Park Square Theatre Presents DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE, Previews 4/9

All Jean (Carolyn Pool) wants to do is stop the ringing cell phone of the man sitting (quietly) next to her. Choosing to answer it may turn out to be the best thing that happens to her. Being the voice on the other end of the stranger's calls gives Jean instant access to a new and different world. In this modern adventure, Jean reconnects with her own spirit and learns--from a dead man--that life is for the living.

Matt Sciple directs DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE, Sarah Ruhl's story about a woman forced to confront her own assumptions about morality, redemption and the need to connect in a technologically-obsessed world. "I love the intersection of philosophy, mystery and romance," said Sciple. "This story, which plays out both the positives and negatives of our digital age, is simultaneously playful, surprising, hilarious and deeply profound."

The regional premiere of Dead Man's Cell Phone opens at Park Square Theatre, 20 W. Seventh Pl., Saint Paul, on April 16 (previews begin April 9) and runs through May 2. Joining Pool on stage are Shanan Custer (Other Woman/Stranger/Carlotta), Linda Kelsey (Mrs. Gottlieb), John Middleton (Dwight Gottliev/Gordon Gottlieb) and Karen Wiese-Thompson (Hermia). Playwright Sarah Ruhl is a recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Grant and Pulitzer Prize finalist for her play The Clean House.

Dead Man's Cell Phone artistic team includes Sarah Holmberg (properties), Michael Hoover (scenic), Lyle Jackson and Ellen Roeder (costumes), Montana Johnson (sound) and Mike Kittel (lighting).

Previews of Dead Man's Cell Phone will be held Friday, April 9 through Thursday, April 15; the production opens Friday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with 2:00 p.m. matinees on Sundays through May 2. All performances are in the company's intimate theater in Saint Paul's historic Hamm Building, 20 W. Seventh Pl.

Tickets are $36 on Thursdays through Sundays (with opening night at $40). Group, senior and special prices for those 30 and under are also offered. Tickets are available at 651-291-7005 or online www.parksquaretheatre.org