Performance: Over the Tavern Genre: Play Series: Mainstage Location: Theatre

October 10 - 26, 2008
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Over the Tavern – It’s Polish! It’s Catholic! It’s Comedy!

Following on the heels of the riotous musical hit, The Producers, comes Over the Tavern – a hilarious and touching depiction of 1959 Americana set in neighboring Buffalo, New York.

Playwright, Tom Dudzick brings us the laugh-packed family comedy about the Pazinskis: Mom, Dad and their four children, Eddie, Annie, Georgie and Rudy, who all live in close quarters over the family owned tavern. They are a close knit Roman Catholic family that has lapsed into a comfortable non-religious existence. However, Sister Clarissa, the ruler-wielding, knuckle-cracking nun from St. Casmir’s is determined to shape young Rudy into a model student.

Rudy believes God put us on earth to “have fun” and he’s trying to figure out why his family isn’t having any, so, when he announces that instead of being confirmed that he'd rather shop around for a new religion, all hell breaks loose.

Under the direction of Charles Corritore, Over the Tavern features some new and familiar faces in the cast. Rudy, who does a spot-on impression of Ed Sullivan, is played by young Brennan Staaf and his nemesis, Sister Clarissa, by long-time Playhouse actress Doris Becker.

The parents in the Pasinski family include Jeremy Pierce as Rudy’s overworked dad, Chet and Sue Ellen Wojciechowski as Rudy’s mom, Ellen, who relys on her good sense and wry humor to keep the family afloat. Samantha Steinbaugh as Annie will stir the memories of many as she rolls her waistband to shorten her skirt as she enters that awkward stage when boys begin to notice certain things. Eddie Baxter brings the rebellious oldest son Eddie to life, while Zach Binder tackles the role of the mentally challenged Georgie.

Corritore is assisted by Sandra Miller with Joe Hassler creating the sets and lights and Mary Rose Ferrara designing the period costumes.

A note to patrons. When Over the Tavern premiered at the Studio Arena theatre in Buffalo, it sold-out not once, but twice and they brought it back for a third time.