Tag Archives: Human Race Theatre Company

She’s back!  Cindy Lou Who returns to Dayton for The Human Race Theatre Company’s WHO’S HOLIDAY! in an irreverent, hilarious good time, not suitable for the whole family

Playwright Matthew Lombardo serves up an antidote to the holiday blues with a wildly funny and heartfelt adults-only comedy about grown-up Cindy Lou Who.  She trips along memory lane as she prepares for a holiday party in her trailer just outside of Whoville. Cindy Lou reminisces about that fateful Christmas eve when she first met the Grinch and the twisted turn of events her life has since taken. If you enjoyed Tuna Christmas or The Santaland Diaries in previous seasons, or even if you came to see Cindy Lou last year, join us again in filling the Loft Theatre with laughter December 8 – 23, 2022.

Special “Parent’s Night Out” performances are scheduled at 5pm on December 10, 17 and 22-23, where kids 5-12 can enjoy a holiday-themed theatre workshop in the 2nd floor rehearsal room from 4:30 – 6pm while parents enjoy the show upstairs. The show’s short 60-minute run-time allows families to be home in time for dinner and bedtime!

“As a parent, I know the struggle is real to find childcare, especially the closer it gets to the holidays,” states HRTC Artistic Director Emily N. Wells. “The Human Race proudly partners with Dayton Live to offer these workshops to keep the kids learning and having a lot of fun, while parents and caregivers can kick back and enjoy a raucous time at the theatre.”

As the season of charitable giving continues, The Human Race expands its commitment to The Foodbank, with a barrel for non-perishable food items in the lobby. There is also a “Giving Tree” in partnership with Blue Star Families Dayton, adding a little extra cheer for active and reserve military families in the area.

Returning to the role of Cindy is hilarious Cincinnati native and Wright State graduate, Alex Sunderhaus. WHO’S HOLIDAY! is directed by Human Race Theatre Company Resident Artist and Wright State Artistic Director, Joe Deer. The production team returns for Cindy Lou’s festive holiday party, with Stage Manager Rachel Heine; Costume Designer Zoe Still; Scenic Designer Scott J. Kimmins; Lighting Designer John Rensel; Sound Designer Alexander Koker; Prop Master Sarah Gomes.

WHO’S HOLIDAY! will play in the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton, December 8-23, 2022. Tickets are on sale through Dayton Live box office, 937-228-3630, or online at www.humanracetheatre.org

Special Nights at the theatre:  

• SAWBUCK SUNDAY: Sunday, December 11th at 7:00pm.  All tickets at the door are $10.
• PARENT’S NIGHT OUT: December 10, 17, 22, and 23rd at 5:00pm.  Reserve your child’s spot
  when making your ticket reservations online.

The Human Race Theatre Company acknowledges its gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible:  22/23 Loft Season sponsored by The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation; Sustainability Sponsors: Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason, Morris Furniture Company;  Organizational Support: Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council; Media Sponsor: WDPR Discover Classical; Additional Support comes from The Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts, The Shubert Foundation, Erma R. Catterton Trust.

DEADLINE, a comedy thriller, hits the stage for the first time in its World Premiere production at The Human Race Theatre Company. Canadian playwrights Marcia Kash and Douglas E. Hughes pen this witty and surprising homage to the murder-mystery genre made great by Agatha Christie and Peter Sellars with performances from October 27 – November 13, 2022 at the Loft Theatre.

When a famous playwright dies unexpectedly, leaving behind his highly anticipated but unfinished play, writers Don and Mara are hired to complete it in time for an imminent Broadway opening. With the clock ticking and armed with only the first twenty-five pages of the script, the couple try to get inside the author’s head; instead, they find themselves sucked into the world he has created, cruising around the Caribbean aboard a luxury yacht with members of the cursed Bloodworth family. After one of their shipmates is murdered, Don and Mara realize their only chance of getting home is to write an ending before they meet their own.

“Marcia and Doug have paired a twisty “whodunit” with smart comedy writing, giving our audiences a treat that will feel fresh and familiar all at the same time,” comments Emily N. Wells, Human Race Theatre Company artistic director.  “Thrillers allow us to question our own perceptions of reality – what we think is true versus the facts – and DEADLINE delivers,” she continues. Cincinnati actor and director Jason Podplesky brings the production to life with a stellar cast of familiar faces. Audiences may remember Jason from his recent triple-role performance in Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help last April.

Wells also shares that for the remainder of the 22-23 season, The Human Race Theatre Company launches two new ticket initiatives: two sections of $20 seats available at any time through the box office, and ten $10 rush seats available 90 minutes before any performance. “It’s an invitation to laugh with us, be moved by a story, and share that experience with your neighbor,” she says.

In the all-local cast for this world premiere production are:  Annie Pesch as Mara/Meredith (Family Shots); Josh Aaron McCabe as Don/Silas (Everything That’s Beautiful); Andrew Ian Adams as Dean/Trevor (Airness); Barry Mullholand as Bartholemew (Cincinatti Shakespeare Company); Christine Brunner as Devorah (Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help); and Adelyn Rae Helms as Tabitha (Theatre LAB’s Something Rotten).

Joining Podplesky on the DEADLINE production team are: Ray Zupp, Scenic Design;  John Rensel, Lighting Design; Janet G. Powell, Costume Design; Brando Triantafillou, Sound Design; k. Jenny Jones, Fight Director; Sarah Gomes, Props; Mark Tynan, Production Stage Manager; and Joseph Adams, Production Assistant. For press ticket requests, please contact Monique Cooper, Company Manager at monique@humanracetheatre.org

DEADLINE will play in the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton, October 27 – November 13, 2022.  Tickets are on sale through Dayton Live box office, 937-228-3630, or online at http://www.humanracetheatre.org   More details about the show can be found on our website.

Special Nights at The Loft:

• Pay What You CAN – Wed. October 26 at 8 pm – Non-perishable food donations benefit The Foodbank; 100% of cash donations benefit the Take & Make Program at Dayton Metro Library
• Inside Track – Thursday, Oct. 27 8pm – Pre-show Discussion at 7:15pm
• Sawbuck Sunday – Sunday, Oct. 29 7 pm – $10 tickets available 5:30pm at the door
• While We’re On The Subject – Sunday, Nov. 8 2pm – Post-Show Discussion w/ a surprise guest

The Human Race acknowledges its gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible: The Loft Season Sponsors: Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation; Sustainability sponsors:  Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason, and Morris Furniture Company;  Additional Season support:  Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts, Erma R. Catterton Trust, The Shubert Foundation;  Organizational support:  Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grant. Media Sponsor: WDPR Discover Classical. Pay What You Can Sponsor: Enterprise Holdings Foundation.

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