Diversionary Closes Its Season With Biting Comedy THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED, Previews Begin 5/7

Diversionary Theatre's sixth and final production of the 2008-2009 season is the biting contemporary comedy The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane. Directed by Robert Barry Fleming, this play takes a look at the scandalous world of Hollywood celebrities. Players in this fast-paced and hilarious farce include a spin-doctor agent, a rising movie star, a sexy "rent-boy" and his na?ve and needy girlfriend. With photographers itching to catch the latest in celebrity gossip, a compromising photo can make or break your career. The Little Dog Laughed asks the question, "is there an escape from Hollywood's glass closet or is it better to just stay locked in from the inside?"

The Little Dog Laughed was nominated for a 2007 Best Play Tony Award and Julie White won the Best Actress Tony Award for her role as the Hollywood agent.

Douglas Carter Beane's stage credits include Xanadu, As Bees in Honey Drown, and Dancing in the Dark among others. Beane also provided the script for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. He is a founding member of Drama Dept. and member of the Dramatist Guild.

Fleming won a 2008 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Featured Performance by a Male in a Musical for his performance in Ain't Misbehavin' at the San Diego Rep. He is Director of the Theatre Arts Program at the University of San Diego. The cast features Karson St. John as the agent, Brian Mackey as the movie star, Bryan Bertone as the rent boy, and Kelly Iverson as the girlfriend. The Little Dog Laughed contains adult content and brief nudity.

Started in 1986, the mission of Diversionary Theatre is to produce plays with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes that portray characters in their complexity and diversity both historically and contemporarily.

The Little Dog Laughed will preview on May 7 and 8, and open on Saturday, May 9 and run through Sunday, May 31. Performance times are: Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday & Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 2:00 & 7:00pm, with an additional performance on Monday, May 18 at 7:30pm. Single tickets, priced $29-$33 with discounts for seniors, students and military are now on sale. Food for the opening night party provided by The Mission Restaurant. For information, call the Diversionary box office at 619.220.0097 or log on to www.diversionary.org.

Financial support for Diversionary Theatre is provided in part by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.