Opening Night of Totem Pole Playhouse's SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS to Benefit CPAA

Totem Pole Playhouse, Pennsylvania's premiere summer theater, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, has announced that the opening night performance of the first play in the theatre's four-show subscription series, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, will serve as a fundraiser for the Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance. CPAA is a charitable organization composed of individuals and animal rescue organizations and shelters working together to end the killing of cats and dogs as the means of controlling animal population.

Emmy Award-winning actress, Loretta Swit, who played the quick-witted, impassioned Maj. Margaret Houlihan in TV's most honored series M*A*S*H*, will star in the play opposite six-time Los Angeles Ovation Award winner, David Engel, a veteran of numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Nationally acclaimed director, Michael Bloom, who ran the Tony Award-winning Cleveland Playhouse for 10 years, will direct the production. A portion of each ticket sold will go to CPAA and there will be a wine reception with the cast after the show for those who attend the opening.

As impassioned about animals as she is about the theatre, Ms. Swit is 1st Vice President of Actors and Others for Animals, is an honorary Board member of The Wildlife Waystation, serves as Chairperson for the Hooved Animal Rescue Protection Society (HARPS) and has acted as spokesperson for The Farm Sanctuary as well as the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS).

For her ceaseless humanitarian efforts, she has been named Woman of the Year by both the Animal Protection Institute and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

"Knowing of Loretta's lifelong work on behalf of numerous animal welfare organizations we wanted to find a benefactor equally passionate in their commitment to share in the proceeds from

our Opening Night," said Totem Pole Producing Artistic Director, Rowan Joseph. "CPPA is not only active in pet adoptions and low and no-cost spay/neuter surgeries and vaccination clinic for dogs and cats throughout central Pennsylvania they also implemented an Anti-Dogfighting Task Force. Their Hounds of Prison Education (HOPE) program pairs rescue dogs with behavioral challenges with carefully screened inmates at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill. Since 2005, HOPE has saved the lives of more than 200 dogs who have gone on to find loving homes."

Sue McMurtray, Totem Pole's General Manager said that the playhouse is still accepting requests from other charitable groups and organization as benefactors for the opening night performances of Forever Plaid and One Slight Hitch. "Partnering with other area non-profits has been very successful for us and the various organizations. It helps to fill our seats for the opening of each show and raise both money and awareness about other worthwhile causes here in Central PA."

Those interested in knowing about how their group or organization can utilize Totem Pole's opening night performance as a fundraiser should contact Renee Rankin, the playhouse's box office manager, at (717) 352-2164 or email rrankin@totempoleplayhouse.org

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks is a touching human comedy about a formidable retired woman who hires a much younger, acerbic dance instructor to give her private dance lessons - one per week for six weeks. What begins as an antagonistic relationship blossoms into a beautiful friendship as these two people from very different backgrounds reveal their secrets, fears, and joys while dancing the Tango, Swing, Waltz, Foxtrot, Cha-Cha, and Contemporary Dance.

The comedy will run at the playhouse from May 27 through June 12. The show is sponsored by M & T Bank and the Ludwick Eye Center. Franklin County Visitor's Bureau is the Season Sponsor for Totem Pole Playhouse's 66th summer season.

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