Boise comes to Cleveland at Dobama

Dobama Theatre announces the second show of its 53rd season—the regional premiere of “A Bright New Boise” by Samuel D. Hunter. The play opens on Oct. 26 and runs through Nov. 18.
 
The setting for “A Bright New Boise” is the bleak employee break room of a fictional big-box craft store in Idaho. Will, the play’s central character, is a deeply religious man who has fled his rural hometown where his “end of days” church was embroiled in a scandal. He comes to the Hobby Lobby not only for employment, but also to rekindle a relationship with Alex, the brooding teenage son he had given up for adoption. He joins the ranks of the blue-vested employees, a comedic set of misfits, struggling to find their way.

Directed by Nathan Motta, Dobama’s recently appointed associate artistic director, the play features Tom Woodward, Kim Krane, Kristy Cruz, Brian Devers and Andrew Deike. Both Woodward and Krane are members of Actors’ Equity and will be appearing under a special appearance contract with the actors’ union.

In 2011, “A Bright New Boise” received an OBIE award for playwriting and a Drama Desk Nomination for Best Play. Hunter’s other plays have been produced and workshopped in New York, Chicago, Seattle, and other American cities. His work has been translated into Spanish and presented in Mexico City and Monterrey, and he has worked in the West Bank with Ashtar Theatre of Ramallah and Ayyam al-Masrah of Hebron. Hunter has taught at Fordham University, in New York City; Rutgers University, in New Jersey; and at The University of Iowa. A native of northern Idaho, Hunter lives in New York City and holds degrees in playwriting from New York University, The Iowa Playwrights Workshop and Juilliard.

Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. For a complete schedule, ticket prices, and reservations, call the Dobama Theatre box office at 216-932-3396. Ask about reduced prices for RUSH tickets (as available, no earlier that five minutes before curtain), the preview performance on Thursday, Oct. 25, and the pay-as-you-can performance on Sunday, Oct. 28