THEATER UP CLOSE SEASON

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1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS: Suzette Espinosa Fuentes Gino R. Campodónico (786) (786) The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County announces its THEATER UP CLOSE SEASON One World Premiere! Two South Florida Premieres! Zoetic Stage returns as a collaborator! The Carbonell Award-winning theater company s 7 th anniversary season consists of four shows: FUN HOME - South Florida premiere! Five-time Tony Award-winning musical! A refreshingly honest musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes WRONGFUL DEATH AND OTHER CIRCUS ACTS World premiere! The latest work by Christopher Demos-Brown, award-winning writer of Stripped, American Son and Fear Up Harsh DANCING LESSONS South Florida premiere! An enthralling romantic comedy by Mark St. Germain TOPDOG/UNDERDOG A Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy about brotherhood and family identity The Theater Up Close Season also includes SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS An acclaimed Off-Broadway hit written by Drama Desk winner Bess Wohl Early bird five-show subscription packages are available now at $160* Season Option: CITY THEATRE S WINTER SHORTS The festive version of the beloved Summer Shorts: America s Short Play Festival

2 MIAMI, FL April 24, 2017 The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and Zoetic Stage are proud to announce the lineup for the Center s 7 th season of THEATER UP CLOSE. The season features five extraordinary productions including one world premiere and two South Florida premieres. Continuing the Arsht Center s ongoing, critically-acclaimed collaboration with Zoetic Stage, the THEATER UP CLOSE series opens with TOPDOG/UNDERDOG (November 2-9, 2017), a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Suzan-Lori Parks; WRONGFUL DEATH AND OTHER CIRCUS ACTS (January 18 - February 4, 2018), a dark comedy by Christopher Demos-Brown, one of South Florida s finest playwrights; DANCING LESSONS (March 8 - March 25, 2018), Mark St. Germain s insightful, poignant, witty and hilarious romantic comedy; and the Tony Award-winning FUN HOME (April 12 May 13, 2018), an uplifting musical drama of rare intensity, honesty and beauty, told through melodically rich songs that summon yearning, heartache and joy. It speaks universally about big things that matter: life, love, family, surviving. (Daily News). THEATER UP CLOSE will also include SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS (February 16 - March 4, 2018), Bess Wohl s unique and compassionate new play that asks how we address life s biggest questions when words fail us. In addition to the subscription series offerings, the season will include, as an option, City Theatre s WINTER SHORTS - the festive version of Summer Shorts: America s Short Play Festival which will feature a jolly program of short plays and musicals. The Theater Up Close Series has transformed the Arsht Center into a showcase for some of the most dazzling theatrical work being done anywhere in this country. Productions in the series have earned 20 Carbonell Awards and 60 nominations. The Center is also honored to have partnered with and be the home of Zoetic Stage, one of South Florida s most critically-acclaimed theater companies. The Arsht Center s THEATER UP CLOSE SERIES is generously supported by Adrianne and Jerry L. Cohen, Alan and Diane Lieberman and the Hotel Croydon Miami Beach. Tickets Early bird five-show subscription packages are available now at $160* until June 23. Subscriptions can be purchased now through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling (305) , or online at Tickets for individual performances will be available starting this summer. Note: While City Theatre s WINTER SHORTS is not part of the Theater Up Close subscription package, subscribers will receive an exclusive promo code which will give them access to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public and a 20%* discount. Programming for the THEATER UP CLOSE SERIES includes the following: TOPDOG/UNDERDOG by Suzan-Lori Parks November 2-19, 2017 Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, TOPDOG/UNDERDOG is a darkly comic tale of brotherhood and family identity. The play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two African-American brothers (whose names were given to them as a joke) coping with women, work, poverty, gambling, racism, and their troubled upbringings. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future. WRONGFUL DEATH AND OTHER CIRCUS ACTS World Premiere! By Christopher Demos-Brown January 18 - February 4, 2018 "A playwright who crafts smart, insightful dialogue and memorable characters in service of compelling, engagingly theatrical stories." The Miami Herald

3 Following a fatal plane crash, Laura Mendes, a struggling personal injury lawyer, scampers to sign up the case of a lifetime. This dark comedy, by one of South Florida s finest playwrights, takes a wry, satirical look at the crude ways in which Capitalism places value on human life. WRONGFUL DEATH AND OTHER CIRCUS ACTS is the latest world premiere from Christopher Demos-Brown, award-winning writer of Stripped, American Son and Fear Up Harsh. Adrienne Arsht Center presents Bess Wohl s SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS Written by Bess Wohl Directed by Rachel Chavkin February 16 - March 4, 2018 SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS is a funny and ingenious new play that asks how we address life s biggest questions when words fail us. The New York Times says, it leaves you moved, refreshed and even enlightened. And New York Magazine declares It deserves to be seen and re-seen! It s a theatrical experience and an emotional journey you will never forget. In the quiet of the woods, six strangers embark on a silent retreat. As they struggle to confront their internal demons, their vows of silence collide with their achingly human need to connect. Written by Drama Desk Award winner Bess Wohl (Pretty Filthy) and directed by Obie Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812), SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS is a remarkable range of pain, joy and hope in 100 deeply engrossing minutes (Time Out New York). DANCING LESSONS South Florida Premiere! By Mark St. Germain March 8 - March 25, 2018 DANCING LESSONS is the story of Ever, a young man with high-functioning autism, who enlists the help of a Broadway dancer to help him survive an awards dinner. The dancer, Senga, is recovering from an injury that may end her dancing career. As their relationship unfolds, they are caught off-guard by the discoveries both hilarious and heartwarming that they make about each other and themselves. FUN HOME South Florida Premiere! Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron Music by Jeanie Tesori Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel April 12 May 13, 2018 Recent winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book of a Musical, FUN HOME is about Alison, a graphic novelist who dives deep into her past to tell the story of her father, a volatile, brilliant, one-of-akind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Through her work, she relives her unique upbringing in the family s funeral home, her burgeoning sexuality, and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father. FUN HOME is a refreshingly honest, wholly original musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes. SEASON OPTION: City Theatre and Adrienne Arsht Center present WINTER SHORTS 2017* Short Play Festival December 7 23, 2017 Tickets: $39* Get in the spirit of the holidays with City Theatre s brand new Winter Shorts! This festive version of Summer Shorts: America s Short Play Festival features a jolly program of short plays and musicals, each a complete work

4 8-10 minutes long! Treat yourself, your friends and family to an evening of theater filled with hilarity, both naughty and nice. Penned by the country s best playwrights and performed by a company of South Florida theater allstars, City Theatre s Winter Shorts will sparkle this holiday season! Note: While City Theatre s WINTER SHORTS is not part of the Theater Up Close subscription package, subscribers will receive an exclusive promo code which will give them access to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public and a 20%* discount. *All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit for up-to-date information for details and schedules. Ben Arons Photography; Off-Broadway 2016 Cast Zoe Winters, Max Baker, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Babak Tafti, Brad Heberlee, Marcia Debonis City Theatre s Winter Shorts Photo Courtesy of City Theatre To download high-resolution versions of these photos, hold CTRL then click here. The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni

5 Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations. Zoetic Stage is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. ### About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world s leading performing arts organizations and venues. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida s diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 400 events each year across its flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs several Signature Series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 30,000 children each year. As Miami s new Town Square, the Arsht Center also houses BRAVA by Brad Kilgore, a fine dining restaurant; the Café at Books & Books in the historic Carnival Tower and a weekly Farmers Market. Visit for more information. About Zoetic Stage Zoetic Stage was founded in 2010 to create fresh, bold interpretations of contemporary plays and musicals, and is dedicated to enhancing South Florida s national artistic profile by producing regional premieres and developing new works to become part of the American stage repertoire. Zoetic Stage was named the Best Theater Company of 2014 & 2016 by the Miami New Times, and has been nominated for an impressive 59 Carbonell Awards, including eight for Best Production of the Year, and won 17 of the coveted awards including 2014 Best Production of a Musical (Assassins). Zoetic Stage productions have received 23 Silver Palm Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Zoetic Stage is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network and a member of the South Florida Theater League. Visit for more information.