The Studio Theatre partners with the hot New York City theatre company The Civilians to present the world premiere of The Civilians' latest play with music, which was first seen at the Humana Festival in Louisville earlier this year.

"In The Civilians' signature style, the six company members mix docu-drama with cabaret, weaving engaging songs into a script based on interviews with actual people," according to The Studio Theatre. "The result is a unique and thought-provoking look at life in America today."

This Beautiful City is produced in conjunction with the 2008 Humana Festival of New American Plays at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. The piece is written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis and features songs by Michael Friedman.

The production runs to July 6, in the Metheny Theatre in The Studio Theatre complex.

"In the tradition of artists like Moisés Kaufman and Anna Deavere Smith, the company spent ten weeks interviewing people in Colorado Springs, the home of several national Evangelical organizations, as well as the New Life megachurch," according to production notes. "During their time in the community, New Life founder Ted Haggard was at the center of a major scandal involving prostitution, homosexuality and crystal meth; his story appears in This Beautiful City alongside the stories of Air Force Academy cadets, surrounding church leaders and ordinary citizens. This Beautiful City looks at Colorado Springs as a microcosm of issues facing the country as a whole — the shifting line between church and state, changing ideas about the nature of Christianity, and how different beliefs can either coexist or conflict within a community." Opening is June 15. This Beautiful City will play the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles this fall and the Vineyard Theatre in New York City in early 2009.

Tickets are on sale now at The Studio Theatre, 14th and P Streets NW. For more information call (202) 332-3300 or visit www.studiotheatre.org.

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The Studio Theatre's mission is to produce the best in contemporary theatre. Artist-founded and artist-driven, The Studio Theatre "demands the highest quality production values, bringing audiences provocative writing along with unparalleled artistry in performance, directing and design."

Founded in 1978, The Studio Theatre is led by Joy Zinoman, founding artistic director, along with Keith Alan Baker, managing director/artistic director, 2ndStage; Serge Seiden, associate producing artistic director; and Morey B. Epstein, executive director of institutional development. In 2004, The Studio Theatre opened a new four-theatre complex, a major landmark that anchors the 14th Street Arts District.