FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 25, 2007
Contact: Emma F. Caro
Public Relations Director
513-345-2242, ext. 232

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK COMPLETES SEASON SCHEDULE WITH WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY A SLEEPING COUNTRY, WINNER OF THE
MICKEY KAPLAN NEW AMERICAN PLAY PRIZE, MARCH 22-APRIL 20

(CINCINNATI) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Producing Artistic Director Edward Stern has chosen playwright Melanie Marnich’s A Sleeping Country as the winner of this year’s Mickey Kaplan New American Play Prize. The show will receive its world premiere as part of the Playhouse’s 2007-2008 Thompson Shelterhouse season from March 22 through April 20.

A comedy about sleep lost and hope found, A Sleeping Country begins with a desperate woman in New York City who becomes convinced that she has the “Worst Insomnia in the World.” Risking her life and love, she travels to Venice to seek help from a fabulous and sleepless heiress who might also be a distant relative. This very funny yet poignant play is about facing fears and knowing the difference between not sleeping and being truly awake.

According to Mr. Stern, “Ultimately, this is the first time I have chosen a work with such a singular comedic sensibility to receive the Kaplan prize. I was captivated by the totally unique voice Melanie Marnich has created within this play.”

Award-winning playwright Melanie Marnich has Cincinnati ties as a former copywriter at a local advertising agency. Her plays include Quake, Blur, Tallgrass Gothic, Calling All, Cradle of Man, Dive and Bill of W(Rights) among others, and her works have been produced at theatres including Manhattan Theatre Club, Florida Stage, Guthrie Theater and Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New American Plays. Ms. Marnich’s awards include two McKnight Advancement Grants and two Jerome Fellowships from The Playwrights’ Center, the Samuel Goldwyn Award, an Ohio Arts Council grant and the Otis Guernsey New Voices Playwriting Award. She has received commissions from the Kennedy Center, Guthrie Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Arena Stage and the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. Ms. Marnich is a core member of The Playwrights’ Center and a member of New Dramatists.

The Mickey Kaplan New American Play Prize is awarded to one world premiere play each year. In addition to a cash prize, the winning playwright receives the first full-scale production of his or her play as part of the Playhouse’s regular subscription season. The prize also allows for the playwright to be in residence at the theatre during part of an extended rehearsal process. During this time, the script is revised further with the participation of the director and cast.

The prize is named in honor of Dr. Stanley M. Kaplan’s wife, Mickey Kaplan, who passed away in 2003. Dr. and Mrs. Kaplan were instrumental to the growth and success of the Playhouse. Dr. Kaplan is a longtime member of the board of trustees and its executive committee, and he chaired the theatre’s long-range planning process from 1993 to 1994, laying the strategic groundwork for the enormously successful capital campaign in 1995 and 1996 and the subsequent renovation of the Playhouse facility. The Kaplans also matched their remarkable service with an equally long tradition of financial generosity. The Dr. Stanley and Mickey Kaplan Lobby, outside the Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre, is just one example.

A Sleeping Country is sponsored by Moe and Jack Rouse and Randolph and Sallie Wadsworth. Tickets to A Sleeping Country will go on sale to subscribers beginning August 8 and to the general public beginning August 13. Prices range from $44.50-$54.50, depending on day and seat location. All tickets are $38.50 for the preview performances at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 22; 7 p.m. Sunday, March 23; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26. The official opening night is Thursday, March 27 at 8 p.m.

Patrons who purchase tickets between August 13 and August 20 for the first week of the show’s run or for the first week of any other show in the Playhouse’s 2007-2008 season (except for A Christmas Carol and Dracula) can do so for half price as part of a special promotion. Because many of these performances are also previews which already are discounted, these tickets are the lowest price of the year for the best advance seating. Some restrictions apply.

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.

The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to the Fine Arts Fund.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Playhouse also receives funding from the City of Cincinnati.

# # #