SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION to Open at Country Playhouse on May 10

The Country Playhouse will present Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare, on our Cerwinske Stage for three weekends only, May 10 - 25. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., with a Sunday matinee on May 19 at 2:00 p.m., plus a weeknight show on Thursday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Paul, a young African-American down from Harvard is stabbed in a mugging in Central Park and is taken in by Ouisa and Flan Kittredge, since he is a friend of their children at Harvard. They become entranced by Paul's remarkable poise and gifted conversation, and are impressed to find he is the son of Sidney Poitier, until they discover that none of the preceding is true, and that Paul has taken in several of their friends as well. A cast of 18 brings to exciting life this comedic drama, where events unfold at breakneck speed as Paul's impostures lead to tragedy, and a planned rapprochement with the Kittredge's misfires.

The cast includes Renata Smith as Ouisa Kittredge, Brian Heaton as Flan Kittredge, Carl Masterson as their wealthy friend Geoffrey, and Christopher St. Mary as the young impostor. They are joined by Yvonne Owen Nelson and Sam Stengler as the Larkins, Lee Honeycutt as Dr. Fine, Roy Hamlin as the detective, and Tom Foti as the doorman. Jenny Reuss plays Tess and Kaylin Zeren portrays Elizabeth, and six male actors play their college-age peers. The plot of the play was inspired by the real-life story of David Hampton, a con man who managed to convince a number of people in the 1980s that he was the son of actor Sidney

Poitier. Playwright John Guare wrote the award-winning play, which opened at Lincoln Center on May 16, 1990 and later transferred to B'way's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, opening on Nov. 8, 1990, where it ran for 485 performances. Stockard Channing as Ouisa received luminous reviews, and she starred in the 1993 film of the play, with Will Smith as Paul. The play won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and the Obie Award for Best Play, and director Jerry Zaks won the Tony Award as Best Director.

Ticket prices are $22 for adults, and $19 for students and seniors. Groups of 20 or more receive a $5.00 discount off the adult price. Call the box office at 713-467-4497 for reservations, or make them online at www.countryplayhouse.org (at no additional charge).

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