Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Presents THE HISTORY OF INVULNERABILITY, Opens 4/8

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will continue its Shelterhouse Theatre season with the world premiere of THE HISTORY OF INVULNERABILITY by David Bar Katz. This remarkable new play about fantasy and reality in the 20th century began previews in The Playhouse's Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre April 3 and continues through May 2. Opening night is set for April 8.

Superman - the man of steel - is invulnerable. Jerry Siegel - the creator of Superman - was far more vulnerable. Siegel was one of a number of Jews who created the cartoon superheroes of the 1930s and 1940s in response to the rise of Nazi Germany. Siegel's own tumultuous story intertwines with the tragic events of a world on The Edge, a place where even Superman has his limits.

David Bar Katz co-wrote and directed the Broadway production of Freak, which was nominated for two Tony Awards (including Best Play) and earned Katz an Emmy nomination for the HBO presentation of the play. He co-created and was a head writer for the Emmy nominated Fox TV series House of Buggin'. Other plays include Philip Roth in Khartoum, Burning Burning Burning Burning and The Atmosphere of Memory. Katz is currently collaborating with Will Wright on a film set in the world of online gaming, writing a musical theatre version of the film The Hebrew Hammer and adapting a Graham Greene novel. He is a member of New York's LAByrinth Theater Company.

The cast of THE HISTORY OF INVULNERABILITY includes StEve Wilson (The Merry Wives of Windsor, Texas) as Superman; David Deblinger as Jerry Siegel; Joseph Parks (Love Song) as Joe Shuster, Benjamin, Walter Winchell, Michael Siegel, Phil Yeh and ensemble; William Parry (Pure Confidence) as Lucky Luciano, Jor-El, Perry White, Saul, Thornton Wilder, Fred Wertham and ensemble; Eric Martin Brown as Harry Donenfeld, Nazi, Elia Kazan, Sterling North, Tom Hall and ensemble; Alexis Jacknow as Jerry's Mother, Prostitute, Lara, Jolan, Lois Lane, Lauretta Bender and ensemble; Richard Lowenburg as Jerry Siegel age 11 and Joel; Christopher Wells as German schoolboy and ensemble; Ian Ferguson as German schoolboy and ensemble; Jonathan Self as Cossack, Artist, Guard and ensemble; Tim Abrahamsen as Cossack and ensemble; Lily Blau as Ukrainian Mother, Josette Frank and ensemble.

Associate Artistic Director Michael Evan Haney will helm the production. According to Haney, "Playwright David Bar Katz doesn't pull any punches with the brutality of the era - how it relates to the Holocaust and how it affects the human emotions of those involved. The story is powerful and challenging and the audience should be prepared to go on an adventure - better than anything they ever saw in a Superman comic book."

David Gallo, who designed the set for The Fall of Heaven, returns as the Set and Projection Designer for THE HISTORY OF INVULNERABILITY. Gallo designed the set for the 2006 Playhouse production of Company and won a 2006 Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for The Drowsy Chaperone. In addition to numerous Broadway productions, he has worked extensively in Europe and Asia.

Other members of the artistic team include Costume Designer Anne Kennedy, Lighting Designer Thomas C. Hase, Sound Designer Jill BC Du Boff, Associate Projection Designer Steve Channon and Original Artwork by Joe Staton. The Production Stage Manager is Suann Pollock.

The History of Invulnerability is suitable for adult audiences only. It contains strong moments of violence, sexual content, strong language and mature themes. No one under the age of 18 will be admitted.

Prices for THE HISTORY OF INVULNERABILITY range from $45-$61, depending on day and seat location. The official opening night is Thursday, April 8 at 8 p.m.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays; and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets to THE HISTORY OF INVULNERABILITY are on sale now. For more information, call The Playhouse box office at 513/421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800/582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513/345-2248 for TDD accessibility.

The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to the Fine Arts Fund.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund The Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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