By: Trever McKenzie ~Staff Writer~

Need your theater fix this fall? Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will open its 2016-17 season with its production of the adapted A Prayer for Owen Meany on Sept. 8 – previews of which start on Sept. 3 – and will end the show’s run on Oct. 1.

A beloved classic rewritten by playwright Simon Bent, this production retells John Irving’s riveting story in a bold new way. It utilizes modern technology and dynamic staging to bring life to the characters and settings. The production will include new flying effects courtesy of ZFX Inc.

Alongside the technological advances, the story of Owen Meany shines as an introspective exploration of friendship, faith, destiny and the societal turmoil of America during the 1960s.

A touching production that is also family-friendly, A Prayer for Owen Meany is a great alternative to some of the other activities your mother is going to force you to do when she comes to visit.

For those unfamiliar with this classic novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany follows John Wheelwright as he narrates the story of his best friend, Owen Meany, and himself as they survive both the death of John’s mother and their journey into manhood in the midst of the Vietnam War.

Moving from memory to memory as John sporadically recalls his childhood with Owen, we see a unique perspective of a man who believes he is God’s prophet.

His behavior spirals further out of control as he continues to do what he believes God wants him to do, even at the expense of others, and the audience is presented with the chilling idea that he might be right.

The talented cast of A Prayer for Owen Meany includes many local artists and performers – notably, recent Xavier Theatre graduate and former Newswire Editor-in-Chief Tatum Hunter appears in her first production at Playhouse portraying the various roles of Jarvit Daughter/Girl/ Ensemble.

“(A Prayer for Owen Meany) taps into our collective doubt, our search for purpose and face… Owen makes an extraordinary sacrifice for the greater good… I’d say that now, more than ever, we need Owen Meany,” said director Blake Robinson, who is also the artistic director for Playhouse.

If your interest is piqued and you want to indulge yourself with yet another amazing Playhouse production, or if you want to introduce yourself to the world of theater for the first time, you can buy tickets for A Prayer for Owen Meany by calling 513-421- 3888 or by going online at www. cincyplay.com. Xavier students can use their All-Card to purchase discounted student tickets for Sunday College Night performances at only $10. Student tickets for regular performances are $15.