Taproot Theatre Opens 2013 Season With JEEVES IN BLOOM, 2/1

Laugh away the winter blues with P.G. Wodehouse's classic characters in Jeeves in Bloom, opening at Taproot Theatre on February 1. Peace. Tranquility. The English countryside. Then Bertie Wooster pays a visit. While ducking romance, fleeing a cleaver-wielding chef and burgling his uncle, Bertie's trail of mischief and mayhem is set right by his unflappable valet, Jeeves. Based on characters created by author P.G. Wodehouse, this confectionary treat is a delightful respite from the daily grind. Associate Artistic Director Karen Lund directs Margaret Raether's adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse's stories. Jeeves in Bloom opens February 1 and runs through March 2, with previews on January 30 and 31.

Wodehouse's Jeeves series is considered by many to be some of the most humorous writing in the English language. The characters rose in popularity and were made infamous in the 1990's BBC comedy series, Jeeves and Wooster, starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. The Jeeves character also inspired the phrase "right ho, Jeeves" and the internet search engine, askjeeves.com. Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was a master of English prose who was admired by his contemporaries and successors alike.

The fact that his stories are going strong after nearly 100 years is proof that P.G. Wodehouse is an English language paragon of humor, so it is no wonder that when Margaret Raether first encountered Wodehouse's The Code of the Woosters in college she was inspired. Raether is a founding member of Artists' Ensemble Theatre and spent two seasons as Playwright in Residence at New American Theater. Raether's adaptation of Jeeves in Bloom first premiered in September of 2009 at Artists' Ensemble Theatre in Illinois. Other productions of this script were mounted at First Folio Theatre in Chicago and Old Log Theater in Minneapolis.

Taproot Theatre's production of Jeeves in Bloom is directed by Associate Artistic Director Karen Lund and features Matt Shimkus as Jeeves and Aaron Lamb as Bertie Wooster, accompanied by the talented Marianna de Fazio, Stephen Grenley, Parker Matthews, Kim Morris and Randy Scholz. The production team includes scenic and sound designer Mark Lund, costume designer Sarah Burch Gordon and lighting designer Roberta Russell. Micah Lynn Trapp serves as stage manager, Christine Marie Brown as dialect coach and Tina Polzin as dramaturg.

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