Press Release

PHOTO RELEASE: PlayMakers Presents World Premiere Comedy “Dairyland”

Acting Company Member Ray Dooley Marks 100th Production

(Chapel Hill, NC, October 1, 2019) PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents “Dairyland,” a world premiere comedy by Heidi Armbruster. This whimsical, heartfelt tale of one woman’s journey from farm to table and table to farm is directed by Vivienne Benesch, and runs from October 16 to November 3, 2019.

Meet Allie. A Wisconsin dairy farmer’s daughter turned New York food blogger, keeping pace with the city that never sleeps. When she finds herself on the wrong end of a farm-to-table food fight, Allie heads back to Wisconsin, where her estranged dad and a pregnant cow named Patches show her the true meaning of food, faith, and family.

“I first discovered ‘Dairyland’ a few years ago while I was at Chautauqua Theater Company, and it’s stayed with me ever since. I’m thrilled to be giving it its world premiere production here in Chapel Hill,” said PlayMakers’ Producing Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch. “This part of the country doesn’t just understand both sides of the farm-to-table conversation, our audiences have lived both. ‘Dairyland’ has also allowed me to give Heidi Armbruster a platform to share her witty, talented, Swiss Army knife artistry. And of course, I am beyond humbled to direct Ray Dooley in his 100th production for PlayMakers! This play will charm audiences, make them cry a little, laugh a lot, and hopefully serve us all a heaping helping of family, friendship, and fellowship.”

“A conversation with my dad first inspired me to write this play,” said playwright Heidi Armbruster. “Years later, when I came back to it a bit older and maybe a bit wiser, I was grappling with the meaning of home. What is it? Where is it? Who is it? What do I have to do to feel like I’m at home, no matter where I am? That yearning flows through not just Allie, Henry, and all the characters, but I think in all of us, no matter if we’re millennials or their empty-nester parents. Vivienne and the amazing, talented, and generous acting and production company at PlayMakers will forever be cemented for me as a great place for this work of mine to have found its first home.”

“Dairyland” features Emily Bosco as Liz (“How I Learned to Drive,” “She Loves Me”), Ray Dooley as Henry (“Life of Galileo,” “A Christmas Carol,” “King Lear”), Claire Karpen as Allie (Broadway: “Sylvia”; Off-Broadway: “Into the Woods” at Roundabout/Fiasco), Khalil LeSaldo as Declan (“As You Like It” at Portland Stage, “Romeo and Juliet” at Tennessee Shakespeare Company), and Dan Toot as Jonathan (“Bewilderness,” “Sense and Sensibility”).

The Creative Team of “Dairyland” includes: Vivienne Benesch (Director; “Life of Galileo,” “Three Sisters”), Narelle Sissons (Scenic Designer; “Angels in America, Parts 1 & 2,” “All My Sons” at Roundabout Theatre Company), Jan Chambers (Costume Designer; “Leaving Eden,” The Cake”), Amith Chandrashaker (Lighting Design; “She Loves Me,” “Twelfth Night” at The Public Theater), Jared Mezzocchi (Projections Designer; “Poor Yella Rednecks” and “Vietgone” at Manhattan Theatre Club), Lindsay Jones (Sound Designer; Broadway’s “Slave Play” and “Bronx Bombers”), Jacqueline E. Lawton (Dramaturg; “Dot,” “The Christians”), Tia James (Vocal Coach; “Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood,” “Jump”), Gwendolyn Schwinke (Resident Vocal Coach; Voice/Text/Dialect for “Taming of the Shrew” and “Comedy of Errors” at Shakespeare & Company), and Elizabeth Ray (Stage Manager; “Tartuffe,” “No Fear and Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone”).

Due to casual use of coarse language, we encourage patrons to use their own discretion in determining the age appropriateness of the material. Please contact our Box Office for more details.
For information and to purchase tickets, call 919.962.7529 or visit www.playmakersrep.org. Individual ticket prices start at $15.

CLICK EACH PHOTO TO ENLARGE

01_Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto01_Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

02_Claire Karpen as Allie, Emily Bosco as a server, and Dan Toot as Jonathan in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto02_Claire Karpen as Allie, Emily Bosco as a server, and Dan Toot as Jonathan in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

03_Ray Dooley as Henry with Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto03_Ray Dooley as Henry with Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

04_Khalil LeSaldo as Declan and Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto04_Khalil LeSaldo as Declan and Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

05_Dan Toot as Todd with Claire Karpen as Allie and Emily Bosco as Sunshine in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto05_Dan Toot as Todd with Claire Karpen as Allie and Emily Bosco as Sunshine in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

06_Claire Karpen as Allie and Ray Dooley as Henry in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto06_Claire Karpen as Allie and Ray Dooley as Henry in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

07_Ray Dooley as Henry and Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto07_Ray Dooley as Henry and Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

08_Ray Dooley as Henry in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto08_Ray Dooley as Henry in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

09_Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto09_Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

10_Ray Dooley as Henry and Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto10_Ray Dooley as Henry and Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

11_Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto11_Claire Karpen as Allie in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto

12_Khalil LeSaldo as Declan in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto12_Khalil LeSaldo as Declan in DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster_Directed by Vivienne Benesch_HuthPhoto