead Dog” runs January 13 through 28, 2017, with shows Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. All performances are at the Creative Space at Waterloo Arts (397 E. 156th Street, Cleveland, OH 44110). Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $10 for students. Group packages are available. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://playwrightslocal.org/ or call (216) 302-8856. # # #