by Catherine Allen

directed by: Julie Hamberg

November 4 - 21

Performances at Vital's New Home
The McGill Cazale Theatre above the Promenade
2162 Broadway at 76th St . 4th Floor

8pm Curtain Wednesdays through Saturdays
7pm Curtain Sundays

Saturday Matinee, November 6th at 3:30pm
Special Opening Night Performance
Monday, November 8th at 8pm

In Cate Allen's new fictional high comedy of wit, our innocent and idealistic Dr. Sigmund Freud, fresh from medical school, decides to become a playwright. In this rich intellectual, politically charged, and artistic environment of 1880s Vienna, Freud begins. In so doing, his passion draws the eye of Horst, the editor of the regions' most prominent political and philosophical journal. Horst, most intrigued, puts into motion a plan to know the young Freud, with his self-important colleague Bruckholdt. The machinations truly begin as the powerful, enigmatic and ravishing Countess Diamanthe LaBerge is drawn in. The maneuverings of these principals propel Freud into a new world of ideas and sexuality, opening his eyes to the true nature of humanity, and eventually to the kernel of psychoanalysis. DEAR VIENNA is a play of passion and ambition, hidden desires and cigars.

You don't have to KNOW Freud to love him and this cast of highly amusing characters. If you ARE a Freud fan, you'll definitely get a kick out of it - if only for the psychosoma value

Featured in the cast: ROSS BESCHLER, TUG COKER, JESSI GOTTA, JUDITH HAWKING*, G.R. JOHNSON*, RON McCLARY*

Assistant Director: AIMÉE HAYES
Dramaturgy: LISA SILBERMAN BRENNER, PhD
Scenic Design: BRANDON MATTHEWS
Lighting Design: CAROLINE YACONO
Costume Design: VANESSA LEUCK
Properties Master: JANE SHEPARD
Sound Design: FRANK PISCO
Production Stage Manager: AIMÉE HAYES
Hair & Makeup Consultant: EILEEN YEPEZ

Biographies

Playwright CATHERINE ALLEN’s plays have been produced in the US, Canada, and Europe. In New York, her plays have appeared at Soho Rep, The Neighborhood Playhouse, The Workhouse, Urban Stages, Emerging Artists, Circle in the Square Downtown, Chasama, and others. Catherine is a winner of a Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Julie Harris Playwriting Award for THE ESSENCE OF BEING and a previous Princess Grace finalist for UNCOMMON GROUND. LICK premiered at 78th Street Theatre Lab in NYC under the direction of Eva Saks. Her short play, ANYTHING FOR YOU, is published in the collection "Take Ten" (Vintage Press) and has appeared in dozens of short play festivals, was broadcast on WNYC, and is being made into a film. Catherine is a member of the Circle East (formerly Circle Rep) and The Women’s Project She is co-founder of The Playwrights Project.

JULIE HAMBERG, director and associate artistic director of Vital Theatre Company, directed Vital's Main Stage productions of Robert Sherwood's IDIOT'S DELIGHT (OOBR Award), Shawn B. Hirabayashi's FUNNY (OOBR Award), and Jane Shepard's DUCKS CROSSING, as well as participating in THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON, and helming Vital's raucous SUMMER OF LOVE this past summer. Among her credits is the rarely revived RAIN FROM HEAVEN by S.N. Behrman for Reckless Theatre Co. As a four-time alumnus of the Lincoln Center Theater's Directors Lab, she has directed new plays at The ArcLight, the Westbeth Theatre Center, NYC's Fringe Festival, Six Figures, Gilgamesh, New Georges, The Lab and Circle Rep Lab, among others. Julie also served as assistant director in NYC at MTC, The Public, and most recently as a Drama League Fellow as assistant director to Daniel Sullivan on Shaw's MAJOR BARBARA for the Roundabout.

Cast

ROSS BESCHLER (Sigmund Freud) studied theater at Columbia University and trained as an actor at William Esper Studios. Recent roles include Ralph in KATE CRACKERNUTS (The Flea); Hanschen Rilow in SPRING'S AWAKENING (Michael Chekhov Theatre Company); and Tuzenbakh in THE THREE SISTERS (under the direction of the Moscow Art Theatre's Yuri Yeremin). Ross has also written plays for young audiences that tour the U.S. and England.

TUG COKER (Sir Rudolph DerVanderhoff) is a recent graduate of the American Repertory Theater M.F.A. Program. A.R.T. credits: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Martha Clarke, dir.) and SNOW IN JUNE (Chen Shi-Zheng, dir.). A.R.T. Institute: CORIOLANUS, A LIE OF THE MIND, THE IDIOT, and DONNIE DARKO (Marcus Stern, dir.). TV: 'Guiding Light'. Currently in BROKEN WINDOW on Monday nights.

JESSI GOTTA (Yvette). After college she performed in the DC area before moving to NYC. Recently, she was in Vital's OOBR award winning IDIOT'S DELIGHT and performed in this summer's Hell Festival. This January she will be performing at the Brick Theatre in a remounted extended version of HELL'S BELLES, from the Hell Festival.

JUDITH HAWKING* (Countess Diamanthe LaBerge) was last seen in Second Stage's LIVING OUT. NY Stage credits include: IVANOV and VOICES IN THE DARK (Broadway), JULIUS CAESAR (Public), MARCO POLO... (Signature), POLICE BOYS (Playwright's Horizon), AVOW (Director's Co.), HUNTING MORELS (MCC), CLAY (Women's Project), and LOVE OF THE NIGHTINGALE (Soho Rep). Regional: the McCarter, A.R.T., Arena Stage (Helen Hayes nominee), Old Globe, Long Wharf, and Cleveland. Television: guest spots on 'Law and Order: SVU', 'Third Watch', and 'As The World Turns'. Up coming: Teresa Rebeck's BAD DATES at Cincinnati Playhouse. www.judithhawking.com

G.R. JOHNSON* (Horst Kritsky) recently appeared in BURNING BOTTICELLI at the NY Fringe. Other NYC credits: La MaMa E.T.C., Mint Theater, Circle East, and Vital Theater. Regional: WHAT THE BUTLER SAW (Wilma Theater), MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION (Charlotte Rep), UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (Huntington Theater), ANDROCLES AND THE LION (Alabama Shakespeare), GROSS INDECENCY… (Florida Studio Theatre), and THE LION IN WINTER (Meadow Brook Theatre). Summer stock: Williamstown Theater Festival, Flat Rock Playhouse, and Dorset Theatre Festival. B.A., Oberlin College; M.F.A., Temple University.

RON MCCLARY* (Gilbert Bruckholdt). Off-Broadway he relived the hippie experience as part of SUMMER '69: THE MUSICAL. Off-off Broadway: IDIOT'S DELIGHT (Vital), WHAT YOU WILL (OR 12TH NIGHT), THE THREE SISTERS, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. He is a founding member of the Actor's Shakespeare Company of Hoboken, where he has performed in THE TEMPEST, ROMEO AND JULIET and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Film credits include 'Neurotica' and 'The Perfect You'. Ron received the Best Actor award for his work in DON'T PICK UP at the 2001 Turnip Festival. TV: 'Law & Order', 'Ed', and 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien'. .

Production Team

LISA SILBERMAN BRENNER, Ph.D. (Dramaturg) holds a B.A., MA, and Ph.D. in Theatre from Columbia University. She has taught theatre at several universities and ran her own theatre company for three years. Her play FROM THE NARROW was produced by Theatre Ariel's festival "White Space Black Letters." TAKING NAMES, a play she co-wrote, won "Best New Play" in the All Out Arts competition in 2000 and was produced in NYC. This is Lisa's second year as Literary Manager for Vital.

AIMÉE HAYES (Assistant Director and Stage Manager). Artistic work at Vital: directing Ross Maxwell's CROATOAN this fall and his PEDESTRIANS, a Samuel French One-Act Competition finalist; co-producing Vital's summer season and directing MAKE NICE? MY ASS!, starring in IDIOT'S DELIGHT (OOBR Award); directing pieces in THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON...; and adapting and directing Slawomir Mrozek's THE MARTYRDOM OF PETER OHEY for the inaugural Vital Directions.

VANESSA LEUCK (Costume Designer). Off-Broadway: TWO BROTHERS WHO ARE NOT BROTHERS (Player's Theatre). Other New York Credits: IDIOT'S DELIGHT, CEDARWOOD AVENUE (Vital), SPRING'S AWAKENING (Michael Chekhov Theatre Co.), DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID (Dramahaus Prod.), LIKE YOU LIKE IT (NYMF), WISHING TIME (Vital Children's Theatre). Vanessa has an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.

BRANDON MATTHEWS (Set Designer) is a designer, musical director, composer, and actor. Set Design credits include: LAUGHING WILD and CONTRACTS (Lynx Theater), WHEN PIGS FLY, MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, (Masquerade Theatre). He has a graduate degree in music composition and is co-writing a musical comedy. His architectural designs can be seen throughout Texas and NY, and his designs for interiors and furniture have been published in various magazines.

FRANK PISCO (Sound Design) is very happy to be a part of DEAR VIENNA and to be working with Dear Miss Hamberg and the Vital Theatre Company again.

JANE SHEPARD (Props Master). Jane's history with props has lead to a deep personal relationship with the Swiss army knife. Among her objets de triomphe: the jukebox in DUCKS CROSSING; the wood floor in CROATOAN; and a talking donut box in her upcoming film 'Earning the Day'.

CAROLINE YACONO (Lighting Design). Vital: THE MARTYRDOM OF PETER OHEY and IDIOT'S DELIGHT. Most recently Carrie was the set dresser for 'Fashion Rocks' performed at Radio City Music Hall which aired on Fox. Other Lighting Design NYC-area credits: RING OF DEATH (Theatre for the New City), THE AMERICAN PROJECT (Luna Stage Co.), and FIT TO BE TIED (12 Miles West). Carrie holds an MFA in Lighting Design from the University of Memphis.

EILEEN YEPEZ (Hair & Makeup Consultant) is an aspiring makeup artist. Theatre makeup credits include: JECKYLL AND HYDE, THE WIZARD OF OZ, THE SHAPE OF THINGS, THE CRUCIBLE, and BAT BOY at various venues. Film credits: 'The 11th Commandment' and 'Two Colors One Life' with the European film company, New Generation Cinema.