Ripley will portray Olivia in the Adam Bock comedy, which begins previews Jan. 13, 2004, with an official opening scheduled for Jan. 19. The limited engagement will play through Feb. 22.
Directed by Kent Nicholson, the cast also includes Joanna Adler, Kevin Karrick, Jason Butler Harner, Matthew Montelongo and Lisa Steindler. The play comprises five scenes, in which playwright Bock "uses birds as metaphors to describe a dysfunctional family who populate [the play] about siblings who must decide the fate of an aviary built by their recently deceased father."
Five Flights will feature set design by James Faerron, lighting design by David Szlasa and sound design by Drew Yerys. The performance schedule is Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8 PM with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 3 PM.
Alice Ripley, who headlined a production of Tell Me On a Sunday at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, earned a Tony nomination for her performance as conjoined twin Violet Hilton in the musical Side Show. She has also appeared on Broadway in The Rocky Horror Show, James Joyce's The Dead, Sunset Boulevard, The Who's Tommy, Les Misérables and in the City Center Encores! production of Li'l Abner as well as the concert run of King David. Ripley starred in the Kennedy Center's production of Company and reprised her role as fearful bride Amy on TV's "Kennedy Center Honors." Ripley's non- show recordings include two discs with Side Show co-star Emily Skinner — "Duets" and "Unsuspecting Hearts" — and a recording of her own compositions, "Everything's Fine." Ripley's recent theatrical credits include Ken Ludwig's Shakespeare in Hollywood and a regional production of The Fabulous Invalid.
Playwright Adam Bock also wrote Swimming in the Shallows, which was produced in San Francisco where it was awarded Best Overall Production, Best Original Script and Best Ensemble at the Bay Area Theatre Critics Awards. Recently commissioned by Playwrights Horizons, Bock received his MFA in playwriting from Brown University. The Rattlestick Theater is located at 224 Waverly Place between West 11th and Perry Streets. Tickets, priced at $37.50, are available by calling (212) 868-4444 or by visiting www.smarttix.com.
