Great Lakes Theater Festival Presents ON THE DARK SIDE OF TWILIGHT As Free Touring Production

Great Lakes Theater Festival (GLTF) will launch the world premiere of On the Dark Side of Twilight, a free touring production scheduled to visit twenty-one neighborhood venues throughout northeast Ohio, to kick off the company's 2010 series of Surround outreach programming. The production features a touring company of three actors and is directed by Andrew May. The tour commences on February 16th, continues through March 11th and is designed to support the Festival's upcoming main stage production of Bat Boy: The Musical at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare, this Spring. All performances of the touring production are free and open to the public, with the exception of performances at area schools, which are private. The touring play is appropriate for teens through adults. (Consult the attached tour calendar for a complete list of performance venues, dates and times.)

"Now more than ever, we believe it is important to share free, professional theatre with people out in their own communities," said Daniel Hahn, Great Lakes Theater Festival's Director of Education, when asked about the Festival's annual tour. "When we decided to produce Bat Boy: The Musical, I knew right away that from an educational perspective, exploring classic gothic literature's influence on contemporary society had some relevance. We are extremely fortunate to have an award-winning playwright in David Hansen on our staff, and vampire lore is somewhat of his specialty. David was very excited to take on this project, and I think audiences are going to be taken by his wonderful new play."

Taking its title from a Bram Stoker quotation, David Hansen's world premiere one-act drama On the Dark Side of Twilight explores the evolution of the classic vampire myth, from its literary origins in John Polidori's The Vampyre, through Stoker's Dracula, Anne Rice's Interview With A Vampire, and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. An homage to four pivotal moments in the history of classic vampire literature, taken as a whole, On the Dark Side of Twilight describes a complete, two-century epic centering around the character of Aubrey Porlock.

The three-actor touring company features Cleveland actors David Hansen, Emily Elizabeth Pucell, and Dusten Welch. The design trio of Terry Martin (scenic design), Esther Haberlen (costume design) and Richard Ingraham (sound design) complete the play's production team. "Andrew has directed multiple GLTF tours, and Terry and Richard have designed for this program for several years as well, so we are thrilled to have their talents again on this year's tour. I am especially proud to feature the Surround debut of costume designer Esther Haberlen, GLTF's assistant Costume Shop Manager." Hahn said.

On the Dark Side of Twilight is a seventy-minute program that includes an introduction and post-performance discussion. This production is appropriate for teens through adults. Times and dates are subject to change. Call individual venues for more information about the performances. (Consult the attached tour calendar for a complete list of performance venues, dates, times an d contact information.)

On the Dark Side of Twilight is part of a series of community programs surrounding Great Lakes Theater Festival's upcoming Spring Repertory production of Bat Boy: The Musical, story and book by Keythe Farley & Brian Flemming; music & lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe (April 8 - May 16, 2010 at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare). Held throughout northern Ohio from February through October, the 2010, the Festival's Surround offers multiple educational programs designed to connect the issues in our plays to the issues in people's own lives. All Surround events are free and open to the public when at non-school venues.

For more information, visit the Great Lakes Theater Festival website at www.greatlakestheater.org