University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre Collaborates With Theater Rampe Stuttgart in World Premiere Of "Outside Inn" Sept. 12-15

PITTSBURGH-In an event designed to spark international collaboration between theaters in Pittsburgh and Stuttgart, Germany, the Pitt Repertory Theatre will present Andreas Jungwirth's "Outside Inn" Sept. 12 through 15 at the Charity Randall Theatre in the Stephen Foster Memorial, Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard, Oakland.

The project represents an international partnership between Pitt's Department of Theatre Arts and Germany's acclaimed Theater Rampe Stuttgart."Outside Inn" features an international bilingual cast, with actors from the United States, Germany, and Austria.

The special limited Pittsburgh engagement production includes three performances in English and two in German. Performance dates and times follow:

English-language preview Sept. 12 8 p.m.

German-language preview Sept. 13 8 p.m.

Opening night (English) Sept. 14 8 p.m.

Matinee performance (German) Sept. 15 2 p.m.

Evening performance (English) Sept. 15 8 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $12 to $22. For more information, call 412-624-PLAY or visit www.play.pitt.edu.

Melanie Dreyer, translator, actor, and assistant professor of theatre arts at Pitt, will direct the play. Translator Gabriele Schafer shares the production credit and also appears in the play's ensemble. Stephan Bruckmeier, cofounder of Theater Rampe Stuttgart and an internationally known writer, actor, director, and set designer, makes his Pittsburgh acting debut as part of the bilingual company.

The cast arrived in Pittsburgh this week for rehearsals and workshops. Following its run at Pitt, the play then moves to Theater Rampe's performance space in Stuttgart, Germany, where it will run Sept. 28-Oct. 20. The performances will be in German, except for one weekend, when they will be presented in English.

"Outside Inn" weaves four personal quests across Germany, Africa, Arizona, and Mexico. From an illicit hotel rendezvous to corrupt international business deals, the characters commit infidelity, murder, and identity theft as they attempt to flee who they are and what they have become.

Dreyer says the project "provides an opportunity for Pittsburgh's German speakers and students to see a new German play in German while highlighting Pittsburgh as a place for artists to live and work."

To help forge an artistic and collaborative bond between German and American actors and audiences, Dreyer is documenting the entire project-from auditions to final performances-on video. She hopes to provide a blueprint for other theater companies embarking upon international collaborations and for future international projects at the University of Pittsburgh.

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