DEAR VIENNA

a new play by Catherine Allen

Vital Theatre Company
McGinn/Cazale Theatre . NYC 

"Dear Vienna was a theatrical triumph on all counts.  Lovingly delivered…"   "Hamberg maintained just the right balance of seriousness and buffoonery.”  Elias Stimac, OFF OFF BROADWAY REVIEW (OOBR)

"Director Julie Hamberg must be given a lot of credit; it is so easy to do comedy badly, and so difficult to do it well."  
Nathan Bredeman, OFF-OFF ONLINE

“…both hilarious and delightful…"  "The actors do a superb job…” Lindsey Wilson, Off-Broadway, TALKIN’ BROADWAY

CAST 

PRODUCTION TEAM 

ROSS BESCHLER

TUG COKER     

JESSI GOTTA

JUDITH HAWKING*     

G.R. JOHNSON*

RON McCLARY*

Sigmund Freud

Sir Rudolph DerVanderhoff

Yvette, the maid

Countess Diamanthe LaBerge

Horst Kritsky

Gilbert Bruckholdt

CATHERINE ALLEN

JULIE HAMBERG

AIMÉE HAYES

LISA BRENNER, PhD

BRANDON MATTHEWS

VANESSA LEUCK

CAROLINE YACONO

FRANK PISCO

JANE SHEPARD

SHARON FALLON
STEPHEN SUNDERLIN
JULIE HAMBERG

Playwright

Director / Co-Producer

Assistant Director & SM

Dramaturg 

Scenic Designer

Costume Designer

Lighting Designer

Sound Designer

Props Master

Program Coordinator
Artistic Director

Associate Artistic Director

THE SKINNY

In Catherine Allen's new fictional high comedy of wit, our innocent and idealistic Dr. Sigmund Freud (Ross Beschler), fresh from medical school, decides to become a playwright. In this rich intellectual, politically charged, and artistic environment of 1880s Vienna, Freud begins. In so doing, his passion draws the eye of Horst, the editor of the regions' most prominent political and philosophical journal. Horst (GR Johnson), most intrigued, puts into motion a plan to know the young Freud through supporting Freud's play - with the help of his self-important colleague Bruckholdt (Ron McClary). The machinations truly begin as the powerful and enigmatic Countess Diamanthe LaBerge (Judith Hawking) is drawn in, with the ever-watchful maid Yvette (Jessi Gotta). The maneuverings of these principals propel Freud into a new world of ideas and sexuality, opening his eyes to the true nature of humanity, and eventually to the kernel of psychoanalysis. DEAR VIENNA is a play of passion and ambition, hidden desires and cigars.

VITAL WORKSHOP

Great thanks to these wonderful actors for their contributions to the development of this play:  
Craig Bockhorn, Scott Barrow, Jeffrey Gimble, Judith Hawking, Vanessa Shealy, and Kevin Varner.  There were many others who worked on earlier incarnations as well...

Sun Productions

Carrie Yacono

Julie Hamberg