Raleigh Little Theatre to Present BUS STOP, 2/1-24

William Inge's classic play, Bus Stop, runs February 1-24, 2013 at Raleigh Little Theatre in the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre. The play transpires in a diner during a snow storm, transforming a group of strangers in to something much more. To enhance the experience, patrons at RLT will enjoy free coffee provided by Larry's Beans, a Raleigh-based coffee roaster specializing in organic, fair trade and shade-grown coffee.

On opening night, February 1st, the North Carolina Theatre Conference will present the 2012 Community Theatre Award, recognizing RLT as the community theater of the year in North Carolina. Visit http://www.nctc.org/more-programs/nctc-awards for more information.

Bus Stop is set in the mid-1950s at a street-corner restaurant west of Kansas City. The snowy weather has closed the road to Topeka, forcing a bus to stop for the night and passengers to take shelter at the diner. During the course of just a few hours, the lives of the passengers and the townspeople intersect and diverge in various ways, reflecting each character's search for meaning and their struggle against loneliness.

Audiences may be familiar with the work because of the movie it inspired, which opened in 1956 and starred Marilyn Monroe as Cherie, a chanteuse who has been abducted by a young cowboy named Bo. The film also spawned a TV show that ran from 1961-62 on ABC.

Bus Stop runs Thursday through Sunday from February 1-24, 2013, at Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre of the Raleigh Little Theatre, located at 301 Pogue Street, Raleigh, N.C. Performances Thursday, Friday and Saturdays are at 8:00 p.m., with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 3:00pm.

Tickets are sold by reserved seating and pricing for adults is $20 and for seniors and students is $16. Tickets for all performances can be purchased by calling the box office (919)-821-3111, Monday through Friday, noon-5:00 p.m., or by visiting the theatre's website at www.raleighlittletheatre.org.

Founded in 1936, Raleigh Little Theatre (RLT) is one of the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the United States. RLT offers entertainment, education, and community programs year-round, reaching more than 40,000 people. As a community theatre, RLT engages hundreds of volunteers under the guidance of professional staff to achieve its mission and bring quality live theatre to the Triangle region. Visit www.raleighlittletheatre.org for more information.

Pictured: Brian Hollingsworth as Bo Decker, Gus Allen as Will Masters, Katie Scofield as Cherie. Photo by Curtis Brown.