Part romantic comedy, part political satire, Born Yesterday is a razor-sharp comedy that combines a Pygmalion story with high stakes politics. Set in the nation's capital in the 1940s, Harry Brock, a self-made millionaire, gets more than he bargained for when he hires Paul Verrell, an idealistic reporter, to educate his beautiful but simple mistress, Billie Dawn.  • Director - Matt Sciple
 • Stage Manager - Rachel Mullins
 • Costumes - Emily Heaney
 • Scenic - Matt Erkel
 • Lights/Sound - Barry Nelson

CAST
 • Billie Dawn - Karla Reck
 • Harry Brock - Zach Curtis
 • Paul Verall - Ari Hoptman
 • Ed Devery - Dale Pfeilsticker
 • Eddie Brock - Nick Johnson
 • Senator Hedges - Ernie Rall
 • Mrs. Hedges - Nancy Brown-Colligan
 • Helen - Jessie Ladig
 • Asst. Manager - Caleb Fricke
 • Barber - Eric Bergsven
 • Manicurist - Sarah Bull
 • Bellhop/Waiter - Isaac Heath
 • Bellhop/Bootblack - Will Hart

UNDERWRITER
Ace on the Lake

STORY
A deceptively simple fable collides with high stakes politics.
By Bev Erickson

Born Yesterday – opens at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse Professional Summer Theatre, marking the start of the Theatre's 57th season and will run through June 23.

"I'm stupid, and I like it," declares central character Billie Dawn, a Broadway dancer-turned-gangster-girlfriend, played by Karla Reck. Reck embodies the role of Billie perfectly - simple and shameless - but with unexpected depths. She looks fabulous in the splendid costumes designed by Emily Heaney, as she dances, flirts and eventually learns that knowledge is power. Her finesse and silly antics as she plays Gin Rummy with Harry, foreshadow deeper elements to come.

Within Born Yesterday's deceptively simple plot – an uncouth, brash millionaire, named Harry Brock, goes to Washington, DC with his saucy mistress, Billie Dawn and his crooked lawyer, Ed Deverey, to "influence" a politician or two. While there, Brock becomes disgusted with Billie's ignorance and lack of manners (though he himself is much worse) and hires an impoverished journalist, Paul Verall, to tutor Billie. Under Paul's encouragement, Billie blossoms and turns out to be smarter than anybody knew.

Born Yesterday takes place immediately after World War II. The set is in a posh Washington D.C. hotel room. The main actor Harry Brock, the rags-to-riches, blow-hard scrap-metal dealer, played by Zach Curtis, is in Washington to use his money, his muscle and any influence he can muster to persuade a few senators to lay the groundwork for an illegal cartel to help out his junk business. Curtis does an excellent job as Harry. No one says "shut-up" better than a Bronx tough guy and Curtis does it like the best of them. "After having served as artistic director at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse for the past two years, I'm excited to be in this show," Curtis says. Over the past winter, Curtis performed in six shows in the Twin Cities. He will be directing the remaining four shows at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse.

Born Yesterday made its debut nearly 60 years ago in New York at the Lyceum Theatre where it played to sold-out Broadway audiences for nearly four years. The play later became a hit film staring Judy Holliday, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the "bimbo blond" Billie.

This part romantic, part screwball comedy, will run for two weeks at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, under the artistic direction of Matt Sciple. Under Sciple's direction this play will once again delight audiences and demonstrate its timeless nature. Sciple says, "What really makes this play such a prime contemporary production is the amount of heart and cleverness of its dialogue."

Sciple, also a playwright and actor, has worked on over 70 productions in and around the Twin Cities. This is his first show at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, but his 18th with Zach Curtis. Sciple and Curtis have assembled a great cast for Born Yesterday, including four members with Bemidji ties: Eric Bergsven, a 2007 Bemidji High School graduate who plays a barber; Nancy-Colligan Brown, a Bagely Public School speech coach and theater director, who has acted in over 20 plays at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, plays the Senator's wife; Jessie Ladig, a 2007 graduate of Bemidji High School, plays Helen; and Ernie Rall, Board President of the Bemidji Community Theater, plays the role of Senator Norval Hedges.

Back by popular demand is Dale Pfeilsticker, who plays the role of Ed Deverey, the low-keyed, has-been lawyer, who has traded his integrity for the big money he receives as Harry Brock's legal expert. Pfeilsticker says, "I saw Judy Holliday perform in the movie in the late ‘50's and have been waiting since I was a kid for the opportunity to perform in Born Yesterday.

Ari Hoptman plays the role of "New Republic" journalist Paul Verall. Nerdy Paul is hired by Brock to tutor Billie in the ways of high society. Paul, in his glasses and rumpled mismatched clothes, unexpectedly becomes Billie's love object, as he tutors her in grammar and current events.

Born Yesterday is a delightful comedy with a strong social message. It runs through June 23 at the downtown air-conditioned historic Chief Theatre. Evening performances start at 8:00 pm. Sunday Matinee starts at 2:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at: www.PaulBunyanPlayhouse.com, or through the Playhouse Box Office at 218-751-7270.