DETROIT, Starring John Cullum and Amy Ryan, Begins Performances at Playwrights Horizons, 8/24

Previews begin tonight, August 24 for the Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) production of DETROIT, the New York premiere of the much-heralded new play by Obie Award winner Lisa D'Amour.

Ms. D'Amour is both a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist for this play and a 2011 Steinberg Playwright Award winner for her body of work. Directed by Obie Award winner Anne Kauffman (Maple and Vine at Playwrights Horizons, Slowgirl, Stunning, Naked Angels' This Wide Night) in a completely new production, DETROIT is being presented as the first production of the theater company's 2012/2013 Season. Opening Night is set for Tuesday, September 18 at 7PM and the limited engagement will play through Sunday, October 7 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

The cast of DETROIT features two-time Tony Award winner John Cullum (for Shenandoah and On the Twentieth Century; nominations for Urinetown, 110 in the Shade and On a Clear Day…; Wilder at PH), Darren Pettie (This and Spatter Pattern at PH, Butley on Broadway, "Mad Men"), Oscar and two-time Tony Award nominee Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone, "The Office," On the Mountain at PH), Emmy Award nominee David Schwimmer ("Friends," "Band of Brothers") and Sarah Sokolovic (Drama Desk Award nominee for The Shaggs at PH).

Somewhere in the suburbs of a mid-sized city, Ben (Mr. Schwimmer) and Mary (Ms. Ryan) welcome into their lives the rootless couple (Mr. Pettie and Ms. Sokolovic) who move in next door. But as this foursome bonds over backyard barbecues, the neighborly connection they find threatens to unravel the lives they've built and change them forever. An ecstatic, dangerous new comedy, DETROIT exposes the nerves that live just under the surface of American life today.

The production features scenic design by Louisa Thompson, costume design by Kaye Voyce, lighting design by Mark Barton and sound design by Matt Tierney. Production Stage Manager is Lisa Ann Chernoff.

The performance schedule for DETROIT is Tuesdays at 7PM, Wednesdays through Fridays at 8PM, Saturdays at 2:30 PM & 8PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM. Single tickets, $75, may be purchased online via www.TicketCentral.com, by phone at (212) 279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily), or in person at the Ticket Central Box Office, 416 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues).

Reflecting Playwrights Horizons' ongoing commitment to making its productions more affordable to younger audiences, the theater company will offer HOTtix, $25 rush tickets, subject to availability, day of performance only, starting one hour before showtime to patrons aged 30 and under. Proof of age required. One ticket per person, per purchase.

HOTtix is one of Playwrights Horizons' popular Arts Access initiatives, which allow the institution to reach out to those who may not be able to afford the cost of a full-price theater ticket. This program is supported, in part, by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and The McGraw-Hill Companies.

A special open captioned performance of DETROIT for theatergoers who are deaf and hard of hearing will be held on the Saturday, September 9 matinee at 2:30 PM. Funding for this program is provided, in part, by the Theodore H. Barth Foundation, TDF and TAP Plus, which is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.