Asolo Rep Presents INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP; Casting Announced

Asolo Repertory Theatre presents Katie Forgette's INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP as the fourth and final play in its 2023 repertory season.

This wild and tender comedy directed by Asolo Rep Associate Artistic Director Céline Rosenthal explores the foolishness of first love, the pains of Catholic guilt, and ultimately, the power of family. INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP begins previews on March 15, opens on March 17, and runs through April 22, in the Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

"I couldn't stop laughing when I read INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP, said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. "It's a really fun, poignant play about the importance of family, and I saw my own upbringing in this story of a particular family that's truly about all of us."

Audiences will travel back to the era of bellbottoms and The Partridge Family in the uproarious and inspiring INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP. For one week in 1973, the O'Shea family faces a crisis of biblical proportions when a simple conversation about the birds and the bees threatens to turn into a parish-wide scandal. With their good name at stake, the quick-witted women of the O'Shea household must work together to preserve their honor and prove that nothing is stronger than a family bond.

Asolo Rep audiences most recently saw Rosenthal's work in last season's Grand Horizons. Other directing credits with Asolo Rep include Camelot, We Need A Little Christmas, The Lifespan of a Fact, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest. They are a Tony-nominated producer who has developed new work with Musical Theatre Factory, NYMF, Kidoons, Tamasha and National Queer Theatre. Rosenthal also created and is artistic director of Ground Floor, Asolo Rep's new work development program.

"I'm always drawn to stories with funny, strong women at their center," Rosenthal said. "The particular genius of this play is its exploration of the inner workings of parent-child and sibling relationships in all of their glorious, messy hilarity. Katie's writing is so smart and deeply relatable. There's lots of great inside humor for Catholics, but everyone with a family of any kind will see themselves reflected on our stage."

The design team for INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP includes Riw Rakkulchon (Scenic Design), Dee Sullivan (Costume Design), Driscoll Otto (Lighting Design), Sharath Patel (Sound Design), Michelle Hart (Hair/Wig & Make-Up Design) and Derek A. Graham (Original Compositions).

The cast features Lise Bruneau as Josephine "Jo" O'Shea, Willa Carpenter as Becky O'Shea,

Suzanne Grodner as Theresa "Terri" Carmichael, Erin O'Connor as Linda O'Shea, Jay Russell as Mike O'Shea/Father Lovett/Betty Heckenbach and Martha Velez-Reid as Grandmother O'Shea.

The understudies are Macaria Chaparro Martinez, Allie McLaughlin, Kathryn Parks, Sydney Story and Brian Zane.

INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP contains mature content and language.

INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP runs March 15 - April 22. Previews are March 15 - 16. Visit asolorep.org for a full performance schedule. Orchestra and Mezzanine seats start at $65 and Balcony seats start at $33. Tickets are available now in person at Asolo Rep's Box Office at 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, by phone at 941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388, or online at asolorep.org.

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