The world premiere of ‘Webster’s Bitch’ by Jacqueline Bircher will open at West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park on May 31.

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“Webster’s Bitch” by Jacqueline Bircher will run at Playhouse on Park May 31 – June 18, 2023. This production will be directed by Vanessa Morosco.

“Webster’s Bitch” is a part of Playhouse on Park’s 14th Main Stage Season, the theme of which is Perseverance. This season highlights stories of fighters and survivors, to coincide with the Playhouse’s journey of persevering through the pandemic. The Presenting Sponsor of Playhouse on Park’s 2022-23 Season is The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

When their Editor-in-Chief gets caught using some unexpected profanity, the employees of Webster’s Dictionary find themselves at the center of an internet uprising over gender and obscenity in the age of social media. As office politics collide with ambition, morality, and lexicography, the future of the English language hangs in the balance. A play about vulgar words and the people who define them.

About the Director: Vanessa Morosco (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate theatre practitioner who focuses on the intersectional spirit of collaboration through an ethical framework. As a director, she has created productions for several theatres, including the American Shakespeare Center, Palm Beach Dramaworks, The Tank, Gateway Playhouse, Harlem Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and Southwest Shakespeare Company. Vanessa is an ongoing collaborator with Clutch Productions in New York, where she fosters and directs new plays by women playwrights. She represents one half of the 50/50 SHAKESPEARE PROJECT, and will direct the world premiere of HAMLET 50/50 in 2023. As the co-founder of IMPACT DRAMA, she consults for multinational corporations to create drama-based content for use in training and development, focusing on global diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias, power harassment, and cultural awareness. (impactdrama.net) Vanessa is a member of AEA, SDC, Statera, and holds an M.A. in Ethics from Yale University. (vanessamorosco.com)

The cast includes Isabel Monk Cade (Ellie) Classic Stage Company YOUNG WOMEN OF VALOR, The New Museum THE REAL AMANDA PALMER, The Tank Theatre FUNNY VALENTINE, Centenary Stage THE LEARNED LADIES; HanJie Chow (Nick) Theatrelab: Ma Luo SKY OF DARKNESS, Creating Apart 2021: Jeremy BOXES, AADA: Ryan BIKE AMERICA. HanJie is also a Broadway Costumer: POTUS, KPOP; Veanne Cox* (Joyce) Broadway: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, A FREE MAN OF COLOR, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, CAROLINE OR CHANGE, THE DINNER PARTY, COMPANY, SMILE. She has been nominated for Tony, Emmy and Helen Hayes Awards and has received special Drama Desk and Obie Awards for excellence in the Theatre; Peter Simon Hilton* (Frank) National Tours: OKLAHOMA!, LES MISÉRABLES, FROST/NIXON; Denver Center HAMLET, Palm Beach Dramaworks: SKYLIGHT, ARCADIA, EQUUS; Alabama Shakespeare Festival MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, JULIUS CAESAR, 39 STEPS;. 7 years w/Aquila Theater Company; and Mia Wurgaft (Gwen) Mia is a Juilliard MFA Acting candidate. American Shakespeare Center Desdemona OTHELLO, Viola/Sebastian TWELFTH NIGHT, Helena A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Ma Joad GRAPES OF WRATH, The Queen in CYMBELINE.

Tickets are now on sale for “Webster’s Bitch” and range from $45-$55. Group rates are available. Student and senior discounts are also available. Previews are on May 31 and June 1, with all tickets at $25. Matinees (at 2 p.m.) are on Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. There will be a talk back with the cast and playwright after each Sunday matinee.

For more information or tickets, call the Box Office at 860-523-5900 x10 or visit www.playhouseonpark.org. Playhouse on Park offers discounts for group sales; inquire today! Playhouse on Park is located at 244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT 06119.

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