NEWS - Spring 2008 Dear Subscribers, Blithe Spirit is the eighth production of our 2007 - 2008 Season. And what a season it is turning out to be. The August re-run of The Dead Presidents' Club, and four main-stage productions plus three productions in the Larry L. King Theatre makes it our fullest and most ambitious season yet. We will finish the season with a great David Mamet play, Speed the Plow, in the Larry L. King Theatre and the main-stage finale A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. We have broken subscription and single ticket records in both our theatres and are looking forward to continued strong growth. I am particularly proud of our artistic growth as exhibited by the quality of work displayed by our artists in Inherit the Wind, Don't Dress for Dinner, Les Liaisons Dangerous, Women Who Steal, Exits and Entrances, and Stones In His Pockets. But, let us not spend too much time resting on our laurels. We have next season to plan. With the opening of Blithe Spirit we kick off our 2008-2009 Season subscription campaign. Early Bird subscribers purchase season tickets before the new prices go into effect and get the opportunity to help us choose next season by voting on which plays they would like to see. The Austin Playhouse Acting Company has nominated an exciting slate of contemporary and classic comedies, dramas, and musicals for your consideration. A brief synopsis of these plays appears on the next page. I hope you will all want to sign up early for next season and exercise your right as an Early Bird subscriber to vote for the plays of your choice. As usual the new season will be announced with the opening of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum on May 23rd. Austin Playhouse has been blessed with a loyal audience who have supported our work by buying subscriptions, making contributions to our annual fund-raising campaigns, and by introducing friends to the magic of live professional theatre. The artists of Austin Playhouse are dedicated to strengthening their ability to provide even greater theatre-going experiences to our fantastic and ever increasing audience. I look forward to bring you many seasons of great theatre by Austin's leading professional theatre company. Sincerely, Don Toner Producing Artistic Director From the Producing Artistic Director We begin 2008 with a lavish production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in the main stage and a great Irish comedy, Stones In His Pockets, in the Larry L. King Theatre opening early February. What a joy to work with such a stellar cast including Babs George, Gray Haddock, Janet Hurley Kimlicko, Mary Agen Cox, Lara Toner, Ben Wolfe, Amber Dupuy, David Gallagher, and Jessie Tilton. I have an added bonus of having Lara Toner share the directing duties with me. The beautiful period costumes designed by Buffy Manners and assembled with assistance from Diana Huckaby will make this one of our most visually stunning productions ever. As always, the start of a new year marks the beginning of our annual fund raising campaign. Campaign '08 begins with the opening of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The need for contributed income is constant for all arts organizations. But more than ever the ability of Austin Playhouse to continue hinges on the success of our campaign '08. Our income from ticket sales pays about 70% of the costs of our productions and overhead. The remaining 30% comes from City of Austin Cultural Contracts funding and from foundation, business and individual donations. A much healthier ratio between earned income and contributed income for non profit arts organizations is closer to 50% from each source. Austin Playhouse is making a concerted effort to move closer to that standard. I hope that I can count on the help of all our subscribers to invest in the future of this unique Austin arts asset by helping us meet our goal of $150,000 from individual contributors. Currently a relatively small group of subscribers - about 400 out of 2,000 - are also contributors. If you are one of these, I ask for your continued support. If you are not, please join the ranks of those who make it possible for Austin Playhouse to exist. If you are looking for a good reason why your charitable giving should go to Austin Playhouse besides the enjoyment you derive from the productions, here are two. Austin Playhouse provides an artistic home for some of Austin's finest professional theatre artists and benefit performances to help raise funds for Austin area human service organizations. Your contributions to Austin Playhouse are fully tax deductible and greatly appreciated. Thank you. Sincerely, Don Toner Producing Artistic Director Subscribe Now! Season Tickets for our 2007-2008 Main Stage Season are on sale now! Over 1,200 people have already subscribed for next year. When you become an Austin Playhouse subscriber you are guaranteed the best seats at the best prices for all of our main stage subscription productions, plus fantastic discounts on guest tickets and special events. Due to popular demand, our 2007-2008 Season will expand from four to five subscription productions, running from mid-September to early July. We're also making improvements to our subscription system to add even more convenience and value to subscribing. Beginning this Fall, subscribers will be able to make their reservations for any play in the season at any time. Only subscribers will have this scheduling flexibility. In addition, rescheduling will still be just as easy, and you'll still enjoy discounts on guest tickets and priority seating for your chosen evening. If you've already subscribed for next year, look for your subscriber packet in the mail in August. We will begin taking reservations for the 2007-2008 season in August after subscriber packets are mailed. 5-play Main Stage Season Ticket Prices regular Thurs/ Fri/ Sun subscriptions $113 senior Thurs/ Fri/ Sun subscriptions $102 student Thurs/ Fri/ Sun subscriptions $61 regular 1st Fri. Opening Night subscriptions $126 senior Opening Night subscriptions $114 student Opening Night subscriptions $67 regular Saturday subscriptions $126 senior Saturday subscriptions $114 student Saturday subscriptions $67

Announcing our 2007-2008 Main Stage Season Inherit The Wind by Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee September 28 - November 4, 2007 The debate is still making headlines. In 1925 during the Scopes "Monkey" trial the teachings of Darwinist evolution clashed with fundamentalist Christianity. Inherit the Wind is a remarkable and powerful evening of theatre. Don't Dress For Dinner by Marc Camoletti, adapted by Robin Hawdon November 16 - December 23, 2007 To spend a weekend with his chic French mistress, Bernard packs his wife off to her mother's, invites his best friend to provide an alibi, and hires a gourmet chef to add culinary spice in this delightful fast-paced farce. Chaos and confusion quickly take over as Bernard juggles his mistress, his wife, her lover, the cook and the cook's husband! Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton January 18 - February 24, 2008 Intrigue, deception, and desire form the tangled web of these dangerous liaisons. Seeking revenge, the beautiful and cunning La Marquise de Merteuil enlists her partner-in-crime Valmont to seduce her ex-lover's young bride in this thrilling adaptation of the classic novel by Chodleros de Laclos. Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward March 28 - May 4, 2008 Coward's classic comedy! While researching background information for a new book, author Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth light-heartedly arrange for the eccentric local mystic, Madame Arcati, to hold a seance. The unfortunate result is that Charles' first wife Elvira is summoned from beyond the grave to use all her supernatural wiles to disrupt Charles' and Ruth's lives. Musical TBA May 23 - June 29, 2008 We're working on securing the rights for a fantastic musical! We will be announcing the title soon. All titles are subject to availability. 5-play Main Stage Season Ticket Prices regular Thurs/ Fri/ Sun subscriptions $113 senior Thurs/ Fri/ Sun subscriptions $102 student Thurs/ Fri/ Sun subscriptions $61 regular 1st Fri. Opening Night subscriptions $126 senior Opening Night subscriptions $114 student Opening Night subscriptions $67 regular Saturday subscriptions $126 senior Saturday subscriptions $114 student Saturday subscriptions $67

Austin Playhouse Acting Company Brian Coughlin Mary Agen Cox Jacqui Cross Babs George Gray G. Haddock Margaret Hoard Huck Huckaby Janet Hurley Kimlicko Barry Miller Bernadette Nason Andrea Osborn Tom Parker Lauri Raymond David Stahl David Stokey Michael Stuart Lara Toner Dirk van Allen Hans Venable Ben Wolfe Prelude Staff Editor Lara Toner Graphic Artist Trevor Lemoine Photographer Dirk van Allen Contributor Don Toner Board of Directors Hans Venable, President Gary Greif, Vice President Mary Agen Cox, Secretary Richard Apperley Bob Gerrie Gray G. Haddock Shari Kolding Robin Krumme Joe Lostracco Bernadette Nason Pat Saunders Michelle Kay Schultz Robert K. Schultz David Stahl Don Toner Kathleen Toner Pat Wright TB Wright