Des Moines Playhouse Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Kill Date: NOV. 15, 2020 Subject: Des Moines Playhouse Presents Weekend Comedy and I and You in repertory Contact: Lee Ann Bakros, Playhouse Marketing & Public Relations Director, 515.974.5358 The Des Moines Playhouse is welcoming audiences back into the theatre for two shows this fall, Weekend Comedy, Oct. 9-Nov. 8, 2020, and I and You, Oct. 16-Nov. 15, 2020. Weekend Comedy and I and You will be presented in repertory, alternating shows by the week. Tickets may be purchased online at dmplayhouse.com or by phone at 515.277.6261. Both shows are performed without intermission and are 90-100 minutes in length. Weekend Comedy finds a middle-aged couple (Sean Canuso, Gina Gedler) and a young couple (Tiffany Liechty, Jobe Fee) accidentally renting the same cottage for a three-day weekend. After the couples decide to share the cottage, a clash of generations ensues. Jeanne and Sam Bobrick fill their script with laughter and perceptive looks at aging, marriage, and happiness. The Playhouse cast is under the direction of David R. Kilpatrick. In Lauren Gunderson's I and You, Anthony (Clifton Antoine) arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline's (Natalie Grote) door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass with an urgent assignment from their English teacher. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn't been to school in months. She is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. I and You, directed by Katy Merriman, is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness. In preparation for reopening with show capacity at less than 35%, The Playhouse has drawn upon the guidelines suggested by local, state, and federal agencies, experts, and associations to create the theatre's procedures. The Playhouse continues to monitor current recommendations, guidelines, and restrictions. Full safety guidelines are posted on the theatre's website, dmplayhouse.com. Protocols for keeping audiences, volunteers, and staff safe include:

• A longstanding policy that asks guests, volunteers, and staff to stay home if feeling unwell. The theatre further requests individuals stay home that have been recently diagnosed with COVID-19 or are awaiting a COVID-19 test result. The Playhouse will refund ticket orders.
• Masks are required at all times for all guests, volunteers, and staff.
• Physical distancing of at least 6 feet will be observed.
• Hand sanitizer is readily available throughout the building.
• Seating is assigned, based upon when tickets were purchased and the size of groups, with at least 6 feet distance between parties.
• Playbills are entirely digital.
• A limited array of prepackaged concessions will be offered with credit/debit cards preferred for contactless payments.
• All shows are performed without intermission.
• Restrooms are single use so staff can sanitize the restrooms after each use.

The Playhouse is Iowa's oldest and largest producing theatre. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows every year since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage. For more information about The Playhouse, reopening procedures, and Weekend Comedy and I and You, visit The Playhouse website at www.dmplayhouse.com or contact The Playhouse at 515.277.6261. Ticket office hours are Noon-3:00 PM, Tuesdays-Fridays. Weekend Comedy Performances: Oct. 9-11, Oct. 21-25, Nov. 4-8, 2020 7:30 PM Wednesdays-Saturdays 2:00 PM Sundays I and You Performances: Oct. 16-18, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, Nov. 11-15, 2020 7:30 PM Wednesdays-Saturdays 2:00 PM Sundays Weekend Comedy and I and You Tickets $29, all ages To purchase tickets: dmplayhouse.com 515.277.6261 ###

By Lauren Gunderson