Area Premiere of OVER THE TAVERN Premieres 9/26 at Olney Theatre Center

Olney Theatre Center, the award-winning, year-round arts and entertainment destination, announces the opening of the area premiere of Over the Tavern by Tom Dudzick. Over the Tavern will grace Olney Theatre Center's Mainstage from September 26 to October 21, 2012.

Called "One of the biggest grass roots successes in American regional theatres" by Chicago critic Chris Jones, Over the Tavern is a funny and heartwarming play that deals with a family growing up over their family tavern in 1959 working class America. Four children find themselves caught between the claustrophobic authoritarianism of the Roman Catholic Church and their overbearing father. Their mother, with her good sense, sanity, and wry humor, keeps this family afloat.

At the center of the family is 12-year-old Rudy, a rebel and Ed Sullivan impersonator. Rudy takes on his formidable teacher, Sister Clarissa, questioning everything and claiming that God put us on earth to have fun. Weeks away from his confirmation, Rudy proclaims, "I read where there are over thirteen hundred religions in the world. I'd like to shop around!"

The New York Times calls Over the Tavern "…a staged sitcom with a dash of pretend blasphemy."

Director John Going says he is "thrilled with the cast we've assembled for this show: two DC favorites who have previously done some wonderful work at Olney Theatre Center, a distinguished New York actress whose work I've admired for a very long time, and four extremely talented young people, ages twelve to sixteen, who are just starting out on what I know will be very exciting careers."
Over the Tavern is made possible by production sponsors James Pape and Nancy Newman-Pape.
Over the Tavern
By Tom Dudzick
Directed by John Going
September 26 – October 21, 2012
Press Night: Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 8pm
Performances are Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8pm with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. There are Sunday 7:30pm performances on September 30, October 7 and 14, Wednesday matinees on October 3 and 17 at 2pm, and a Tuesday 7:30pm performance on October 9. Tickets start at $26 and discounts available for groups, seniors, military, and students

CAST BIOS:

Connor Aikin (Eddie) makes his Olney Theatre Center debut with Over the Tavern. DC AREA: Royal Shakespeare Company: Coriolanus; The Kennedy Center: Young Martius; Scena Theatre: Waiting for Godot, One for the Road; Centerstage: Ah, Wilderness!; Woolly Mammoth Theatre: Vigils [Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Ensemble]; Shakespeare Theatre Company: Henry V FILM: How Do You Know, My One and Only, Night at the Museum II: Escape from the Smithsonian, State of Play, and Body of Lies. TELEVISION: The Wire. TRAINING: The Royal Shakespeare Company, Actors Workshop NYC, Hippodrome Theatre Broadway Camp, MD Professional Young Actors' Workshop, Shakespeare Theatre Camp, Baltimore School for the Arts TWIGS Program: Theatre.

Noah Chiet (Rudy) is excited to make his Olney Theatre Center debut. DC AREA: Ford's Theatre: LiberTy Smith [Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Ensemble], A Christmas Carol, and Ford's Theatre 2011 Annual Gala; Signature Theatre: The Hollow; Theater J: The History of Invulnerability; TheatreWashington: 27th Helen Hayes Awards (Performer); GanymedeArts: Falsettos. FILM: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Dub or Nothing, Stationary. EDUCATION: Quince Orchard High School, A. Mario, Loiederman Magnet Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and Adventure Theatre MTC.

Christopher Cox (Georgie) is excited to be making his Olney Theatre Center debut. BROADWAY: Ragtime (The Little Boy). REGIONAL: Penguin Rep: Over the Tavern (Rudy Pazinski). DC AREA: The Kennedy Center: Ragtime (The Little Boy); FILM: The Blue Danube, Fun Fair, Rosie's Miracle, The Truth. TV: Royal Pains. Christopher is planning to attend college for filmmaking and has a successful YouTube Channel CACox97. He thanks his loyal fans, his agents at Abrams Artists, manager Susie Mains and his Mom and Dad for their support.

Deborah Hazlett (Ellen) last appeared at Olney Theatre Center as Becca in Rabbit Hole [Helen Hayes Outstanding Ensemble Nomination]. Regional Credits include: Playmaker's Repertory Theatre: Frozen; Syracuse Stage: BUG; Florida Stage: The Count, Mezzulah 1946; Signature Theater: CRAVE, Blue Room; Woolly Mammoth Theater Company: BUG (U.S. Premiere); Folger Theatre: Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Shakespeare Theatre Company: eight productions including Henry IV Parts I and II, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, and Twelfth Night; Theatre J: Something You Did; Everyman Theatre: Shooting Star, All My Sons, Rabbit Hole, The Cherry Orchard, Much Ado About Nothing, Sight Unseen, Betrayal, Candida (Best Actress 2006, City Paper), Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, Uncle Vanya, Hedda Gabler, Proof (Best Actress 2004, City Paper), Sideman, The Pavilion, A Delicate Balance, Watch on the Rhine, The Crucible, The Road to Mecca, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Totem Pole Playhouse: Sylvia, Crimes of the Heart, Proof; Rep Stage: Arcadia. TV/FILM: Law and Order, Homicide, Young Americans. EDUCATION: MFA Acting, University of South Carolina. Deborah narrates books for Harper Collins and BBC America.

Paul Morella (Chet) has previously appeared at Olney Theatre Center in A Christmas Carol, Witnessfor the Prosecution, Opus, Dinner With Friends, A Passion For Justice, The Millionairess, Rabbit Hole, Brooklyn Boy, Sight Unseen, The Mousetrap, Private Lives, 'Art', Coffee with Richelieu, The Laramie Project, The Rivals, Becket, Broken Glass, M. Butterfly, Monster, Night Must Fall, and The Time of Your Life. Other regional appearances include leading roles at Folger Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Studio Theatre, Round House Theatre, Potomac Theatre Project, Theater J, Everyman Theatre, Rep Stage, The Delaware Theatre Company, Two River Theatre, The Kennedy Center, among others.

Corrieanne Stein (Annie) is thrilled to be appearing at Olney Theatre Center. Credits include: BROADWAY: Billy Elliot the Musical (Original Cast) [10 Tony Awards including Best Musical 2009]. REGIONAL: Signature Theatre: Saving Aimee [World Premier] DC AREA: The Kennedy Center: Eisenhower Theater Gala; F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre: Annie and High School Musical ["Outstanding individual musical theater performance"- D.C. Theatre Scene]; Kidz Bop National Tour (Singer/Dancer). VOICEOVER: Fallout 3 (Betty) (GDCA Video Game of the Year). Proud member of Actors Equity since 2008.

Carol Schultz (Sister Clarissa) is very happy to be making her Olney Theatre Center debut. BROADWAY: Abe Lincoln in Illinois (with Sam Waterston), OFF BROADWAY: Company member of The Pearl Theatre where she has performed in 35 plays, including Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals [Callaway Award], Mrs. Wire in Vieux Carré, and Nettie in The Subject Was Roses; Classic Stage Company; Bessie in Marvin's Room at the Minetta Lane Theatre and tour. REGIONAL: Cincinnati Playhouse (Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Birdie in The Little Foxes), Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Goodman Theater, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Cleveland Play House and more.

About Olney Theatre Center
Olney Theatre Center is a 75-year-old professional, award-winning, nonprofit, Equity theatre. Located just north of Washington, D.C. in arts-rich Montgomery County, Maryland, Olney Theatre Center offers a diverse array of professional productions year-round. One of two state theaters of Maryland, Olney Theatre Center is situated on 14 acres in the heart of the beautiful Washington-Baltimore-Frederick "triangle," within easy access of all three cities. Olney Theatre Center is home to the National Players, America's longest-running touring company and led by Artistic Director Martin Platt and Managing Director Amy Marshall. For more information please visit www.olneytheatre.org.

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