Photo Flash: First Look at Beck Center's THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES

A man's home is his castle, unless it's a zoo! Beck Center for the Arts presents the Obie Award Winner for Best American Play, The House of BLUe LeAVes, written by John Guare and directed by Russ Borski, running now through April 21, 2013 on the Mackey Main Stage. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the show below!

Artie Shaughnessy is an aspiring songwriter who works as a zookeeper by day, performs in seedy lounges at night and lives in Queens with his schizophrenic wife, Bananas, much to the chagrin of his mistress, Bunny. When an old school buddy, now a successful Hollywood movie director, arrives back in town, Artie plans to escape the life he despises. But like many dreams, this promise of glory evaporates amid the chaos of ordinary lives.

The House of Blue Leaves features Equity actors Robert Ellis as Artie and Juliette Regnier as his mentally ill wife, Bananas.

Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. There is no performance on Sunday, March 31. Tickets are $28 for adults and $25 for seniors (65 and older) with an additional $3 service fee per ticket applied at time of purchase. Student tickets are $15 with valid I.D. (includes service fee). Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more. Purchase tickets online at beckcenter.org or call Customer Service at 216.521.2540, ext. 10. Beck Center for the Arts is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional Theater Productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and free gallery exhibits featuring local, regional, and International Artists.

Photo Credit: Kathy Sandham

Carla Petroski as Bunny Flingus, Juliette Regnier* as Bananas Shaughnessy and Robert Ellis* as Artie Shaughnessy

Robert Ellis* as zookeeper Artie Shaughnessy and Carla Petroski as his girlfriend, Bunny Flingus

Artie Shaughnessy (Robert Ellis*) pleads with his mentally ill wife, Bananas (Juliette Regnier*) to pray for a miracle from the Pope.