Ritz Theatre Co. to Stage AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, Begin. 9/12

It is Six O'clock in the evening. A crisp autumnal breeze rolls down White Horse Pike as seventy young performers spend their last days of summer vacation putting on a show to capture all their abilities. Just one block down the street, Ritz veteran, Esther Flaster has the daunting task of bringing the "black, damned and anonymous" world of Tracy Letts' August: Osage County to the stage by September 12th.

Under Esther's vision, thirteen talented individuals work together to turn a large-scale, multi-level, fully-furbished house into a home. With the help of such familiar cast-members as artistic director, Bruce Curless, and returning veterans, Susan Dewey and Ginna Higgins, the potent themes of marital discord, addiction and sanitized history propel each actor's motivations.

This feat is accentuated with the help of Kris Clayton, the scenic designer, who has accepted the challenge of fitting two stories and an attic onto the Ritz stage. "This is the largest set in Ritz history!" boasts Bruce Curless. "The front steps of the house come down to the auditorium floor."

When asked about the process in making his vision come to life, Kris Clayton remarks "The greatest challenge is trying to complement a variety of action with various rooms. In the initial reading, I asked Esther what could be cut, set-wise. Her response: 'nothing." Flaster and Clayton have been working closely ever since to create a functioning space which can maintain reality throughout the play. "The set must provide an atmosphere where ordinary people can deal with extraordinary circumstances." Clayton states.

The events of August: Osage County begin with the sudden disappearance and suspected suicide of Beverly Weston, the patriarch of the Weston family, played by Curless. His disappearance sparks the reunion of his drug-dependent wife, with her estranged children, their equally troubled spouses, and an array of characters with different, colorful and cultural back-stories.

After its successful run at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, August: Osage County was transferred to Broadway, where is ran for eighteen previews, six-hundred-forty-eight performances and garnered seven Tony Awards and five wins, including best play.

Accompanying this play is a brand new marketing director for the Ritz Theatre Company. Kevin Stackhouse, a transplant from New York City, joins the Ritz team and is delighted to get the word out about August: Osage County.

"The audience is in for a real treat. Tracy Letts gives us something cutting edge, acidic and daringly innovative, while using the nostalgic conventions such as three acts, a broad range of characters and above all else, risk." Remarked Kevin while on set.

August: Osage County is a playing in its entirety of three acts, runs about one-hundred and twenty minutes with two intermissions and is intended for mature audiences due to language and subject matter.

Tickets, $20.50-$33.50 plus a $2.50 Historic Preservation Fee

Wednesdays: 9/25, 10/9 at 7:30pm
Thursdays: 9/12 at 7:30pm
Fridays: 9/13,9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11 at 8:00pm
Saturdays: 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12 at 8:00pm
Sunday Matinees:9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6 at 2:00pm

Group rates available. Student rush seats $15. Assistive listening devices available, handicapped accessible. All seats reserved.

Advanced Reservations: Ritz 24-hour ticket hotline (856)-858-5230. On the web at: www.ritztheatreco.org.

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