Lauren Weedman to Bring WELL I THINK YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL PHILADELPHIA to The PlayGround this Weekend

Actor, comedian, and writer Lauren Weedman is heading to town to create a one-woman improvised theater show Well I Think You're Beautiful Philadelphia... based on her experiences in the city. Praised for her "unflinchingly honest comic observation" (Seattle Weekly), Weedman is a series regular on HBO's hit new show Looking, which chronicles the struggles, loves, and lives of three gay men in San Francisco. She has garnered a cult reputation for her quick wit and spitfire jokes through her acting and comedic roles, and this new work marks her Philadelphia debut.

Performances will take place at The PlayGround at The Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom Street, on Friday, June 6th at 8PM; Saturday, June 7th at 2PM; and Sunday, June 8th at 7PM. Tickets are $15-25, handling fee applied for all purchases. Tickets can be purchased at beautifulphiladelphia.brownpapertickets.com, by phone at (800)-838-3006, or in person at the Adrienne Theatre Box Office the day of the show.

Weedman has traveled to various cities across the country for a hilarious series of improvised theatre pieces about the local area. For each work, she spends a week in the city and collects characters and moments, while trying to understand the intricacies of each locale. One premise of each show is whether or not that community could be a place for Weedman to settle. She seamlessly uses improv as a launching point for an evening of storytelling that hilarious characters, witty observations and sometimes spontaneous dance.

"I mix all of those experiences together in a week's time. The traumatic bits and the entertaining bits that make up the city. I never know what is going to happen on stage or what the show is going to be about. Can Philadelphia be the answer to all of my questions?" said Weedman.

Describing her work as political/absurdist/realist/physical-dance/situational and comedic, Weedman's city-themed plays have garnered rave reviews and sold-out audiences. Portland Center Stage first commissioned Weedman's The People's Republic of Portland. The Oregonian described Weedman's performance as "relentlessly, rapidly funny." She has also created work in Boise and Albuquerque.

Weedman's improvisational training has earned her critical acclaim for her development of characters and self-depreciating humor. She has created a series of one-woman plays including Homecoming, Rash, Amsterdam, and BUST that have earned her numerous awards. Her writing was featured in Women Playwrights: Best Plays of 2002. She is also an Alpert Award in the Arts recipient for Playwriting. She is an accomplished storyteller and writer who penned her own memoir A Woman Trapped in A Woman's Body in 2007.

Weedman made her television debut as a featured correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Weedman has also made appearances on television shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, True Blood, and Reno 911, and was a series regular on HBO's Hung. She currently plays Doris on HBO's Looking.

Lauren Weedman's production of Well I Think You're Beautiful Philadelphia... is produced by a class at in Drexel University's Entertainment & Arts Management program at the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. Professor Brannon Wiles leads the class and serves as Executive Producer. He is a Broadway and Off-Broadway theatrical producer and general manager whose credits include: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (2011 revival starring Harry Connick, Jr.); That Championship Season (2011 revival starring Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Noth, Jason Patric, Brian Cox and Jim Gaffigan); Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash; the Tony Award-winning Elaine Stritch At Liberty; Trumbo (starring Brian Dennehy); Martin Moran's Obie Award-wining The Tricky Part; Make Me A Song: The Songs of William Finn; and the original NY productions of Evil Dead The Musical and Almost, Maine.

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