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2009-2010 Season

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RACINE, WISCONSIN, August 20, 2009: Over Our Head Players announces the 2009-2010 Sixth Street Theatre season, featuring the sixth annual Snowdance original comedy competition! In addition to presenting traditional format comedies and Snowdance, they will offer drama, an evening of sketch comedy, and an all-new dinner theatre. The regular season includes Rabbit Hole in September, followed by Leaving Iowa in November, the “2010 Snowdance 10 Minute Comedy Festival” opening in January, The Beauty Queen of Leenane in spring, and Theatre/Schmeatre in May. Season ticket brochures are available through the box office, (262) 632-6802. Most shows are at the Sixth Street Theater, 318 Sixth Street, Downtown Racine. This fall, however, Leaving Iowa will offer a dinner theatre option, and all Leaving Iowa performances will be at Festival Hall, 5 Fifth Street, Racine. Rabbit Hole, “Snowdance”, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane run Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 5:30 and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Leaving Iowa runs Fridays at 8:00, Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00, and Sundays at 2:30. Theatre/Schmeatre runs Fridays at 8:00 and Saturdays at 5:30 and 8:00.

Over Our Head Players opens their 18th season in September with Rabbit Hole, a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by David Lindsay-Abaire. A successful suburban couple must pick up the pieces after devastating tragedy tests their marriage: the Corbetts have everything a family could want, until a life-shattering accident leaves them drifting perilously apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet search for comfort, exploring life after tragedy. Playwright Lindsay-Abaire wrote previous OOHPs’ hits Fuddy Meers and Wonder of the World. OOHPs veteran Patti Fitchett directs Rabbit Hole, which runs September 18-October 4.

In November, OOHPs brings dinner theatre to Downtown Racine, performing the comedy Leaving Iowa at Festival Hall. Warm, nostalgic, family vacation laughs by Tim Clue and Spike Manton, Leaving Iowa offers a toast to parents from the “Greatest Generation” and a roast of their dedication to the road trip. Driving across Iowa, Don relives the vacations he spent as a boy trapped in the family station wagon en route to uninteresting sites. Shifting smoothly from the present to the annual, torturous vacations of his childhood, it will keep you laughing, remembering the childhood vacations you tried to forget. Simultaneously hilarious and touching, Leaving Iowa plays November 6-22. While dinner packages will be a unique feature of the production, regular, non-dining tickets are also available.

Over Our Head Players begins the new year with the “2010 Snowdance 10 Minute Comedy Festival,” the sixth anniversary production of the 10-minute original comedy competition that just keeps growing. Entrants from throughout the community, the state, and the country are invited to submit original 10-minute plays to Racine’s very own Snowdance Comedy Festival. In prior years, hundreds of entries from coast-to-coast have been received, and even international entrants have made it to production. Judges will choose the best of the entrants to be produced. Then, in the ultimate interactive experience, the audience can vote on who should win the cash prize. Utah has Sundance, we have Snowdance! Snowdance perennially sells out, but due to the overwhelming popularity of Snowdance, a fifth full weekend has been added; OOHP presents Snowdance January 29-February 28, 2010. Artistic Director Rich Smith leads the Snowdance ensemble, which is sponsored by Minuteman Press.

Over Our Head Players presents an electric drama in spring with The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Playwright Martin McDonough concocts an alarming blend of hysterical comedy, grand melodrama, horrifying violence, and tragedy. Lonely spinster Maureen is trapped taking care of her elderly, cantankerous mother, Mag. The two are locked in a duel of wills, bound in painfully mean patterns of attack and counterattack. When Maureen finally discovers romance, things get horribly out of hand. This modern classic is full of clever twists and bitter tragedy leading up to its stunning conclusion. McDonough’s Tony Award-winning black comedy unleashes all the dark humor and rich language for which he has been internationally praised. Upstart Theatre Company member Doug Despin directs Beauty Queen of Leenane.

Following two popular runs in 2008 and 2009, sketch comedy closes the season. Theatre/Schmeatre, an evening of all-new sketches written by OOHP, is back for a third round. These short, unrelated, original scripted comedies follow in the tradition of Second City and promise lots of silliness and satire. By “original,” we mean all of these sketches will be written by Over Our Head Players. By “sketches,” we mean short pieces with minimal technical elements. And by “comedies,” we mean funny! Once again, we’ll also feature live music from some of the area’s finest musicians. A very hot ticket the last two seasons, Theatre/Schmeatre is sure to sell out. Mark your calendars now for May 14-June 5, and please note there are no Sunday performances of Theatre/Schmeatre.

Managing Artistic Director Rich Smith enthuses, “Our 18^th season is possibly our strongest season yet: Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Rabbit Hole, a regional amateur premiere of a great new American comedy, Leaving Iowa, along with the legendary work of Martin McDonough, Snowdance 2010, and more great sketch comedy and music with Theatre/Schmeatre!" He elaborates on the exciting addition of dinner theatre, “Audiences spoke, and we listened. For years I have heard our ticket holders express an interest in a Racine Dinner Theatre. We are very excited to announce what we hope will become a new OOHP tradition. OOHP will move its production of Leaving Iowa to Festival Hall and will be offering a fantastic dinner option for ticket holders who wish to enjoy a fantastic dining experience - provided by local favorite Danny's Catering - and the ability to dine, drink, and enjoy a great new comedy all from the same seat! We are so happy to offer this new experience at Racine’s premiere location; Festival Hall offers easy parking and wonderful atmosphere, along with what promises to be a fine dining experience.” While dinner theatre details will be available through the box office, Smith also promises, “In today's economy, we want to offer our ticket holders an economical package that will include a complete evening of fine dining and theatre. Season ticket subscribers will have preferred seating and first option at purchasing the dinner portion if they wish. Act now to get in on what is going to be a popular event for Racine and OOHP!"

Over Our Head Players operates the Sixth Street Theatre in Downtown Racine. OOHPs is a non-profit organization of volunteer theatrical talent from throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. The mainstay of OOHP for seventeen seasons has been contemporary comedy. Last season featured Barefoot in the Park; The Ice-Fishing Play; Dog Sees God; the 2008 Snowdance 10-Minute Comedy Festival; and Theatre/Schmeatre. Past productions include sell-outs of their original It’s a Wonderful Lifeboat, Below the Belt, Fuddy Meers, The Gene Pool, Power Plays, Bathroom Humor, the Wisconsin premiere of Cheese Louise, and the original Still Haven’t Found... .