La Jolla Playhouse will have the world premiere of Karen Hartman's Alice's Wild Ride, a Playhouse-commissioned work which will tour San Diego area schools from Jan. 24-March 10, 2000. Directed by Patrick McBride, the play deals with the life and adventures of Alice Ramsey, who, in 1909, became th first women to drive across America by car, The production is part of the Playhouse's Performance Outreach Program ("POP") tour.

Parents and schools interested in booking Alice's Wild Ride should call the Playhouse's education and outreach office at (858) 550-1070 as soon as possible, as the tour is nearly sold out. Over 30 schools in Encinitas, La Mesa, Rancho Santa Fe, Vista, Imperial Beach, Carmel Valley and Mission Hills have already reserved their performances. The cost is $400 for one performance and $650 for two performances on the same day.

The POP tour is a professional Playhouse outreach program aimed at introducing children to the excitement and wonder of theatre. Past productions include Marciela de la Luz Lights the World, The Flimflam Man and Silent Edward, by Des McAnuff.

Hartman is a two-time California Young Playwrights Festival winner who has received commissions from South Coast Rep, Dallas Theatre Center, the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, and Malashock Dance & Company. Her adult plays include Gum, Alice: Tales of a Curious Girl, Girl Under Grain and Troy Women.

La Jolla Playhouse is located on the corner of La Jolla Village Drive and Torrey Pines Road. Website: www.lajollaplayhouse.com -- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent