Scott Schwartz (Golda's Balcony, Rooms) will stage Backwards in High Heels in a co-production Arizona Theatre Company and San Jose Rep; while Timothy Douglas will direct an all-African American production of late playwright Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful.
The 2010-2011 season also marks the last at the Play House's historic home. The company will relocate to downtown Cleveland’s Theater District in the fall of 2011.
The Cleveland Play House season follows:
The 39 Steps
Adapted by Patrick Barlow from the book by John Buchan and Alfred Hitchcock film
Directed by Peter Amster
Sept. 17-Oct. 10
"Hitchcock meets hilarious in this affectionate spoof of one of the all-time great spy movies and a hit on Broadway for nearly three years. This season’s most intriguing, most thrilling, most riotous, most unmissable comedy smash, with four of the most limber actors alive playing 150 roles."
The Kite Runner
Based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini
and adapted for the stage by Matthew Spangler
Directed by Marc Masterson
Oct. 15-Nov. 14
"It’s a glorious afternoon in Kabul and the skies are bursting with the exhilarating joy of a kite-fighting tournament. But in the aftermath of the day’s victory, two friends’ lives are changed forever by one fearful act of betrayal. The Kite Runner takes us inside an Afghanistan few of us know." This Wonderful Life
Conceived by Mark Setlock and written by Steve Murray
Directed by Peter Amster
Nov. 26-Dec. 19
"Can one person really make a difference in the world? Share the hope and humor of Frank Capra's beloved classic film 'It's A Wonderful Life' in this delightful re-imagining. The virtuoso James Leaming portrays George Bailey, Clarence the Angel, Mary, Old Man Potter, and 20 more of Bedford Falls' finest citizens in this one-man tour de force."
Backwards in High Heels: The Ginger Musical
Conceived and developed by Lynette Barkley and Christopher McGovern, with book/original songs/arrangements by Christopher McGovern
Directed by Scott Schwartz
Jan. 7-30, 2011
"A vibrant new musical dances its way through the life of Ginger Rogers with unforgettable music, show-stopping dance numbers and a captivating story that chronicles the legendary entertainer’s journey from hometown to Hollywood."
The Trip to Bountiful
By Horton Foote
Directed by Timothy Douglas
Feb. 4-27, 2011
"In 1947 Houston, the elderly Carrie Watts dreams endlessly of visiting her childhood home one last time before it is too late. But she must literally find a way to escape the confines of her overbearing daughter-in-law and son."
My Name is Asher Lev
Adapted by Aaron Posner from the novel by Chaim Potok
Directed by Seth Gordon
March 4-27, 2011
"Asher Lev, a Hasidic Jew, tries to balance his artistic genius with the demands of his observant family. An intriguing conflict between the sacred and the profane."
Legacy of Light
By Karen Zacarias
April 8-May 1, 2011
"This ingenious timetraveling comedy contrasts two female scientists in their forties— played by the same actress. One, Emilie du Chatelet, living in the age of Enlightenment, races to complete her research before her child is born. The other, living in the present and unable to conceive, arranges for a surrogate to have her child."
Subscriptions are currently available. Single tickets will go on sale Aug. 2. Phone (216) 795-7000 or visit ClevelandPlayhouse.
