Tony Nominee Carrie Coon Joins Cast of Playwrights Horizons' PLACEBO

Playwrights Horizons has announced additional casting for PLACEBO, the world premiere of a new play by Obie Award winner Melissa James Gibson (This at PH, What Rhymes with America, Suitcase, [sic], the FX series "The Americans," "House of Cards" on Netflix). Directed by Obie Award winner Daniel Aukin (This at PH, The Fortress of Solitude, Bad Jews, 4000 Miles, [sic]), the play will be the fourth production of the theater company's 2014/2015 Season.

Joining the cast is Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner Carrie Coon (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Gone Girl, Nora Durst in the HBO series "The Leftovers"). She joins previously announced cast members William Jackson Harper (A Cool Dip in the Barren Saharan Crick at PH; All the Way, Ruined, Modern Terrorism), Alex Hurt (Scenes from a Marriage, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Unrequited) and Florencia Lozano (Red Dog Howls, Macbeth, Privilege). Ms. Coon steps in for Kristen Connolly, who has had to leave the production due to another professional obligation.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public the week of January 19. Beginning Tuesday, January 20 at 12 Noon and for the first 24 hours, $35 discount tickets (regularly $75-95) can be purchased exclusively via Playwrights Horizons' Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/PlaywrightsHorizons. No fees will apply for the Facebook pre-sale. Limitations may apply. Beginning Wednesday, January 21 at 12 Noon, regular-priced single tickets may be purchased online via www.TicketCentral.com and www.Facebook.com, by phone at (212) 279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily) and in person at the Ticket Central Box Office, 416 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues).

PLACEBO will begin previews Friday, February 20, 2015 with an Opening Night set for Monday, March 16 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, April 5 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

A minty green pill - medication or sugar? Louise (Ms. Coon) is working on a placebo-controlled study of a new female arousal drug. As her work in the lab navigates the blurry lines between perception and deception, more and more these same questions pertain to her life at home. With uncanny insight and unparalleled wit, Melissa James Gibson's affectionate comedy examines slippery truths and the power of crossed fingers.

Ms. Gibson and Mr. Aukin are longtime collaborators who are both returning to Playwrights Horizons for the first time since their acclaimed production of This in 2009.

The production will feature scenic and costume designs by Tony Award nominee David Zinn, lighting design by Matt Frey and sound design by Ryan Rumery. Production Stage Manager is Kyle Gates.

The performance schedule for PLACEBO will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7PM, Thursdays and Fridays at 8PM, Saturdays at 2:30 PM & 8PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM. The Wednesday evening, March 4 performance has an 8PM curtain and the Thursday evening, March 5 performance (a special performance for those age 30 and under) has an early 7PM curtain.

A ticketing initiative created as part of Playwrights Horizons' Arts Access program, LIVEforFIVE makes available a limited number of $5 tickets for the first preview performance of each Playwrights Horizons production through a lottery via the company's website. The LIVEforFIVE lottery for PLACEBO will be for tickets to the first preview on Friday, February 20 at 8PM. Details for the lottery are as follows: beginning Wednesday, February 11, theatergoers can enter the lottery by filling out an entry form at www.PHnyc.org. Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, February 17 at 12 Noon. Winners of the lottery will be notified via email no later than 3PM on Tuesday, February 17 with instructions on how to book their $5 tickets. Unclaimed tickets will be offered via email to a limited standby list starting at 12 Noon on Wednesday, February 18 on a first-come, first-served basis. One or two tickets may be purchased for $5 each.

Through the ticketing program launched last season, FIRST ROW SUNDAYS, Playwrights Horizons makes available front row tickets for all Sunday evening performances. Tickets, $25 each, will be available for those age 30 years and younger and can be purchased in advance 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). Tickets are limited to one per customer and are subject to availability. Purchased tickets for FIRST ROW SUNDAYS can be picked up one hour before curtain on the day of the performance, with proof of age required at the door.

Also reflecting Playwrights Horizons' ongoing commitment to making its productions more affordable to young 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. Cash only.

LIVEforFIVE, FIRST ROW SUNDAYS and HOTtix are three 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, McGraw Hill Financial and an Anonymous Individual Donor.

A special open captioned performance of PLACEBO for theatergoers who are deaf and hard of hearing will be held on the Sunday, March 8 matinee at 2:30 PM. Funding for this program is provided, in part, by the Theodore H. Barth Foundation, and 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.