World Premiere 'The Boy From Russia'

Actors' Playhouse, a highly regarded South Florida cultural organization for 19 years, is proud to produce its second World Premiere production.  The Boy From Russia will be at the Miracle Theatre on May 9 playing through June 3, 2007.
 
Written by South Florida playwright, Susan J. Westfall, The Boy From Russia is the story of a husband and wife's journey to fulfill their dream of expanding their family.  Jack Goldman and Beth Marshall impulsively decide to adopt an orphaned boy they see on an adoption agency video.  Leaving the doubts of friends and family behind, their journey to find the child takes them to a wintry Russian village.  As events spiral beyond their control, Beth and Jack discover that the risk they have taken could cost them the boy and each other.
 
The Boy From Russia was developed as part of Downstage Miami, a program sponsored by Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs to help create new works by regional playwrights.  Part of the process was at the Miracle Theatre in addition to other cultural organizations around South Florida.  After its development, Westfall approached Actors' Playhouse with the script and the idea of producing the World Premiere at the Miracle Theatre as part of the company's annual season.
 
Artistic Director, David Arisco, says "Susi has written a beautiful play and it is a privilege for Actors' Playhouse to produce its first regional production at the Miracle Theatre We are excited to introduce new works to our patrons, especially one by a local playwright."
 
Susan Westfall, a graduate of Palmetto High School with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Playwriting from Florida State University, created The Boy From Russia loosely based on her own experiences.  As a mother of one, she and her husband decided to adopt another son, a young boy from Russia.  It is Westfall's experiences that have enabled her to write this emotional yet heart-warming story that shows the differences and struggles it takes to adopt a child, especially from another country.
 
As a playwright, Westfall has had several works produced at theatres throughout South Florida.  She was a co-founder of the Carbonell Award winning company, City Theatre, and co-producing Artistic Director, where The Boy From Russia originated as a short play. Currently, Westfall sits on City Theatre's Board of Directors.  She is a past recipient of a Florida Arts Council Playwriting Fellowship and a REMY Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre.
 
Directed by Artistic Director David Arisco, the cast of The Boy From Russia is a successful mix of local, national, and international talent. Sandy Ives plays Beth Marshall, a mother led by her strong instinct.  A Carbonell nominee, Ives is a Resident Company Member of the Inside Out Theatre Company.  She has previously appeared at Actors' Playhouse as Trish Platt in House and Garden and Elsa in The Sound of Music.  Jack Marshall, a man with the desire to add to his family, is played by renowned actor Avi Hoffman, making his Actors' Playhouse debut.  Hoffman is best known for his award winning one man shows Too Jewish? and Too Jewish, Too!  He is a recipient of the Carbonell and Curtain Up awards and is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of the New Vista Theatre Company in Palm Beach Country. Chaz Mena, a former student at the Moscow Art Institute and a graduate from Barry University in South Florida, plays Victor Chelnikov, a Russian adoption liaison.  Mena recently appeared in the American Premiere of Murder of Isaac by Israel's leading playwright, Motti Lerner.  Russian actress, Katya Ilina, makes her Actors' Playhouse and American theatre debut as Svetlana, a Russian translator assigned to help Beth and Jack with the adoption.  Rounding out the cast is Stephen G. Anthony, Carbonell winner for his performance in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change at Actors' Playhouse; playing Robert, the American adoption agent, and the Russian Judge assigned to this adoption case. And Carbonell Winner Kim Ostrenko as Beth's sister, Linda, and Olga, a Russian orphanage worker, who was last seen at Actors' Playhouse in Picasso At The Lapin Agile.
 
The World Premiere of The Boy From Russia will preview at the Miracle Theatre on May 9 and 10 and open on May 11, 2007.  It will run through June 3.  Performances will be held Wednesday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm.  Additional performances will be held on Wednesday May 16 and 23 at 2 pm.  
 
Ticket prices are $30 for preview performances, $38.50 for weeknights and matinees, and $46 for Friday and Saturday evenings.
 
The theatre offers a 10 percent senior discount rate the day of performance and $15 student rush tickets 15 minutes prior to curtain, with identification. All discounts are based on availability and exclude Saturday and Sunday performances.
 
Group discounted rates are offered for 15 or more. Theatre/dining packages are available with Coral Gables' select restaurants through our group sales department. Group and single tickets may be purchased through the box office at 305-444-9293 or online at www.actorsplayhouse.org.
 
The 2006-2007 season at the Miracle Theatre will conclude with Tom Lehrer's satirical musical comedy revue Tom Foolery (July 11-September 2, 2007).
 
Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre is excited to announce its 2007-2008 six-show main stage season.  Kicking off the season will be Tony Award Winning Urinetown (October 10 – November 4, 2007) followed by Martha Mitchell Calling (November 28 – December 23, 2007) starring Annette Miller.  The season continues with the Off-Broadway musical sensation, Altar Boyz (January 16 – February 10, 2008), Footloose, The Musical (March 5 – April 6, 2008), the new comedy-thriller THUMBS  (May 7- June 8, 2008) and Mid Life! The Crisis Musical (July 9 – August 10, 2008).  
 
Subscribers receive premium seating, best savings, and benefits and discounts to the area's choice restaurants and establishments. Season subscriptions for the 2007-2008 season are on sale now, with prices ranging from $160 for preview performances, $214 for Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday matinees, $250 for Friday and Saturday evenings, and $256 for VIP Flexible/Anytime tickets for choice reserved seats in every performance. Opening night tickets, including a gala party and Bacardi bar, are $394. Miracle Maker donor subscriptions, including two tickets to opening nights, donor acknowledgement, and two tickets to the annual Reach for the Stars Gala Auction 2007 are $1250. Subscriptions for children 18 years and younger with a full paid adult subscription, and college students, are $100 (restrictions apply). 

Actors' Playhouse is the proud recipient of 19 Carbonell nominations for artistic excellence. Carbonell nominations include Best Production of a Musical for Five Course Love and The Full Monty; Best Director/Musical, David Arisco, for The Full Monty; Best Actor/Musical Terrell Hardcastle in Irving Berlin's White Christmas and Tally Sessions in The Full Monty; Best Actress/Musical Janet Dacal in Five Course Love; Best Supporting Actor/Musical Oscar Cheda for Five Course Love, Brian M. Golub for The Full Monty and Reggie Whitehead for The Full Monty; Best Supporting Actress/Musical Irene Adjan in The Full Monty, Stacey Schwartz for The Full Monty and Lourelene Snedeker in Irving Berlin's White Christmas; Musical Direction/Musical Eric Alsford for The Full Monty and Kevin Wallace for Irving Berlin's White Christmas; Choreography/Musical Chrissi Ardito for Irving Berlin's White Christmas and Barbara Flaten The Full Monty; Best Lighting Design Patrick Tennent for The Full Monty; and Best Costume Design Mary Lynne Izzo for Five Course Love and Ellis Tillman for Irving Berlin's White Christmas.
  
Actors' Playhouse, the resident theatre company and managing agent of the Miracle Theatre, has an agreement with Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors, New York. Under the leadership of Executive Producing Director Barbara S. Stein and Artistic Director David Arisco, Actors' Playhouse, a Florida Presenting Cultural Organization, one of eight major Florida professional theatre companies, and one of twenty-two major cultural institutions in Miami Dade County. In addition to its Mainstage season, Actors' Playhouse produces a year-round season of Musical Theatre for Young Audiences, a National Children's Theatre Festival, and offers a Theatre Conservatory and Summer Camp Program.
 
Actors Playhouse at The Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Florida, 33134. Phone: (305) 444-9293.