Beck, Champlin, Hickok Set for THE CHERRY SISTERS REVISITED at Humana Festival

Casting has been completed for the upcoming performance of THE CHERRY SISTERS REVISITED by Dan O'Brien, which will play as a part of the Humana Festival at The Actors Theatre of Louisville. The production will star stage veterans Cassie Beck, Donna Lynne Champlin, and John Hickok.

How far can you go with ambition, gumption, a good heart-and no talent? The Cherry Sisters' dreams of Vaudeville took them from their Iowa barn to Broadway, where their inept acrobatics and tone-deaf caterwauling continually sold out, bringing them fame-and a barrage of rotten cabbages. With music by Michael Friedman (This Beautiful City, Gone Missing) and based on a true story, Dan O'Brien's thought-provoking comedy takes a look at the insatiable urge to perform, and the audience's inability to look away.

Dan O'Brien's most recent production was The House in Hydesville at Geva Theatre Center. Regional Theatre: Moving Picture at Williamstown Theatre Festival; Key West at Geva Theatre Center; and Lamarck at Perishable Theatre (Osborn Award / American Theatre Critics Association). Off-Broadway: The Dear Boy at Second Stage Theatre; The Voyage of the Carcass at Soho Playhouse (Stage 13); The Voyage of the Carcass at HERE Arts Center (Page 73 Productions); Am Lit at The Ensemble Studio Theatre. Additional Credits: Mr. O'Brien was recently the Hodder Fellow playwright-in-residence at Princeton University. He is the recipient of the 2009-2010 McKnight National Residency and Commission from Playwrights' Center, where he is a Core Writer.

Michael Friedman At Actors: This Beautiful City, Gone Missing, Act a Lady, Uncle Sam's Satiric... As Composer/Lyricist, Mr. Friedman's credits include The Civilians' This Beautiful City, Gone Missing, [I Am] Nobody's Lunch, Canard, Canard Goose? as well as Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Saved, The Brand New Kid and In the Bubble. Co-author credits include Paris Commune (with Steve Cosson). Film: On Common Ground, Coach. Other credits include The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Roundabout Theatre Company, Second Stage Theatre, Soho Repertory Theater, Theatre for a New Audience, Signature Theatre and The Acting Company, as well as regional theaters throughout the country. Artistic Associate at New York Theatre Workshop; Associate Artist for The Civilians; MacDowell fellow; Princeton University Hodder Fellow; 2007 OBIE Award.

The production will run March 18th through April 12th at the Pamela Brown Auditorium as a part of the Humana Festival. Tickets for the event range in price from $25 to $56 and may be purchased online at tickets.com, or by calling the box office at 502-584-1205.

The Humana Festival is an internationally acclaimed event that has introduced more than 400 plays into the American and interNational Theatre's general repertoire, including three Pulitzer Prize winners-The Gin Game by D. L. Coburn, Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley and Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies-as well as Rinne Groff's The Ruby Sunrise, Jane Martin's Anton in Show Business, Charles L. Mee's Big Love, Theresa Rebeck's The Scene, Gina Gionfriddo's After Ashley and Becky Shaw, Stephen Belber's Tape and The Civilians' This Beautiful City. Over 380 Humana Festival plays have been published in anthologies and individual acting editions, making Actors Theatre a visible and vital force in the development of new plays.

The Humana Festival is the premier event of its kind in the nation, drawing audiences of nearly 40,000 last year. For the past 33 years, hundreds of the industry's most distinguished leaders, producers, critics and admirers have descended upon Louisville for a month?long celebration of the newest creations in American theatre. The Festival culminates in two industry weekends, Theatre Professionals Weekend and Special Visitors Weekend, which bring together a collection of amazing new works with one?of?a?kind panels, cocktail parties, discussions and networking events. It is the perfect opportunity to see new works, make new connections and support the creation of new American theatre.

Now in its 46th season, Actors Theatre of Louisville, the State Theatre of Kentucky, has emerged as one of America's most consistently innovative professional theatre companies. For over 30 years, it has been a major force in revitalizing American playwriting. Its annual Humana Festival of New American Plays is recognized as the premier event of its kind and draws producers, journalists, critics, playwrights and theatre lovers from around the world for a marathon of new works. Over 350 plays from Actors Theatre have been published, making them available to producers and readers, and creating a significant addition to the nation's dramatic literature. Actors Theatre's programming includes a broad range of classical and contemporary work, presenting over 500 performances each season. The company performs annually to nearly 200,000 people and is the recipient of the most prestigious awards bestowed on a regional theatre: a special Tony Award for Distinguished Achievement, the James N. Vaughan Memorial Award for Exceptional Achievement and Contribution to the Development of Professional Theatre, and the Margo Jones Award for the Encouragement of New Plays. Actors Theatre's international appearances include performances in over 29 cities in 15 foreign countries. Currently, there are 40 books of plays and criticism from Actors Theatre in publication and circulation.

For more information, visit www.actorstheatre.org.

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