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CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK CLOSES ITS SEASON WITH LOVELAND (CINCINNATI) – The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will close its 46th season with Ann Randolph’s off-Broadway hit comedy about self-discovery and self-acceptance, Squeeze Box. The show, which is based on Randolph’s personal experiences working in a women’s homeless shelter while simultaneously pursuing true love, begins public previews on May 20 and continues through June 25 in the Playhouse’s Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre. In Squeeze Box, Ann Randolph uses her elastic face, acrobatic voice and attuned body language to play male and female, young and old characters. The catalyst for the story is a crisis of faith. After years working at a Santa Monica homeless shelter for mentally ill women, filling out progress reports for the shelter’s residents, Ann begins to question whether her life is progressing as she had imagined. Her painfully funny portraits of the shelter’s residents include characters like Brandy, a schizophrenic crack-addled prostitute, or newcomer Irene, a woman ostracized after singing a very inappropriate song at her minister husband’s church. Ann also begins to question the existence of her love life and consequently places a personal ad on Match.com. Her catchy and provocative headline leads to a date with Harold, an outdoorsy classical music buff and accordionist. Ann’s stories of their relationship include a hilarious account of an overnight backpacking trip up Cedar Mountain. One day Ann decides that if she’s ever going to find the meaning in her life, she needs to leave the shelter. But a 24-hour adventure in soul-searching leads her to a powerful lesson about the true meaning of progress, and it’s a surprising person who helps her realize she had the faith she needed all along. Squeeze Box is a remarkably humorous and uplifting tale about finding dignity and grace in the unlikeliest of places. Entertainment Weekly called Squeeze Box “a gem of a show” while the Los Angeles Times praised, “Rubber faced Randolph is wickedly hysterical.” A graduate of Loveland High School and Ohio University, Ann Randolph began her career while attending college. In order to pay her way, she received free room and board at a state mental hospital in exchange for helping chronic schizophrenics write and stage original plays. This experience led her to write solo shows that reflected the struggles of people living on the margins of society. After college she began teaching and touring throughout the United States with the Boston Arts Company, Santa Fe Performing Arts Co. and as an artist-in-residence in the New York City schools. In 1991, Ms. Randolph moved to Los Angeles where she currently resides. There, she appeared in the premiere comedy group Groundlings with Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan and Cheri Oteri. In addition, she wrote the solo shows Miss America and Loveland, which was optioned as a television sitcom for Gullane Pictures. Her solo shows have garnered many awards, including the prestigious Los Angeles Times Ovation Award for Best Solo Show and L.A. Weekly's Best Solo Performer. Squeeze Box first was presented at the Playhouse as part of the theatre’s alteractive series in 2002. It opened off-Broadway in 2004 where it played for five months at the Acorn Theatre and was produced by Mel Brooks and the late Anne Bancroft. Squeeze Box is directed by Alan Bailey, who staged the show off-Broadway and conceived and directed the Playhouse hits Smoke on the Mountain and Sanders Family Christmas: More Smoke on the Mountain. His other regional credits include productions of Macbeth, Love's Labour's Lost, The Imaginary Invalid, The Night of the Iguana, Art and The Dining Room at venues such as McCarter Theatre Center, Pasadena Playhouse, Denver Center Theatre Company, Arkansas Repertory Theatre and Meadow Brook Theatre. In addition, Mr. Bailey is a five-time, undefeated Jeopardy champion. Other members of the production team include Susan Terrano (lighting designer) and Andrea L. Shell (stage manager). Tickets to Squeeze Box are on sale now. Prices range from $41.50-$50.50, depending on day and seat location. All tickets are $34.50 for the preview performances at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 20; 7 p.m. Sunday, May 21; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24. The official opening night is Thursday, May 25 at 8 p.m. Any unreserved tickets are half-price every day when purchased between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the day of the show (for performances Tuesday through Saturday) and from 12 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair access are available. For tickets to Squeeze Box or for more information, call the Playhouse box office at 513/421-3888 or toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800/582-3208. Call 513/345-2248 for TDD accessibility. For single tickets purchased by telephone through the Playhouse box office there is a $3 convenience fee per call. Tickets also can be purchased on the Playhouse web site at www.cincyplay.com. Artists fly to and from Cincinnati on Delta Connection Comair, the Playhouse’s official airline. |
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Meet the Artists 2 p.m. Sunday, May 28 Dining Options Karlo's Bistro at the Playhouse offers full-service dining prior to most evening performances. Dinners include salad, entrée and dessert. Reservations are required by noon on the day of the show. The price is $21, which does not include gratuity. Karlo's Casual Fare offers busy theatre patrons an alternative light, quick bite prior to the show. Options include salads, sandwiches, soups, pasta and desserts. No reservations are required. Sponsors Production Sponsor: Design Sponsor: Ann Randolph Sponsor: The 2005-2006 Shelterhouse Theatre Series is presented by The Shelterhouse Season Design Sponsor is ### |
