Roth Transfers DIVINE SISTER to Soho Playhouse; Begins Previews 9/12

Following a sold out developmental run last spring, THE DIVINE SISTER, the new comedy written by and starring Charles Busch, directed by Carl Andress, will transfer to the SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam Street) featuring the entire original company: Alison Fraser, Amy Rutberg, Jennifer Van Dyck, Jonathan Walker, and Julie Halston.

THE DIVINE SISTER will begin previews Sunday, September 12 with an official opening of Wednesday, September 22.

THE DIVINE SISTER is an outrageous comic homage to nearly every Hollywood film involving nuns. Evoking such films as The Song of Bernadette, The Bells of St. Mary's, The Singing Nun and Agnes of God, THE DIVINE SISTER tells the story of St. Veronica's indomitable Mother Superior (author Charles Busch) who is determined to build a new school for her Pittsburgh convent. Along the way, she has to deal with a young postulant who is experiencing "visions," sexual hysteria among her nuns, a sensitive schoolboy in need of mentoring, a mysterious nun visiting from the Mother House in Berlin, and a former suitor intent on luring her away from her vows.

This madcap trip through Hollywood religiosity evokes the wildly comic but affectionately observed theatrical style of the creator of Die, Mommie, Die! and Psycho Beach Party.

THE DIVINE SISTER was originally presented in a developmental run at Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director) where the production became a sold out hit less than a week into its run.

The original creative team from the run included: Scenic and Graphic Design by B.T. Whitehill, Costume Design by Fabio Toblini, Lighting Design by Kirk Bookman, Sound Design by Jill BC DuBoff, Wig Design by Katherine Carr, and Original Music by Lewis Flinn. All are expected to return for the upcoming production.

For more information on THE DIVINE SISTER, to get exclusive offers, and to follow the cast and creative team as they prepare to make the move to Soho Playhouse, join the Facebook fan group: www.facebook.com/divinesisteronstage or visit www.DivineSisterOnstage.com.

Tickets for THE DIVINE SISTER will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, July 20 via www.Ovationtix.com, by calling 212-691-1555, or at the SoHo Playhouse box office (15 Vandam Street between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street). Tickets are $65.00.

For directions to the SoHo Playhouse and other information about the venue, please visit: www.SoHoPlayhouse.com.

Performance schedule for THE DIVINE SISTER is:

PREVIEW PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

* SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12: 3 PM
* MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19: Monday through Thursday at 8 PM, Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 3 PM (6 performances).

* MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26: Monday through Wednesday at 8 PM, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3 PM.

REGULAR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE (STARTING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27)

* Tuesday through Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3 PM.

HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE SCHEDULES

* THANKSGIVING WEEK: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22 - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28: Monday through Wednesday at 8 PM, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3 PM.
* CHRISTMAS WEEK: MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26: Tuesday through Friday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM. Matinee on Sunday at 3 PM (6 performances).
* NEW YEAR'S WEEK: MONDAY, DECEMBER 27 - SUNDAY, JANUARY 2: Monday through Thursday at 8 PM, Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3 PM.

-----

Charles Busch (Playwright & Mother Superior) is the author and star of such plays as The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, which ran five years and is one of the longest running plays in Off-Broadway history. His play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife ran for 777 performances on Broadway and won Mr. Busch the Outer Circle Critics John Gassner Award and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. He wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays, Psycho Beach Party and Die, Mommie, Die!, the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2003, Mr. Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright. Mr. Busch made his directorial debut with the film A Very Serious Person, which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won an honorable mention. He is also the subject of the documentary film The Lady in Question is Charles Busch. His latest play The Third Story was produced in 2009 by MCC at the Lortel Theatre.

Carl Andress (Director). Directing credits include: The Third Story (La Jolla Playhouse, MCC Theater); Die, Mommie, Die! (New World Stages); A Wonderful Life (Shubert Theater - named one of TIME Magazine's Best in Theater 2005); Charles Busch & Julie Halston: Together on Broadway (Music Box Theater); The Cartells (Drama Dept.); Shanghai Moon (Drama Dept., Bay Street Theater, Theater for the New City); The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (Paper Mill Playhouse; Coconut Grove Playhouse; Royal Poinciana Playhouse); Crush the Infamous Thing (Coconut Grove Playhouse); Rum & Coke (Abingdon Theater Co.); J.A.P. Chronicles - The Musical (Perry Street Theater); Queen Amarantha (WPA Theater); Times Square Angel (Theater for the New City); It's Not My Fault, It Was On Fire When I Got There (FringeNYC/Theater for the New City). He is also the co-writer and co-star of the independent feature A Very Serious Person (Tribeca Film Festival).

Alison Fraser (Sister Walburga, Mrs. Macduffie) is a two time Tony Award nominee for playing ‘Martha' in The Secret Garden and ‘Josefine' in Romance/Romance. Also on Broadway, she was ‘Dorine' in Tartuffe; ‘Helena' in Drood, and most recently, ‘Tessie Tura' in Gypsy starring Patti LuPone. Off-Broadway roles Alison has created include ‘Trina' in March of the Falsettos and In Trousers, ‘Connie/Petula/Brenda' in Beehive, ‘Uta' in The Green Heart, and ‘Miss Drumgoole' in Up Against It. Film and TV credits include Between the Lions, "Law & Order: SVU," "Third Watch," The Thing About My Folks, and In the Blood.

Julie Halston (Sister Acacius) is a founding member of Charles Busch's theatre company, Miss Halston has numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway credits including Hairspray, Gypsy, The Twentieth Century (Outer Critics Nomination), White Chocolate (Drama League Nomination), and many others. Last seen on television in the CBS sitcom "The Class," but most recognized as ‘Bitsy Von Muffling' on "Sex and The City." Her first book Monologues for Show-Offs, was recently published by Heinemann Press.

Amy Rutberg (Agnes). NY theatre highlights: Charles Busch's Our Leading Lady (MTC), The Jazz Age (59E59), Perfect Harmony (Clurman). LA theatre: Dracula the Musical (La Jolla Playhouse), Grave White Way (Hudson), The Rocky Horror Show (Tiffany). National Tours: The Civil War, Man of La Mancha. TV/Film: HBO Film's Emmy Award winning "Recount," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "The Unusuals," "Everwood." "Upright Citizens Brigade's Gravid Water." UCLA Graduate. Champion poker player. Jewish Nun. www.amyrutberg.com

Jennifer Van Dyck (MrS. Levinson, Timothy) Broadway: Hedda Gabler with Kate Burton, Dancing at Lughnasa, Two Shakespearean Actors, The Secret Rapture. Off-Broadway: Charles Busch's The Third Story (MCC), Orson's Shadow (Barrow St.), Suzan Lori-Parks' 365Days/365 Plays (Barrow St./The Public), Keen Company, Playwrights Horizons, Naked Angels. New plays by Bathsheba Doran, Karen Zacarias, Keith Bunin, Ellen McLaughlin, Catherine Filloux, Douglas Post. Film/TV: Michael Clayton, Across the Universe, Stealing Martin Lane, Series 7, States of Control, Bullets Over Broadway, numerous "Law & Order" episodes, "Fringe," "New Amsterdam," and narration of many audiobooks.

Jonathan Walker (Jeremy, Brother Venerius). Broadway: Twentieth Century, After the Fall. Off-Broadway includes productions at The Public Theater, MCC, Manhattan Theater Club, The New Group, Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout, La Mama, PS 122, BAM, Variety Arts, The Women's Project. Regional includes: The Old Globe in San Diego; The Huntington and A.R.T. in Boston; Yale Repertory; La Jolla Playhouse; Williamstown Theater Festival; The McCarter. Film: Far From Heaven, People I Know, Heights, Michael Clayton, Malevolence 2. TV: "The Good Wife," "Eli Stone," "6 Degrees," "3 Lbs," "Sex and the City," "Ed," "Chapelle's Show," and lots of "Law and Order."

BRIAN T. WhiteHILL (Scenic and Graphic Design) concocted sets and graphics for legendary Theatre-in-Limbo for virtually all the original productions. He designed the world premieres Shanghai Moon, Die! Mommy! Die!, and Devil Boys From Beyond. He developed the puppets "Pecky and Nooter" for HBO's "Oz" (who are currently available for work.)

Fabio Toblini (Costume Design). Musicals: Race for Love (Beijing, China), Sammy (The Old Globe Theatre), Creature from the Black Lagoon, Jesus Chris Superstar (U.S. National Tour), The Ministry of Progress (Jane Street Theatre), Fame (U.S. National Tour), The Game (Barrington Stage), Batboy The Musical (Lucille Lortel Nomination), Godspell (U.S. National Tour), Man of La Mancha (Goodspeed Musicals), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Jane Street Theatre), Henry V (American Players Theatre), Legends! (Town Hall, NYC), The Pleasure of His Company (The Old Globe Theatre), Henry IV (American Players Theatre), Subject to Fits (Alley Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Alley Theatre), Reeling (The Children's Theatre Company), A Christmas Carol (Ford's Theatre).

 

Kirk Bookman (Lighting Design). Broadway: The Gin Game (Julie Harris & Charles Durning), Off-Broadway: What Then, The Cook, Recent Tragic Events (Playwrights Horizons, Heather Graham), Shangai Moon (Charles Bush), Right You Are, Havana Is Waiting, Force Continuum, My One Good Nerve (Ruby Dee), The Green Heart (MTC), The Shawl, The Book of Liz (David and Amy Sedaris), Les MIZrahi (Isaac Mizrahi), As Thousands Cheer, and June Moon.

Jill BC DuBoff (Sound Design) Broadway: The Constant Wife, The Good Body, Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home. National Tour: Wit. Off-Broadway: Lincoln Center, MCC Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, Public Theater, The Vineyard Theatre, Second Stage Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Women's Project, New Georges, Flea Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Signature Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Culture Project, The New Group, Soho Rep, Adobe Theater. Regional: Cincinnati Playhouse, Minneapolis Children's Theatre, Bay Street Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, Alley Theatre, Kennedy Center, New York Stage & Film, South Coast Repertory, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Adirondack Theatre Festival. Television and Film: "Comedy Central Presents Slovin & Allen," NBC's "Late Fridays," We Pedal Uphill. Radio: Contributing producer for PRI's "Studio 360." Ms. DuBoff is on the faculty of Sarah Lawrence College.

Katherine Carr (Wig Design) has designed Charles Busch's wigs for 26 years. Off-Broadway credits include Die, Mommie, Die!, Shanghai Moon, The Lady in Question, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Times Square Angel, Psycho Beach Party. Broadway: Die, Mommie, Die!, Charles Busch and Julie Halston: Together on Broadway (Actors Fund), Legends. Film: A Very Serious Person (Julie Halston's wigs).

Daryl Roth (Producer) is proud to hold the singular distinction of producing six Pulitzer Prize-winning plays: Tracy Letts' August: Osage County; David Auburn's Proof; Margaret Edson's Wit; Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive; Edward Albee's Three Tall Women; and Nilo Cruz's Anna in the Tropics. Other award winning Broadway productions include: Bea Arthur on Broadway; Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori's Caroline, or Change; Harvey Fierstein's A Catered Affair; Twyla Tharp's Come Fly Away; Helen Edmundson's Coram Boy; Clifford Odets' The Country Girl; Kander and Ebb's Curtains; Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms; Terrence McNally's Deuce; Bill T. Jones' Fela!; Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's Inherit the Wind; Dan Gordon's Irena's Vow; Mark Twain's Is He Dead?; Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music; Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart; Euripides' Medea; Paul Rudnick's Regrets Only; Oscar Wilde's Salome, the Reading; Charles Busch's The Tale of the Allergist's Wife; Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?; George Stevens Jr.'s Thurgood; Anna Deavere Smith's Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; and Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. Off-Broadway credits include: Jane Anderson's The Baby Dance; Edward Albee and Samuel Beckett's Beckett/Albee; Mark St. Germain's Camping with Henry and Tom; Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire's Closer Than Ever; Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich's Dear Edwina; Jane Anderson's Defying Gravity; Charles Busch's Die, Mommie, Die!; Eric Walton's Esoterica; George C. Wolfe's Harlem Song; Kenny Finkle's Indoor Outdoor; Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore; Paul Grellong's Manuscript; Brian Copeland's Not a Genuine Black Man; Jon Marans' Old Wicked Songs; Stephen Adly Guirgis' Our Lady of 121st Street; Edward Albee's The Play About the Baby; David Marshall Grant's Snakebit; Alan Bennett's Talking Heads; Matthew Lombardo's Tea at Five; Jon Marans' The Temperamentals; Will Eno's Thom Pain (based on nothing); David Pittu's What's that Smell?; Morris Paynch's Vigil; and De La Guarda, which ran for 7 years as the inaugural production at the Daryl Roth Theatre, a landmark building on Union Square. Film credits include the Emmy-nominated HBO feature "Dinner with Friends," based on Donald Margulies' Pulitzer Prize-winning play; The Lady in Question, a documentary based on the career of Charles Busch; A Very Serious Person written by Charles Busch, starring Polly Bergen; and My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story a documentary exploring the relationships of well known New Yorkers and their dogs.

SOHO PLAYHOUSE. This historic building dates back to 1826, and its legacy includes Aaron Burr; John Jacob Astor, Sr.; Tammany Hall; and Mayor "Beau James" Walker. In the 1960s, it was converted into a theatre called The Village South, where Edward Albee created his Playwrights Unit Workshop. This workshop produced many of the first works of Sam Shepard, Terrance McNally, John Guare, and Lanford Wilson, among others. More recently, original works by contemporary playwrights such as Tracy Letts, GLen berger, and Michael Lawrence have been featured at SoHo Playhouse. The Playhouse has been under the Direction of Darren Lee Cole since 2004.